Rotary scrap charging

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR OVERHEAD CHARGING SOLID MATERIAL IN THE NATURE OF SCRAP METAL THROUGH AN OPEN MOUTH PORTION OF A METAL MELTING AND REFINING FURNACE WHICH COMPRISES, A GROUP OF SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL CONTAINERS OF SUFFICIENT CAPACITY FOR FULLY CHARGING THE FURNACE WITH THE SOLID MATERIAL; EACH OF SAID CONTAINERS HAVING A CLOSED SIDE WALL, ON OPEN-MOUTH UPPER END AND LONGITUDINALLY SPACED-APART FLANGE RINGS ABOUT ITS SIDE WALL; A SUPPORT BUGGY FOR SAID GROUP OF CONTAINERS, SAID BUGGY HAVING AXIAL SHAFTS CARRYING WHEELS THEREON FOR MOVING SAID BUGGY, SAID BUGGY HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR PLATFORM AND PROJECTING FLANGES THEREON IN A LONGITUDINALLY SPACED-APART RELATION FOR ENCIRCLING AND RETAINING SAID CONTAINERS IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION THEREON IN SUCH A MANNER THAT SAID CONTAINERS MAY BE LIFTED ON AND OFF SAID PLATFORM, A PAIR OF CRANE-HOOK-RECEIVING POST MEANS PROJECTING UPWARDLY IN A BALANCED RELATION FROM SAID PLATFROM BETWEEN SAID PROJECTING FLANGES WHEREBY SAID BUGGY WITH FILLED CONTAINERS THEREON MAY BE LIFTED FROM A LOWER PLANT LEVEL TO AN UPPER PLANT LEVEL AND SAID BUGGY WITH EMPTY CONTAINERS THEREON MAY BE RETURNED TO THE LOWER PLANT LEVEL, AN UPPER PLATFORM EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY ALONG THE FURNACE AT THE UPPER PLANT LEVEL, A LONGITUDINAL TRACKWAY ON SAID PLATFROM, A CHARGING MACHINE OPERATIVELY MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT ON SAID TRACKWAY, SAID CHARGING MACHINE HAVING A PLATFROM THEREON AND A LONGITUDINAL TRACKWAY ALONG SAID PLATFROM FOR RECEIVING THE WHEELS OF SAID BUGGY WHEN SAID BUGGY IS RAISED TO THE UPPER PLANT LEVEL WITH FILLED CONTAINERS THEREON, SAID LASTMENTIONED TRACKWAY HAVING STOP MEANS AT ITS OPPOSITE SIDES FOR LIMITING MAXIMUM MOVEMENT OF SAID BUGGY ON SAID CHARGING MACHINE, SAID CHARGING MACHINE HAVING A MOTOR-DRIVEN BELT OPERATIVELY POSITIONED TO EXTEND LONGITUDINALLY-CENTRALLY THEREOF, PULLEY MEANS FOR OPERATIVELY POSITIONING AND ADJUSTING THE TENSION OF SAID BELT, DOGS PROJECTING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID BELT IN A SPACED RELATION THEREALONG FOR SELECTIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE OF THE AXIAL SHAFTS OF SAID BUGGY WHEN SAID BUGGY IS POSITIONED ON SAID LAST-MENTIONED TRACKWAY FOR MOVING SAID BUGGY LONGITDINALLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID CHARGING MACHINE TO SELECTIVELY ALIGN EACH OF SAID CONTAINERS, A CONTAINER GRIPPING FRAME SWINGABLY-MOUNTED ON SAID CHARGING MACHINE AND HAVING SIDE ARMS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY-BACKWARDLY OF THE FURNACE FOR POSITIONING ALONG OPPOSITE SIDES OF ONE OF SAID CONTAINERS THAT IS SELECTIVELY ALIGNED THEREWITH, PAIRS OF GRIPPING FINGERS PIVOTALLY-CARRIED BY EACH OF SAID SIDE ARMS FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ONE CONTAINER BETWEEN ITS SAID FLANGE RINGS, MOTOR MEANS FOR MOVING SAID GRIPPING FINGERS INTO AND OUT OF GRIPPING ENGAGEMENT WITH EACH CONTAINER, AND MOTOR MEANS FOR SWINGING SAID SIDE ARMS AND SAID ONE CONTAINER BEING GRIPPED BY SAID PAIRS OF GRIPPING FINGERS BETWEEN AND UPRIGHT POSITION ON SAID BUGGY AND A FORWARDLY-DECLINING MATERIAL-DISCHARGING COOPERATING POSITION WITH THE OPEN MOUTH PORTION OF THE FURNACE.