Electric heating apparatus for foundry ladle

Electric heating apparatus for a ladle comprising a frame providing a base for a ladle to be preheated and a vertically extending post positioned adjacent said base, a carriage on said post carrying an arm horizontally extending therefrom, a lid on said arm spaced from said carriage and adapted to close a ladle on said base, said lid being equipped with electric heating means adapted to depend inside said ladle when said lid is in closing relationship therewith, electric power means coupled to said electric heating means to energize the same, means on said frame for selectively traveling said lid between an upper position above said ladle and a lower position in closing relation with said ladle and for stopping said lid at an intermediate position, and protective screen means on said frame about said lid and electric heating means when the same are in said upper position.