Apparatus and method for melting and pouring metal

Claim 1

In apparatus for melting and pouring metal comprising; a melting and supply first vessel, a holding and pouring second vessel, a connecting channel connecting said vessels adjacent the bottom portions thereof, an outlet pour passage in said second vessel having an outlet opening, and pressurizing means for pressurizing said second vessel between a ready-to-pour pressure wherein molten metal in said second vessel is slightly below said outlet opening and a pour pressure wherein molten metal flows from said second vessel through said outlet opening, the improvement which comprises said first vessel being at atmospheric pressure and said connecting channel being dimensioned for allowing free flow of molten metal between said first and second vessels as said pressurizing means is switched between said ready-to-pour and pour pressures so that said first vessel remains substantially full at all times and the metal level therein fluctuates only between low and high levels corresponding to said ready-to-pour pressures while the metal level in said second vessel fluctuates between a high level corresponding to said pour pressure and variable lower levels and coreless induction heating means for heating and melting metal in said first vessel extending upwardly to a point at least adjacent the low level and a channel-type induction heater in said connecting channel, said connecting channel having a first channel passage between said first vessel and said channel-type induction heater and a second channel passage between said channel-type induction heater and said second vessel, said second channel passage being larger than said first channel passage.

Claim 5

A method for melting and pouring metal comprising the steps of; providing a coreless induction melting and supply first vessel connected through a lower connecting channel with a holding and pouring second vessel having an outlet passage including an outlet opening, venting said first vessel to atmospheric pressure, pressurizing said second vessel to a ready-to-pour first pressure wherein the metal level in said first vessel is slightly below the full level and the metal level in said outlet passage is slightly below said outlet opening, pressurizing said second vessel to a pour second pressure greater than said first pressure wherein the metal level in said first vessel is substantially at the full level and the metal level in said outlet passage is higher than said outlet opening, and fluctuating between said first and second pressures for making successive pours from said second vessel while maintaining said first vessel substantially full at all times by allowing free flow of molten metal between said vessels through said connecting channel and heating the metal in said first vessel by electric currents induced into the metal at least adjacent the surface when the metal is slightly below the full level.

Claim 6

A method for melting and pouring metal comprising the steps of; providing a coreless induction melting and supply first vessel connected through a lower connecting channel with a holding and pouring second vessel having an outlet passage including an outlet opening, venting said first vessel to atmospheric pressure, pressurizing said second vessel to a ready-to-pour first pressure wherein the metal level in said first vessel is slightly below the full level and the metal level in said outlet passage is slightly below said outlet opening, pressurizing said second vessel to a pour second pressure greater than said first pressure wherein the metal level in said first vessel is substantially at the full level and the metal level in said outlet passage is higher than said outlet opening, and fluctuating between said first and second pressures for making successive pours from said second vessel while maintaining said first vessel substantially full at all times by allowing free flow of molten metal between said vessels through said connecting channel and heating the metal in said first vessel by electric currents induced into the metal at least adjacent the surface when the metal is slightly below the full level.