Continuous vacuum and inert gas apparatus for treating and processing titanium and other metals

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS APPARATUS FOR THE MELTING AND TREATMENT OF METALS, COMPRISING A SERIES OF INTER-CONNECTED REFRACTORY-LINED CRUCIBLE PROVIDING A CLOSED SYSTEM, EACH CRUCIBLE DEFINING A TREATING ZONE, THE FIRST OF SAID CRUCIBLES IN THE SERIES HAVING A DISCHARGE CONDUIT ARRANGED TO DISCHARGE MOLTEN METAL INTO THE NEXT CRUCIBLE OF THE SERIES AND THE LAST CRUCIBLE OF THE SERIES HAVING A DISCHARGE CONDUIT ARRANGED TO DISCHARGE MOLTEN METAL INTO A MOLD; MEANS IN EACH DISCHARGE CONDUIT FOR SELECTIVELY ISOLATING THE TREATING ZONE OF EACH CRUCIBLE FROM THE NEXT ADJACENT ZONE; AT LEAST ONE OF SAID CRUCIBLE HAVING A VACUUM FEED CHAMBER CONNECTED THERETO FOR SURFACE-DEGASIFYING AND DISCHARGING SOLID MATERIALS INTO SAID CRUCIBLE, SAID VACUUM FEED CHAMBER HAVING MEANS FOR PREHEATING SAID SOLID MATERIALS; AT LEAST ONE OF SAID CRUCIBLE HAVING MEANS FOR INTRODUCING INERT GAS INTO THE MOLTEN METAL THEREIN AND FOR WITHDRAWING INERT GAS AND VAPORIZED MATERIALS THEREFROM; AND THE CLOSED SYSTEM BEING PROVIDED WITH MEANS FOR MAINTAINING AN INERT GAS ATMOSPHERE THROUGHOUT.