Induction heated meniscus coating vessel

A coating line for meniscus coating at least one surface of metal strip, comprising:

• a furnace for heating the strip to a temperature near the melting point of a molten metal,
• at least one horizontally disposed shallow vessel containing a body of the molten metal,
• means for delivering make-up metal to the vessel,
• means for moving the strip through the furnace and transversely past one side of the vessel,
• a stabilizing roller positioned below the vessel for guiding the strip past the side of the vessel, and
• a jet nozzle positioned above the vessel and spaced from and transversely with the strip for controlling the thickness of the molten metal on the strip,
• the vessel including a shell having an upper surface and an inside surface, a refractory lining the inside surface, a spirally shaped coil for inductively heating the molten metal by magnetic flux, means for concentrating the magnetic flux and a departure lip mounted on the upper surface of the vessel,
• the induction coil being positioned below the refractory lining and the concentrating means being positioned below the induction coil,
• the induction coil and the concentrating means underlying the body of molten metal.