A vacuum melting furnace feeding mechanism

Abstract

This utility model discloses a feeding mechanism for a vacuum melting furnace, relating to the field of vacuum melting furnaces. The utility model includes a melting furnace with a feed inlet at its top. A vacuum extraction system is connected to one side of the melting furnace via a pipe. A feeding mechanism housing is located at the rear of the melting furnace. A fixing plate is positioned above the feeding mechanism housing. A first motor is mounted on one side of the fixing plate, and a feeding box is connected to the other side of the fixing plate via a push rod and a positioning rod. The feeding box contains two crushing rollers. Through an independent housing design, the feeding box can be moved quickly using pull rings and casters, allowing operators to perform secondary feeding without opening the main furnace chamber, reducing the probability of air infiltration. Simultaneously, the crushing rollers are synchronously driven by a second motor via a first gear and a second gear, forcibly crushing the raw materials, increasing the specific surface area of ​​the raw materials, and improving melting efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of vacuum melting furnaces, specifically a feeding mechanism for a vacuum melting furnace. Background Technology

[0002] A vacuum melting furnace is a special type of equipment that melts metals in a vacuum or inert gas protected environment using heating methods such as electromagnetic induction, electric arc, or electron beam. By reducing gas phase pressure, it optimizes metallurgical reactions, significantly improves material purity, effectively removes gases such as hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen, as well as low-boiling-point impurities such as lead and bismuth, precisely controls alloy composition, reduces elemental oxidation and burn-off, and improves the microstructure of materials. Its core technologies include medium-frequency power supplies such as IGBTs, water-cooled furnace bodies, vacuum systems, and electromagnetic stirring functions. It is mainly used in aerospace high-temperature alloys, high-purity silicon for electronic semiconductors, titanium alloys for medical devices, and new energy battery materials, meeting the needs for the preparation of high-purity, high-performance materials.

[0003] In existing vacuum melting furnaces, the material to be melted is placed into the crucible through the feed inlet, the furnace is started to melt the material, and the melt is poured into a forming mold to cool and form the desired material. However, when adding material, the temperature at the feed inlet is too high, making it inconvenient for workers to add material. Furthermore, the added material melts very slowly due to the small heating area. Therefore, the inventors urgently need to design a device that can facilitate material addition and accelerate melting efficiency to improve work efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0004] Based on this, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a feeding mechanism for a vacuum melting furnace to solve the technical problems of cumbersome feeding and slow melting speed in traditional vacuum melting furnaces.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution: a vacuum melting furnace feeding mechanism, comprising a melting furnace, a feeding port provided above the melting furnace, an observation window provided at the front of the melting furnace, a vacuum pumping system connected to one side of the melting furnace via a pipe, an electrical box provided on the other side of the melting furnace, a support provided below the melting furnace, a feeding mechanism housing provided at the rear of the melting furnace, a fixing plate provided above the feeding mechanism housing, a first motor provided on one side of the fixing plate, and a feeding box connected to the other side of the fixing plate via a push rod and a positioning rod, wherein two rolling rollers are provided inside the feeding box.

[0006] By adopting the above technical solution, the independent operation function of the feeding module is realized. When raw materials need to be added during the smelting process, there is no need to destroy the vacuum sealing environment of the main chamber of the smelting furnace, which significantly reduces the risk of oxygen backflow and ensures the metallurgical quality of high-temperature alloys and other highly active materials.

[0007] Furthermore, the first motor is electrically connected to an external power source via a controller. The first motor controls the extension and retraction of the push rod, further controlling the position movement of the feeding box. The two positioning rods restrict the parallel position of the fixed plate and the feeding box.

[0008] By adopting the above technical solution, the linkage system composed of the push rod and the double positioning rod, through the precise control of the first motor, enables the feeding box to move along a straight trajectory to directly above the feeding port. This rigid guiding mechanism eliminates the motion accumulation error present in the traditional hinge mechanism, ensuring the precise docking of the feeding channel and the furnace body interface.

[0009] Furthermore, the furnace is equipped with a connecting plate, a crucible is located below the connecting plate, an induction coil is located around the outer ring of the crucible, a forming mold is located at the bottom of the furnace, and a cooling pipe is located inside the forming mold.

[0010] By adopting the above technical solution, the connecting plate provides a three-dimensional adjustable suspension support for the crucible, which makes it easy to adjust the crucible tilt angle according to different melting stages. This dynamic positioning capability is particularly critical in the casting process, enabling the high-temperature melt to flow smoothly into the forming mold along a predetermined path, greatly reducing the eddy gas entrapment defects that are easily generated by traditional tilting casting.

[0011] Furthermore, a second motor is installed outside the feeding box, and a first gear is installed at the output end of the second motor. The second motor is electrically connected to an external power supply through a controller.

[0012] By adopting the above technical solution, the design of placing the second motor outside the feeding box successfully isolates the power unit from the raw material processing chamber. This layout eliminates the hidden danger of metal dust entering the motor windings and ensures the long-term stable operation of the transmission system.

[0013] Furthermore, two second gears are provided in front of the feeding box, and the second gears are connected to the two rolling rollers for transmission. The two second gears mesh with the first gear for transmission.

[0014] By adopting the above technical solution, it is ensured that the two sets of crushing rollers always maintain the same speed and rotate in opposite directions. This motion symmetry eliminates the phenomenon of one-sided compression of raw materials in the crushing chamber from the root, so that the material is subjected to uniform shear force when passing through the roller gap.

[0015] Furthermore, the outside of the electrical box is equipped with several electrically connected control buttons to control the operation of the entire device.

[0016] By adopting the above technical solution, the control buttons integrated into the electrical box establish an integrated human-machine interface, which centrally manages the control logic of subsystems such as vacuum pumping, induction heating, and feeding mechanism. This functional integration eliminates the need for operators to switch between multiple devices, significantly shortening the response time for process adjustments.

[0017] Furthermore, a switch valve is installed above the pipe to control the on / off state of the vacuum pumping system.

[0018] By adopting the above technical solution, the installation position of the switching valve near the furnace on the pipeline allows the operator to directly monitor its opening and closing status within the field of vision of the observation window. This visualization design facilitates quick confirmation of the working process of the vacuum system and shortens the decision time for furnace pressure regulation.

[0019] Furthermore, pull rings are provided on both sides of the feeding mechanism housing, and casters are provided at the bottom of the feeding mechanism housing. Pulling the pull rings changes the position of the feeding mechanism.

[0020] By adopting the above technical solution, the combination of casters and pull rings gives the feeding mechanism omnidirectional movement capability. When changing raw material batches or performing equipment maintenance, operators can complete the module removal operation by a single person, which significantly reduces the maintenance intensity of large equipment.

[0021] In summary, the present invention has the following main advantages:

[0022] 1. This utility model features an independent box design, which enables rapid movement of the feeding box via pull rings and casters, allowing operators to perform secondary feeding without opening the main furnace chamber, thus reducing the probability of air infiltration. At the same time, the crushing roller is driven synchronously by a second motor through the first and second gears, which forcibly crushes the raw materials, increases the specific surface area of ​​the raw materials, and improves the melting efficiency.

[0023] 2. This utility model uses a linkage system composed of a push rod and a double positioning rod to achieve linear displacement of the feeding box under the control of the first motor, ensuring precise alignment between the feeding port and the crucible. At the same time, the electrical box centrally controls the vacuum pumping system and the switching valve. After vacuuming, the induction coil is activated to accelerate heat conduction by utilizing the active surface of the crushed raw material, thus shortening the melting time. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of this utility model;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a side view of the structure of this utility model;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a top view of the structure of this utility model;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the present invention.

[0029] In the diagram: 1. Smelting furnace; 2. Feed inlet; 3. Observation window; 4. Support; 5. Electrical box; 6. Control button; 7. Pipeline; 8. Switch valve; 9. Vacuum pumping system; 10. Connecting plate; 11. Crucible; 12. Induction coil; 13. Forming mold; 14. Cooling pipe; 15. Feeding mechanism box; 16. Fixing plate; 17. Feeding box; 18. First motor; 19. Push rod; 20. Positioning rod; 21. Roller; 22. Second motor; 23. First gear; 24. Second gear; 25. Caster wheel; 26. Pull ring. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0031] In this embodiment:

[0032] A feeding mechanism for a vacuum melting furnace, such as Figure 1-5 As shown, the furnace includes a smelting furnace 1, a feed inlet 2 at the top of the furnace 1, an observation window 3 at the front of the furnace 1, a vacuum pumping system 9 connected to one side of the furnace 1 via a pipe 7, an electrical box 5 on the other side of the furnace 1, a support 4 at the bottom of the furnace 1, a feeding mechanism box 15 at the rear of the furnace 1, a fixing plate 16 on top of the feeding mechanism box 15, a first motor 18 on one side of the fixing plate 16, and a feeding box 17 connected to the fixing plate 16 via a push rod 19 and a positioning rod 20 on the other side of the fixing plate 16. The feeding box 17 has two crushing rollers 21 inside, realizing the independent operation function of the feeding module. When raw materials need to be added during the smelting process, it is not necessary to destroy the vacuum sealing environment of the main chamber of the furnace, which significantly reduces the risk of oxygen backflow and ensures the metallurgical quality of high-temperature alloys and other highly active materials. At the same time, the double crushing rollers 21 inside the feeding box 17 serve as a core innovative unit, which can perform forced crushing pretreatment on blocky or agglomerated raw materials.

[0033] See Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4The first motor 18 is electrically connected to an external power source via a controller. The first motor 18 controls the extension and retraction of the push rod 19, further controlling the position movement of the feeding box 17. The two positioning rods 20 restrict the parallel position of the fixed plate 16 and the feeding box 17. The linkage system formed by the push rod 19 and the double positioning rods 20, through the precise control of the first motor 18, allows the feeding box 17 to move along a straight trajectory to directly above the feed inlet 2. This rigid guiding mechanism eliminates the motion accumulation error present in traditional hinge mechanisms, ensuring precise docking between the feeding channel and the furnace body interface. At the same time, the parallel constraint function of the positioning rods 20 effectively resists the torque interference during the extension and retraction of the push rod 19, maintaining the geometric stability of the overall structure of the feeding mechanism even when carrying a full load of raw materials.

[0034] See Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 The melting furnace 1 is equipped with a connecting plate 10 inside, and a crucible 11 is located below the connecting plate 10. An induction coil 12 is located around the outer ring of the crucible 11. A forming mold 13 is located at the bottom inside the melting furnace 1, and a cooling pipe 14 is located inside the forming mold 13. The connecting plate 10 provides a three-dimensional adjustable suspension support for the crucible 11, which facilitates the adjustment of the crucible tilt angle according to different melting stages. This dynamic positioning capability is particularly critical in the casting process, enabling the high-temperature melt to flow smoothly into the forming mold 13 along a predetermined path, greatly reducing the eddy gas entrapment defects that are easily generated by traditional tilting casting. At the same time, the cooling pipe 14 forms a closed-loop temperature control network inside the forming mold, and establishes a gradient solidification thermodynamic environment by controlling the flow direction of the cooling medium in a zoned manner.

[0035] See Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 The feeding box 17 is equipped with a second motor 22. The output end of the second motor 22 is equipped with a first gear 23. The second motor 22 is electrically connected to an external power supply through a controller. The design of the second motor 22 being externally mounted in the feeding box 17 successfully isolates the power unit from the raw material processing chamber. This layout eliminates the hidden danger of metal dust entering the motor windings and ensures the long-term stable operation of the transmission system. At the same time, the indirect transmission mode of power transmission through the first gear 23 instead of directly driving the crushing roller 21 can achieve high torque output without increasing the size of the box.

[0036] See Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5Two second gears 24 are provided in front of the feeding box 17. The second gears 24 are connected to the two crushing rollers 21 for transmission. The two second gears 24 mesh with the first gear 23 to ensure that the two sets of crushing rollers 21 always maintain the same speed and rotate in opposite directions. This motion symmetry eliminates the phenomenon of one-sided extrusion of raw materials in the crushing chamber from the root, so that the material is subjected to uniform shear force when passing through the roller gap. At the same time, the rigid meshing characteristics of the gear pair overcome the elastic slippage problem that may occur in belt drive, ensuring that the phase of the two sets of rollers always corresponds precisely.

[0037] See Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 The electrical box 5 has several electrically connected control buttons 6 on its outside, which control the operation of the entire device. The control buttons 6 integrated into the electrical box 5 establish an integrated human-machine interface, which centrally manages the control logic of subsystems such as vacuum pumping, induction heating, and feeding mechanism. This functional integration eliminates the need for operators to switch between multiple devices, greatly shortening the response time for process adjustments. At the same time, the electrical interconnection architecture realizes the time-series interlocking control of the entire melting process. The system automatically determines that the vacuum level meets the standard before unlocking the heating function, and forcibly interrupts the casting process when the cooling pipe flow is abnormal. Through multiple safety protection mechanisms, the risk of human error is minimized.

[0038] See Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 A switch valve 8 is installed above pipe 7 to control the on / off state of vacuum pumping system 9. The switch valve 8 is installed near the furnace on pipe 7, allowing operators to directly monitor its opening and closing status within the field of vision of observation window 3. This visualization design facilitates quick confirmation of the working process of the vacuum system and shortens the decision time for furnace pressure adjustment. At the same time, the valve body, as a physical isolation unit of the vacuum pipeline, can immediately close the pumping channel in case of emergency shutdown. When the induction coil 12 leaks cooling water, the rapid response of the switch valve can block the backflow path of air, gain critical buffer time for accident handling, and avoid the risk of explosion caused by contact between high-temperature melt and water vapor.

[0039] See Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4Pull rings 26 are provided on both sides of the feeding mechanism box 15, and casters 25 are provided at the bottom of the feeding mechanism box 15. Pulling the pull rings 26 changes the position of the feeding mechanism. The combination of casters 25 and pull rings 26 gives the feeding mechanism omnidirectional movement capability. When changing raw material batches or performing equipment maintenance, operators can complete the module removal operation by a single person, which significantly reduces the maintenance intensity of large equipment. At the same time, the mobile design supports flexible configuration of the production line. Dedicated feeding boxes can be quickly replaced for different smelting materials. This feature breaks through the functional limitations of traditional fixed feeding systems, enabling a single smelting furnace to adapt to the refining needs of multiple types of raw materials and greatly improve the trial production efficiency of high-end material research and development.

[0040] The implementation principle of this embodiment is as follows: The material to be melted is put into the feed port 2, and the material falls into the crucible 11. The switch valve 8 is opened, and the vacuum pumping system 9 is started through the electrical box 5. After the inside of the melting furnace 1 is made into a vacuum environment, melting begins. After the material becomes liquid, the crucible 11 is tilted, and the molten liquid is poured into the forming mold 13. It is then rapidly cooled through the cooling pipe 14 to form the desired material. During the second feeding, the pull ring 26 is pulled to pull the feeding mechanism to the rear of the melting furnace 1. The first motor 18 is started through the external electrical components. 18 drives the electric push rod 19 to extend forward, pushing the feeding box 17 above the feed inlet 2, starting the second motor 22. The first gear 23 connected to the second motor 22 starts to rotate, driving the two second gears 24 outside the feeding box 17 to rotate, further driving the two crushing rollers 21 inside the feeding box 17 to rotate, putting the material to be added into the feeding box 17. The material is crushed by the crushing rollers 21 and falls into the crucible 11 for further processing. The crushed material increases its contact area with air, accelerating the melting efficiency.

[0041] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, these specific embodiments are merely explanations of the present invention and are not intended to limit the invention. The specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. After reading this specification, those skilled in the art may make modifications, substitutions, and variations to the embodiments as needed without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, provided that such modifications, substitutions, and variations are within the scope of the claims of the present invention and are protected by patent law.

Claims

1. A feeding mechanism for a vacuum melting furnace, characterized in that: The furnace includes a smelting furnace (1), with a feed inlet (2) on top of the furnace (1), an observation window (3) at the front of the furnace (1), a vacuum pumping system (9) connected to one side of the furnace (1) via a pipe (7), an electrical box (5) on the other side of the furnace (1), a support (4) at the bottom of the furnace (1), a feeding mechanism box (15) at the rear of the furnace (1), a fixing plate (16) on top of the feeding mechanism box (15), a first motor (18) on one side of the fixing plate (16), and a feeding box (17) connected to the other side of the fixing plate (16) via a push rod (19) and a positioning rod (20). The feeding box (17) contains two rolling rollers (21).

2. The vacuum melting furnace feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first motor (18) is electrically connected to an external power source through a controller. The first motor (18) controls the extension and retraction of the push rod (19) and further controls the position movement of the feeding box (17). The two positioning rods (20) restrict the parallel position of the fixing plate (16) and the feeding box (17).

3. The vacuum melting furnace feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The melting furnace (1) is provided with a connecting plate (10) inside, a crucible (11) is provided below the connecting plate (10), an induction coil (12) is provided on the outer ring of the crucible (11), a forming mold (13) is provided at the bottom inside the melting furnace (1), and a cooling pipe (14) is provided inside the forming mold (13).

4. The vacuum melting furnace feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feeding box (17) is equipped with a second motor (22) on its exterior. The output end of the second motor (22) is equipped with a first gear (23). The second motor (22) is electrically connected to an external power source through a controller.

5. The vacuum melting furnace feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: Two second gears (24) are provided in front of the feeding box (17). The second gears (24) are connected to the two rolling rollers (21) for transmission. The two second gears (24) mesh with the first gear (23) for transmission.

6. The vacuum melting furnace feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electrical box (5) is equipped with several electrically connected control buttons (6) on its outside to control the operation of the entire device.

7. The vacuum melting furnace feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: A switch valve (8) is installed above the pipe (7) to control the on / off state of the vacuum pumping system (9).

8. The vacuum melting furnace feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: Pull rings (26) are provided on both sides of the feeding mechanism housing (15), and casters (25) are provided below the feeding mechanism housing (15). Pulling the pull rings (26) changes the position of the feeding mechanism.

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