Abstract: In the production of aluminum ingots by the direct chill casting process, in which the conventional chilled mold is equipped with a thermally insulated "hot top," smooth surfaced ingots are produced under conditions obtained by correlating of the length of the chilled mold, the casting rate and the head of molten metal in the hot top. Preferably the values of chilled mold length and metalostatic head are selected so as to be tolerant of some variation of metalostatic head which is difficult to avoid in the simultaneous operation of a large number of molds under level pour conditions.

Abstract: In direct pouring of molten metal for an ingot-making process, hollow long bodies made from self-fluxing heat-resistant sheets are used as a splash-preventive pipe. The self-fluxing heat-resistant sheet is composed of one or more inorganic fibers having fixed softening and fusion temperatures, binders and silicate fillers. The fusion rate and temperature of the sheet are selected in accordance with the teeming rate and temperature to insure that the body end is fused and consumed while being submerged in a given depth below the molten metal surface in a mold.

Abstract: A confectionery moulding machine comprising an endless mould conveyor which traverses moulds in continuous procession in an upper run in which the cavities in the moulds face upwardly and in a lower run in which the mould cavities face downwardly, a depositor for depositing liquid confectionery into the moulds in succession as they travel along the upper run, a conveyor band which travels continuously beneath the lower run of the mould conveyor, and a demoulding unit for discharging the fillings of the cavities of each mould in succession onto the conveyor band, the moulds having projections which contact the upper surface of the band on the lower run of the mould conveyor and project from the downwardly facing surfaces of the moulds on the lower run by an amount less than the depth of the mould cavities and constrain the band to run at the same speed as the mould conveyor.

Abstract: A refractory shape is molded on a pattern by pouring over the pattern a mixture of two slurries each of which is stable but which together react to gell. The mixture is formed by merging two slurry streams immediately above the pattern.

Abstract: A metallic product free of surface faults is continuously cast in a cooled, conductive ingot mold wherein a liquid metal is rotated by applying a magnetic field turning about the axis of the mold thereto and wherefrom the partially solidified metal product is extracted continuously. The driving action of the magnetic field is optimized by imparting to it a maximum value of frequency of rotation between 4 and 15 Hertz, this value being a function of the form and size of the cast product as well as the thickness and electric conductivity of the mold wall such that any increase in the frequency of rotation above this value brings about an attenuation of the frequency in the mold wall in excess of its positive effect on the rotation of the liquid metal.

Abstract: A segmented mold assembly is utilized to cast a turbine engine component having an annular inner wall and an annular outer wall which are interconnected by a plurality of struts or vanes. The mold assembly includes a plurality of sections which are formed of a ceramic mold material and are interconnected at flange joints. A pair of mold sections are advantageously formed simultaneously by repetitively dipping a single pattern in a slurry of liquid ceramic mold material to form a wet coating on the pattern. This wet coating of ceramic mold material is then dried. After a covering of the desired thickness has been built up by repetitively dipping and drying the coatings on the wax pattern, the wax pattern is destroyed. To facilitate separating the mold sections after destroying the wax pattern, at least some of the wet coatings are wiped away in an area between portions of the wet coatings which will eventually form the mold sections.

Abstract: Preformed electroforms are sliced into elongated slab shaped bodies having spaced generally parallel respective side walls so that an edge wall thereof has defined therein cube corner retroreflective units. When a plurality of such slab shaped bodies are positioned together to provide a region of cube corner type retroreflective units, there results a mold element which can be incorporated into a mold for making reflector units of transparent solid material or the like wherein angled retroreflective units and so-called standard retroreflective units are distributable over the entire face of a product reflector unit and from which air in the mold cavity can readily escape during filling in a molding operation.

Abstract: Die casting apparatus for casting parts such as rotors or the like comprises a three tie bar horizontally disposed die casting machine, with an indexing mechanism mounted on one of the tie bars for rotating the parts through six separate radially spaced work stations. The work stations include loading, casting, cooling, skew pin ejection, and unloading stations. The casting station includes a four plate die assembly comprising a runner plate, cover die, carrier plate, and ejector die. The die assembly employs pin-point gating and is formed such that the cast part is removed from the die and the runner system, and the runner system is ejected from the apparatus, while the part is at the casting station. A movable runner ejector plate having ejector pins ejects the runner from the runner plate. A compensating cylinder is provided for adjustment for variance in stack height.

Abstract: In a method of and an apparatus for treating metal melts with flush gas during continuous casting, the molten metal is led from a tundish having an outflow opening into a mold, while inert flush gas is supplied above the outflow opening of the tundish at a rate of between 30 and 300 Nl per minute, so that the upwardly rising gas bubbles prevent slag particles present on the surface of the metal bath in the tundish from being sucked into the metal stream.

Abstract: A mold forming machine for the production of casting molds wherein molding sand is compressed within mold flasks is provided with stabilizing means for counteracting the effects of the compressive forces generated within the mold flask during compression of the molding sand tending to cause distortion of the flask. The stabilizing means include a movable frame which is adapted to extend about a molding flask placed in the machine with the frame being positioned relative to the flask by lifting gears which move the frame in accordance with the various stages of operation of the machine. A plurality of fluid pressure actuated tensioning elements are mounted on the frame to be movable therewith. The tensioning elements are adapted to apply compressive forces inwardly of the mold flasks during application of the molding sand compressing forces.

Abstract: A shroud for enshrouding, in a shield of anti-oxidation gas, the molten stream which flows from the tundish into the mold and/or from the ladle into the tundish of continuous casting apparatus. The shroud includes a platform from which there extends a projection having the shape of a frustrum of a circular cone terminating in a circular opening. The shroud is formed from a plate having an opening therein by hydraulically deep drawing the material around the opening. A nipple is provided in the projection for injecting the anti-oxidation gas. In contrast to the flow of the gas in the use of prior-art shrouds, the gas, in the practice of this invention, flows in a helical or cyclonic path about the molten stream and effectively protects the stream against oxidation.

Abstract: This invention involves a method of making a unitary pattern assembly which is useful in forming investment shell molds for the conventional and directional solidification of molten metals and alloys. It comprises providing a fixture having first and second pattern capturing means, providing a mold structure having a cavity, positioning the mold structure and fixture to expose the capturing means to the cavity, forming a pattern in the cavity and removing the mold structure from the pattern. A unitary pattern assembly comprising a fixture and pattern fixedly captured therein is obtained. Multiple patterns may also be captured in the fixture. The method is especially suitable for making a pattern assembly useful in the production of gas turbine engine blades by the "lost wax" process.

Abstract: An installation has a hollow cooled mould with a bottom plate having a cooled protrusion which partially enters the cavity of the cooled mould from underneath and forms the bottom of the mould at the beginning of melting. The protrusion is of a height exceeding that of the ingot forming walls of the cooled mould, and of a cross section allowing the cooled mould to be lowered to a level at which the ingot forming section of the cooled mould wall is below the upper end face of the cooled protrusion. The installation is compact in size and permits the use of a crane for upward removal of an ingot from the cooled mould.

Abstract: A half-section of a cassette casing having an embedded transparent wafer serving as a viewing window. The cassette casing section is formed by shearing the wafer from an elongated strip of transparent material, disposing and supporting the wafer within a cavity, and forcing a plasticized material into the cavity where it solidifies. The cavity is defined in an injection mold comprising a pair of relatively movable cavity plate assemblies with which are associated means for shearing and supporting the wafer.

Abstract: For use in the lost pattern process of investment casting, an improved pattern assembly of the type having a pattern supporting center tree or sprue member including a rigid tube surrounded by a sleeve made of a flexible material, characterized by longitudinally spaced, thin bands of pattern material extending around the sleeve at those locations where the patterns are to be attached.

Abstract: An improved investment casting process for producing dental restorations, particularly a dental crown, comprising the steps of fixing a wax pattern onto a truncated cone in a metallic ring having a lining of a cushioning material, pouring an investment material into the space around the wax pattern in the metallic ring, drying the resultant product, melting out the invested wax pattern, curing the resultant product at a temperature of 700.degree. to 950.degree. C for 20 to 150 minutes to give a mold, fixing the mold thus obtained to a centrifugal casting machine and casting a molten chromium-cobalt and/or nickel alloy in the mold maintained at a temperature of 100.degree. to 500.degree. C.

Abstract: A molten metal sample cup is provided with temperature sensing means to detect phase change in the metal within the cup as a metal sample solidifies. A blob of material which promotes the formation carbides is attached to the inside of the cup to contact the molten metal therein. The blob material comprises a carbide stabilizer selected from the group consisting of bismuth, boron, cerium, lead, magnesium and tellurium, a refractory material and a hydrogen evolving material.

Abstract: In a die casting apparatus having a first die and a second die movable into closed engagement with the first die to define a mold cavity therebetween, a sprue removal mechanism includes a degater knife, a rocker arm mounted to pivot about a fixed axis and connected to the degater knife, a cam fixed to the second die, and a cam follower carried by the rocker arm. As the second die moves away from the first die, the cam follower travels along the cam to wing the rocker arm and drive the degater knife to an extended position between the open dies, thereby severing the sprue from a completed casting while the casting is supported by the first die.

Abstract: Apparatus for forming molded shapes such as shell molds is disclosed which features a transport mechanism advancing a pattern carrier assembly progressively through a mold mix dispensing station, an excess mix discharging station, through an oven where the mold is cured, and thence to a mold unloading station. The pattern carrier assembly is then retracted back through the curing oven where the pattern or patterns are preheated prior to retraction to the initial mix dispensing station, to be in position for initiation of another cycle. The transport mechanism includes a power cylinder reciprocating a yoke assembly by means of a connected operator rod. The pattern carrier plate is rotatably supported on the yoke assembly so that a rack and pinion means interacting with the pattern plate will produce a mix discharging rotation of the pattern carrier plate after exiting from the mix dispensing station.

Abstract: A method of producing castings comprising the steps of: pouring moulds with inoculated cast iron containing, by weight per cent: carbon 3.6-3.8, silicon 2.8-3.2, manganese up to 0.4, magnesium not more than 0.01, at a melt temperature ranging from 1420.degree. to 1450.degree. C, and subsequently cooling the cast iron. The thickness of walls of the castings is chosen so that the initial cooling rate is 10.degree.-14.degree. C/sec with a preset heat conductivity.