Method and apparatus for injecting material into furnaces

Claim 1

A CHIP INJECTOR FOR INJECTING CHARGING MATERIAL INTO A FURNACE COMPRISING, A CHARGING CHAMBER ADAPTED TO HOLD CHARGING MATERIAL THEREIN PRIOR TO ITS INJECTION, A DELIVERY PIPE IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID CHARGING CHAMBER AND THE INSIDE OF THE FURNACE, NORMALLY CLOSED VALVE MEANS IN SAID DELIVERY PIPE FOR SHIELDING THE MATERIAL IN SAID DELIVERY PIPE FOR THE HEAT WITHIN THE FURNACE, MEANS FOR INTERMITTENTLY SUPPLYING HIGH PRESSURE AIR TO SAID CHARGING CHAMBER TO THEREBY CAUSE THE AIR TO CONVEY THE MATERIAL CONTAINED IN SAID CHARGING CHAMBER THROUGH SAID DELIVERY PIPE AND INTO THE FURNACE, MEANS INDEPENDENT OF SAID HIGH PRESSURE AIR IN SAID CHARGING CHAMBER FOR OPENING AND CLOSING SAID VALVE MEANS THEREBY PERMITTING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID HIGH PRESSURE AIR TO BE UTILIZED FOR CONVEYING SAID MATERIAL IN THE CHARGING CHAMBER INTO THE FURNACE, AND CONTROL MEANS TO MAINTAIN SAID VALVE IN THE OPEN POSITION FOR A TIME INTERVAL WHICH IS LONGER THAN THE TIME INTERVAL DURING WHICH SAID MEANS FOR SUPPLYING HIGH PRESSURE AIR DOES SUPPLY SUCH AIR AS SAID CHAMBER.