Electron beam overflow melting method and means

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR MELTING MATERIALS WITHIN AN EVACUATED ELECTRON BEAM FURNACE COMPRISING WITHIN THE FURNACE A CRUCIBLE, SAID CRUCIBLE HAVING A FLANGE SPOUT CONNECTED TO THE TOP OF SAID CRUCIBLE, EXTENDING OUTWARDLY AND SLIGHTLY UPWARDLY THEREFROM, MEANS TO FEED MATERIALS TO SAID CRUCIBLE AT THE UPPER EXTREMITY OF SAID FLANGE SPOUT, ELECTRON GUN MEANS POSITIONED TO HEAT THE MATERIALS WITHIN SAID CRUCIBLE, A TROUGH OPENING TO SAID CRUCIBLE, SAID TROUGH BEING IN SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL POSITION, A SECOND CRUCIBLE POSITIONED TO RECEIVE MOLTEN MATERIAL FROM SAID TROUGH, AND ELECTRON BEAM GUN MEANS POSITIONED TO HEAT THE MATERIAL IN SAID TROUGH WHILE FLOWING BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND CRUCIBLES, SAID TROUGH HAVING A WIDTH SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE WIDTH OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND CRUCIBLES AND HAIVNG A DEPTH SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN SAID FIRST AND SECOND CRUCIBLES, AND MEANS TO POSITION THE BOTTOM OF SAID SECOND CRUCIBLE TO SUCH AN ELEVATION SO AS TO RAISE THE FLUID LEVEL IN SAID SECOND CRUCIBLE TO A LEVEL APPROXIMATING THE LEVEL OF THE FLUID IN SAID TROUGH.