Molten metal sampling, wave damping, flake removal and means for collecting and forwarding flakes for composition analysis

Apparatus for making metal flakes comprising:

• a wheel having serrations on its periphery,
• means for rotating said wheel in a vertical plane,
• means for imposing an electrical potential between the wheel and a molten body to determine whether the wheel is contacting the molten body,
• means for moving the wheel incrementally up and down into and out of the molten body to control the relative positions of the wheel and an upper surface of the body of molten metal,
• said means for imposing the electric potential including an electrically conductive probe located to contact the upper surface of the molten body before the wheel contacts said surface when the probe and the wheel are moved toward the body, and
• two tubes disposed on opposite sides of the serrations for directing two gas streams perpendicularly to the plane of the wheel to remove metal flakes from the serrations when the serrations are rotated out of the body of molten metal.

Apparatus for making metal flakes comprising:

• a wheel having serrations on its periphery,
• means for rotating said wheel in a vertical plane,
• means for moving the wheel incrementally up and down into and out of a molten body in increments of approximately 0.0005 inch and an electrically conductive probe located to contact the upper surface of the molten body before the wheel contacts the molten body when the probe and wheel are moved toward the body to accommodate changes occurring in the elevation of the upper surface of a body of molten metal so that serrations on the bottom of a wheel are disposed and maintained at a preselected distance in said body to collect molten metal on the serrations,
• means for dampening waves and abrupt changes occurring in the upper level of the body of molten metal,
• means for removing flakes from the serrations, and
• means disposed closely adjacent to and about the serrations and at the location of the means for removing flakes from the serrations for receiving the flakes removed from the serrations.

A method of making metal flakes comprising:

• providing a body of molten metal,
• providing a wheel having serrations on its periphery,
• controlling the relative positions of the wheel and an upper surface of said body of molten metal to dispose the serrations on the bottom of the wheel a preselected distance into the upper surface of the molten metal,
• rotating said wheel in a vertical plane to collect molten metal on the serrations which freezes into solid flakes when the serrations are rotated out of the molten metal,
• removing the flakes from the serrations,
• incrementally moving the wheel up and down and into and out of the body of molten metal, and
• imposing an electrical potential between the wheel and molten metal to determine when the wheel contacts the molten metal.

A method of making metal flakes comprising:

• providing a body of molten metal having an upper surface subject to changes in elevation,
• providing a wheel having serrations on its periphery,
• rotating said wheel in a vertical plane,
• controlling the relative positions of the wheel and changing elevation of the upper surface such that serrations on the bottom of the wheel are disposed and maintained a controlled distance in the body of molten metal, said control being effected by
• incrementally moving the wheel up and down and into and out of the molten metal,
• imposing an electrical potential between the wheel and molten metal to determine when the wheel contacts the molten metal, and
• dampening abrupt changes and waves occurring in the upper surface of the metal.

A method of making metal flakes comprising:

• providing a body of molten metal having an upper surface,
• providing a wheel having serrations on its periphery,
• rotating said wheel in a vertical plane,
• incrementally moving the wheel up and down and into and out of the body of molten metal in increments of 0.0005 inch,
• providing a probe to impose an electrical potential between the wheel and molten metal to determine when the wheel contacts the molten metal, and
• dampening waves and abrupt changes occurring in the upper surface of the molten metal by disposing a boat-like structure beneath the wheel such that a lower opening in said structure admits molten metal to the wheel when said structure is moved into the body of molten metal.