Unitika Ltd.

Shoji Tamamura

Akira Tanimura

Hisayasu Tsubata

Molten metal 23 is streamed as a jet 25 from a nozzle 17 toward a cooling liquid layer 24 formed by the centrifugal force of a rotary drum 1 in rotation. The jet 25 is quenched and solidified to form a metal filament. The front end portion of the metal filament rides on a pickup 13a. The pickup 13a rotates synchronously with the rotary drum 1 and, during this synchronous rotation, it is displaced radially inwardly of the rotary drum. The front end portion of the metal filament is attracted by magnetic force to a magnet roller 19 from the pickup 13a. A following portion of the metal filament are wound and held on the magnet roller 19 in rotation. Subsequently, the magnet roller 19 moves toward a winder located outside the drum 1 to deliver the metal filament to the winder so that the metal filament is wound on the winder directly from the rotating drum.

Method and apparatus for continuously manufacturing metal filaments

Material is supplied from a pressure hopper made to have an inert gas atmosphere to each of a plurality of melting furnaces one after another in a predetermined amount each time. The interior atmosphere of each melting furnace is replaced by an inert gas, and the material is melted in the melting furnace by heating. The resulting molten metal is supplied from one of the melting furnaces after another to a discharge container having a discharge nozzle and made to have an inert gas atmosphere, and is continuously discharged from the discharge nozzle against a rapid quenching device.

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Nara, Japan

Shoji Tamamura