Apparatus for producing more than one grade of malleable iron from a single high carbon charge thereof

Claim 1

THE REFINING FURNACE COMPRISING, A REFRACTORY-LINED VESSEL INCLUDING A FLOOR, SIDEWALLS AND ENDWALLS, A PARTITION WALL FORMED OF A REFRACTORY MATERIAL DIVIDING THE INTERIOR OF THE VESSEL INTO TWO LIQUID-TIGHT COMPARTMENTS, A COVER FORMING A CLOSURE FOR THE VESSEL, SAID PARTITION WALL TERMINATING IN SPACED RELATION BENEATH THE COVER AND COOPERATING THEREWITH TO DEFINE A GAP THEREBETWEEN ADAPTED TO PERMIT THE FREE CIRCULATION OF HEAT BETWEEN COMPARTMENTS, A PAIR OF HORIZONTALLY-ALIGNED INLETS LOCATED IN ONE OF SAID OUTER WALLS OF EACH COMPARTMENT IN POSITION SPACED BENEATH THE TOP EDGE OF THE PARTITION WALL FOR DIRECT INTRODUCTION OF MOLTEN METAL INTO EACH COMPARTMENT, A FLAME JET LOCATED IN ONE ENDWALL OF THE VESSEL ABOVE THE INLETS IN POSITION TO DIRECT A FLAME ACROSS THE TOP OF THE PARTITION WALL, ACCESS MEANS LOCATED IN ONE OF THE OUTSIDE WALLS OF THE COMPARTMENT CONTAINING THE JET POSITIONED TO PERMIT REMOVAL OF ANY SLAG FORMING ON THE SURFACE OF THE MOLTEN METAL CONTAINED THEREIN, AND OPENABLE MELT-REMOVAL TAPS POSITIONED IN AN OUTSIDE WALL OF EACH COMPARTMENT COMMUNICATING THE INTERIOR THEREOF BENEATH THE SURFACE OF THE MELT FOR WITHDRAWING THE MOLTEN METAL IN SAID COMPARTMENT.