Method and apparatus for melting metal ingots.

摘要

A method and an apparatus for melting a metallic material in the form of a pile of elongate metal ingots, wherein the ingot pile are pre-heated in a horizontal pre-heating chamber while the pile is moved from its one end to the other end, and the pre-heated pile at the other end is pushed into a melting chamber which communicates with the pre-heating chamber and extends vertically downwardly from the other end of the pre-heating chamber, whereby the pile is turned sideways before falling down into the melting chamber, with a result of collapse of the pile into the individual metal ingots in the melting chamber. The melting apparatus may comprise a damper device having at least one damper member which is movable between its retracted position, and its operated position at which the damper member closes a space between an inner wall surface of the pre-heating chamber and the opposite surface of the ingot pile, and thereby intercepts flow of exhaust gases from the melting chamber through the space between the wall surface and the ingot pile.