Furnaces

A metal melting furnace comprising a furnace housing defining a single heating chamber, means for heating said chamber, a first track extending rectilinearly from a first position outside the furnace housing through the furnace housing to a second position on the opposite side of the furnace housing to said first position, two hearths for holding metal to be melted and providing a receptacle for molten metal, means mounting each hearth on said track for movement therealong, drive means to move said hearths along the track to sequentially position one hearth inside the furnace housing while the other hearth is positioned outside the furnace housing and then said other hearth in the furnace housing while said one hearth is positioned outside the furnace housing, an outlet for molten metal provided in each hearth, a holding pot having a pouring spout for receiving molten metal from said outlet when a hearth is positioned within the furnace housing, a second track positioned outside the furnace housing extending parallel to the said first track and having mounted thereon a carriage containing a plurality of pivotally mounted ingot moulds for receiving molten metal from said housing pot and means to move said carriage past the pouring spout of said holding pot to permit each mould to be filled sequentially.