TRANSFER OF HOT FEED MATERIALS FROM A PREPROCESSING PLANT TOAN ELECTRIC SMELTING OR MELTING FURNACE

Apparatus for transferring hot material between a preprocessing plant and an electric furnace has an enclosed housing extending between the plant and the furnace and within which a controlled atmosphere is maintained, at least one bin having at least one compartment receiving feedstock material at a delive ry station from the plant, mechanism for shuttling the at least one bin along a path within the housing between the delivery station and discharge tubes above an d leading into the furnace at distributed locations, and discharge mechanism f or dropping material from each compartment into a discharge tube. The path may be horizontal, vertical, or inclined to suit the relative locations of the preprocessing plant and the battery. Each bin is usually each divided to fee d multiple tubes. The shuttling mechanism may be a hoist or a railway or cable span, and the discharge mechanism is typically a means for tipping the bin. The bin should be such that the depth of material therein during transit is sufficiently low to limit its coagulation of the material in transit, if this is a proble m.