US3198504A

US3198504A - Barrel salt bath furnaces

Info

Publication number: US3198504A
Application number: US138139A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ankersen Borge Richard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-09-14
Filing date: 1961-09-14
Publication date: 1965-08-03
Anticipated expiration: 1982-08-03

Description

Aug. 3, 1965 B. R. ANKERSEN BARREL SALT BATH FURNACES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 14. 1961 N a V. w

Aug. 3, 1965 B. R. ANKERSEN BARREL SALT BATH FURNACES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 14, 1961 3, 1965 s. R. ANKERSEN I BARREL SALT BATH FURNACES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 14, 1961 INVENTOR ems: R/GMRDANKEKSEN United States Patent BARREL SALT BATH FURNACES Barge Richard Anirersen, 32871 Chatham Lane, Birmingham, Mich.

Filed Sept. 14, 1951, Ser. No. 133,139 6 Claims. (Ci. 2266-35) This invention relates to barrel salt bath furnaces and particularly to a rotary barrel type salt furnace for melting or heating highly oxidizable alloys and materials.

There are many industrial situations where it is desirable to melt or heat readily oxidizable materials such as aluminum without the oxidation losses normally encountered. For example, it is frequently desired to melt aluminum chips, filings, turnings and the like scrap. Conventional melting methods are either too slow, too costly or the losses in aluminum through oxidation are too high to be economically feasible. Various attempts to solve such problems have been made but without any real success.

I have invented a furnace structure which will overcome these problems. By the use of my furnace, it is possible to continuously melt aluminum chips and similar fine scrap without excessive losses and without the expensive techniques heretofore proposed.

I provide a cylindrical body portion, divider means separating the body portion into two cylindrical portions, ports in said divider spaced about the periphery of said divider, radial vanes in the interior of each said cylindrical portion beginning adjacent the ports and extending lengthwise of said portions, a frusto conical end on one of said cylindrical portions, spaced chordal enclosed passages beginning adjacent each vane and extending toward the apex of the frusto conical end, a trough extending into the apex to receive fluid from said enclosed passages, burner means directing a flame axially into one of said cylindrical portions and drive means rotating said body portion.

In the foregoing general description, I have set out certain objects, advantages and purposes of my invention. Other objects, advantages and purposes of my invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal section through a furnace according to my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a section on the line IIII of FIG-' URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a section on the line III-III of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a section on the line IV1V of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal section of a second embodiment of my invention;

FIGURE 6 is a section on the line VI-VI of FIG- URE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a section on the line VIIVII of FIG- URE 5;

FIGURE 8 is FIGURE 5.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIG- URES 1 through 4, I have illustrated a cylindrical furnace body It) having an outer metal shell 11 and a refractory lining 12. A refractory divider member 13 separates the furnace body into two cylindrical portions 14 and I5. Spaced ports 16 at the periphery of the divider member 13 communicate between the two portions 14 aond 15. An axial opening 17 in the divider member 13 carries a burner 18 directed axially of the furnace body. Radial vanes 19 are provided in portion 14 between the end Wall 20 and divider wall 13 adjacent the ports therein. A frusto-conical end portion 21 is provided at the end of cylindrical portion 15 having an opening 22 therein.

a section on the line VIIIVIII of were Radial vanes 23 are provided on the inner periphery of the cylindrical portion between the divider member 13 and the frusto conical portion. The vanes are low and do not cascade the salt, they simply cause a rolling of salt. Spaced elongated passages 24 extend diagonally from the end of vanes 23 to opening 22 of the frusto conical end portion. These passages act to deliver fluid from the base of the vanes 23 to the opening 22. A trough 25 extends into opening 22 and receives the discharge from passages 24. Trough 25 connects with a rotary Well 26 having a discharge spout 27. The well 2'5 is rotatable on guide rolls 28 in a frame 29 at the output end of the furnace. A charging chute 30 is provided at the end of the furnace opposite the frusto-conical portion to feed through annular opening 31 into portion 14 of the furnace.

In operation, aluminum or like chips to be melted are fed from chute 30 into portion 14 of the furnace. The furnace body is rotated on carrier rolls 31a and 3111 by a drive motor 32 acting through pinion 33 and a rack 34 surrounding the outer shell of the furnace. The chips entering portion 14 are immediately submerged by molten salt discharged by vanes as they rotate. The cascading molten salt carries the chips beneath the surface of the salt so that they melt before any opportunity for oxidation has occurred. The metal which melts settles to the bottom and passes through the ports in the dividing wall into portion 15 of the furnace. Rotation of the furnace causes the molten metal to be lifted while the salt rolls over the vanes to leave only a'thin protective layer of salt on the metal. The metal passes along vanes 23 into the passages 24 which deliver it to trough 25 along with a small amount of salt which acts as a protective layer throughout the processing steps. The molten metal passes into well 26 and the excess salt passes over lip 25a back into portion 15 of the furnace.

Counter rotation of the barrel will prevent any discharge through passages 24 and provides a means for regulating the rate of discharge as well as the level of molten metal.

The salt in the furnace is retained and used continuously as the heat transfer and protective media for the metal.

In the form shown in FIGURES 5 through 8 I have illustrated a furnace 40 having anouter steel shell 41 and a refractory lining 42. A refractory divider member 43 separates the furnace body into two-cylindrical portions 44 and 45. Spaced ports 16a at the periphery of the divider member 43 communicate between the two portions 44 and 45. An axial opening 46 in divider member 4-3 carries a flue member 47 which extends through portions 44 and end wall 51 and out of shell 41. A second div der wall 48 at the opposite end of the furnace body from member 43 carries an axial burner 49. Radial vanes 59 are provided in portion 44 between the end wall 51 and divider member 43 adjacent the ports in member 43. A frusto-conical end, portion 52 is provided adjacent the second divider wall 43. The supply line 53 for burner 49 passes through an opening 54 in this frusto-conical portion. Radial vanes 55 are provided in the cylindrical portion between the divider members 43 and 48. These vanes, like vanes 23 of FIGURES l3 are low and do not cascade the salt and metal, they simply cause the salt to roll over the edge as a barrier. Spaced passages 56 extend diagonally from the end of vanes to opening 54 in the frusto conical end so as to discharge into trough 5'7 mounted on a rotary Well 53 having discharge spout 59. The well 58 is rotatable on guide rolls 60 in frame 61 at the output end of the furnace.

A charging chute 62 is provided at the inlet end of the furnace opposite the frusto conical end. Metal chips Fatented Aug. 3, 1965 are fed into chute 62 by rotary feeder 63 on the end of a rotary drum dryer 64 surrounding the stack 67 which receives the output gases from fine member 47. The metal is dried and preheated by feeding it into dryer 64 through chute 68 and is discharged into furnace feed chute 62 by feeder 63.

The furnace is rotated on rollers 70 in usual manner by motor 71 driving rack 72 through pinion 73.

The operation of this embodiment is essentially the same as that of FIGURES 1 through 3 with certain ob vious modification.

In the foregoing specification I have illustrated and described certain preferred embodiments of my invent-ion, however, it will be understood that the invention may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A metal melting furnace for melting oxidizable metals and the like comprising a cylindrical housing forming a cylindrical body portion, divider means transversely separating said body portion into two generally cylindrical parts, port means communicating through said divider between the two parts, radial vanes on the periphery of each said parts extending lengthwise thereof, a frusto conical end portion on one of said cylindrical parts extend-ing to an apex outside the cylindrical housing and having an opening at said apex, spaced enclosed diagonal passages beginning and having a port adjacent each vane and extending to the apex of the frusto conical end and having a port at said apex, a trough extending into the apex to receive fluid from said passages, burner means directing a flame into said cylindrical portions, a fluid heat transfer medium in said cylindrical portions, feeder means delivering metal to be melted into the interior of the furnace and drive means rotating said cylindrical housing.

2. A metal melting furnace as claimed in claim 1 wherein the feeder means delivers metals to be melted at the end opposite the frusto conical end into one part of the furnace, said one parthaving vanes of suflicient height to cause the fluid heat transfer medium to cascade onto the metal entering the furnace.

3. A metal melting furnace for melting oxidizable metals and the like comprising a cylindrical housing forming a cylindrical furnace body portion, divider means transversely separating said body portion into two generally cylindrical parts, one a metal receiving part and the other a metal retaining and heating part, port means communicating through said divider between the two parts, radial vanes on the periphery of each said parts extending lengthwise thereof, said vanes in the metal receiving part being of a greater height than those of the metal retaining part, a frusto conical end portion on the metal heating part of said cylindrical parts extending to an apex outside the cylindrical housing and having an opening at said apex, spaced enclosed diagonal passages on the frusto conical end beginning and having a port adjacent each vane and extending to and having a port at the apex of the frusto conical end, a trough extending into the apex to receive fluid from said passages, burner means directing a flame into said cylindrical portions, a molten salt bath in said cylindrical portion, feeder means delivering metal to be melted into the interior of the furnace and drive means rotating said cylindrical housing- 4. A metal melting furnace for melting oxidizable metals and the like comprising a cylindrical housing forming a cylindrical furnace body portion, divider means transversely separating the body portion of said housing into two generally cylindrical parts, one a metal receiving part and the other a metal retaining part, port means 3 tea,

communicating through said divider between the two parts, radial vanes on the periphery of each said parts extending lengthwise thereof, a frusto conical end portion on one of said cylindrical parts extending to an apex outside the cylindrical housing and having an opening at said apex, spaced enclosed diagonal passages beginning and having a port adjacent each vane and extending to and having a port at the apex of the frusto conical end, a trough extending into the pex to receive fluid from said passages, burner means directing a flame generally axially of said cylindrical portions, from the apex of the frusto conical end, a fluid heat transfer medium in said cylindrical portion, feeder means delivering metal to be melted into the interior of the furnace, said feeder means being in heat exchange relationship with the exhaust gases from the furnace whereby to dry and preheat the metal being fed and drive means rotating said cylindrical housing.

5. A metal melting furnace for melting oxidizable metals and the like comprising a cylindrical housing forming a cylindrical furnace body portion, divider means transversely separating said body portion into two generally cylindrical parts, one a metal receiving part and the other a metal retaining part, port means communicating through said divider between the two parts, radial vanes on the periphery of each said parts extending lengthwise thereof, a frusto conical end portion on one of said cylindrical parts extending to an apex outside the cylindrical housing and having an opening at said apex, spaced enclosed diagonal passages beginning and having a port adjacent each vane and extending to and having a port at the apex of the frusto conical end, a trough extending into the apex to receive fluid from said passages, burner means directing a flame axially of said cylindrical portions, from an axial opening in the metal receiving part, a fluid heat transfer medium in said cylindrical portion, feeder means delivering metal to be melted into the interior of the furnace at the metal receiving part adjacent the burner and drive means rotating said cylindrical housing.

6. A metal melting furnace for melting oxidizable metals and the like comprising a cylindrical housing, divider means transversely separating said body portion into two generally cylindrical parts, port means communicating through said divider between the two parts, radial vanes on the periphery of each said partsextcnding lengthwise thereof, a frusto conical end portion on one of said cylindrical parts extending to an apex outside the cylindrical housing and having an opening at said apex, spaced enclosed diagonal passages beginning and having a port adjacent each vane and extending helically to and having a port at the apex of the frusto conical end, a trough extending into the apex to receive fluid from said passages, burner means directing a flame axially of said cylindrical portions, a molten salt bath in said cylindrical portion, feeder means delivering metal to be melted into the interior of the furnace and drive means rotating said cylindrical housing.

References (Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,768,075 10/56 Sterental 7568 2,878,004 3/59 Saernan 26643 2,948,525 8/60 West et al. 26624 2,987,391 6/61 Foster et al. 7565 FOREIGN PATENTS 692,076 5/53 Great Britain.

MORRIS O. V/OLK, Primary Examiner.

RAY K. WINDHAM, Examiner.

Claims

1. A METAL MELTING FURNANCE FOR MELTING OXIDIZABLE METALS AND THE LIKE COMPRISING A CYLINDRICIAL HOUSINGS FORMING A CYLINDRICAL BODY PORTION, DIVIDER MEANS TRANSVERSELY SEPARATING SAID BODY PORTION INTO TWO GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL PARTS, PORT MEANS COMMUNICATING THROUGH SAID DIVIDER BETWEEN THE TWO PARTS, RADIAL VANES ON THE PERIPHERY OF EACH SAID PARTS EXTENDING LENGTHWISE THEREOF, A FRUSTO CONICAL END PORTION ON ONE OF SAID CYLINDRICAL PARTS EXTENDING TO AN APEX OUTSIDE THE CYLINDRICAL HOUSING AND HAVINGING AN OPENING AT SAID APEX, SPACED ENCLOSED DIAGONAL