Apparatus and method for simultaneous sampling of material at multiple depths
AssigneeNucor Corporation
InventorsApril Danielle Pitts-Baggett, Paul Andrew Turner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a sampling apparatus having one or more support structures and two or more sampling molds operatively coupled to the one or more support structures. The two or more sampling molds may be sealed or unsealed. The sampling apparatus is pressurized with a gas and immersed in the molten metal. The two or more sampling molds become unsealed when the mold stops at least partially melt. When the sampling apparatus is depressurized the one or more unsealed sampling molds capture one or more molten metal samples. The sampling apparatus is removed from the molten metal and the samples are removed from the sampling molds and analyzed.
Claims20
A sampling apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
- one or more support structures having a first end and a second end, wherein the second end and at least a portion of the one or more support structures are configured for immersion within molten material;
- two or more sampling molds operatively coupled to the one or more support structures and configured for immersion within the molten material;
- and
- wherein the sampling apparatus is configured for operative coupling with a gas source in order to pressurize the sampling apparatus with a gas to prevent premature capture of the molten material samples in the two or more sampling molds.
A sampling apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
- one or more support structures having a first end and a second end;
- two or more sampling molds operatively coupled to the one or more support structures, wherein the two or more sampling molds comprise at least an upper sampling mold sealed with an upper mold stop and a lower sampling mold sealed with a lower mold stop;
- wherein the sampling apparatus is configured for operative coupling with a gas source in order to pressurize the sampling apparatus with a gas to prevent premature capture of samples from the molten material in the two or more sampling molds;
- wherein the second end and at least a portion of the one or more support structures are configured for immersion within molten material such that the upper sampling mold and the lower sampling mold are submerged within the molten material at different depths;
- and
- wherein the two or more sampling molds capture the samples from the molten material when the molten material at least partially melts the two or more mold stops and the gas is stopped.
A method for capturing molten material samples, the method comprising:
- pressurizing a sampling apparatus with a gas from a gas source, wherein the sampling apparatus comprises one or more support structures having a first end and a second end and two or more sampling molds operatively coupled to the one or more support structures;
- immersing the second end of the sampling apparatus in a molten material such that the two or more sampling molds are immersed in the molten material at different depths;
- depressurizing the sampling apparatus;
- capturing samples of the molten material in the two or more sampling molds;
- and
- removing the sampling apparatus from the molten material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.