US3735010A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Skull-melting crucible
Assignee: United States Atomic Energy Commission
•
Filing: 1972-08-23
•
Granted: 1973-05-22
•
Expires: 1992-08-23
Abstract
Abstract This invention is directed to an improved crucible for skull melting metals and alloys by employing consumable electrode arcmelting procedures. The crucible is formed of a housing containing a removable, relatively thin, cup-shaped liner and a substantially conforming enclosed chambered volume through which liquid metal is channeled and circulated for uniformly cooling the liner.
Inventors
- 👤 J Turpin
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 01:56
CPC Classifications
F; F27; F27D; F27D9/00; F27B; F27B14/00; F27B14/08; F27B14/10; F27B3/00; F27B3/08; F27B3/085; F27B3/10; F27B3/12
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
204 words
An improved crucible within which metal can be skull melted and cast by electric arc melting, comprising a housing having an end wall and a tubulation laterally projecting therefrom, an open-ended substantially hemispherical liner disposed within said tubulation in spaced relation to said end wall and said tubulation and affixed to latter adjacent the end thereof remote to said end wall for defining an enclosed volume between said housing and said liner, volume dividing means disposed within said volume intermediate said liner and housing and encircling said liner for forming first and second radially spaced apart chambers in said volume, passageway means throuGh said volume dividing means at a location adjacent the end of tubulation remote to said end wall for placing said chambers in registry with one another, conduit means penetrating said housing and communicating with said first chamber as defined by the liner and the volume dividing means at a location intermediate said end wall and said liner for conveying a coolant into said volume in a heat exchange relationship with said liner, and further conduit means penetrating the housing and communicating with said second chamber as defined by the tubulation and the volume dividing means for removing coolant from the volume.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
204 words
An improved crucible within which metal can be skull melted and cast by electric arc melting, comprising a housing having an end wall and a tubulation laterally projecting therefrom, an open-ended substantially hemispherical liner disposed within said tubulation in spaced relation to said end wall and said tubulation and affixed to latter adjacent the end thereof remote to said end wall for defining an enclosed volume between said housing and said liner, volume dividing means disposed within said volume intermediate said liner and housing and encircling said liner for forming first and second radially spaced apart chambers in said volume, passageway means throuGh said volume dividing means at a location adjacent the end of tubulation remote to said end wall for placing said chambers in registry with one another, conduit means penetrating said housing and communicating with said first chamber as defined by the liner and the volume dividing means at a location intermediate said end wall and said liner for conveying a coolant into said volume in a heat exchange relationship with said liner, and further conduit means penetrating the housing and communicating with said second chamber as defined by the tubulation and the volume dividing means for removing coolant from the volume.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
87 words
The improved crucible claimed in claim 1, wherein said volume dividing means comprises an annular partition having a configuration generally corresponding to the configuration of said liner and disposed about and spaced from the latter for providing said first chamber uniform cross-sectional area over the axial length thereof with respect to the direction of coolant flow for uniformly cooling the entire periphery of the liner encompassed by the partition, and wherein support means are disposed in said volume for maintaining said partition in position about said liner.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
68 words
The improved crucible claimed in claim 2, wherein a cylinder is disposed in said volume in a contacting relationship with said end wall and said liner and projecting through said partition at a central location thereof, the first mentioned conduit means in registry with the interior of said cylinder, and wherein passageways in said cylinder provide the communication between the first mentioned conduit means and said first chamber.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
58 words
The improved crucible claimed in claim 3, wherein a portion of said support means is provided by an annulus disposed in said volume at a location adjacent to said passageway means and separated from the latter by said further conduit means and in a contacting relationship with said partition and said tubulation for defining therewith said second chamber.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
44 words
The improved crucible claimed in claim 4, wherein drain means penetrate said housing and communicate with said volume for draining coolant from the latter, and wherein said cylinder and said annulus have apertures therethrough for placing said chambers in registry with said drain means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
47 words
The improved crucible claimed in claim 1, wherein the liner is formed of wrought copper, the liner is of an essentially uniform thickness in the range of 0.5 to 1 inch, and wherein the coolant is a liquid metal consisting of a mixture of sodium and potassium.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2836412A
Cited
US2958719A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-05-21 | 1976-11-20 | 1977-05-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-05-21 | 1980-11-20 | 1981-05-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-05-21 | 1984-11-20 | 1985-05-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |