THE LID home
 
Lid reinforcement

 

The lid has a reinforment in the inside. There are some bend pieces of thin steel rod/wire welded to the inside of the lid. These wires ar to prevent the linning of the lid falling out due to the heating and cooling movements of the steel.

On the side of the hinge and the grip there is some steelbar reinforments. this is to spread the forces near the hinge over the sides and top of the lid. The steel sides are to thin to take the forces alone and the lining is to crumbly and fragile to contribute to the stability of the lid.
Hinge

The hinge was part of an agricultural hay-machine in a former lifetime. The lower horizontal bearing provides the hingepart and the upper horizontal bearing provides for the clampingmechanism. The vertical axis allows the lid to be turned aside.

On this picture the lid is closed. The clampinglevert rests on the upper pen by its own weight. When the lid is opened the clamp automaticly grabs the pen. When the lid is lowered a little the clampinglever hooks itself to the pen and prevents the lid from closing.
Here is the lid shown in the opened situation The clampingpart is hooked on the upper pen and the lid can be swung sideways. In order to lower the lid one has to raise the lid a little and push the frontlever a little downward. The clamping part is raised by this and the lid can belowered to a closed situation.
Lid

The lid can be opened in a slightly lifted position and then swung sidewards so the crucible can be taken out.

It is possible to completely open the lid without swinging it to the side but the disadvantage is the enormous heatradiation in your direction when you take the crucible out. With the lid lifted a little an swung sideways the heat is convieniently radiated to the floor.

The reason for lifting the lid this high is to clear the travelpath for the sideswing. The crucible is as high as the dividingline from the lid and the oven so especially in the beginning of the melting when some unmolten metal raises above the rim of the crucible bit could be tipped over when the oven is openend for a refill or an inspection.

 
Here can the clearance from the lid be seen. The lever that curls along the lid is part of the lidclamping mechanism.
Here the lid is in the swung-aside situation. It is not above the burner or other parts because the downward radiated heat would damage the items underneath it.
Here the lid is in totally opened situation. This is to make an easy inspection of the lining possible. Also the hollow part in the middle can be seen (aprox. 2" deep)