Metal melting installation

Claim 1

A metal melting installation comprising: a melting kiln formed with a crucible entrance opening, a movable carrier having a front end; a kiln door at the front end of said carrier, said door having an outer contour for application of said door over said entrance opening for closing said kiln; a crucible fixed to said door forwardly of said carrier front end so that said crucible lodges in said kiln when said door closes said entrance opening; drive means for moving said carrier relative to said kiln for applying said door over said opening, said drive means coomprising; an electric control circuit including electric motor means having a drive shaft, said circuit further including a limit switch suitable to cut off said circuit when contacted, said limit switch being mounted on said kiln adjacent said entrance opening; chain and sprocket means connected to said carrier for moving said carrier and including a drive sprocket wheel; damper means interconnecting said drive shaft and said drive sprocket wheel for allowing said sprocket wheel to keep on rotating to dissipate accumulated momentum energy when said motorr is de-energized, and means on said carrier for contacting said limit switch and cutting off said circuit for de-energizing said motor when said door is fully applied over said entrance opening, wherein said chain and sprocket means comprise: a pair of endless movable sprocket chains extending on either side of said carrier and a pair of arms projecting laterally of said carrier and fixed to said chains to be driven thereby, and wherein said contacting means comprise a push button on one of said arms, said push button facing said limit switch.