Liquid transferring device
OwnerPiero Colombaniinventor
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Abstract
This invention relates to improvements in a liquid transferring device, in particular for molten metals, of the type comprising an inverted U-shaped siphon connected with a crucible to form a hydraulic circuit having one or more liquid inlet openings and connectable to at least one source of vacuum and at least one source of pneumatic pressure in order to suck the liquid into the crucible and then push the same through the hydraulic circuit and prime the siphon. The improvement comprises a degassing chamber located at the siphon bight and maintained under a pre-established negative pressure during the transferring operation.
Claims11
In a liquid transfer device suitable for transferring high temperature liquids, contained at a given level in a first container, to a second container located at an elevation lower than said given level, said device comprising an inverted generally U-shaped siphon having a rising leg, a bight and a descending leg, and communicating with a gas-tightly sealable crucible filling chamber to form a hydraulic circuit having at least one liquid inlet port;
- wherein communication may be selectively effected between the crucible filling chamber and (1) a first vacuum means to withdraw liquid into the crucible filling chamber or (2) pressure means to push the liquid through the hydraulic circuit to prime the siphon, the improvement which comprises:
- a prime-maintaining and degassing chamber formed in the bight of the inverted generally U-shaped siphon;
- and
- second vacuum means communicating with the degassing chamber and selectively operable to apply a negative pressure to the degassing chamber throughout the transfer operation sufficient to maintain the prime and to degas the liquid in the siphon pipe.
In a liquid transfer device suitable for transferring high temprature liquids, contained at a given level in a first container, to a second container located at an elevation lower than said given level, said device comprising an inverted generally U-shaped siphon having a rising leg, a bight and a descending leg and communicating with a gas-tightly sealable crucible filling chamber to form a hydraulic circuit having at least one liquid inlet port;
- wherein communication may be selectively effected between the crucible filling chamber and (1) a first means to withdraw liquid into the crucible filling chamber or (2) pressure means to push the liquid through the hydraulic circuit to prime the siphon, the improvement wherein:
- said at least one liquid inlet port comprises an inverted generally Y-shaped branched inlet pipe having an inlet port at the terminus of each branch, the upper stem of which is a downward extension of the rising leg of the inverted generally U-shaped siphon, said rising leg communicating through a curved section with the lower end of the crucible filling chamber to complete the hydraulic circuit.
In a method for transferring molten metal, contained at a given level in a first container, to a second container located at an elevation lower than said given level, said method comprising the steps of
- withdrawing molten metal from the first container upwardly into a crucible filling chamber having a lower port communicating with a tube immersed in the container of molten metal, by applying a vacuum to the crucible filling chamber;
- pushing the molten metal from the crucible filling chamber through a connecting tube into the rising leg, the bight and the descending leg of an inverted generally U-shaped siphon having a rising leg, a bight and a descending leg, and having an inlet port communicating with the rising leg of the siphon and immersed in the container of metal, by applying a timed pressure pulse to the crucible filling chamber, thereby priming the siphon and initiating the transfer operation;
- the improvement which comprises:
- applying a negative pressure to the molten metal in the bight portion of the siphon, said negative pressure being applied after priming and maintained throughout the transfer operation;
- wherein said negative pressure is sufficient to maintain the prime and degas the metal passing through the siphon bight, and is lower in absolute value than the vacuum applied to withdraw molten metal into the crucible filling chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.