Burner for bottom fired furnace

A burner for a bottom fired, ingot heating furnace having a burner port through the bottom of said furnace, and comprising:

• a gas header centrally disposed relative to a central axis of said burner port such that air is supplied to said burner port around said header;
• plural gas nozzles arranged atop of and in communication with said header and equi-angularly arranged about said burner port central axis, each of said nozzles comprising a generally vertical conduit portion terminating in a head cover portion having a nozzle port such that gas is supplied to said burner port from said nozzle port along a direction generally defineable by a gas supply axis intersecting a plane perpendicular to said central axis at an angle, said gas supply axis being generally tangential to a circle contained within said plane and having a radius extending from said central axis to an apex of said angle;
• and
• said head cover portion comprising a shield for the top of said conduit portion and said nozzle port, such that articles falling from said furnace are prevented from clogging said nozzle port;
• whereby said gas is caused to flow helically and diffuse and mix with said air to provide a short flame.