Method of and device for the removal of burden samples

Claim 1

Device for removing samples from the burden in a furnace shaft comprising an elongated tubular lance insertable into the furnace shaft, said lance having a first end arranged to be inserted first into the furnace shaft and a second end arranged to be located outwardly from the furnace shaft, said lance having a length between the first end thereof and a point between the first end and the second end so that said lance can be inserted into the furnace shaft with the first end thereof the maximum possible distance inwardly from the inside of the furnace shaft, and an elongated sampler forming an elongated sampling trough slidably positioned within said tubular lance, said sampler having a first end positionable at the first end of said lance when said lance is in inserted into the furnace shaft with the first end thereof the maximum possible distance inwardly from the inside of the furnace shaft, said sampling trough in said sampler having a length from the first end thereof sufficient to receive a sample of the burden within the furnace shaft equal to the length between the first end of said lance and the point between the first end and the second end of said lance, said tubular lance and sampler independently slidably displaceable relative to one another so that said lance and sampler can be inserted as a unit through the furnace shaft wall into the burden in the furnace shaft until the leading first end of said lance is located at a sampling position spaced inwardly from the shaft wall and then retracting said lance toward the shaft wall relative to said sampler for exposing said sampling trough outwardly from the leading first end of said lance for removing samples from the burden and the lance can be withdrawn for completely uncovering said sampling trough within the furnace shaft or in a step-wise operation for uncovering only a partial length of said sampler and then retracting said sampler back into said lance.