Metal making lance with spring-loaded thermocouple or camera in lance tip

1. An oxygen blowing lance comprising:

a lance body including an oxygen conduit and cooling water inlet and outlet conduits surrounding said oxygen conduit;

a lance head connected to said lance body and comprising a nozzle body, said nozzle body including a central strut having a bore hole, a plurality of nozzles arranged about said central strut, and a plurality of cooling chambers arranged about said central strut, wherein said plurality of nozzles are in fluid communication with said oxygen conduit for discharging oxygen from said oxygen conduit onto a metal bath in a converter vessel, and wherein said plurality of cooling chambers are in fluid communication with said cooling water inlet and outlet conduits;

a camera assembly received in said bore hole for gathering/taking photos, videos and/or other optical based measurements or information from inside the furnace or molten heat in which the lance is inserted;

signal lines connected to said camera assembly for conveying signals from said camera assembly whereby operation of said blowing lance is regulated in response to said signals; and

a protective pipe pressurized with a gas surrounding said camera assembly and the signal lines.

2. The oxygen blowing lance of claim 1 wherein said protective pipe is disposed within said oxygen conduit or one of said cooling water conduits.

3. The oxygen blowing lance of claim 1 wherein said bore hole has a floor and wherein said oxygen blowing lance further comprises means for forcing said camera assembly toward said bore hole floor.

4. The oxygen blowing lance of claim 3 wherein said means for forcing comprise resilient means.

5. The oxygen blowing lance of claim 4 wherein said resilient means is a spring.

6. The oxygen blowing lance of claim 1 further comprising braided wire leads on the camera assembly.