Apparatus for generating a vortex in a melt
First Claim
1. An impeller for imparting a vortex to the molten metal of a melt, said impeller comprising a shank;
- a generally circular side wall located concentric to the shank and having a hollow interior which opens upwardly, the side wall having a radially outwardly presented surface provided with segments that are arranged circumferentially around the wall and deviate from a true circular configuration in that their midportions are set inwardly from it, the side wall also having apertures which open out of its at the segments and provide communication between the hollow interior and the exterior of the impeller; and
connecting means extended between the shank and the side wall for joining the shank and side wall, so that the two will rotate as a unit.
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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 to 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.
113 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An impeller for imparting a vortex to the molten metal of a melt, said impeller comprising a shank;
- a generally circular side wall located concentric to the shank and having a hollow interior which opens upwardly, the side wall having a radially outwardly presented surface provided with segments that are arranged circumferentially around the wall and deviate from a true circular configuration in that their midportions are set inwardly from it, the side wall also having apertures which open out of its at the segments and provide communication between the hollow interior and the exterior of the impeller; and
connecting means extended between the shank and the side wall for joining the shank and side wall, so that the two will rotate as a unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 17)
- a generally circular side wall located concentric to the shank and having a hollow interior which opens upwardly, the side wall having a radially outwardly presented surface provided with segments that are arranged circumferentially around the wall and deviate from a true circular configuration in that their midportions are set inwardly from it, the side wall also having apertures which open out of its at the segments and provide communication between the hollow interior and the exterior of the impeller; and
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5. In combination with a furnace which holds a melt of molten metal and maintains that melt in a molten condition, the furnace further having an exposed charging well in which a portion of the melt exists so that solid metal may be introduced into the melt at the charging well, and with a drive unit including a shaft which normally projects downwardly toward the melt in the charging well and rotates about a generally vertical axis of rotation, an improved impeller attached to the shaft of the drive unit and being normally submerged in the melt within the charging well where it rotates with the shaft about the axis of rotation to draw solid metal that is on the surface of the melt downwardly into the melt, so that the solid metal liquifies and adds to the melt, said impeller comprising:
- a generally annular side wall which surrounds a generally hollow interior that opens upwardly, the side wall having an outwardly presented surface including segments arranged circumferentially around the wall, with the segments deviating from a true circular configuration in that they are set inwardly from it, the side wall also having apertures which open out of the inwardly set segments and provide communication between the hollow interior and the region beyond the exterior surface of the side wall; and
means for connecting the side wall to the shaft of the drive unit such that the axis of rotation for the shaft generally coincides with the axis of the annular side wall. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 18)
- a generally annular side wall which surrounds a generally hollow interior that opens upwardly, the side wall having an outwardly presented surface including segments arranged circumferentially around the wall, with the segments deviating from a true circular configuration in that they are set inwardly from it, the side wall also having apertures which open out of the inwardly set segments and provide communication between the hollow interior and the region beyond the exterior surface of the side wall; and
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12. In combination with a melt of molten metal, an impeller which rotates within the melt and draws solid metal on the surface of the melt downwardly into the melt so as to liquify the solid metal and thereby add to the melt, said impeller comprising:
- a generally annular side wall that surrounds a generally hollow interior with the axis of the side wall lying generally coincident to the axis of rotation, the side wall on its radially outwardly presented surface including a plurality of substantially planar segments arranged circumferentially around the surface, the side wall having apertures which open out of the planar segments and provide communication between the hollow interior and the region beyond the exterior surface of the side wall, the upper end of the side wall being generally free so that the hollow interior opens upwardly within the melt;
a bottom wall connected to the lower end of the side wall; and
means for imparting a rotary motion to the bottom wall and side wall so that impeller rotates as a unit within the melt. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
- a generally annular side wall that surrounds a generally hollow interior with the axis of the side wall lying generally coincident to the axis of rotation, the side wall on its radially outwardly presented surface including a plurality of substantially planar segments arranged circumferentially around the surface, the side wall having apertures which open out of the planar segments and provide communication between the hollow interior and the region beyond the exterior surface of the side wall, the upper end of the side wall being generally free so that the hollow interior opens upwardly within the melt;
Specification