Patent ID: 7846379

Claim:
An industrial furnace for melting and gas-treating nonferrous metals having the following features: a) a steel jacket ( 3 ); b) a refractory lining ( 5 ) provided on the inside of the steel jacket ( 3 ) surrounding a free interior (I); c) devices ( 23 , 25 , 29 , 31 ) for supplying gas to the interior (I), the devices ( 23 , 25 , 29 , 31 ) extending through the refractory lining ( 5 ) in a direction transverse to a horizontal axis of rotation (D) of the furnace ( 1 ); d) at least one burner ( 9 , 11 ) for firing the interior (I); e) the furnace ( 1 ) is mounted to rotate about the horizontal axis of rotation (D) between a melting-position and a gas-treatment-position by an angle of rotation of at least 40°; f) the interior (I) is in the shape of a cylinder having an elliptical or oval cross-sectional area with a maximum diameter and a minimum diameter; and g) the devices ( 29 , 31 ) for supplying gas to the interior (I) being disposed on or adjacent to a location where the maximum diameter of the cross-sectional area of the interior (I) intersects the refractory lining ( 5 ) of the furnace ( 1 ) and the devices ( 23 , 25 ) for supplying gas to the interior (I) being disposed on or adjacent to a location where the minimum diameter of the cross-sectional area of the interior (I) intersects the refractory lining ( 5 ) of the furnace ( 1 ).