Abstract: An ignitable material is positioned in contact with a slag contained within a plasma arc treatment system having an electrode and an electrical ground. The slag is initially at a temperature below a conducting temperature at which the slag will conduct electricity between the electrode and grounding network. The ignitable material has a self-sustaining reaction which releases heat energy upon ignition. The ignitable material is ignited with a pilot arc thereby heating at least a portion of the slag to the conducting temperature so that an arc between the electrode and grounding network can be sustained.

Abstract: A drum is introduced into an interlock chamber and the interlock chamber is sealed. A door leading to a transition chamber is opened and the drum is moved into the transition chamber. The transition chamber is contained within a spool valve which includes a pair of drum grips. The drum grips are actuated to grasp the drum. The drum grips are rotatably coupled to an inner element of the spool valve. The inner element is rotated with respect to a housing and a drum manipulator grasps an end of the drum. The drum is displaced from the transition chamber toward a treatment chamber. The drum is cut into a desired shape and/or number of pieces with the drum and the material contained therein being deposited into the treatment chamber.

Abstract: A reactor for incinerating and melting materials such as waste and/or toxic materials has a containment housing inside of which an upright, open-ended drum is rotatably mounted. The drum is lined with refractory, forms a central discharge opening for the removal of incinerated and melted materials, and has an upright, outer wall. Incineration heat is supplied by a plasma torch which is mounted to the containment housing and extends into the drum. A steel throat ring concentric with the discharge opening is connected with the exterior of the drum; e.g. an outer drum wall, by grounding arms which extend non-radially; e.g. tangentially from a periphery of the throat ring to the inside surface of the drum wall, so that electric discharge from the torch to the upwardly oriented surfaces of the throat ring and the grounding arms is possible.

Abstract: An arc plasma torch having a tapered-bore electrode provides a long, columnar plasma arc. The torch includes a torch housing, a tapered-bore electrode, a gas-constricting nozzle, and a swirling gas flow generator.The electrode is mounted within the housing and has a closed inner end and an open outer mouth. The electrode has a longitudinally extending, tapered bore. The bore has its largest dimension at the mouth. The nozzle has a bore and is also mounted within the housing. The nozzle is in axial alignment with, forwardly spaced with respect to and insulated from, the tapered-bore electrode. The torch introduces a swirling flow of gas at a location intermediate the electrode and the gas-constricting nozzle, resulting in gas flowing past the electrode during use of the torch. In operation, an electric arc emanating from the electrode ionizes the gas flow.

Abstract: A housing has a pair of chambers separated by a vertical wall. A hearth is on one side of the wall in the housing and is adjacent to an orifice which allows a stream of material, such as molten metal to pass from one chamber to the other. A gas is caused to flow through the orifice counter to the material flow by placing the other chamber at a higher fluid pressure than the one chamber. A blower coupled to the chambers provides the differential pressure. Molten metal is collected in a crucible in the other chamber. The gas flow moves through the orifice and forces impurities on the surface of the material to flow in reverse in the one chamber before the flow passes through the orifice.

Abstract: The disclosure is made for the use of a hearth for receiving metals to be melted and exposing the molten metals to the furnace atmosphere with the upper surface of the molten metal free to float impurities such as oxides, carbides, or other undesirable materials on the upper surface of the molten metal or alloy. Gas jets blow an inert gas in one direction over the upper surface of the molten metal, generally parallel to the upper surface of the molten alloy. Thus, the gas jets remove impurities from the upper surface of the molten alloy by blowing or skimming the impurities off the top of the pool toward the walls of the hearth. The preferred position of the gas jets is in the notch of the hearth over which the molten alloy flows from the main body of the hearth into a withdrawal crucible.

Abstract: An improved method and plasma torch incinerator or reactor in which the incinerator uses a rotating, materials-receiving drum or chamber for receiving the hot plasma of a plasma torch. By properly constructing the inner surface of the rotatable drum and by varying the speed of rotation of the drum, waste materials can be effectively spread out over the inner surface of the drum to form a relatively thin layer of waste materials which has a large surface area which can be more quickly heated to the desired high temperature provided by the plasma torch. Moreover, the spreading out of the waste materials can cause them to be recirculated and mixed by periodically reducing the speed of rotation of the drum. The plasma of the plasma torch is not directed toward a stationary part of the drum.

Abstract: An improved method and plasma torch incinerator or reactor in which the incinerator uses a rotating, materials-receiving drum or chamber for receiving the hot plasma of a plasma torch. By properly constructing the inner surface of the rotatable drum and by varying the speed of rotation of the drum, waste materials can be effectively spread out over the inner surface of the drum to form a relatively thin layer of waste materials which has a large surface area which can be more quickly heated to the desired high temperatures provided by the plasma torch. Moreover, the spreading out of the waste materials can cause them to be recirculated and mixed by periodically reducing the speed of rotation of the drum. The plasma of the plasma torch is not directed toward a stationary part of the drum.

Abstract: An improved melting retort and method of melting materials wherein the retort allows for easier material feeding capability with a wider range of types of materials while minimizing the movement of any unmelted materials to the pouring lip of the retort. The retort is mounted for rotation on either a bearing or rollers to enable feed materials directed into the retort from one peripheral location to be advanced into one or more several melt areas by rotating the retort about its central axis. In each of the melting areas, a heat source, such as an electron beam gun or plasma torch, is provided above the open top of the retort and melts the materials therebelow. In one embodiment, the molten material is poured from an inner peripheral portion thereof and gravitates through a central hole of the retort and into a secondary crucible or mold. In this geometry, the melted material can be fed into the secondary crucible in a continuous manner.

Abstract: An electric arc saw blade having improved magnetic characteristics and economy including a metallic disk composed of a high strength, electrically conductive material having secured to its periphery a plurality of non-magnetic inserts composed of a second material having a relatively high electrical conductivity. The inserts are placed in radially oriented notches of the disk which define undercuts, engaged by the inserts, to transfer centrifugal forces from the insert to the high strength disk. The inserts also have grooves which engage the face of the disk rigidly to secure the inserts to the disk. The inserts are installed by cold-working or brazing and they are readily removed and replaced with new ones to thereby substantially increase the life span of the blade.

Abstract: An improved plasma torch incinerator or reactor in which the incinerator uses a rotating, materials-receiving drum or chamber for receiving the hot plasma of a plasma torch. By properly constructing the inner surface of the rotatable drum and by varying the speed of rotation of the drum, waste materials can be effectively spread out over the inner surface of the drum to form a relatively thin layer of waste materials which has a large surface area which can be more quickly heated to the desired high temperatures provided by the plasma torch. Moreover, the spreading out of the waste materials can cause them to be recirculated and mixed by periodically reducing the speed of rotation of the drum. The plasma of the plasma torch is not directed toward a stationary part of the drum. Instead, the plasma torch is directed at a rotatable portion of the drum which provides for a better heat distribution and permits portions of the drum to cool during the intervals when they are not in direct contact with the plasma.

Abstract: In apparatus of the type having a shaft which moves axially or is rotated, a rotary seal on the shaft for eliminating the breakaway friction between the shaft and its mount. The seal includes an inner sleeve surrounding the shaft and rotatable thereon, the sleeve having one or more seals on the inner surface thereof and in engagement with the shaft. The inner sleeve is supported at its ends on a pair of bearings which mount the shaft for movement. An outer sleeve fixed relative to a reference surrounds the inner sleeve and is received within a tubular member forming part of a fixed support. A power device coupled through a driver spur gear and a driven spur gear rotates the inner sleeve relative to the shaft and the outer sleeve as the shaft moves in a particular direction, such as axially or rotationally. The inner sleeve thereby eliminates the axial component of breakaway friction between the inner sleeve and the shaft. The inner sleeve can rotate in one direction or back and forth in opposite directions.

Abstract: An electric arc saw and a method for operating the saw for cutting or slitting metallic objects by melting a narrow kerf into the object. The method provides for determining the minimum threshold current that is necessary to initiate the cutting operation. The normal cutting current exceeds the threshold current and during the cutting operation the blade is advanced through the object at a speed which is continuously monitored and varied as required to maintain the current flow between the blade and the object substantially constant. The arc saw is constructed so that cuts in three mutually perpendicular directions can be made. The blade is mounted to a vertically disposed, hollow piston that reciprocates in a cylinder mounted to and movable along a cross-head. The piston can be pivoted about its axis to align the blade with the different cutting directions. Electric busbars and power lines for rotating the blade extend through the hollow interior of the piston.

Abstract: An electric arc saw and a method for operating the saw for cutting or slitting metallic objects by melting a narrow kerf into the object. The method provides for determining the minimum threshold current that is necessary to initiate the cutting operation. The normal cutting current exceeds the threshold current and during the cutting operation the blade is advanced through the object at a speed which is continuously monitored and varied as required to maintain the current flow between the blade and the object substantially constant. The arc saw is constructed so that cuts in three mutually perpendicular directions can be made. The blade is mounted to a vertically disposed, hollow piston that reciprocates in a cylinder mounted to and movable along a cross-head. The piston can be pivoted about its axis to align the blade with the different cutting directions. Electric busbars and power lines for rotating the blade extend through the hollow interior of the piston.

Abstract: An electric arc saw and a method for operating the saw for cutting metallic objects by melting a narrow kerf into the object are disclosed. The method provides for determining the minimum cutting current. The blade is advanced through the object at a speed which is continuously monitored and varied as required to maintain the current flow between the blade and the object substantially constant. The saw blade is a thin disc formed from electrically conductive material and having a plurality of gullets disposed radially about its periphery. At least some of the gullets extend into a slit which has a much narrower width than the gullet. The gullets act to circulate water and remove cutting debris while the blade rotates. Both the gullets and the slits prevent deformation of the blade due to heating.

Abstract: An electric arc saw and a method for operating the saw for cutting metallic objects by melting a narrow kerf into the object are disclosed. The method provides for determining the minimum cutting current. The blade is advanced through the object at a speed which is continuously monitored and varied as required to maintain the current flow between the blade and the object substantially constant. The blade is mounted to a vertically disposed, hollow piston that reciprocates in a cylinder mounted to and movable along a cross-head. The piston can be pivoted abouts its axis to align the blade with the different cutting directions. When the object is so large that the threshold cutting current exceeds the available power supply, or when the power supply exceeds the threshold by a small amount only, the blade is operated to cut through the object in multiple passes, each at a depth which is less than the thickness of the object and chosen to provide a high cutting speed.

Abstract: A rotatable mounting for the crucible of an electric induction furnace is disclosed. The mounting apparatus includes an access cylinder rotatably mounted within a tubular flange on one wall of the furnace enclosure. Positive and negative slip ring assemblies are mounted at the front of the access cylinder together with a hose reel assembly. The slip ring assemblies each comprise a rotor which is secured to the access cylinder and a stator which is attached to the wall of the enclosure. Flexible electric power leads are attached to terminal blocks at the bottom of each stator and provide both water and electricity to the furnace. Flexible hoses leading from the terminal blocks to the hose reel assembly provide water to the electric heating elements, which are colis made of metal tubing. Electricity is conducted through the slip ring assemblies to power leads which are mounted in the positive and negative rotors.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for aligning and fastening open ended tubular members, such as pipes, tanks, and other cylindrically shaped fluid enclosures, which have radially outwardly protruding flanges extending around the circumference of the open ends. The flanges have flat mating faces and tapered back sides defining conical surfaces which converge radially outwardly when the flanges of two tubular members are abutted. The fastening device comprises a ring, a plurality of rotatable and radially movable clamping spools retained on the ring, and a like plurality of bolts on the ring for moving the clamping spools radially inward. The rotatable clamping spools have a cylindrical shank and rim segments at the shank ends which extend around only a portion of the shank circumference.