High yield ladle bottoms

1. A refractory bottom for a metallurgical vessel, comprised of:

a bottom lining having a bottom surface that is dimensioned to overlay a bottom of a metallurgical vessel and an upper surface, said upper surface consisting essentially of a plurality of discrete sections including an uppermost section, at least two intermediate sections and a lowermost section, each section having an upper surface at a predetermined elevation wherein said upper surface of said uppermost section has a highest elevation, said upper surface of said lowermost section has a lowest elevation, and said intermediate sections each have an intermediate elevation that are different from each other and disposed between said highest elevation and said lowest elevation, all of said sections forming said upper surface of said bottom lining being at a different elevation and being arranged in elevation-descending order from said uppermost section to said lowermost section to define a continuously downward stepped path from said uppermost section to said lowermost section, wherein each successive section along said continuously downward stepped path is lower than a preceding section in said continuously downward stepped path and wherein each of said sections is pie-shaped and said pie-shaped sections are disposed such that said continuously downward stepped path is circular; and

an opening extending through said lowermost section of said bottom lining to allow a molten metal to drain from said vessel.

2. A refractory bottom according to claim 1 , wherein each of said pie-shaped sections include a point from which said pie-shaped section extends, said point disposed near a central portion of said bottom lining.

3. A refractory bottom according to claim 2 , wherein said points of said pie-shaped sections all are disposed at a common point.

4. A refractory bottom according to claim 3 , wherein said common point is a center point of said bottom lining.

5. A refractory bottom according to claim 1 , wherein said circular path has a counter-clockwise direction.

6. A refractory bottom according to claim 1 , wherein each discrete section is horizontal.

7. A refractory bottom according to claim 1 , wherein a well block is disposed in said opening in said bottom lining.

8. A refractory bottom according to claim 7 , wherein said well block has an upper surface, said upper surface of said well block being disposed at an elevation below said lowermost section.

9. A refractory bottom according to claim 1 , wherein said bottom lining is comprised of a refractory castable.

10. A refractory bottom according to claim 1 , wherein said bottom lining is comprised of refractory bricks.

11. A refractory bottom according to claim 1 , wherein said bottom lining is comprised of a combination of a refractory castable and refractory bricks.

12. A refractory bottom for a metallurgical vessel comprised of:

a bottom lining having an upper surface consisting essentially of an uppermost section, an intermediate section and a lowermost section, all of said sections forming said upper surface of said bottom lining being at a different elevation and being arranged in elevation-descending order from said uppermost section to said lowermost section to define a continuously downward stepped path from said uppermost section to said lowermost section, wherein each successive section along said continuously downward stepped path is lower than a preceding section in said continuously downward stepped path and wherein each of said sections is an elongated section that transverses the upper surface of the bottom lining such that an edge of each section extends from one side of said bottom lining to a substantially opposite side of said bottom lining, said elongated sections disposed such that said continuously downward stepped path is a straight line from one side of said bottom lining to another side of said bottom lining; and

an opening extending through said lowermost section of said bottom lining to allow a molten metal to drain from a metallurgical vessel.

13. A refractory bottom according to claim 12 , wherein said bottom includes an impact pad.

14. A refractory bottom according to claim 13 , wherein said impact pad transverses said uppermost section.

15. A refractory bottom according to claim 12 , wherein said uppermost section, said intermediate section and said lowermost section each have an edge, said edges of said sections being parallel to each other.

16. A refractory bottom according to claim 12 , wherein said uppermost section, said intermediate section and said lowermost section are horizontal.

17. A refractory bottom according to claim 12 , wherein a well block is disposed in said opening in said bottom lining.

18. A refractory bottom according to claim 17 , wherein said well block has an upper surface, said upper surface of said well block being disposed at an elevation below said lowermost section.

19. A refractory bottom according to claim 12 , wherein said uppermost section, said intermediate section and said lowermost section each are sloped towards said opening in said bottom lining.

20. A refractory bottom according to claim 12 , wherein said bottom lining is comprised of a refractory castable.

21. A refractory bottom according to claim 12 , wherein said bottom lining is comprised of refractory bricks.

22. A refractory bottom according to claim 12 , wherein said bottom lining is comprised of a combination of a refractory castable and refractory bricks.