Patent ID: 6308767
Filing Date: 2001-10-30
Classification: B22D

Abstract:
A furnace apparatus for the directional solidification of an article from a melt, comprising:a housing;a heating chamber within said housing, adapted when activated to preheat a mold to allow said mold to receive said melt and to maintain said melt in liquid state in said mold;a crucible member situated beneath said heating chamber, for containing a liquid metal bath;means for lowering said mold from within said heating chamber into said crucible member;means permitting vertical movement of said crucible member; andautomated means for automatically lowering said crucible member upon the level of said liquid metal bath having risen, to thereby permit said level of liquid metal bath to be maintained in a substantially fixed position immediately beneath said heating chamber during lowering of said mold into said liquid metal bath, said automated means for automatically lowering said crucible comprisinga detection means for indicating if the level of said liquid metal bath, when said mold is immersed in said liquid metal bath, has risen above a predefined point relative to said heating chamber, anda means for lowering said crucible member upon said detection means indicating the level of said liquid metal bath has risen.