Apparatus for and method of production of steel

Claim 1

APPARATUS OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF FURNACES, A COVER FOR EACH FURNACE MOVABLE RELATIVELY THERETO, A CONDUIT EXTENDING FROM ADJACENT THE COVER OF ONE FURNACE TO ADJACENT THE COVER OF A SECOND FURNACE, MEANS CARRIED BY ONE OF SAID COVERS PROVIDING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID CONDUIT AND THE INTERIOR OF THE SECOND FURNACE WHEN SAID COVER IS IN ONE POSITION RELATIVE TO SAID FURNACE, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING FUEL AND A COMBUSTION-SUPPORTING GAS INTO SAID LAST MENTIONED MEANS FOR PROJECTION INTO SAID SECOND FURNACE, AND MEANS CARRIED BY EACH COVER FOR EXHAUSTING GASES FROM ITS FURNACE WHEN THE COVER IS IN SAID POSITION.

Claim 3

THE METHOD OF REFINING STEEL IN A PLURALITY OF INTERCONNECTED BASIC OXYGEN FURNACES WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF SUBJECTING A MOLTEN CHARGE IN ONE FURNACE TO AN OXYGEN BLAST, CONDUCTING THE GASES THEREBY EVOLVED TO A SECOND FURNACE AND DIRECTING THEM UPON A RELATIVELY COLD CHARGE OF METAL THEREIN, SUPPLEMENTING THE SENSIBLE HEAT OF SAID GASES BY INTRODUCTION OF OXYGEN TO THE GSEOUS STREAM BEFORE REACHING THE SECOND FURNACE TO EFFECT COMBUSTION OF COMBUSTIBLE COMPONENTS THEREOF BEFORE CONTACT OF THE STREAM WITH THE COLD CHARGE, ARRESTING THE PASSAGE OF OXYGEN INTO THE FIRST FURNACE AND TAPPING THE REFINED CHARGE THEREFROM, CHARGING MOLTEN METAL INTO THE SECOND FURNACE FOR COMBINATION WITH THE NOW HEATED BUT PREVIOUSLY RELATIVELY COLD CHARGE THEREIN, CHARGING A RELATIVELY COLD CHARGE INTO THE FIRST FURNACE, REFINING THE CHARGE IN THE SECOND FURNACE BY AN OXYGEN BLAST, DIRECTING THE GASES THEREBY EVOLVED INTO THE FIRST FURNACE, INTRODUCING OXYGEN INTO SAID GASES BEFORE REACHING THE FIRST FURNACE TO EFFECT COMBUSTION OF THE COMBUSTIBLE COMPONENTS THEREOF AND IMPINGING THE GASEOUS STREAM AGAINST THE RELATIVELY COLD CHARGE IN THE FIRST FURNACE.

Claim 4

THE METHOD OF REFINING STEEL IN A PLURALITY OF INTERCONNECTED BASIC OXYGEN FURNACES WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF SUBJECTING A MOLTEN CHARGE IN ONE FURNACE TO AN OXYGEN BLAST, CONDUCTING THE GASES THEREBY EVOLVED TO A SECOND FURNACE AND DIRECTING THEM UPON A RELATIVELY COLD CHARGE OF METAL THEREIN, SUPPLEMENTING THE SENSIBLE HEAT OF SAID GASES BY INTRODUCTION OF OXYGEN TO THE GSEOUS STREAM BEFORE REACHING THE SECOND FURNACE TO EFFECT COMBUSTION OF COMBUSTIBLE COMPONENTS THEREOF BEFORE CONTACT OF THE STREAM WITH THE COLD CHARGE, ARRESTING THE PASSAGE OF OXYGEN INTO THE FIRST FURNACE AND TAPPING THE REFINED CHARGE THEREFROM, CHARGING MOLTEN METAL INTO THE SECOND FURNACE FOR COMBINATION WITH THE NOW HEATED BUT PREVIOUSLY RELATIVELY COLD CHARGE THEREIN, CHARGING A RELATIVELY COLD CHARGE INTO THE FIRST FURNACE, REFINING THE CHARGE IN THE SECOND FURNACE BY AN OXYGEN BLAST, DIRECTING THE GASES THEREBY EVOLVED INTO THE FIRST FURNACE, INTRODUCING OXYGEN INTO SAID GASES BEFORE REACHING THE FIRST FURNACE TO EFFECT COMBUSTION OF THE COMBUSTIBLE COMPONENTS THEREOF AND IMPINGING THE GASEOUS STREAM AGAINST THE RELATIVELY COLD CHARGE IN THE FIRST FURNACE.