Apparatus for generating a vortex in a melt
First Claim
1. In combination with a furnace for maintaining metal that is within it in a molten condition as a melt, and further having a charging well which opens upwardly and contains a portion of the melt, so that the melt is exposed in the charging well, the improvement comprising:
- a track located generally above the charging well as well as beyond the charging well and a vortex generator suspended from the track, the vortex generator including a trolley which rolls along the track, an elevator suspended from the trolley, an impeller suspended from the elevator and being exposed generally below the elevator, drive means for rotating the impeller, and elevating means for varying the distance between the trolley and the elevator to lower the impeller into the melt within the well, so that it creates a vortex within the portion of the melt that is in the well, and to further raise the impeller out of the well to an elevation high enough to permit the vortex generator to be displaced on the track to a position remote from the well.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
A furnace maintains metal in a molten condition as a melt, and part of the melt is exposed in a charging well where lightweight solid scrap is introduced into the furnance. A vortex generator imparts a vortex to the melt within the well, so that lightweight solid scrap is quickly submerged in the well. The vortex generator includes an impeller which rotates within the well and actually creates the vortex. In addition, it has an elevator from which the impeller is suspended as well as a drive motor for turning the impeller, with the motor being on the elevator. An elevator frame serves to guide the elevator and the elevator frame is in turn connected to a trolley which runs along a track that passes over the charging well, but also extends well beyond it. An elevating mechanism adjusts the height of the elevator and elevator frame with respect to the trolley and is normally set so that the impeller is immersed in the melt and the elevator frame is engaged with the furnace at the charging well as resist torque imposed by the drive motor. However, the elevating mechanism raises the carrier enough to bring the impeller totally out of the well and the elevator frame enough to disengage it from the portion of the furnace surrounding the charging well, whereupon the entire vortex mechanism may be moved along the track to a position remote from the well. This eases maintenance of both the generator and well and further facilitates charging the well with scrap.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. In combination with a furnace for maintaining metal that is within it in a molten condition as a melt, and further having a charging well which opens upwardly and contains a portion of the melt, so that the melt is exposed in the charging well, the improvement comprising:
- a track located generally above the charging well as well as beyond the charging well and a vortex generator suspended from the track, the vortex generator including a trolley which rolls along the track, an elevator suspended from the trolley, an impeller suspended from the elevator and being exposed generally below the elevator, drive means for rotating the impeller, and elevating means for varying the distance between the trolley and the elevator to lower the impeller into the melt within the well, so that it creates a vortex within the portion of the melt that is in the well, and to further raise the impeller out of the well to an elevation high enough to permit the vortex generator to be displaced on the track to a position remote from the well.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A machine for imparting a vortex to molten metal forming a melt that is exposed upwardly, said machine comprising a track;
- a trolley mounted on the track such that it can move along the track;
an elevator frame depending from the trolley and located generally below the track;
an elevator on the elevator frame;
elevating means for changing the elevation of the elevator relative to the trolley;
a drive unit on the elevator and including a drive shaft which projects downwardly from the elevator and means for rotating the drive shaft; and
an impeller connected to the drive shaft of the drive unit and being exposed below the elevator where it forms the generally lowest portion of the machine, whereby the impeller, may be lowered into the melt to create a vortex in the melt. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
- a trolley mounted on the track such that it can move along the track;
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18. A machine for imparting a vortex to molten metal forming a melt that is exposed upwardly, said machine comprising a track;
- a trolley mounted on the track such that it can move along the track; and
elevator frame depending from the trolley;
an elevator on the elevator frame;
elevating means for changing the elevation of the elevator relative to the trolley;
drive means on the elevator for rotating a drive shaft;
an impeller connected to the drive shaft of the drive means; and
cooling means for preventing the drive means from reaching excessive temperatures, the cooling means including a horizontal duct mounted on the trolley with its axis parallel to the track, so that it will align and couple with an air discharge outlet when the trolley is at a predetermined position along the track, whereby air from the discharge outlet passes through the horizontal duct, and a contractible duct connected to the horizontal duct and extending downwardly with its lower end being positioned to discharge air such that the air flows along and cools the drive means. - View Dependent Claims (19)
- a trolley mounted on the track such that it can move along the track; and
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20. The combination of a furnace for holding a molten metal in the form of a melt and for maintaining that metal of that melt in a molten condition and a vortex generator for creating a vortex in the melt to facilitate the introduction of solid metal into the melt, the furnace comprising:
- a main chamber containing a portion of the melt, a pumping well in communication with the main chamber so that the melt may flow from the main chamber into the pumping well, a charging well in communication with the pumping well so that the melt may flow from the pumping well to the charging well, the charging well being configured such that the melt is exposed upwardly to enable solid metal to be introduced into the melt at the charging well, a dross well in communication with the pumping well and with the main chamber so that the melt may flow from the charging well through the dross well and back into the main chamber, the dross well being configured such that the melt is exposed upwardly and is accessible so that dross may be removed from the surface of the melt at the dross well, and a pump in the pumping well to induce circulation of the melt from the main chamber through the pumping well, through the charging well, through the dross well, and thence back into the main chamber;
the vortex generator comprising;
an impeller capable of being submerged within the melt at the charging well and configured to create a vortex within the melt within the charging well when rotated in the melt, and drive means connected to the impeller for rotating the impeller so as to create the vortex, whereby when solid scrap is introduced into the charging well, it is quickly drawn beneath the surface of the melt where it too is reduced to a molten condition, the direction of rotation for the impeller being such that it complements the flow of melt induced in the charging well by the pump. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
- a main chamber containing a portion of the melt, a pumping well in communication with the main chamber so that the melt may flow from the main chamber into the pumping well, a charging well in communication with the pumping well so that the melt may flow from the pumping well to the charging well, the charging well being configured such that the melt is exposed upwardly to enable solid metal to be introduced into the melt at the charging well, a dross well in communication with the pumping well and with the main chamber so that the melt may flow from the charging well through the dross well and back into the main chamber, the dross well being configured such that the melt is exposed upwardly and is accessible so that dross may be removed from the surface of the melt at the dross well, and a pump in the pumping well to induce circulation of the melt from the main chamber through the pumping well, through the charging well, through the dross well, and thence back into the main chamber;
Specification