US3632094A — Processing and preheating scrap metal for furnace…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 237 words

In a scrap metal preheater, a longitudinally extending container having an elongated chamber therethrough open at opposite end portions thereof, said container being adapted to be positioned in a vertically extending relation during its operation, a support structure rotatably positioning said container for movement between one operating vertical position and a second operating vertical position of 180* with respect to the first position, swinging door means operatively positioned at opposite ends of said container for closing and opening the open end portions thereof, port means at opposite ends of said container for introducing hot gases to the lower end portion thereof and for exhausting cooled gases from the upper end portion thereof, a cross-extending partition dividing the chamber of said container into two parts, said container being adapted to preliminarily and then finally preheat scrap metal in one part while finally and then preliminarily preheating scrap metal in the other part, the upper chamber part for each preheating operation constituting a scrap receiving preliminarily preheating chamber and the lower chamber part constituting a final preheating chamber for the scrap, said partition having means for segregating the two chamber parts and maintaining scrap in each part in a separated relation with respect to scrap in the other part, and said partition having flow passageways therethrough for bypassing hot gases moving upwardly through scrap in the lower chamber part into the upper chamber part and through scrap material therein.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 237 words

In a scrap metal preheater, a longitudinally extending container having an elongated chamber therethrough open at opposite end portions thereof, said container being adapted to be positioned in a vertically extending relation during its operation, a support structure rotatably positioning said container for movement between one operating vertical position and a second operating vertical position of 180* with respect to the first position, swinging door means operatively positioned at opposite ends of said container for closing and opening the open end portions thereof, port means at opposite ends of said container for introducing hot gases to the lower end portion thereof and for exhausting cooled gases from the upper end portion thereof, a cross-extending partition dividing the chamber of said container into two parts, said container being adapted to preliminarily and then finally preheat scrap metal in one part while finally and then preliminarily preheating scrap metal in the other part, the upper chamber part for each preheating operation constituting a scrap receiving preliminarily preheating chamber and the lower chamber part constituting a final preheating chamber for the scrap, said partition having means for segregating the two chamber parts and maintaining scrap in each part in a separated relation with respect to scrap in the other part, and said partition having flow passageways therethrough for bypassing hot gases moving upwardly through scrap in the lower chamber part into the upper chamber part and through scrap material therein.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 69 words

In a scrap preheater as definEd in claim 1, said port means at opposite ends of said container being defined between an adjacent end portion of said container and said swinging door means that is operatively positioned thereat, whereby a side of said port means will be opened when said door means is swung to an open position with respect to the adjacent open end portion of said container.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 90 words

In a scrap metal preheater as defined in claim 1, a lower hot gas delivery duct means and an upper cooled gas receiving exhaust duct means, each said port means being adapted to be moved into sliding aligned engagement with an associated duct means when said container is rotated between its defined vertical operating positions, whereby the upper port means will have a connected relation with said upper exhaust duct means and the lower said port means will have a connected relation with said lower hot gas delivery duct means.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 72 words

In a scrap metal preheater as defined in claim 3, each of said port means being provided half by an associated end portion of said container and half by said door means when said door means is in a closed relation, and each said door means having a pair of complementary portions which when in a closed relation with respect to each other define the door half of the associated port means.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 33 words

In a scrap metal preheater as defined in claim 1, said partition having means for collecting material melted in the upper chamber part and directing it outwardly through a side of said container.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 30 words

In a scrap metal preheater as defined in claim 1, said door means having means for collecting material melted in the lower chamber part and venting it from said container.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 29 words

In a scrap metal preheater as defined in claim 6, said partition being constructed to collect material melted within the upper chamber part and vent it from said container.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 72 words

In a scrap preheater as defined in claim 1, said partition having an upper inclined partially cross-extending plate portion and a lower inclined partially cross-extending plate portion which together substantially define a transverse closure between said chamber parts, and a vertical wall connecting inner portions of said pair of inclined plate portions together and having passageways therein for bypassing hot gases from the lower chamber part upwardly into the upper chamber part.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 98 words

In a scrap metal preheater as defined in claim 8, said lower plate member inclining downwardly from a substantially intermediate positioning within the elongated chamber towards an outer sidewall of said container, and an outlet pipe open to said plate member for receiving and venting molten material collected thereon, said upper plate member inclining inwardly downwardly within the elongated chamber of said container, and an outlet flow pipe open to an under side of said upper plate member for serving as a vent for molten material when said container is tilted 180* to its second vertical operating position.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 70 words

In a scrap metal preheater as defined in claim 1, said door means at each end of said container having a pair of complementary doors pivotally mounted for central outward swinging movement with respect to said container, motor and arm means operatively positioned on said container and connected to each said pair for moving said doors simultaneously into a complementary inward closing position and into an outwardly diverging open position.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 46 words

In a scrap metal preheater as defined in claim 1, each said door means declining from opposite sides of said container towards a central apex with respect thereto, and a port through said central apex for venting molten material from said lower chamber part outwardly therefrom.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 156 words

In a scrap metal preheater as defined in claim 1, each said door means comprising a pair of doors pivotally mounted at their outer ends on said container for swinging movement between an outwardly diverging open position and an inwardly converging and complementary closing position, a pair of oppositely connected operating means foR each of said doors, and motor means for actuating said operating means to swing each said door into and out of a closed position with respect to the other door of the same pair; said port means comprising a pair of oppositely extending ports at each end of said container, each said port means being half defined by an adjacent end portion of said container and half defined by the pair of swinging doors at such end portion, whereby said each port means will be sidewise-opened when an associated pair of doors is swung to an open position with respect to said container.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 66 words

In a scrap metal preheater as defined in claim 1, said partition being of substantially Z shape as defined by a pair of solid metal plate members representing legs of the Z and a vertical portion representing a central connecting portion of the Z, and said vertical portion having open portions therethrough for passing hot gas from the lower chamber part into the upper chamber part.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 30 words

In a preheater as defined in claim 1, said container having a metal shell wall and a protective refractory tile lining along an inner face of said metal shell wall.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 74 words

In a preheater as defined in claim 1, said support structure being an upright frame structure on which said container is pivotally mounted, gear rack means carried by said frame structure adjacent said container, drive motor and gear means mounted on said container and having pinion means meshing with said rack means for actuating said container to rotate it with respect to and within said frame structure and with respect to said rack means.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 87 words

In a metal scrap preheater as defined in claim 1, said support structure having an upright pair of spaced-apart frame members for said container, a pair of pivot shafts projecting centrally from said container and rotatably mounting it between said frame members, a pair of gear racks rotatably carried on said pivot pins and secured to said frame members, and actuating means mounted on said container and having pinions meshing with said gear racks for actuating said container to rotate it about said pair of pivot shafts.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 73 words

In a metal scrap preheater as defined in claim 1, said container having an intermediate part within which said partition is positioned and which is provided with open end portions, said two parts having opposed open end portions adapted to be endwise-aligned with the open end portions of said intermediate part, and means for detachably securing each of said two parts in an endwise-aligned and sealed-off relation with respect to said intermediate part.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 29 words

In a metal scrap preheater as defined in claim 16, at least each of said two parts having a metal shell wall provided with an inner refractory lining therealong.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 40 words

In a scrap metal preheater as defined in claim 17, means for lowering said lower chamber part when detached from said intermediate part and for then moving said lower part into and out of furnace charging and scrap receiving positions.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 72 words

In a scrap metal preheater as defined in claim 17, a wheeled car for receiving said lower chamber part, said swinging door means being at the lower end portion of said lower chamber part and having means for positioning said lower part on said car, and means for raising and lowering said car to effect a corresponding raising and lowering movement of said lower chamber part when detached from said intermediate part.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 160 words

In a method of preheating metal scrap, providing a preheating container having upper and lower chambers connected by a separating partition, introducing cold scrap material into the upper chamber through its upper end to rest upon the partition, providing preliminarily preheated metal scrap in the lower chamber, passing hot furnace glass upwardly through the container and the scrap in the lower chamber through the partition and upwardly through the scrap in the upper chamber through the partition and upwardly through the scrap in the upper chamber, and preliminarily preheating the scrap in the upper chamber whIle finally preheating the scrap in the lower chamber, discharging the finally preheated scrap in the lower chamber through the bottom end of the container while retaining the preliminarily preheated scrap in the upper chamber, and rotating the container about 180* to position the former upper chamber at its preheated scrap content in a lower position and the former lower chamber in an upper position.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 160 words

In a method of preheating metal scrap, providing a preheating container having upper and lower chambers connected by a separating partition, introducing cold scrap material into the upper chamber through its upper end to rest upon the partition, providing preliminarily preheated metal scrap in the lower chamber, passing hot furnace glass upwardly through the container and the scrap in the lower chamber through the partition and upwardly through the scrap in the upper chamber through the partition and upwardly through the scrap in the upper chamber, and preliminarily preheating the scrap in the upper chamber whIle finally preheating the scrap in the lower chamber, discharging the finally preheated scrap in the lower chamber through the bottom end of the container while retaining the preliminarily preheated scrap in the upper chamber, and rotating the container about 180* to position the former upper chamber at its preheated scrap content in a lower position and the former lower chamber in an upper position.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 45 words

In a method as defined in claim 21, introducing cold scrap into the now upper chamber, and then passing hot gases up through the preliminarily heated scrap in the now lower chamber through the partition upwardly through the cold scrap in the now upper chamber.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 34 words

In a method as defined in claim 21, introducing cold scrap into the lower chamber before rotating the container, and after the rotation has been accomplished, then passing hot gases upwardly through the container.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 47 words

In a method as defined in claim 21, providing an accurate amount of fully preheated scrap by first weighing the cold scrap material before introducing it into the upper chamber, and always removing the full scrap material content of the fully preheated scrap from the lower chamber.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 30 words

In a method as defined in claim 21, collecting lower melting point material at the bottom of the upper chamber and flowing it outwardly from a side of the container.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 32 words

In a method as defined in claim 21, collecting higher melting point metal at the bottom end of the lower chamber and flowing it outwardly from a bottom end of the container.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 28 words

In a method as defined in claim 26, collecting lower melting point material at the bottom end of the upper chamber and flowing it outwardly from the container.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 91 words

In a method of preheating metal scrap material, providing a preheating container having a vertically elongated preheating chamber therein, introducing a first portion of scrap material of relatively lightweight into the chamber and then introducing a second portion of relatively heavier weight scrap material into the chamber and upon the first introduced portion, the second portion being cushioned by the first portion within the chamber, and then preheating the scrap material within the chamber by moving hot gases progressively upwardly through the heavier weight portion and then through the lightweight portion.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 91 words

In a method of preheating metal scrap material, providing a preheating container having a vertically elongated preheating chamber therein, introducing a first portion of scrap material of relatively lightweight into the chamber and then introducing a second portion of relatively heavier weight scrap material into the chamber and upon the first introduced portion, the second portion being cushioned by the first portion within the chamber, and then preheating the scrap material within the chamber by moving hot gases progressively upwardly through the heavier weight portion and then through the lightweight portion.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 88 words

In a method as defined in claim 28 wherein the container has a cross-extending partition dividing it into upper and lower chamber portions, providing cold scrap material in the upper chamber portion to rest on the partition, providing preliminarily preheated scrap in the lower chamber portion below the partition; and moving the hot gas upwardly through the preliminary preheated scrap in the lower chamber portion to finally preheat it, through the partition and then upwardly through the cold scrap in the upper chamber portion to preliminarily preheat it.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1975-01-03	1975-07-05	1976-01-04	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1979-01-03	1979-07-05	1980-01-04	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1983-01-03	1983-07-05	1984-01-04	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Processing and preheating scrap metal for furnace utilization

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