Method and apparatus for combined stream and ladle degassing

Claim 1

A METHOD OF REMOVING DELETRIOUS GASSES FROM MOLTEN FERROUS METAL, SAID METHOD INCLUDING THE STEPS OF FIRMING A SEAL BETWEEN A FIRST UPPER LADLE CONTAINING UNDEGASSED MOLTEN FERROUS METAL AND A CONFINED SPACE WITHIN WHICH IS LOCATED A SECOND COLLECTING LADLE, PASSING A DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED STREAM OF MOLTEN METAL FROM THE UPPER LADLE THROUGH A RADIANT HEAT INTERCEPTING SHIELD LOCATED IMMEDIATELY THEREBELOW AND INTO THE LOWER LADLE, SAID RADIANT HEAT INTERCEPTING SHIELD BEING LOCATED ABOVE THE SECOND LADLE A DISTANCE SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THE MIXIMUM HEIGHT OF BOIL OF THE MOLTEN METAL IN THE SECOND LADLE AFTER IT IS COLLECTED THEREIN, DRAWING A VACUUM SUFFICIENTLY LOW TO EFFECTIVELY DEGAS THE MOLTEN METAL ABOUT THE DOWNWARDLY PASSING STREAM AND ABOVE THE SECOND LADLE SIMULTANEOUSLY, TO THEREBY REMOVE A SIGNIFICANT PORTION, LESS THAN ALL, OF THE TOTAL QUANTITY OF DELETERIOUS GASES REMOVABLE FROM THE DOWNWARDLY PASSING STREAM, FANNING THE DOWNWARDLY PASSING STREAM OF UNDEGASSED MOLTEN METAL OUTWARDLY AS SOON AS THE STREAM PASSED THROUGH THE RADIANT HEAT INTERCEPTING SHIELD TO THEREBY PROVIDE MAXIMUM EXPOSURE OF THE DOWNWARDLY PASSING STREAM TO THE VACUUM, COLLECTING THE DOWNWARDLY PASSING STREAM IN THE SECOND LADLE AND EXPOSING THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE COLLECTED METAL TO THE VACUUM AS THE SECOND LADLE IS FILLED, PASSING A PURGING AGENT UPWARDLY THROUGH THE MOLTEN METAL IN THE SECOND LADLE TO THEREBY REMOVE AN ADDITIONAL PORTION OF THE DELETERIOUS GASES, CREATING A NON-EXPLOSIVE ATMOSPHERE ABOVE THE COLLECTED MOLTEN METAL PRIOR TO EXPOSURE OF SAID COLLECTED MOLTEN METAL TO ATMOSPHERE, AND, THEREAFTER POURING THE DEGASSED MOLTEN METAL.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF REMOVING DELETRIOUS GASSES FROM MOLTEN FERROUS METAL, SAID METHOD INCLUDING THE STEPS OF FIRMING A SEAL BETWEEN A FIRST UPPER LADLE CONTAINING UNDEGASSED MOLTEN FERROUS METAL AND A CONFINED SPACE WITHIN WHICH IS LOCATED A SECOND COLLECTING LADLE, PASSING A DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED STREAM OF MOLTEN METAL FROM THE UPPER LADLE THROUGH A RADIANT HEAT INTERCEPTING SHIELD LOCATED IMMEDIATELY THEREBELOW AND INTO THE LOWER LADLE, SAID RADIANT HEAT INTERCEPTING SHIELD BEING LOCATED ABOVE THE SECOND LADLE A DISTANCE SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THE MIXIMUM HEIGHT OF BOIL OF THE MOLTEN METAL IN THE SECOND LADLE AFTER IT IS COLLECTED THEREIN, DRAWING A VACUUM SUFFICIENTLY LOW TO EFFECTIVELY DEGAS THE MOLTEN METAL ABOUT THE DOWNWARDLY PASSING STREAM AND ABOVE THE SECOND LADLE SIMULTANEOUSLY, TO THEREBY REMOVE A SIGNIFICANT PORTION, LESS THAN ALL, OF THE TOTAL QUANTITY OF DELETERIOUS GASES REMOVABLE FROM THE DOWNWARDLY PASSING STREAM, FANNING THE DOWNWARDLY PASSING STREAM OF UNDEGASSED MOLTEN METAL OUTWARDLY AS SOON AS THE STREAM PASSED THROUGH THE RADIANT HEAT INTERCEPTING SHIELD TO THEREBY PROVIDE MAXIMUM EXPOSURE OF THE DOWNWARDLY PASSING STREAM TO THE VACUUM, COLLECTING THE DOWNWARDLY PASSING STREAM IN THE SECOND LADLE AND EXPOSING THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE COLLECTED METAL TO THE VACUUM AS THE SECOND LADLE IS FILLED, PASSING A PURGING AGENT UPWARDLY THROUGH THE MOLTEN METAL IN THE SECOND LADLE TO THEREBY REMOVE AN ADDITIONAL PORTION OF THE DELETERIOUS GASES, CREATING A NON-EXPLOSIVE ATMOSPHERE ABOVE THE COLLECTED MOLTEN METAL PRIOR TO EXPOSURE OF SAID COLLECTED MOLTEN METAL TO ATMOSPHERE, AND, THEREAFTER POURING THE DEGASSED MOLTEN METAL.