Apparatus for vacuum melting and casting metals

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR VACUUM MELTING AND CASTING OF METALS, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING MEANS DEFINING A CAVITY HAVING AN ACCESS PORT IN THE BASE THEREOF, HEATING MEANS SURROUNDING SAID CAVITY, A MELTING CRUCIBLE ASSEMBLY INSERTABLE INTO AND WITHDRAWABLE FROM SAID CAVITY THROUGH SAID ACCESS PORT AND HAVING A POURING OPENING IN THE BASE THEREOF, CLOSURE MEANS FOR SAID POURING OPENING, A SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR SAID MEANS DEFINING A CAVITY AND FOR SAID HEATING MEANS, CARRIER MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID CRUCIBLE ASSEMBLY, RELEASABLE SECURING MEANS FOR SECURING SAID CARRIER MEANS TO SAID SUPPORT STRUCTURE SO THAT SAID CRUCIBLE ASSEMBLY IS IN OPERATIVE POSITION IN SAID CAVITY, SAID CARRIER MEANS BEING MOVABLE WHEN RELEASED FROM SAID SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR INSERTION OF SAID CRUCIBLE ASSEMBLY INTO AND WITHDRAWAL THEREOF FROM SAID CAVITY, A MOULD ASSEMBLY DISPOSABLE BENEATH SAID CRUCIBLE ASSEMBLY AND MOVABLE TRANSVERSELY INTO AND OUT OF OPERABLE POSITION BENEATH SAID CRUCIBLE ASSEMBLY, A REMOVABLE VACUUM SEALING ENVELOPE FOR ENCLOSING ALL OF SAID MEANS FOR DEFINING A CAVITY, SAID HEATING MEANS, SAID CRUCIBLE ASSEMBLY, SAID SUPPORT STRUCTURE, SAID CARRIER MEANS, AND SAID MOULD ASSEMBLY, AND MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID POURING OPENING CLOSURE MEANS FROM OUTSIDE SAID SEALING ENVELOPE AND EXTENDING SEALINGLY THROUGH AN APERTURE IN SAID SEALING ENVELOPE.