Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
18 words
The process as defined in claim 1 in which the scrap metal is in the form of bales.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
40 words
The process as defined in claim 2 in which the slurry of slag-forming material and coke is sprayed upon side margins at the top of each bale, leaving an uncoated central strip extending lengthwise of the middle of each bale.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
The process as defined in claim 1 in which the iron ore is in a finely divided beneficiated state containing at least 50 percent iron.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process as defined in claim 1 in which the scrap is in the form of a nonferrous material.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
The process as defined in claim 1 in which the scrap is in the form of copper entrained with ferrous scrap material.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
The process as defined in claim 1 in which the inclined smelter is flared outwardly at its bottom portion below the lance to form a shallow refinery for metal passing to the bottom portion of the smelter.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
56 words
The process as defined in claim 7 in which excess carbon monoxide formed by the reaction of carbon with the iron ore and the reaction of the oxygen with the carbon in the pig iron passes over the bales of metal scrap passing downwardly through the smelter to partially reduce the oxygen in the iron ore.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
61 words
The process as defined in claim 7 in which the smelter is formed of a refractory material and in which the enlarged area provides a refinery where the reaction between the carbon monoxide, hydrogen and oxygen takes place in the presence of a hot metal surface, thus providing a thermochemical reaction developing a temperature ranging from approximately 5000* to 6000* Fahrenheit.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
53 words
The process as defined in claim 7 in which a burner is arranged in the hearth, the flame of which is directed against metal flowing throuGh the flared portion of the smelter to super heat the slag and molten metal flowing thereto and to super heat the metal and slag in the earth.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
69 words
The process as defined in claim 2 in which the reducing gas is carbon monoxide which flows above the bales of scrap into a recuperator, passing a gas containing oxygen into the recuperator for burning the carbon monoxide, passing air in heat exchange relation with the recuperator, and then passing the heated air to the burner extending into the hearth to support combustion of fuel supplied to the burner.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
207 words
Apparatus for recovering metal from metal scrap including an inclined smelter for receiving scrap in the form of small pieces, means for coating the scrap with a finely divided iron ore, means for applying a slurry of a slag-forming material and coke to the scrap, means for providing a reducing gas which flows counterwise above the metal scrap passing downwardly through the smelter, means for passing molten metal upon the top of the scrap as the scrap is passed downwardly through the smelter, a lance extending through the roof of the smelter having a compartment for receiving a hydrocarbon and a compartment for receiving oxygen which hydrocarbon is cracked by the hot metal to form carbon and hydrogen which carbon reacts with the iron ore to form carbon monoxide to thus obtain a mixture of carbon monoxide, hydrogen and oxygen which react in the presence of the hot metal to provide a comparatively high temperature to melt the scrap and slag at the lower portion of the smelter, and to provide at least part of the reducing gas which flows over the downwardly descending scrap, and a hearth connected to the lower portion of the smelter into which the molten metal and slag from the smelter flows.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
76 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 12 in which the scrap is in the form of bales and the means for applying the slag-forming material to the bales is arranged to coat the side margins of the top of the bales with the slag forming material, leaving an uncoated central strip, and the container and pipe for the pig iron is arranged so that the molten pig iron strikes each of the bales at the uncoated strip.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 12 in which the lower portion of the smelter is flared outwardly at the portion which engages the hearth to form a shallow layer for molten metal and slag.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
69 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 12 in which the smelter has an upper semicircular portion in which excess carbon monoxide formed by the reaction of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and oxygen flows upwardly from the lower portion of the smelter and the slag in the hearth and passes through the semicircular portion of the smelter where it is cooled by the downwardly flowing scrap metal to provide a partial vacuum.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
71 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 15 including a recuperator into which the excess carbon monoxide from the slag and smelter flows, a burner extending into the recuperator, means for passing oxygen into the burner in the recuperator for burning the carbon monoxide, means for passing air in heat exchange relation with the recuperator, and conduit means for passing the air heated by the recuperator to the burner extending into the hearth.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
100 words
Apparatus for treating metal scrap in the form of bales as defined in claim 12 in which said lance has a central casing for receiving a hydrocarbon and having aligned exit nozzles for passing the hydrocarbon gas against the scrap metal bales and said lance including a second casing surrounding the first casing through which oxygen may be passed, said oxygen casing having a series of arcuately arranged nozzles through which oxygen is passed which surrounds the hydrocarbon gas and which forms a fan-shaped pattern which attacks the narrow width of each of the bales are passed beneath the lance.