Apparatus for producing metal powder

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING METAL POWDER, WHICH COMPRISES A CONTAINER FOR HOLDING MOLTEN METAL AND HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN FOR DISCHARGE OF MOLTEN METAL THEREFROM, A NOZZLE ASSEMBLY DISPOSED ADJACENT TO THE CONTAINER AND HAVING A NOZZLE PROVIDED FROM AN ELONGATED SOLID BAR, SAID NOZZLE FOR HAVING A LONGITUDINALLY ELONGATED SLOT EXTENDING THROUGH THE NOZZLE BAR GENERALLY CENTRALLY OF THE LENGTH OF SAID BAR FROM ONE SIDE OF THE PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF THE NOZZLE BAR TO THE OTHER, SAID SLOT HAVING AN INLET SECTION AND AN INTERMEDIATE SECTION, AND AN OUTLET SECTION DISPOSED TOWARD THE STREAM OF MOLTEN METAL WITH THE WALLS OF THE NOZZLE BAR DEFINING THE INLET SECTION BEING GENERALLY PARALLEL AND HAVING GREATER WIDTH THEREBETWEEN THAN THE WALLS OF THE BAR DEFINING THE OUTLET SECTIONS OF THE SLOT, THE WALLS OF THE OUTLET SECTION ALSO BEING GENERALLY PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER, AND THE WALLS OF THE BAR DEFINING THE INTERMEDIATE SECTION TAPERING FROM A GREATER WIDTH THEREBETWEEN ADJACENT THE INLET SECTION TO A LESSER WIDTH AT THE OUTLET SECTION TO PROVIDE FOR GRADUAL CONSTRICTION OF THE FLUID FLOWING THROUGH THE NOZZLE BAR TO THE OUTLET SECTION FOR DISCHARGE THEREFROM IN SHEET-LIKE FORM, LIQUID SUPPLY CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTED TO THE INLET SECTION OF THE NOZZLE BAR TO SUPPLY LIQUID TO THE INLET SECTION OF THE NOZZLE BAR UNDER SUBSTANTIALLY HIGH PRESSURE FOR FLOW THERETHROUGH AND DISCHARGE FROM THE OUTLET SECTION AGAINST THE MOLTEN METAL TO ATOMIZE THE LATTER, MEANS ENGAGING THE NOZZLE BAR TO PREVENT DEFLECTION AND LATERAL ENLARGEMENT OF THE SLOT DUE TO THE INTERNAL PRESSURE OF THE LIQUID PASSING THROUGH THE SLOT, AND MEANS TO SUPPORT THE NOZZLE ASSEMBLY ADJACENT TO THE CONTAINER.