An oxygen lance assembly that is at least capable of moving towards or away from the object to be lanced, said assembly including a supply of gaseous oxygen and metallic tubing wherein the oxygen supply is continuously feed through the said tubing when the lance is in use, and the said lance assembly includes a reel, and the said metallic tubing is coiled upon and carried by the said reel, and when in use, the metallic tubing is continuously uncoiled from the said reel as the said metallic tubing is consumed during use.

A machine for applying spouts to containers includes a heating tunnel for heating spouts, and a conveyor for conveying spouts through the heating tunnel for heating. The conveyor is a loop conveyor including a plurality of spout holding rack assemblies mounted thereon, wherein the loop conveyor defines a conveyor path from a spout loading zone, through the heating tunnel and then back to the spout loading zone. The machine includes (i) multi-material warp resistant rack holding assemblies, and/or (ii) a spout infeed track at a spout infeed side of the conveyor that includes an adjustment assembly for permitting adjustment of a number of spouts fed from the spout infeed track into an aligned spout holding rack assembly, and/or (iii) a spout emptying passage at a spout outfeed side of the conveyor, and/or (iv) a controller configured to track the position of each spout holding rack assembly along the conveyor path.

A tap hole plug gun comprising a material chamber for receiving a plugging compound and a mouthpiece for being placed on a tap hole, the mouthpiece being connected to a nozzle part disposed on the material chamber by means of an unlockable connection device. The connection device is realized as a hinged joint arrangement, the hinged joint arrangement having two opposite hinged joints each having a joint bolt which can be removed from the connection to a joint plate arrangement.

A tap hole plug gun comprising a material chamber for receiving a plugging compound, a mouthpiece for being introduced into a tap hole, and a nozzle part tapered in the direction of the mouthpiece and connected to the material chamber by means of an unlockable connection device. For realizing the connection device, the material chamber and the nozzle part have complementary axial connecting projections on two opposite axial connecting edges of a chamber wall of the material chamber and of a nozzle wall of the nozzle part.

A hole-opening bit that can simplify an operation for opening a tap hole for installing a burner lance for raising the temperature of a furnace bottom of a blast furnace, which allows the blast furnace to be started up in a relatively short time after long-time blast stoppage or after a furnace cooling accident, by efficiently heating the furnace bottom, and a tap hole opening method using the hole-opening bit. A hole-opening bit used to open the tap hole in the furnace bottom of the blast furnace including chips on rear surfaces of a furnace drilling surface of the hole-opening bit such that outermost ends of the chips are located inside of an outermost end of the hole-opening bit.

A method and an installation (10) for removing slag allows both slag removal and metal recovery from slag (60′) to be performed quickly and easily. The risk of slag fires is reduced.

A thermal lance for unplugging a vessel discharge port. The thermal lance including an elongated cylindrical hollow tube made from a combustible material, the tube having an axial length with first and second ends. The tube having a cylindrical sidewall defined by an outer wall having an outer diameter and an inner wall having an inner diameter, with a wall thickness between the outer and inner walls. The tube having a longitudinal axis. At least one projection is formed integrally on the first end and has a length extending away from the first end in substantially the same direction as the longitudinal axis. A telescoping thermal lance assembly is also disclosing that includes a housing and an extension tube within which the lance is located.

A method is shown for handling a slag pot or ladle and pyrometallurgical tools made form steel or cast iron, comprising the steps of spraying a mineral suspension onto a wall and bringing said slag pot or ladle or the pyrometallurgical tool into service, wherein said mineral suspension comprises calcic particles in suspension in an aqueous phase forming a calcic particle milk having a calcic particle content of between 20% and 60% by weight with respect to the weight of said calcic particle milk, said mineral layer being a fine layer.

A device for maintaining efficient a tapping channel of a furnace for the production of metal, includes a bearing structure and a mobile support means associated with the bearing structure. An operating arm is associated with the support means and terminally provided with a rod. A linear positioner is configured to move the support means along an elongation axis. A corresponding method for maintaining efficient a tapping channel of a furnace for the production of metal is also provided.

A steel making assembly comprising a metal, refractory lined vessel having a side wall with a taphole therein and a metal plug placed within the taphole. The metal plug comprises a frustoconical body having a side conical wall, a closed small end and an open large end thereof defining an essentially empty interior space. The side conical wall of the frustoconical body of the plug includes at least one diagonal compression slit. The at least one diagonal compression slit extends from the open large end of the frustoconical body and extends toward the closed small end of the frustoconical body. The conical wall has a center axis, with the at least one diagonal compression slit being non-parallel to the center axis.