Transferring molten metal from one structure to another

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10352620-B2
Application number	US-201514745845-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2015
Priority date	Jun 21, 2007
Publication date	Jul 16, 2019
Grant date	Jul 16, 2019

Abstract

A system for transferring molten metal from a vessel and into one or more of a ladle, ingot mold, launder, feed die cast machine or other structure is disclosed. The system includes at least a vessel for containing molten metal, an overflow (or dividing) wall, and a device or structure, such as a molten metal pump, for generating a stream of molten metal. The dividing wall divides the vessel into a first chamber and a second chamber, wherein part of the second chamber has a height H2. The device for generating a stream of molten metal, which is preferably a molten metal pump, is preferably positioned in the first chamber. When the device operates, it generates a stream of molten metal from the first chamber and into the second chamber. When the level of molten metal in the second chamber exceeds H2, molten metal flows out of the vessel and into another structure, such as into one or more ladles and/or one or more launders.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising a dividing wall having a thickness, and for being positioned in a vessel for retaining molten metal, the vessel having a bottom inner surface, a back wall, and an outlet in the back wall, the dividing wall extending upward from the bottom, inner surface and configured to divide the vessel into (i) a first chamber, and (ii) a second chamber that includes the back wall, wherein the outlet has a height H 2 , the dividing wall comprising:
(a) a planar first surface without protrusions that forms an inner surface of the first chamber, the planar first surface configured to have a molten metal pump base rest against it;
(b) a height of H 1 across the thickness along at least part of the width of the dividing wall, wherein H 1 is greater than H 2 and configures at least the part of the dividing wall having a height H 1 to act as an overflow spillway so molten metal can spill from the second chamber over the dividing wall and into the first chamber when the level of molten metal in the second chamber exceeds H 1 ;
(c) a single unrestricted opening positioned in its lower half but entirely above the bottom of the dividing wall, wherein the unrestricted opening is configured to be lower than H 2 , and for permitting pumped molten metal to pass through unrestricted; and
(d) a molten metal pump removably attached to the dividing wall and juxtaposed the planar first side, wherein the molten metal pump has a pump base with a pump chamber and an outlet and the outlet is aligned with the single unrestricted opening.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the dividing wall has a planar second surface opposite the planar first surface, the planar second surface configured to form a surface of the second chamber inside of the vessel.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the dividing wall is comprised of one or more of the group consisting of refractory, graphite and ceramic.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the unrestricted opening is configured to receive a pump discharge.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the unrestricted opening has an area between 6 square inches and 24 square inches.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the dividing wall has no other opening other than the one unrestricted opening.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the dividing wall has a top edge configured to be above the level of molten metal in the vessel.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein only part of the dividing wall has a height of H 1 , and the remainder of the dividing wall has a height greater than H 1 .

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the top edge is on the part of the dividing wall having a height greater than H 1 .

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the unrestricted opening has a first cross-sectional area at the first surface of the dividing wall and a second cross-sectional area at the second surface of the dividing wall, wherein the first cross-sectional area is greater than the second cross-sectional area.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the molten metal pump is a circulation pump.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the molten metal pump is attached to the top edge of the dividing wall.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pump base touches the planar first side of the dividing wall.

14. The system of claim 7 , wherein the molten metal pump has a drive shaft with a height, a first end and a second end, and the first end of the drive shaft is connected to a motor and the second end of the drive shaft is connected to a rotor positioned in the pump chamber, and the height of the drive shaft is selected so when the rotor is positioned in the pump chamber the motor is above the top edge.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the molten metal pump is not positioned at the overflow spillway.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the molten metal pump is not positioned at the overflow spillway.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pump base has a snout, the outlet of the molten metal pump is in the snout, and the snout is positioned in the single unrestricted opening.

Assignees

• Molten Metal Equipment Innovations Llc

Inventors

• Cooper Paul V

Classifications

• F27D3/0024

  of metallic workpieces · CPC title

• F27D27/005

  Pumps · CPC title

• B22D7/00

  Casting ingots, {e.g. from ferrous metals}(equipment for conveying molten metal B22D35/00) · CPC title

• C22B21/0084

  melting and handling molten aluminium (C22B21/02, C22B21/04 and C22B21/06 take precedence) · CPC title

• C22B21/064

  using inert or reactive gases (C22B21/066 and C22B21/068 take precedence) · CPC title