Molten metal stirring device

An apparatus comprising:

• a furnace having molten metal therein and having an insertion opening through a wall thereof;
• and a molten metal stirring device which includes:
• a transportable base which is adapted to sit on a floor surface and which can be removably positioned near said wall of said furnace, a support frame supported on said base for pivotal movement about a horizontal first axis, a selectively operable power cylinder which pivots said frame relative to said base between a pivoted position and a retracted position, a roller supported on said support frame for rotation about a second axis substantially parallel to said first axis, an elongate stirring tube having an open tip end and a closed tail end, and supported on said roller for axial movement relative to said frame, stirring positioning means driven by a manually operable hand wheel and coupled to said stirring tube at a cantilever point in the region of said tail end thereof for effecting axial movement of said stirring tube, movement of said stirring tube in a first axial direction when said base is in said position near said wall of said furnace and said frame is in said pivoted position causing said tip end of said tube to move into said molten metal in said furnace through said insertion opening in said furnace, a collar plate which is provided on said stirring tube and which closes the portion of said insertion opening around said tube when said stirring tube is inserted into said furnace through said insertion opening, suction means supported on said base and in fluid communication with the interior of said stirring tube through a bellows tube coupled to said tail end of said stirring tube for alternately pressurizing and applying suction to the interior of said stirring tube to alternately suck molten metal into and blow molten metal from said stirring tube, and means on said base for facilitating lifting of said base by one of a crane and a forklift.