Patent ID: 7497988

Claim:
A vortexer apparatus, comprising: a vessel comprising an exterior surface, an interior surface for containing molten metal and a mouth for receiving material at an upper end portion of said interior surface, an outlet passageway extending downwardly from said interior surface, and a vessel inlet opening located between said exterior surface and said interior surface above said outlet passageway, wherein a center line passes through a center of said interior surface and said vessel inlet opening is disposed at a location offset from said center line; and a pump adapted to pump molten metal into said vessel effective to form a vortex of molten metal in said vessel, comprising a motor, a shaft rotatably driven by said motor at an upper end, an impeller connected to a lower end of said shaft, a base adapted to be submerged in the molten metal, including an impeller chamber in which said impeller is rotatable, a base inlet into the impeller chamber, and a base outlet from the impeller chamber, said base and said impeller being configured and arranged effective to provide molten metal leaving said base outlet with a positive pressure, and an outlet conduit extending from said base outlet to near said vessel inlet opening, wherein said outlet conduit has a length extending from said base outlet to near said vessel inlet opening and said outlet conduit is constructed and arranged effective to be maintained at a temperature above which the molten metal solidifies, along said entire length of said outlet conduit, wherein said vessel is adapted to be at least partially submerged in molten metal contained in a chamber larger than said vessel, the outlet passageway of said vessel being adapted to direct the molten metal from said vessel into said chamber.