Patents Examined by Kuang Lin
  • Patent number: 8151866
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for casting NF metal baths, particularly copper or copper alloys, to produce flat products at least 20 mm thick, ensure melt introduction into a pool while preventing gas pockets or impurities flushing into the melt of a casting mould. The melt continuously flows along a flow-off element from a tundish to a bath level of the mould, at a casting angle of up to 15° and a constant or decreasing rate, and is conducted below a pool surface of the mould without influencing flow rate. Vortexes generated by melt hitting the bath surface are prevented from extending within the mould by a cover surrounding a top surface of the flow-off element. Gaseous components produced when the melt flows, escape via a free space above the flow. Gravity determines a flow rate of the free melt flowing from tundish to molten bath of a revolving strip-casting mould.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: MKM Mansfelder Kupfer und Messing GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Ullwer, Hendrik Busch, Lothar Schillinger
  • Patent number: 8151861
    Abstract: A one-piece core-making technique used in producing railway truck bolsters and side frames, which includes the following steps: 1. After scraping the top of a core box, applying a shaped top mould (11), which is precisely located, from top to bottom. 2. Press or slightly hit the top mould (11) to make sure the top mould covers/caps the scraping surface. 3. Keep pressing to make sure that the flat scraping surface was pressed to a required curved shape, like the shape of the top mould (11). 4. Last, it will become a one-piece core with a partially integrated inner cavity section. The one-piece core made by this technique has a smooth surface. This technique also can improve the internal quality of the product and ease work intensity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: CSR Meishan Rolling Stock Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yundong Wang, Wuyi Xu, Zhu Li, Xiaoming Yang, Youping Liu, Zhicheng Wang, Chengyong Liu, Minggao Qing, Yonghong Yuan
  • Patent number: 8127827
    Abstract: An improved apparatus for direct chill casting of metals includes a mold, a bottom block assembly and a coolant. The mold is configured to surround a molten metal with a mold wall and the mold wall has an outer surface and an inner surface being in contact with the molten metal. The bottom block assembly is arranged at the bottom of the mold and includes a direct chill casting block configured to move away from the mold as the casting forms a solidifying shell of the molten metal. The coolant surrounds the outer surface of the mold wall and is arranged to remove heat away from the molten metal via the inner surface of the mold wall. The outer surface of the mold wall has a circumferential groove filled with a brazing alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Inventor: Edmund M. Dunn
  • Patent number: 8122942
    Abstract: A slurry suitable for forming facecoats, facecoats formed by such a slurry, and processes using such facecoats. The slurry is formed of a particulate refractory material, an aqueous suspension containing a particulate inorganic binder, a thixotropic organic binder, a dispersant, and possibly optional constituents excluding particulate refractory materials and inorganic binders. The particulate refractory material constitutes at least about 60 weight percent of the slurry and consists essentially of yttria. The aqueous suspension containing the particulate inorganic binder constitutes at most about 35 weight percent of the facecoat slurry. The dispersant is present in the slurry in an amount sufficient to stabilize the slurry at a pH of up to about 10, and has the general formula Hx[N(CH2)yOH]z, where x has a value of 0, 1 or 2, y has a value of 1 to 8, and z=3?x.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Stephen Francis Rutkowski, Lawrence Bernard Kool
  • Patent number: 8118080
    Abstract: By pouring, by means of pressure, melted liquid of magnesium or magnesium alloy into a hollow portion which is formed using a casting mold, a valve body where a channel groove for hydraulic oil for use in a speed change operation of the automatic transmission is formed. In the above, the channel grove for the hydraulic oil is formed due to a convex portion which is formed on the mold so as to project into the hollow portion. As the magnesium has small heat capacity, variation of the temperature of the mold during the cooling and heating cycle can be suppressed. Moreover, as the magnesium melted liquid has no reactivity with respect to the casting mold, the convex portion is not deteriorated. This allows employment of a mold having a thinner convex portion formed thereon, and therefore formation of a valve body having a narrower channel groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihiro Aoyama, Shinichi Itou, Akira Murakami, Tomoyasu Kitano
  • Patent number: 8096345
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for producing an amorphous ribbon by ejecting and rapidly solidifying molten alloy on a circumferential surface of a rapidly rotating cooling roll, wherein the cooling roll is polished online during amorphous ribbon production. When the circumferential surface of the cooling roll after peeling off the ribbon is polished using a polishing member, the circumferential surface of the cooling roll is polished continuously or intermittently across its lateral direction while differentiating the polishing mode in accordance with the surface properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Shigekatsu Ozaki, Takeshi Imai
  • Patent number: 8087450
    Abstract: Investment casting shells are manufactured by incorporating fumed metal oxide dispersions, or doped fumed metal oxides as a binder into the casting shell. The investment casting shells containing the fumed metal oxides have improved characteristics, such as increased strength and a reduced surface roughness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Evonik Degussa Corporation
    Inventors: Shawn Nycz, Robert Johnson, Fred Klaessig
  • Patent number: 8087448
    Abstract: A roll polishing apparatus that can suppress cracks on a strip. The roll polishing apparatus includes brush rolls which face outer periphery of chilled rolls over an axial length of the chilled rolls, respectively, cylinders which urge the brush rolls wholly to the chilled rolls, respectively, and cylinders which deform the brush rolls in conformity to crowns of the chilled rolls, respectively. By these elements, wires of the brush rolls are uniformly contacted on outer peripheries of the chilled rolls to wipe off oxides adhering to the outer peripheries of the chilled rolls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: IHI Corporation
    Inventors: Katsumi Nakayama, Hiroyuki Otsuka, Shiro Osada, Hisahiko Fukase
  • Patent number: 8082975
    Abstract: To provide a casting mold manufacturing apparatus using steam heating. The apparatus includes a forming die having a cavity, a resin-coated sand supply section for supplying a resin-coated sand into the cavity, a steam supply section for supplying steam into the cavity, and a steam discharge section for discharging the steam from the cavity. At least a portion of the forming die is composed of a porous material having pores with an average diameter smaller than an average particle diameter of the resin-coated sand. At least a portion of the steam is supplied into the cavity through the porous material. Since it is possible to uniformly supply the steam into the cavity, a homogeneous casting mold can be manufactured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Lignyte Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Isamu Ide, Sadao Maeda
  • Patent number: 8082972
    Abstract: A process for creating a lost wax tree, including the steps of assembling a wax tree having a wax pattern and a wax runner, using automated equipment to flex either the wax tree or the wax pattern to bring disconnected sections into proximity, heating at least one of the disconnected sections, contacting the disconnected sections and then moving the sections slightly away from one another. A process for casting a part including the steps of creating a lost wax tree and where the wax tree is later covered with a mold material and the wax tree is removed to create a mold, the mold is then used to cast a part similar to the wax pattern. A lost wax tree having a wax tree with a wax pattern and a wax runner, automated equipment for flexing, a heating element, and automated equipment for manipulating disconnected sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: MPI Incorporated
    Inventor: Bruce Phipps
  • Patent number: 8079401
    Abstract: A casting chamber configured to form a casting from molten material includes an outer mold, a plurality of inner core elements, and a surface portion of a thermal chill device. The thermal chill device includes first and second interchangeable elements with the surface portion of the thermal chill device including one of a first surface portion of the first interchangeable element and a second surface portion of the second interchangeable element. The first surface portion of the first interchangeable element includes an insulating material and the second surface portion of the second interchangeable element comprising a metallic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Suresh Sundarraj, Anil K. Sachdev, Michael J. Walker
  • Patent number: 8074703
    Abstract: Oscillating table for blooms or billets production plants, comprising pairs of bars, lying on at least one horizontal plane, which constitute the elastic support elements of the mold, thus permitting an optimal guidance of the oscillation thereof exclusively in the casting direction, said pairs of bars constituting a tie rod-strut system working in bending that confers to the table very high torsional and lateral stiffness. It allows a high precision in guiding mold thus consenting it wide oscillations in the axial casting direction only.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche S.p.A.
    Inventors: Alfredo Poloni, Andrea De Luca, Marco Ansoldi
  • Patent number: 8069901
    Abstract: In a cylinder block manufacturing method, first and second dies and a liner support are provided to form a liner overcast configuration. The first and second dies are positioned with respect to the liner support and a dummy cylinder liner made of an aluminum alloy such that the first die contacts a pressing section of a first axial end of the liner support and a first axially facing end of the dummy cylinder liner, and the second die contacts a second axial end of the liner support and a second axially facing end of the dummy cylinder liner. The first and second dies are preheated to a prescribed temperature with the dummy cylinder liner positioned on the liner support by injecting molten aluminum alloy into a cylinder block molding cavity to form a dummy cylinder block with the dummy cylinder liner casted in the dummy cylinder block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Aichi Machine Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshinori Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 8066053
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for dislodging a mold from a casting formed within the mold. The mold may be removed from the casting by scoring the mold and applying a force sufficient to cause the mold to fracture and break into pieces. Additionally, the mold may be fractured by either explosive charges placed in the mold pack or by high energy pulsations directed at the mold. Once the mold is fractured and broken into various pieces it may then be dislodged from the casting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Consolidated Engineering Company, Inc.
    Inventors: James Lewis, Jr., Ian French, Volker Knobloch, Scott Crafton, Paul Crafton, James Garrett, John Dalton
  • Patent number: 8061404
    Abstract: A dual temperature mold assembly for maintaining a mold cavity used in a cast on strap process at two different temperatures facilitates the removal of the solidified strap after the molten metal is solidified. The mold assembly includes a mold cavity having walls attached to different mold assembly segments that are heated or cooled by thermal energy input and coolant processes which can maintain the mold cavities at different temperatures, so that molten metal around the battery plate lugs in a mold cavity segment is solidified while the sides of the mold cavity are exposed to at least one adjacent heated segment to provide thermal energy thereinto, resulting in a reduction of the amount of molten metal necessary for a cast on strap, and reducing the amount of thermal energy input into the process for manufacturing the straps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: MarcTech Innovative Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert W. Neal, Michael A. Garin
  • Patent number: 8056605
    Abstract: A flaskless molding method, wherein a match plate (5) is held between an upper flask (2) and a lower flask (3) and squeeze plates (6) and (7) are inserted into the openings of the upper flask (2) and the lower flask (3) to form an upper manufacturing space and a lower manufacturing space with initial volumes. A foundry sand is filled in the upper and lower manufacturing spaces with the initial volumes through the supply ports of the flask (2) and (3) (first filling). Next, the squeeze plates (6) and (7) are retreated to expand the upper and lower manufacturing spaces more than the initial volumes. The foundry sand is filled again in the expanded upper and lower manufacturing spaces through the supply ports (second filling). After the second filling is completed, the squeeze plates (6) and (7) are advanced to compress the foundry sand in the upper and lower manufacturing spaces so as to manufacture the upper and the lower flasks stacked on each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Sintokogio, Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Hirata, Takayuki Komiyama
  • Patent number: 8056603
    Abstract: A method for producing a casting die by simple work without requiring any high work skill in which the working days required for producing the casting die can be shortened greatly. A die model suitably employed in this production method, an NC processing system and a processing robot are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignees: Kamiita Seiki Seisakusho Co., Ltd., Mold Technical Office Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiji Omata, Toshio Iwasawa
  • Patent number: 8051895
    Abstract: An operation to acquire a strip with less thickness even if arcuate worn steps are formed on side weirs is disclosed. During an operation of a twin-roll casting machine with arcuate worn steps developing on side weirs due to rotational sliding contact of chilled rolls, the thickness of a steel strip from a nip is reduced, and the center-to-center distance between the rolls is increased with the side weirs in contact with ends of the rolls being displaced upward. This prevents interference of outer peripheries of the rolls with boundary surfaces adjacent to the arcuate worn steps of the side weirs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: IHI Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Otsuka, Katsumi Nakayama, Hiroki Yoshizawa
  • Patent number: 8047259
    Abstract: A mold, comprising: a substrate, the substrate having an inside surface and an outside surface; and a ceramic coating formed on at least substantially the entire inside surface, the ceramic coating comprising chromic oxide, silicon dioxide, and alumina. A method for making the present mold is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignees: Shenzhen Futaihong Precision Industry Co., Ltd., FIH (Hong Kong) Limited
    Inventors: Li Long, De-Bao Ma, Chao-Hsun Lin, Da-Wei Ding, Yong-Gang Zhu
  • Patent number: 8047260
    Abstract: An infiltration method of forming an article including providing a working mold including a solid binder member extending through an interior of the working mold, wherein the solid binder member is made of a binder material, and providing a layer of powder matrix material within a molding void of the working mold. The method further includes heating the working mold to form a molten binder pathway from the solid binder member to infiltrate the layer of powder matrix material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Timothy P. Uno, Marc W. Bird, Curtis A. Proske, Lester Dupre