Abstract: Apparatus to float and melt particularly small pieces of high-melting point metal continuously while making the amount of meltable liquid metal greater than the capacity of a crucible. A conductive crucible having segments includes an upper cylindrical crucible portion and a lower closed-end crucible portion. An induction coil is arranged outside the upper crucible portion, whereas an induction coil is arranged below the induction coil. The lower crucible portion is in contact with the upper crucible portion and located on the inside of the induction coil at the initial melting stage. The lower crucible portion is lowered as a columnar metal grows and solidifies between molten metal and the lower crucible portion. A continuous feeder continuously feeds cold material. A molten metal surface thermometer and a molten metal surface level gauge are arranged above the crucible. The operation of the continuous feeder is regulated within a desired range of values of the molten metal surface thermometer.

Abstract: A plurality of segments 12 respectively formed of an electrically insulated conductive material such as copper or the like are disposed inside an induction coil 1 in the peripheral direction of the induction coil 1 to thereby construct a crucible 3. There is formed a small cylindrical hole 4 in the center of the bottom portion of the crucible 3. A magnetic flux is allowed to enter the crucible 3 from slits 15 respectively formed between the hole 4 and segments 12 and is then interlinked with an object to be heated. The slits 15 respectively defined by mutually adjoining segments 12 are arranged such that the width of the bottom portion thereof is greater than that of the cylindrical portion thereof. When the width of the slit in the bottom portion is increased, then a leakage flux to the crucible is increased which in turn increases a levitation force F.