Method for constructing a support ring in a curved wall

1. A method for constructing a support ring in a curved wall; the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a plurality of standardized wedge-shaped bricks, the bricks having:

a front face and an opposite rear face,

an inner base and an opposite outer base, the inner base being smaller than the outer base and being directed towards a centre of the support ring,

two side faces for connecting to neighbouring bricks, the side faces being provided with tongue and groove profiles for cooperating with the side faces of the neighbouring bricks,

an axial direction passing through the front and rear faces, the axial direction being parallel to an axis of the support ring once the plurality of bricks are laid out to form the support ring,

a radial direction passing through the inner and outer bases, the radial direction being perpendicular to the axis of the support ring once the plurality of bricks are laid out to form the support ring and extending from the centre of the support ring towards the brick,

a thickness of the brick in the axial direction, the thickness being in excess of a desired end thickness of the brick;

(b) determining the intended location of each individual brick in the curved wall;

(c) determining, based on the intended location of an individual brick in the curved wall,

the location of a front cut line for shaping the front face of the brick, and

the location of a rear cut line for shaping the rear face of the brick;

(d) shaping the front and rear faces of the brick in accordance with the above determined front and rear cut lines by means of a cutting tool.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, after step (d), the method comprises the step of placing and fixing the individual bricks in their previously determined intended location in the curved wall.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, in step (b), the intended location of an individual brick in the curved wall is computed using a computer program.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, step (b) comprises virtually and/or physically laying out the plurality of bricks so as to form a support ring preform.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, in step (c), the locations of the front cut line and the rear cut line are computed using a computer program.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein outer bases of the individual bricks form an outer edge of the support ring preform,

the method further comprising the step of cutting the outer edge of the support ring preform to a predetermined shape.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the outer edge of the support ring preform is cut before step (d).

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the tongue and groove profiles of the side faces are irregular.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the tongue and groove profiles of the side faces are wedge-shaped and extend in a substantially axial direction.

10. The method according to claim 1 , at least one starter brick is provided, the starter brick comprising groove profiles on both its side faces.

11. The method according to claim 1 , at least one end brick is provided, the end brick comprising tongue profiles on both its side faces.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said support ring preform comprises:

a first starter brick and a diametrically opposed second starter brick;

a first end brick and a diametrically opposed second end brick, the end bricks being arranged half way between the starter bricks;

a plurality of clockwise bricks arranged between the first starter brick and the first end brick and between the second starter brick and the second end brick; and

a plurality of anticlockwise bricks arranged between the first starter brick and the second end brick and between the second starter brick and the first end brick.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein

said clockwise bricks have a groove profile on its first side face and a tongue profile on its second side face; and

said anticlockwise bricks have a tongue profile on its first side face and a groove profile on its second side face.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a first group of bricks have a first wedge angle and at least one second group of bricks have a second wedge angle different from the first wedge angle, various inner diameters of the support ring being obtained by various combinations of bricks from the first group and bricks from the at least one second group.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of virtually and/or physically laying out the plurality of bricks so as to form a support ring preform comprises:

dividing the support ring preform into two diametrically opposed lower sections and two diametrically opposed upper sections,

laying out the bricks in such a way that the two upper sections are in an axially raised relationship with respect to the two lower sections.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein at least one intermediate section is located between the lower and upper sections.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the individual bricks are press-formed.

18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the individual bricks hydraulically press-formed.

19. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said curved wall is a curved wall of a hot blast stove or a blast furnace.