Apparatus for charging scrap metal to a furnace

Claim 1

IN AN APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING, TRANSPORTING AND DISCHARGING SCRAP METAL INTO A METAL TREATING VESSEL HAVING A RIGID SUPPORT ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED ADJACENT TO SAID VESSEL AND INCLUDING A TRACKWAY EXTENDING TOWARD SAID VESSEL, A SCRAP METAL CARRIER HAVING CONFINING WALLS OPEN AT THE TOP AND AT ONE END TO RECEIVE AND TO DISCHARGE SCRAP METAL, RESPECTIVELY; A ROCKABLE CARRIER SUPPORT FRAME HAVING A PAIR OF UPWARDLY AND FORWARDLY ARCUATELY CURVING ROCKER MEMBERS SECURED TO OPPOSED PARALLEL LOWER MARGINAL EDGES THEREOF FOR COACTION WITH SAID TRACKWAY; THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES SAID ROCKER MEMBERS HAVING CIRCULAR PERIPHERIES, AND HAVING THEIR CENTERS ON A COMMON AXIS EXTENDING THROUGH THE CENTER OF GRAVITY OF THE COMBINED LOAD SCRAP METAL CARRIER AND SAID ROCKABLE CARRIER SUPPORT FRAME, AND TILT CONTROL MEANS FOR REGULATING THE TILTING OF THE COMBINED SCRAP METAL CARRIER AND ROCKABLE CARRIER SUPPORT WHILE THE TILT AXIS ADVANCES TOWARDS THE VESSEL TO PROGRESSIVELY DISCHARGE THE SCRAP METAL CONTENTS INTO SAID VESSEL AND INCLUDING A TOGGLE HAVING A PAIR OF TOGGLE LINKS PIVOTALLY JOINED TOGETHER TO FORM A KNEE JOINT, ONE OF SAID LINKS BEING PIVOTALLY SECURED TO THE FORWARD END OF SAID CARRIER SUPPORT FRAME, AND THE OTHER TOGGLE LINK BEING PIVOTALLY SECURED TO SAID RIGID SUPPORT, AND VARIABLE LENGTH LINKAGE MEANS COACTING BETWEEN SAID TOGGLE KNEE AND SAID RIGID FRAME AT A POINT REARWARD OF THE POINT WHERE SAID TOGGLE LENGTH IS SECURED TO SAID RIGID FRAME, SAID TOGGLE BEING ADAPTED TO OVER-RIDE CENTER AND LOCK SAID CARRIER SUPPORT FRAME IN A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL POSITION AND TO COACT WITH SAID VARIABLE LENGTH LINKAGE MEANS TO UNLOCK SAID CARRIER SUPPORT FRAME AND PERMIT IT TO ROCK FORWARD TO DISCHARGE THE CONTENTS OF SAID CARRIER, AND MEANS FOR VARYING THE LENGTH OF SAID LINKAGE.