Furnace charger with discharge channel having approximate oval cross-section

In apparatus for use in the charging of a furnace, the charging apparatus including a storage hopper from which materials will be released for delivery into the furnace, the improvement comprising:

• discharge channel defining means, said channel defining means including a plurality of straight wall portions, said straight wall portions cooperating to form a tubular element having a longitudinal axis and being open at its opposite ends, said tubular element having a cross-sectional shape when viewed along said longitudinal axis which approximates an oval, said approximately oval cross-section having a major axis and a transverse minor axis, said channel defining means being connected at a first upstream end to the storage hopper;
• a movable throttle valve member juxtapositioned to the second downstream end of said channel defining means, said valve member having a leading edge portion and being supported for movement of said leading edge portion along a path transverse to a plane including the longitudinal axis of said tubular element and extending through the major axis of said approximately oval shaped tubular element whereby said valve member will cooperate with the second end of said channel defining means to form an adjustable discharge opening to vary the flow rate through said channel defining means, said discharge channel flow rate being variable about a valve member position intermediate the full open and full closed positions and directly with the size of said discharge opening and as a function of composition and average grain size of the material flowing through the channel, there being a different valve position required to obtain a preselected average flow rate for different combinations of material composition and average grain size;
• means for delivering material passed by said throttle valve member to the interior of the furnace;
• substantially hermetic casing means at least in part surrounding said discharge channel defining means and said throttle valve member;
• sealing valve means positioned within said hermetic casing means intermediate said throttle valve and said means for delivering material into the furnace, said sealing valve means cooperating with said casing means to permit said throttle valve member and the intermediate storage hopper to be isolated from the conditions existing within the furnace;
• actuator means;
• and
• means coupling said actuator means to said throttle valve member to cause the repositioning of said valve member leading edge portion to vary the discharge opening defined by the second end of said channel defining means tubular element and said valve member.