Procedure and apparatus for ingot forming

Claim 1

A PLANT INSTALLATION FOR SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUSLY FORMING A RELATIVELY LARGE SIZE SUBSTANTIALLY HOMOGENEOUS CAST SOLID METAL INGOT BY PROGRESIVELY FUSING-OFF EACH OF A GROUP OF VERTICALLY-SUSPENDED CONSUMABLE ELECTRODE SOLID METAL BODIES FROM A LOWER END OF EACH OF THE BODIES AND WHEREIN EACH OF THE BODIES IS OF A PREDETERMINED LENGTH WHICH COMPRISES, AN ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE MOLD HAVING A SOLID INGOT FORMING VERTICALLY MOLD CAVITY DEFINED BY A VERTICAL OUTER SIDE WALL AND A BOTTOM WALL, SAID MOLD CAVITY TERMINATING AT ITS UPPER END IN AN OPENING AND PROVIDING A HORIZONTALLY-CENTRALLY UNOBSTRUCTED METAL SOLIDIFYING AND MELTING AREA VERTICALLY-UPWARDLY FROM SAID BOTTOM WALL, SUPPORT MEANS CARRYING THE MOLD IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION THEREON AND FOR SUPPLYING CURRENT OF ONE POTENTIAL TO THE MOLD, OVERHEAD MEANS FOR INDIVIDUALLY VERTICALLY-SUSPENDING THE ELECTRODE BODIES AND SUPPLY ELECTRIC CURRENT OF OPPOSITE POTENTIAL THERETO; MEANS FOR SWINGING SAID SUPPORT MEANS TO MOVE THE MOLD CAVITY INTO SUBSTANTIAL AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE LOWER END OF ONE ELECTRODE BODY OF THE GROUP AND, AFTER THE ONE ELECTRODE BODY HAS BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY USED-UP, INTO SUBSTANTIAL AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE LOWER END OF ANOTHER ELECTRODE BODY OF THE GROUP TO FORM AND MAINTAIN A MOLTEN METAL POOL FROM THE ELECTRODE BODIES WITHIN THE MOLD CAVITY, MEANS FOR ANCHORING SAID SUPPORT MEANS WHEN THE MOLD CAVITY IS IN SUBSTANTIAL AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE LOWER END OF EACH ELECTRODE BODY THAT IS TO BE FUSED-OFF, MEANS FOR ROTATING THE MOLD ON SAID SUPPORT MEANS AT ITS ANCHORED POSITION; MEANS ASSOCIATED