Method and apparatus for continuously tapping and degassing molten metal into ingot molds

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS DEGASSSING-TEEMING PROCESS IN WHICH DEGASSED MOLTEN METAL IS CONTINUOUSLY TEEMED INTO A PLURALITY OF MOLTEN METAL RECEPTACLES, SAID PROCESS INCLUDING THE STEPS OF, PLACING A QUANTITY OF UNDERGASSED MOLTEN METAL WHICH IS GREATER THAN THE QUANTITY OF MOLTEN METAL TO BE RECEIVED IN ANY FINAL RECEPTACLE INTO WHICH THE DEGASSED MOLTEN METAL IS TO BE TEEMED ABOVE AN INTERMEDIATE RECEPTACLE, PASSING MOLTEN METAL DOWNWARDLY FROM THE RESERVOIR INTO THE INTERMEDIATE RECEPTACLE, REMOVING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE INCLUDED DELETERIOUS GASES FROM THE DOWNWARDLY PASSING MOLTEN METAL BY SUBJECTING SAID DOWNWARDLY PASSING MOLTEN METAL TO A VACUUM SUFFICIENTLY LOW TO EFFECTIVELY DEGAS IT, FORMING A POOL OF MOLTEM METAL IN THE INTERMEDIATE RECEPTACLE AS LONG AS UNDERGASSED MOLTEN METAL REMAINS IN THE RESERVOIR BY REGULATING THE RATE OF ADMISSION OF THE MOLTEN METAL FROM THE RESERVOIR TO THE IMMEDIATE RECEPTACLE, AND THE TEEMING RATE OF THE MOLTEN METAL FROM THE INTERMEDIATE RECEPTACLE TO THE TEEMING RECEPTACLES, THE MINIMUM DEPTH OF THE POOL IN THE INTERMEDIATE RECEPTACLE BEING THE DEPTH CORRESPONDING TO THE PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AND THE ABSOLUTE PRESSURE TO WHICH THE POOL IS SUBJECTED, THE POOL HAVING A DEPTH OF FROM 54.5 INCHES TO 6 FEET, SUBJECTING THE POOL OF MOLTEN METAL IN THE INTERMEDIATE RECEPTACLE TO A VACUUM SUFFICIENTLY LOW TO EFFECTIVELY DEGAS IT, AND, TEEMING THE DEGASSED MOLTEN METAL INTO A PLURALITY OF FINAL RECEPTACLES EACH OF WHICH IS OF A SMALLER CAPACITY THAN THE RESERVOIR.