Abstract: A seal for a continuous casting furnace having a melting chamber with a mold therein for producing a metal cast includes a passage between the melting chamber and external atmosphere. As the cast moves through the passage, the cast outer surface and the passage inner surface define therebetween a reservoir for containing liquid glass or other molten material to prevent the external atmosphere from entering the melting chamber. Particulate material fed into the reservoir is melted by heat from the cast to form the molten material. The molten material coats the cast as it moves through the passage and solidifies to form a coating to protect the hot cast from reacting with the external atmosphere. Preferably, the mold has an inner surface with a cross-sectional shape to define a cross-sectional shape of the cast outer surface whereby these cross-sectional shapes are substantially the same as a cross-sectional shape of the passage inner surface.

Abstract: A casting furnace for preheating and melting solid feed material includes a melting chamber with a melting hearth therein and a feed chamber in fluid communication with the melting chamber for conveying the solid material into the melting chamber. A heat source melts the feed material within the melting hearth and produces surplus heat used to preheat the solid feed material. Preferably, gas is heated by the heat source and moved into the feed chamber to preheat the feed material while it is conveyed toward the melting hearth. The heated gas is recycled back into the melting chamber to be re-heated therein and reused to preheat additional feed material in the feed chamber. Where the heat source in the melting chamber includes a plasma torch, the gas is recycled via the plasma torch, which ionizes the gas to create a plasma plume for melting the solid material.

Abstract: A system and a method for keying lamps which involve a lamp keying device such as a keying device with at least one base protruding key being formed on the base and at least one support slot being formed in the lamp support receptacle, the at least one base protruding key detachably coupling with the at least one support slot; a keying device with at least one support protruding key being formed on the lamp support receptacle and at least one base slot being formed in the base, the at least one base slot detachably coupling with the at least one protruding support key; and a keying device with at least one base protruding key being formed on the base and at least one base slot being formed in the base, the keying device further having at least one complementary support protruding key being formed on the lamp support receptacle and at least one complementary support slot being formed in the lamp support receptacle, the at least one base protruding key detachably coupling with the at least one complementary sup

Abstract: A seal for a continuous casting furnace having a melting chamber with a mold therein for producing a metal cast includes a passage between the melting chamber and external atmosphere. As the cast moves through the passage, the cast outer surface and the passage inner surface define therebetween a reservoir for containing liquid glass or other molten material to prevent the external atmosphere from entering the melting chamber. Particulate material fed into the reservoir is melted by heat from the cast to form the molten material. The molten material coats the cast as it moves through the passage and solidifies to form a coating to protect the hot cast from reacting with the external atmosphere. Preferably, the mold has an inner surface with a cross-sectional shape to define a cross-sectional shape of the cast outer surface whereby these cross-sectional shapes are substantially the same as a cross-sectional shape of the passage inner surface.

Abstract: A seal for a continuous casting furnace having a melting chamber with a mold therein for producing a metal cast includes a passage between the melting chamber and external atmosphere. As the cast moves through the passage, the cast outer surface and the passage inner surface define therebetween a reservoir for containing liquid glass or other molten material to prevent the external atmosphere from entering the melting chamber. Particulate material fed into the reservoir is melted by heat from the cast to form the molten material. The molten material coats the cast as it moves through the passage and solidifies to form a coating to protect the hot cast from reacting with the external atmosphere. Preferably, the mold has an inner surface with a cross-sectional shape to define a cross-sectional shape of the cast outer surface whereby these cross-sectional shapes are substantially the same as a cross-sectional shape of the passage inner surface.