Continuous feed cupola

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING A CHARGE OF MATERIAL TO BE MELTED AND COMBUSTION AGENT INTO A CUPOLA ABOVE THE BURDEN IN SAID CUPOLA COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF BINS CONTAINING EITHER THE MATERIAL TO BE MELTED OR THE COMBUSTION AGENT, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO A CONTROL DEVICE FOR REMOVING VARYING AMOUNTS OF SAID MATERIAL TO BE MELTED AND SAID CONBUSTION AGENT FROM SAID BINS, MEANS FOR COMMINGLING SAID REMOVED MATERIAL TO BE MELTED AND SAID COMBUSTION AGENT, CHARGING SAID CUPOLA BY INTRODUCING THE COMMINGLED MATERIAL TO BE MELTED AND COMBUSTION AGENT INTO SAID CUPOLA, A DISTRIBUTOR IN SAID CUPOLA FOR RECEIVING SAID COMMINGLED MATERIAL TO BE MELTED AND SAID COMBUSTION AGENT, MEANS MOUNTING SAID DISTRIBUTOR FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID CUPOLA, MEANS ROTATING SAID DISTRIBUTOR TO DISTRIBUTE SAID COMMINGLED MATERIAL TO BE MELTED AND SAID COMBUSTION AGENT IN SAID CUPOLA IN A CIRCULAR PATTERN SPACED OUTWARDLY FROM THE CENTER OF SAID CUPOLA, SAID CONTROL DEVICE COMPRISING A CONSTANT LEVEL CONTACT MEMBER IN SAID CUPOLA, AND MEANS FOR PERIODICALLY MOVING SAID CONTACT MEMBER GENERALLY IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID CUPOLA FROM A POSITION BENEATH THE EXPOSED THE SURFACE OF THE BURDEN OF CHARGED MATERIALS IN SAID CUPOLA TO A POSITION IN CONTACT WITH THE FREE EXPOSED SURFACE OF SAID BURDEN.