Charging appliance for melting units

A charging appliance for depositing charging stock in a chamber comprising:

• a housing affixable to said chamber, said housing having an interior thereof openable to an interior of the chamber;
• an acceptance means for receiving charging stock and for transporting charging stock from a first position interior to said housing to a second position interior of the chamber, said acceptance means providing a support surface for the charging stock, said acceptance means comprising:
• a carriage comprising a plurality of wheels, and wheels rotatably mounted to said carriage, and supporting said carriage, and
• a drive means, said drive means engaging said carriage and providing a motive force for transporting said carriage;
• a stop mechanism means, said stop mechanism means for exerting a lateral force on said charging stock to displace said charging stock from said acceptance means;
• a rail set having a plurality of rails, said wheels guided by and supported by said rails allowing said acceptance means freedom to move in a direction from the first position toward the second position and from the second position toward the first position;
• at least one controlled maneuvering device wherein said maneuvering device is mounted to said rail set and said maneuvering device acts to position said rail set at selectable elevations and also acts to set said rail set at selectable angles of tilt.

A charging appliance for depositing charging stock into a chamber comprising:

• a housing having a sealed integrity;
• a lock valve affixed on one side to an open end of said housing and affixed on another side to said chamber, said housing having an interior thereof openable to an interior of said lock valve, said lock valve having an interior thereof openable to an interior of said chamber, said housing and said lock valve maintaining a sealed integrity together and to the chamber;
• a charging shovel for holding charging stock, said charging shovel comprising a support surface whereon resides the charging stock;
• a transportation means connected to said charging shovel, said transportation means for transporting said charging shovel and the charging stock from a first position interior of said housing through said lock valve and to a second interior of the chamber;
• a stop mechanism mounted for movement with said charging shovel from the first position to the second position, said stop mechanism independently movable with respect to said charging shovel, said stop mechanism positioned trailing the charging stock as the stock travels from the first position to the second position, said charging shovel retractable from the second position towards the first position with said stop mechanism releasably mechanically locked with respect to said housing in an advanced position adjacent to the second position of said charging stock whereby the support surface is withdrawn from under the charging stock by retracting said charging shovel while restraining retraction movement of the charging stock towards the first position by abutting the charging stock against said stop mechanism;
• and
• a motive means for withdrawing said stop mechanism, once released, to a base position interior of said housing, to a side of the support surface remote from the chamber.