Apparatus for melting brass chip scrap

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR MELTING LOOSE BRASS CHIP SCRAP WHICH COMPRISES A CRUCIBLE FURNACE FOR HOLDING A BODY OF MOLTEN BRASS AND A COVERING BLANKET OF FINELY DIVIDED FLUENT CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL, CONVEYER MEANS FOR TRANSPORTING SAID CHIP SCRAPO TO SAID FURNACE AND FOR DISTRIBUTING IT ACROSS THE SURFACE OF SAID CARBONACEOUS BLANKET, A MECHANICAL PUSHER DISPOSED ABOVE THE LEVEL OF MOLTEN METAL IN SAID FURNACE AND ADAPTED AND ARRANGED TO BE BROUGHT INTO CONTACT WITH SAID CARBONACEOUS BLANKET AND THE LOOSE CHIP SCRAP DEPOSITED THEREON FOR PROMOTING SUBMERGENCE OF THE CHIP SCRAP IN SAID BLANKET, SAID PUSHER COMPRISING A PADDLE HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY BROAD FLAT UNDERSURFACE AND A SLOPING UPPER SURFACE, SUPPORT MEANS FOR SAID PADDLE COMPRISING A COLUMN POSITIONED LATERALLY OF SAID FURNACE AND AN ARM ON SAID COLUMN FROM WHICH SAID PADDLE IS SUSPENDED, AND RECIPROCATING MEANS LOCATED BELOW THE TOP OF THE FURNACE FOR SUPPORTING SAID COLUMN AND RECIPROCATING IT AXIALLY TO PRODUCE AGITATION OF SAID CARBONACEOUS BLANKET BY SAID PADDLE.