Production of metals

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A REFRACTORY METAL SUCH AS TITANIUM, ZIRCONIUM AND THE LIKE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A HORIZONTAL, CYLINDRICAL, VACUUM-TIGHT REACTION CHAMBER, AT LEAST TWO ELONGATED, HORIZONTAL REACTOR PANS FOR HOLDING CHARGES OF LIQUID METALLIC REDUCING AGENT WITHIN THE REACTION CHAMBER, MEANS PROVIDING AN ATMOSPHERE OF A VOLATILE HALIDE OF A REFRACTORY METAL ADJACENT THE SURFACE OF THE LIQUID METALLIC REDUCING AGENT TO CAUSE REDUCTION OF THE VOLATILE HALIDE TO THE REFRACTORY METAL IN SPONGE FORM IN THE REACTOR PANS, A DOOR AT ONE END OF SAID REACTION CHAMBER, MEANS FOR SLIDING SAID REACTOR PANS THROUGH SAID DOOR INTO AND OUT OF SAID CHAMBER, RADIANT HEAT SHIELDS ON SAID DOOR, MEANS FOR EVACUATING SAID CHAMBER, MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING SAID REACTOR PANS FOR SAID CHAMBER TO A SECOND CYLINDRICAL, VACUUMTIGHT CHAMBER, MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID REACTOR PANS ON EDGE IN SAID SECOND CHAMBER TO PERMIT DRAINAGE OF MOLTEN SALT THEREFROM, SAID HOLDING MEANS BEING ARRANGED TO HOLD SAID PANS WITH THEIR LONGITUDINAL AXES GENERALLY PARRALLEL TO, AND ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF, THE AXIS OF SAID SECOND CHAMBER AND WITH THE OPEN TOPS OF SAID PANS FACING EACH OTHER, AT LEAST ONE SALT-RECEIVING CHAMBER POSITIONED BELOW AND OUTSIDE OF SAID SECOND CYLINDRICAL CHAMBER, AND MEANS PROVIDING PASSAGE OF MOLTEN SALT INTO SAID SALT-RECEIVING CHAMBER WHICH FLOWS FROM SAID REACTOR PANS, AND MEANS FOR HEATING SAID REACTION CHAMBER AND SAID SECOND CHAMBER.