# US 4,396,427 A · Method of and tiltable ladle for the treatment of cast iron melt > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 4,396,427 A - Document ID: US4396427A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 06/347,050 - Filed: 1982-02-08 - Granted: 1983-08-02 - Earliest claimed: 1981-02-13 - Assignees: Metallgesellschaft Aktiengesellschaft; SKW Trostberg Aktiengesellschaft - Inventors: Hubertus A. J. M. Bisschop; Hendrikus Meijers; Jozef J. M. van der Randen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4396427A ## CPC - C21C 1/10: Making spheroidal graphite cast-iron - C21C: PROCESSING OF PIG-IRON, e.g. REFINING, MANUFACTURE OF WROUGHT-IRON OR STEEL; TREATMENT IN MOLTEN STATE OF FERROUS ALLOYS ## Abstract A method of and a ladle for the treatment of a cast iron melt with a substance capable of inducing the formation of spheroidal graphite utilizes an elongated generally cylindrical vessel lined with a refractory and formed at opposite ends with cylinder bottoms. The vessel can be tilted between a horizontal and upright orientation and angularly displaced about a longitudinal axis at least in its horizontal orientation. A partition in the vessel adjacent one of the cylinder bottoms defines a chamber at one end of the vessel opening within the vessel toward the opposite end thereof and disposed at an upper portion of the vessel in its horizontal orientation. A closable opening at the other end of the vessel enables a cast iron charge to be introduced into the vessel in the horizontal orientation thereof. The vessel is then tilted upwardly to effect the reaction and swung back to its horizontal orientation for deslagging before the charge is tapped by angular displacement about the longitudinal axis. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A ladle for the treatment of an iron melt with a substance capable of inducing the formation of spheroidal graphite, comprising: an elongated generally cylindrical vessel lined with a refractory and formed at opposite ends with cylinder bottoms; means enabling tilting displacement of said vessel between horizontal and upright orientations; means for angularly displacing said vessel about a longitudinal axis at least in said horizontal orientation; a partition in said vessel adjacent one of said cylinder bottoms defining a chamber at one end of said vessel opening within said vessel toward the opposite end thereof and disposed at an upper portion of said vessel in said horizontal orientation thereof, said partition being disposed such that a mouth of said chamber is open toward said opposite end; a closable opening at said other end of said vessel whereby an iron charge can be introduced into said vessel in said horizontal orientation thereof and is maintained out of contact with a quantity of said substance introduced into said chamber through said mouth and said opening until said vessel is tilted into said upright orientation; and means defining a syphon disposed at said opposite end for discharging treated cast iron upon angular displacement of said vessel about said longitudinal axis. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The ladle defined in claim 1 wherein said opposite end of said vessel is formed at said opening with a weir above said syphon and over which slag is discharged by tilting said vessel about an axis transverse to said longitudinal axis. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The ladle defined in claim 2 wherein said partition is a planar plate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The ladle defined in claim 2 wherein said partition is a curved plate. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The ladle defined in claim 2 wherein said partition includes an angle with said one of said bottoms of substantially 45.degree. to 90.degree.. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The ladle defined in claim 5 wherein said angle is 60.degree. to 85.degree.. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The ladle defined in claim 2 wherein said longitudinal axis is located along and coincides with the central axis of said vessel. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The ladle defined in claim 2 wherein said longitudinal axis is offset from said central axis. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The ladle defined in claim 2 wherein said vessel is provided with means defining a transverse axis extending generally radially and about which said vessel can be rotated between said orientations. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The ladle defined in claim 9 wherein said orientation is generally radial. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The ladle defined in claim 2 wherein said chamber is located directly below said opening in said upright orientation of said vessel. ### Claim 12 A method of treating an iron melt with a substance capable of inducing spheroidal graphite formation in cast iron, said method comprising steps of: introducing a quantity of said substance into a chamber formed at one end of an elongated cylindrical refractory-lined vessel by swinging said vessel into an upright position about a transverse axis with an opening at the other end of said vessel receiving said substance which is passed downwardly into said chamber which is located at the bottom of the upright vessel; introducing into said vessel in a horizontal orientation thereof through said opening at the other end a cast iron melt while maintaining said substance out of contact with said melt with a partition defining said chamber and oriented such that said chamber opens toward said opening; swinging said vessel into upright orientation about said transverse axis to permit said melt to react with said substance; swinging said vessel into a substantially horizontal orientation about said transverse axis and pouring slag from the melt therein through said opening; and discharging said melt from said vessel by angularly displacing said vessel about a longitudinal axis perpendicular to said transverse axis. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method defined in claim 12 wherein said substance is introduced into said chamber in said horizontal orientation of said vessel via a lance introduced into said vessel through said opening. ### Claim 14 An apparatus for the treatment of an iron melt with a substance capable of inducing the formation of spheroidal graphite comprising: an elongated cylindrical vessel lined with a refractory and formed at opposite ends with cylinder bottoms; means enabling the displacement of said vessel within an iron making plant; a flange structure mounting at least one of said cylinder bottoms on said vessel; means enabling tilting displacement of said vessel between horizontal and upright orientations about a generally transverse axis; means for angularly displacing said vessel about a longitudinal axis substantially perpendicular to said horizontal axis at least in said horizontal orientation of said vessel; means forming a charging opening at one end of said vessel; a partition in said vessel adjacent a respective cylinder bottom provided with said flange structure at the other end of said vessel remote from said opening and defining a chamber at said other end opening within said vessel toward said opening and disposed at an upper portion of said vessel in said horizontal orientation thereof, said partition defining a mouth of said chamber turned toward said opening to receive said substance through said opening and said mouth when said vessel is in its upright orientation, said partition maintaining said substance out of contact with a melt of iron introduced to said opening in a horizontal orientation of said vessel; a syphon disposed at said one end of said vessel for discharging treated cast iron upon angular displacement of said vessel about said longitudinal axis; and a weir formed at said one end of said vessel and partly defining said opening above said syphon for enabling slag to be discharged from said vessel over said weir by tilting of said vessel about the transverse axis.