Method of and apparatus for forming an ingot of molten reactive material

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR CASTING AN INGOT OF MOLTEN MATERIAL, COMPRSING: AN INGOT MOLD HAVING AN OPEN TOP; A DOWNWARDLY-DIRECTED CONDUIT FOR DELIVERING SAID MOLTEN MATERIAL INTO SAID MOLD, SAID CONDUIT HAVING A DISCHARGE OPENING AT ITS LOWER END AND BEING RECEIVABLE THROUGH THE OPEN TOP OF SAID MOLD TO POSITION SAID DISCHARGE OPENING WITHIN THE MOLD; A CONNECTING MEMBER CONNECTING SAID MOLD AND CONDUIT IN GAS-TIGHT RELATION, SAID CONNECTING MEMBER COMPRISING AN UPPER VALVE HOUSING HAVING A BORE SLIDABLY RECEIVING SAID CONDUIT; SEALING MEANS PROVIDING A GAS-TIGHT SLIDING FIT BETWEEN SAID BORE AND THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID CONDUIT; A LOWER VALVE HOUSING HAVING A GAS-TIGHT BUT SEPARABLE CONNECTION WITH SAID UPPER VALVE HOUSING AND HAVING A BORE REGISTERING WITH THE BORE OF THE UPPER VALVE HOUSING AND ALSO ADAPTED TO RECEIVE SAID CONDUIT, SAID LOWER VALVE HOUSING BEING FIXED TO SAID MOLD; A PAIR OF SLIDE VALVE MEMBERS, ONE SLIDE VALVE MEMBER BEING CARRIED BY EACH VALVE HOUSING AND EACH VALVE MEMBER BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS OPENING AND CLOSING THE BORE OF ITS RESPECTIVE HOUSING; MEANS FOR MOVING SAID VALVE MEMBERS BETWEEN SAID OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS; SAID INGOT MOLD AND VALVE HOUSINGS BEING MOVABLE AXIALLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID CONDUIT TO POSITION SAID DISCHARGE OPENING AT SELECTED DISTANCES FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE MOLD DURING A MOLD-FILLING OPERATION AND WITHIN THE UPPER VALVE HOUSING ABOVE SAID VALVE MEMBERS AT THE END OF A MOLD-FILLING OPERATION, SAID VALVE HOUSINGS BEING SEPARABLE TOGETHER WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE VALVE MEMBERS, THE UPPER VALVE HOUSING BEING ADAPTED TO REMAIN WITH SAID CONDUIT WITH ITS VALVE CLOSING SAID DISCHARGE OPENING AND THE LOWER VALVE HOUSING BEING ADAPTED TO REMAIN WITH THE MOLD WITH ITS VALVE CLOSING SAID OPEN TOP.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR CASTING AN INGOT OF MOLTEN MATERIAL, COMPRSING: AN INGOT MOLD HAVING AN OPEN TOP; A DOWNWARDLY-DIRECTED CONDUIT FOR DELIVERING SAID MOLTEN MATERIAL INTO SAID MOLD, SAID CONDUIT HAVING A DISCHARGE OPENING AT ITS LOWER END AND BEING RECEIVABLE THROUGH THE OPEN TOP OF SAID MOLD TO POSITION SAID DISCHARGE OPENING WITHIN THE MOLD; A CONNECTING MEMBER CONNECTING SAID MOLD AND CONDUIT IN GAS-TIGHT RELATION, SAID CONNECTING MEMBER COMPRISING AN UPPER VALVE HOUSING HAVING A BORE SLIDABLY RECEIVING SAID CONDUIT; SEALING MEANS PROVIDING A GAS-TIGHT SLIDING FIT BETWEEN SAID BORE AND THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID CONDUIT; A LOWER VALVE HOUSING HAVING A GAS-TIGHT BUT SEPARABLE CONNECTION WITH SAID UPPER VALVE HOUSING AND HAVING A BORE REGISTERING WITH THE BORE OF THE UPPER VALVE HOUSING AND ALSO ADAPTED TO RECEIVE SAID CONDUIT, SAID LOWER VALVE HOUSING BEING FIXED TO SAID MOLD; A PAIR OF SLIDE VALVE MEMBERS, ONE SLIDE VALVE MEMBER BEING CARRIED BY EACH VALVE HOUSING AND EACH VALVE MEMBER BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS OPENING AND CLOSING THE BORE OF ITS RESPECTIVE HOUSING; MEANS FOR MOVING SAID VALVE MEMBERS BETWEEN SAID OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS; SAID INGOT MOLD AND VALVE HOUSINGS BEING MOVABLE AXIALLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID CONDUIT TO POSITION SAID DISCHARGE OPENING AT SELECTED DISTANCES FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE MOLD DURING A MOLD-FILLING OPERATION AND WITHIN THE UPPER VALVE HOUSING ABOVE SAID VALVE MEMBERS AT THE END OF A MOLD-FILLING OPERATION, SAID VALVE HOUSINGS BEING SEPARABLE TOGETHER WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE VALVE MEMBERS, THE UPPER VALVE HOUSING BEING ADAPTED TO REMAIN WITH SAID CONDUIT WITH ITS VALVE CLOSING SAID DISCHARGE OPENING AND THE LOWER VALVE HOUSING BEING ADAPTED TO REMAIN WITH THE MOLD WITH ITS VALVE CLOSING SAID OPEN TOP.