Patent ID: 8277721

Claim:
A furnace access apparatus for enabling access to a metal melt furnace, the furnace access apparatus comprising: a mounting enclosure comprising a furnace aperture, a first passage and a second passage, and adapted for mounting in said furnace; a furnace aperture burner/lance adapted for insertion into the furnace aperture through the first passage and adapted to direct a burner/lance output toward a furnace melt; and a mechanized furnace aperture burner/lance reciprocator that is remotely controlled, the furnace aperture burner/lance reciprocator coupled to the furnace aperture burner/lance and adapted to retract the furnace aperture burner/lance from the furnace aperture into the first passage while the furnace is in use; wherein the furnace aperture is adapted to allow access to the furnace through the second passage while the furnace aperture burner/lance is retracted from the furnace aperture and is at least partially within the first passage.