Melt delivery system

Abstract

Melt delivery system and method including a first melting chamber and a laterally adjacent second melt pour chamber arranged side-by-side to one another with a suitable isolation valve therebetween. A melting/melt delivery system is includes a transport mechanism having a horizontally translatable carriage disposed on a carriage support frame. A shaft mechanism is disposed on the carriage for rotation relative thereto and for carrying a melting vessel in a manner that the melt-filled vessel can be horizontally translated from the melting chamber where a charge is melted in the vessel to the adjacent mold pour chamber where the melt is poured into a casting mold or vessel by rotation of the shaft mechanism. The carriage is translated by an actuator on the carriage support frame, and the shaft mechanism is independently rotated by an actuator on the carriage. The carriage support frame carries a sealing door disposed about the shaft mechanism to mate with the melting chamber to seal it from ambient atmosphere during vacuum melting of the charge in the melting vessel and translation of the melting vessel to the pour chamber.

We claim:  
     
         1 . Melt delivery system, comprising a melting chamber and a laterally adjacent melt pour chamber communicating to one another, and a melt delivery system including a transport mechanism having a carriage disposed on a carriage support frame for translation relative thereto and a shaft mechanism disposed on said carriage for rotation relative to said carriage, said shaft mechanism carrying a melting vessel between said melting chamber and said pour chamber, and first actuator means for translating said carriage to move said melting vessel from said melting chamber after a charge is melted in said vessel to said pour chamber and second actuator means for rotating said shaft mechanism relative to said carriage in a manner to pour melt from said melting vessel.  
     
     
         2 . The system of    claim 1    wherein said carriage support frame includes a sealing door disposed about said shaft mechanism to mate with said melting chamber in a manner to seal it from ambient atmosphere during vacuum melting of a charge in said melting vessel.  
     
     
         3 . The system of    claim 1    wherein said shaft mechanism comprises a coaxial shaft arrangement wherein an inner tube is disposed in an intermediate tube to provide coolant and electrical power supplies to said melting vessel and an outermost support tube which is mounted on said carriage at one and on a fixed carriage support frame at another end.  
     
     
         4 . The system of    claim 1    wherein said melting vessel is mounted on said outermost support tube and is connected to said coolant and electrical power supplies.  
     
     
         5 . The system of    claim 1    wherein said melting chamber and said pour chamber are communicated by valve means therebetween.  
     
     
         6 . Method of casting a melt into a mold, comprising melting a charge in a melting vessel disposed on a shaft mechanism in a melting chamber and translating shaft mechanism to move said melting vessel with a melt therein to a laterally adjacent melt pour chamber, and rotating said shaft mechanism in a manner to pour said melt into a casting vessel positioned in said pour chamber.  
     
     
         7 . The method of    claim 6    including translating a sealing door to mate with said melting chamber in a manner to seal it from ambient atmosphere during vacuum melting of a charge in said melting vessel in said melting chamber.  
     
     
         8 . The method of    claim 6    wherein coolant and energy for melting said charge is supplied to said melting vessel through said shaft mechanism.