US687557A - Melting-furnace. - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRI J. J. CHARL-IER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MELTING- FU RNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,557, dated November 26, 1901.

Application filed July 26, 1901- Serial No, 69,832. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, HENRI J. J. CHARLIER,

a citizen `of France, residing in Philadelphia,

Pennsylvania, Ahave invented certain Improvements in Melting-Furnaces, oi' which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to construct a meltingfurnace which can be used in place of ordinary orucibles for melting metals or alloys--such as copper, brass, tin, &c.- which have a comparatively low meltingpoint, the furnace being one in which the metals can be melted in much less time than in the usual crucibles and whereby the charging and pouring ofthe metal can be effected with much greater facility than when crucibles are used.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is 'a longitudinal section of a melting-furnace constructed in accordance with my invention, and Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same on the line a a, Fig. 1.

The body l of the furnace is in the present instance of cylindrical form and is composed of an outer casing of sheet metal provided with a suitable refractory lining, said furnace-body being mounted so as to be freely rotatable around its central horizontal axis. This mounting may be effected in any desirable manner; but as shown in the drawings it is effected by providing one of the heads of the furnace-body with a central protecting shaft or spindle 2, which is mounted so as to be free to rotate in a bearing 3, carried by a bracket 4, which may be secured to any suitable support-such as the wall of a room or apartment or a post or column therein-- or may, if desired, 'be extended downwardly, so as to be supported upon the floor. The opposite head of the furnace-body has a projecting hollow hub 5, into which the refractory lining of the furnace extends, and this nnb is slung within the lower loop of an endless chain 7, whose upper loop passes around a pulley 9, carried by a yoke 10, which is suspended from a hook 11, supported in any available manner above the furnace.

The interior of the furnace-body contains a chamber 12 of bottle shape, the contracted neck 13 of this chamber extending through the hollow hub 5 of said furnace-bod y.

Projecting upwardly from the meltingchamber, near that end of the same opposite to the neck, is a tapering hopper 14, lined with refractory material in the same manner as the furnace-body and its hub, and a lateral pouring-opening 15 extends through one side of the furnace-body, this opening being so located that it will, when the furnace is in its normal or operative position, be above the levelof the melted charge theremelted charge from tho chamber when the furnace-body is turned on its axis in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, so as to carry the opening 15 downwardly.

The outer end of the central shaft or spindle 2 of the furnace-body is squared or otherwise formed for the reception of an operating lever or handle, whereby the turning movement of the furnace can be readily effected, or such turning movement may be caused by power applied directly to the body of the furnace or to the suspending-chain 7.

Adjacent to and in line with the neck 13 of the chamber 12 of the furnace is a nozzle 16, communicating with a vertical pipe 17, through which a supply of air underpressure may be conveyed to the nozzle, and a pipe 19 communicates with a pipe 26, which receives a supply of liquid hydrocarbon under pressure, said pipe 19 being bent at its lower end and passing through a stuffing-box 20 at the back of the'nozzle 16, but projecting into the latter to such an'extent that the jet issuing from the forward end or nozzle of said pipe 19. will mingle with the supply of air descending the pipe 17, whereby the jet issuing spray mixed with a supply of air ample to afford the necessary volume of oxygen for the perfect combustion of the hydrocarbon, such combustion taking place in the chamber 12 of the furnace-body and in the tapering hopper 14, from which the products of combustion escape.

The metal to be melted is introduced into ter that it will bridge the lower portion of said hopper, so that it can be piled therein, and will be supported within the hopper until it is melted, whereupon it flows down into the chamber 12 of the furnace and collects in the lower portion of the Same, fresh metal being the tapering hopper 14 and is of such Girare-.c-

in, but will permit of the out-flow of said from the nozzle 16 will be composed of an oil IOO supplied either' continuously or at intervals to the upper portion of the hopper until a charge of the required volume has accumulated in the chamber 12 and is ready to be poured therefrom, the products of combustion traversing the chamber serving to maintain the charge in the bottomof the same in molten condition after it has been melted and run into the same.

The pipe 17 has a valve 21, and the pipe 19 has a valve 22, so that the flow of air and liquid hydrocarbon can be regulated to a nicety and the proportions of air and hydrocarbon supplied to the nozzle 1G thus governed in such a way as to effect perfect combustion of said hydrocarbon, whereby the formation of smoke is effectually prevented and the use of a chimney or stack in connection with the furnace is rendered unnecessary.

In order that the nozzle 1G may be thrown` back out of the Way when it is desired to inspect the interior of the furnace through the neck 13, said nozzle is hinged to the llower end of the pipe 17 at 23 and is normally held in position by a clamp -bolt 2t engaging anges on the pipe and nozzle, as shown in Fig. 1, and the pipe 19 is likewise movable, being hung by a swinging joint 25 to the fixed supply-pipe 26.

' By means of my im proved furnace the metal to be melted is subjected in a small quantity at a time to the full fiow of the products of combustion. Hencerapid meltingofthemetal can be effected, the operation requiring much less time than is required when crucibles are used for the purpose, as in the ordinary pro'- cedure, and the pouring of the molten metal from the furnace can be effected with facility, and said metal can be discharged directly into the molds or flasks in which it is to be cast.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. A melting-furnace consisting of a body containing a storage-chamber and mounted so as to be free to turn around a horizontal axis, and means for supplying fuelin vapor or gaseous form to said chamber, said furnace-body having a hopper for receiving the metal to be melted, through which hopper the 5o products of combustion escape from the storage-chamber of the furnace, substantially as specified. l

2. A inciting-furnace consisting of a'body free to turn around av horizontal axis and containing a storage chamber for the molten metal, and means for supplying fuel in vapor or gaseous form to said chamber, said body having a hopper-,which receives the metal to be melted and also constitutes an outlet for the products of combustion from the storage chamber and the body of the furnace also having a lateral pouring-opening, substantially as specified.

3. The combination in a melting-furnace, of a body containing a storage-chamber with contracted neck contained in a hollow hub at one end of the furnace-body, a hopper cornmunicating with said storage-chamber and serving to receive the metal to be melted, and also as an outlet for the products of combustion, means for supplying fuel in the form of gas or vapor to the contracted neck of the storage-chamber, a pivot shaft or spindle, and a bearing therefor at that end of the furnace opposite to the contracted neck, and a suspension-chain for supporting the hollow hub which contains the contracted neck of the furnace, substantially as specified.

4. The combination in a melting-furnace, of the furnace-body containing a storagecharnber with contracted neck at one end, an air-supply pipe having a hinged nozzle discharging into said contracted neck, and a hydrocarbon-supply pipe having a hinged section with its ends terminating in said nozzle `whereby both pipe and nozzle can be swung out of the Way when it is desired to gain access to the neck of the furnace, substantially as specified.

HENRI J. J. CHARLIER.

Witnesses:

F. E. BEoHToLD, Jos. H. KLEIN.

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