Apparatus for generating a vortex in a melt

A machine for imparting a vortex to molten metal forming a melt that is exposed upwardly, said machine comprising a track;

• a trolley mounted on the track such that it can move along the track;
• an elevator frame depending from the trolley and located generally below the track;
• an elevator on the elevator frame;
• elevating means for changing the elevation of the elevator relative to the trolley;
• a drive unit on the elevator and including a drive shaft which projects downwardly from the elevator and means for rotating the drive shaft;
• and an impeller connected to the drive shaft of the drive unit and being exposed below the elevator where it forms the generally lowest portion of the machine, whereby the impeller, may be lowered into the melt to create a vortex in the melt.

A machine for imparting a vortex to molten metal forming a melt that is exposed upwardly, said machine comprising a track;

• a trolley mounted on the track such that it can move along the track;
• and elevator frame depending from the trolley;
• an elevator on the elevator frame;
• elevating means for changing the elevation of the elevator relative to the trolley;
• drive means on the elevator for rotating a drive shaft;
• an impeller connected to the drive shaft of the drive means;
• and cooling means for preventing the drive means from reaching excessive temperatures, the cooling means including a horizontal duct mounted on the trolley with its axis parallel to the track, so that it will align and couple with an air discharge outlet when the trolley is at a predetermined position along the track, whereby air from the discharge outlet passes through the horizontal duct, and a contractible duct connected to the horizontal duct and extending downwardly with its lower end being positioned to discharge air such that the air flows along and cools the drive means.

The combination of a furnace for holding a molten metal in the form of a melt and for maintaining that metal of that melt in a molten condition and a vortex generator for creating a vortex in the melt to facilitate the introduction of solid metal into the melt, the furnace comprising:

• a main chamber containing a portion of the melt, a pumping well in communication with the main chamber so that the melt may flow from the main chamber into the pumping well, a charging well in communication with the pumping well so that the melt may flow from the pumping well to the charging well, the charging well being configured such that the melt is exposed upwardly to enable solid metal to be introduced into the melt at the charging well, a dross well in communication with the pumping well and with the main chamber so that the melt may flow from the charging well through the dross well and back into the main chamber, the dross well being configured such that the melt is exposed upwardly and is accessible so that dross may be removed from the surface of the melt at the dross well, and a pump in the pumping well to induce circulation of the melt from the main chamber through the pumping well, through the charging well, through the dross well, and thence back into the main chamber;
• the vortex generator comprising:
• an impeller capable of being submerged within the melt at the charging well and configured to create a vortex within the melt within the charging well when rotated in the melt, and drive means connected to the impeller for rotating the impeller so as to create the vortex, whereby when solid scrap is introduced into the charging well, it is quickly drawn beneath the surface of the melt where it too is reduced to a molten condition, the direction of rotation for the impeller being such that it complements the flow of melt induced in the charging well by the pump.