The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 06, 2001
Filed:
Dec. 21, 1995
William Thomas Carter, Jr., Galway, NY (US);
Mark Gilbert Benz, Burnt Hills, NY (US);
Robert John Zabala, Schenectady, NY (US);
Bruce Alan Knudsen, Amsterdam, NY (US);
Paul Leonard Dupree, Scotia, NY (US);
General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US);
Abstract
Systems for controlling the superheat of the stream of molten metal from an electroslag refining apparatus is taught. The systems include the introduction of unrefined metal into an electroslag refining process apparatus in which the unrefined metal is first melted at the upper surface of the refining slag. The molten metal is refined as it passes through the molten slag. The refined metal is collected in a cold hearth apparatus having a skull of refined metal formed on the surface of the cold hearth for protecting the cold hearth from the leaching action of the refined molten metal. A cold finger bottom pour spout or exit orifice is formed at the bottom of the cold hearth to permit dispensing of molten refined metal from the cold hearth. The super heat of the molten metal flowing through the exit orifice of the cold finger apparatus is controlled, preferably utilizing a processor, such as a computer, by coordinating the rate of induction heat supplied to the metal within the cold finger apparatus and the rate of heat removal from the metal within the cold finger apparatus through the cold finger apparatus itself thereby providing metal having a specific superheat exiting the exit orifice.