Process and apparatus for introducing metal chips into a molten metal bath thereof

A process for the industrial utilization of metal chips which involves the introduction of said metal chips into a molten mass of metal of which said chips are formed, comprising the following steps:

• providing starting metal chips,
• compacting and stripforming said metal chips into the form of a stripform metal,
• providing a pool of molten metal of which said starting chips are formed and having a metal oxide skin covering the surface thereof,
• providing a circulation flow pattern within said pool of molten metal without essentially disturbing the metal oxide skin,
• charging said stripform metal at a point of introduction directly into said mass of molten metal through said metal oxide skin covering the surface thereof and into immediate contact with the molten pool of metal therebeneath,
• causing said stripform metal to melt into and become a part of said molten metal pool without essential disturbance of the metal oxide skin except at the point of introduction of said stripform metal charge through the surface thereof, and
• causing said circulation flow pattern to circulate molten metal from said point of introduction to the hottest area of said pool of said molten metal and vice versa.

A process for the industrial utilization of metal chips which involves the introduction of said metal chips into a mass of molten metal of which said chips are formed, comprising the following steps:

• providing a reverberatory furnace including a main chamber containing a pool of molten metal corresponding to the metal of which said chips are formed,
• maintaining a surface skin on said molten metal pool in the form of an oxide of the metal involved,
• providing a charge well for said reverberatory furnace and a molten pool of metal in said charge well and a metal oxide skin at the surface thereof, said molten metal pool and said metal oxide skin being in communication with the molten metal pool and said metal oxide skin in the said main chamber of said reverberatory furnace,
• providing a circulation flow pattern within said molten metal pool of said main chamber and extending into said molten metal pool within said charge well without essentially disturbing the metal oxide skin atop the molten metal pool in either said charge well or said main chamber to circulate molten metal from the hottest area of said pool of molten metal in said main chamber of said reverberatory furnace to a point of introduction of new metal into the charge well of said reverberatory furnace,
• continuously providing essentially dry starting metal chips,
• continuously compacting and strip-forming said metal chips into a stripform metal and introducing said stripform metal directly into said charge well through the metal oxide skin on the surface thereof and into immediate contact with the molten metal pool therebeneath,
• causing said stripform metal to melt into and become a part of said metal pool without essential disturbance of the continuous metal oxide skin atop said pool except at the point of introduction of said stripform metal charge through the surface thereof in said charge well,
• circulating said molten metal from said pool in said charge well from adjacent the point of introduction of new metal into said charge well to the hottest point of said molten metal in said main chamber of said reverberatory furnace and vice versa,
• and sensing the temperature in said pool in said charge well adjacent said point of introduction and controlling the rate of introduction of said stripform metal into said charge well in such a manner that the rate of feed is diminished or stopped when said temperature in said charge well drops below a predetermined minimum value.

In apparatus for the introduction of metal chips into a mass of molten metal of which said chips are formed, the combination comprising

• metal chip input means associated with
• compacting stripformer means having an entrance for metal chips and an exit for compacted stripform metal produced from said chips therein,
• a melting furnace chamber for containing a mass of molten metal therein corresponding to the metal of which said chips are formed,
• stripform introduction means for the introduction of stripform metal from said compacting stripformer exit directly into a mass of molten metal when contained in said melting furnace chamber without essential disturbance of the surface thereof except at the point of introduction of said stripform metal charge through the surface thereof.