Patent attributes
This invention is intended to make a crucible feeder mechanism simple in configuration, to realize low cost and to increase the number of accommodated crucibles while making the crucible feeder mechanism small in size. In the crucible feeder mechanism, the crucibles are mounted on an inclined mount surface 311 in parallel and a tapered guide surface guides 312b the crucibles sliding down the mount surface 311 to a crucible moving mechanism 313 provided at an outlet port of a guide member. This crucible moving mechanism includes an accommodation concave portion 3131X accommodating one of the crucibles and provided on a circumferential surface portion 3131a of the crucible moving mechanism. The crucible moving mechanism rotates and moves between an accommodation position at which the accommodation concave portion receives the sliding-down crucible and a feed position at which the accommodation concave portion communicates with a crucible feed port 314 and drops the sliding-down crucible.
