Improvements in Appliances for Use with Crucibles or Melting Pots during the Melting of Metals and Metallic Alloys in the said Crucibles or Pots.
Year: 1895

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Appliances for Use with Crucibles or Melting
Pots during the Melting of Metals and Metallic Alloys in the
said Crucibles or Pots.
I SAMUEL TAYLOR of Nos. 72 and 73 Lionel Street Birmingham in the County
of Warwick Manufacturer of Plated and other Metals, do hereby declare the nature
of my invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention consists of the appliances hereinafter described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings for use with crucibles or melting pots during the
melting of metals or metallic alloys in the said crucibles or pots.
My invention has for its objects to protect the metal in the crucible or melting
pot during the melting operation from the action of the furnace gases and from
particles of fuel and dirt, and further to facilitate the charging of the crucible with
metal and to permit of the inspection of the contents of the crucible without
uncovering the furnace.
For these purposes I cover the mouth of the crucible or melting pot before.
putting it into the melting furnace with a luted cap of plumbago, fire clay or other
fire resisting material, fitting closely in the mouth of the crucible and having at its
summit an open cylindrical neck which is temporarily closed by a flat cover..
During the melting operation the cover of the melting furnace and the cover of the
crucible cap may be removed for charging the crucible with metal, or for inspecting
the contents of the crucible at the open cylindrical neck of the cap.
When however it is required to charge the crucible and inspect its contents
without uncovering the melting furnace, I replace the cover described by a charging
pipe or chimney which fits upon the neck of the crucible cap, and extends upwards.
through the cover of the furnace to a short distance outside, the open top of the
charging pipe or chimney outside the furnace being closed by a cover of the kind
used for closing the crucible cap. By removing the cover of the pipe or chimney,
the crucible may be charged and its contents inspected by looking down the said
pipe or chimney.
Figure 1. of the accompanying drawings represents in section and Figure 2. in
plan, a melting furnace, the crucible or melting pot in which is provided with my
improved appliances for protecting the contents of the said crucible during the
melting operation.
a is the crucible (shown separately in Figure 5. drawn to a larger scale) and b. c.
are the protecting luted cap and cover of the same. The cap b. is shown separately
drawn to a larger scale in Figure 6. and the cover c. in Figure 7. The inner
flange of the cap b. fits closely in the mouth of the crucible a. and is preferably
luted therein. When the mouth of the crucible is protected by the parts b, c, the
access of furnace gases, particles of coke dust, and the like, to the melted metal is
prevented, and the melted metal has a purity unattainable by the ordinary method
of melting. In order to further charge the crucible with metal, during the melting
operation or to inspect the contents of the crucible, it is only necessary to remove
the furnace cover d. and lift the cover c. of the crucible cap so as to open the neck
of the said cap as will be understood by an examination of the drawing.
Figure 3 represents in vertical section and Figure 4 in plan, a melting furnace,.
the crucible or melting pot in which is provided with my improved appliances for

page_text: protecting the contents of the crucible during the melting operation and for
permitting of the contents of the crucible being inspected, or the crucible charged
with metal without opening the furnace.
In this modification I use with the cap b. of the crucible, the charging pipe or
chimney e. (shown detached drawn to a larger scale in Figure 8) the socket of the
said pipe or chimney e. fitting closely upon the cylindrical neck part of the said
cap b.
The charging pipe or chimney e. extends upwards through the cover d. of the
furnace to a short distance outside the said furnace, the open top of the said pipe
or chimney being closed by the cover c.
Besides protecting the contents of the crucible from the furnace gases, coke dust
and the like this arrangement permits of the ready inspection of the contents of the
crucible and the charging of the crucible with metal without uncovering the
furnace. That is to say, to inspect the contents of the crucible the cover c is
removed from the pipe or chimney e. when the workman by looking down the said
pipe can ascertain the condition of the metal in the crucible. The opening of the
chimney or pipe e permits of the crucible being charged by passing the metal down
the said chimney or pipe.
Where metals and alloys are melted which are not liable to oxidation or injury
by the flame and fumes of the melting furnace the chimney or pipe e. may be
dispensed with and the cap b. and cover c. only be employed as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in Figure 1.
My invention is specially applicable to the melting of aluminium or alloys of
aluminium, but may also be applied to the melting of other metals and metallic
alloys.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim
as my invention―.
The appliances hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings for use with crucibles or melting pots during the melting of metals and
metallic alloys in the said crucibles or pots; that is to say, the addition to or
combination with the crucible or melting pot of the cap b. 62 and its cover c. for
protecting the contents of the crucible or pot during the melting operation and for
charging the crucible with metals or alloys through the hole in the said cap as
described and illustrated in Figures 1. and 2; also the combination with the said
cap of the pipe or chimney e. for facilitating the inspection of the contents of
the crucible and for charging the crucible with metals or alloys without uncovering
the melting furnace as described and illustrated in Figure 2.
Dated the Twenty-fifth day of January 1895.
SAMUEL TAYLOR.