Apparatus for transferring highly reactive molten metals

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING METAL WHICH IS HIGHLY REACTIVE WITH ATMOSPHERIC AIR IN THE MOLTEN STATE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A FURNACE FOR HEATING A CONTAINER OF SAID METAL TO CONVERT THE SOLID METAL THEREIN TO THE MOLTEN STATE, FIRST CONDUIT MEANS, HAVING FIRST AND SECOND ENDS, ADAPTED AT SAID FIRST END OF INSERTION INTO SAID HEATING FURNACE AND COMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID CONTAINER, SECOND CONDUIT MEANS, HAVING FIRST AND SECOND ENDS, SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS IN THE REGION OF SAID FIRST END AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE MOLTEN METAL FOR TRANSFERRAL TO A REACTION VESSEL AT SAID SECOND END, GENERAL U-SHAPED CONDUIT MEANS HAVING AN EXTERNAL DIAMETER SMALLER THAN THE INTERNAL DIAMETER OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND CONDUIT MEANS, ONE LEG THEREOF SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS THROUGH SAID SECOND END AND ADAPTED TO PASS THERETHROUGH TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID CONTAINER, AND THE OTHER LEG THEREOF SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID SECOND CONDUIT MEANS THROUGH SAID FIRST END THEREOF, PACKING MEANS MOUNTED AT SAID SECOND END OF SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS AND SAID FIRST END OF SAID SECOND CONDUIT MEANS FOR PROVIDING A GAS-TIGHT SEAL BETWEEN THE ATMOSPHERE AND THE ANNULAR SPACES FORMED BETWEEN THE INTERNAL SURFACES OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND CONDUIT MEANS AND SAID LEGS OF SAID GENERALLY U-SHAPED CONDUIT MEANS MOUNTED THEREIN, GAS INLET MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS FOR PASSING AN INERT GAS THROUGH THE ANNULAR SPACE BETWEEN THE INTERNAL SURFACE OF SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS AND SAID LEG OF SAID GENERALLY U-SHAPED CONDUIT MEANS SLIDABLY MOUNTED THEREIN, AND VALVE MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID FIRST END OF SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS FOR CLOSING OFF SAID CONDUIT TO THE ATMOSPHERE.