Patent ID: 7095777

Claim:
An electrode column [ 10 ] for use in an arc furnace comprising an electrode mantel [ 13 ], an electrode [ 11 ] which is concentrically located in and movable in an axial direction relatively to the mantel [ 13 ], an electrode slipping arrangement [ 12 ] including a lower electrode slip clamp [ 32 ] which surrounds the electrode [ 11 ] and which is carried by a ring beam, an upper electrode slip clamp [ 30 ] around the electrode [ 11 ] which is spaced vertically from and movable relatively to the lower clamp [ 32 ], slipping cylinders [ 34 ] which are connected to and between both slipping clamps [ 30 , 32 ] and electrical load regulating cylinders [ 26 ] which are connected to act between the ring beam [ 24 ] and fixed structure above the furnace roof, characterised in that the electrode column [ 10 ] includes at least one resiliently yieldable load resisting device [ 36 ] which is located between the upper slip clamp [ 30 ] and structure on the ring beam [ 24 ] and on which the electrode [ 11 ], when clamped only by the upper slip clamp [ 30 ] may totally be supported and means for measuring the load induced yield of the load resisting device [ 36 ].