Abstract: An open-top, heat-resistant container, such as a molten metal ladle for filling the shot sleeve of a die casting machine, having a block rigidly attached to the ladle and partly submerged into the surface of the molten metal in the container or ladle for reducing a major portion of at least half of the area of the exposed surface of the molten metal in the container. The block may be vertically adjustable for varying the amount of immersion into the molten metal when the predetermined amount of molten metal retained in the container has been reached by flow over a weir edge of the container or ladle. A fraction of a centimeter difference in level of molten metal in the container multiplied by the exposed area of molten metal in the container can amount to a kilogram difference in the molten metal measured by the tilt and weir of the container or ladle. Thus, the less the exposed area of the surface in the container, the more repeatable the measured amount of molten metal can be poured from the container.

Abstract: This disclosure concerns dies for die casting machines having a stationary or cover die and a movable or ejector die which has a movable slide mounted thereon. A tapered trough is provided across the slide and into opposite sides of the movable die, and the cover die is provided with a floating wedge that fits into the full length of this trough for positioning and locking the slide with respect to the movable die on which this slide is mounted. The floating wedge may be held in the cover die by flanges on the wedge which loosely fit in grooves in the cover die. The tapers on the wedge and the sides of the trough are complimentary for locking the movable die parts together when all the die parts are closed for filling the cavity formed by the die parts with molten metal.

Abstract: A horizontally movable die has a bottom slide and cooperates with a stationary die in a die casting machine, which machine has a vertical injector for molten metal mounted underneath the dies and oscillatable to an acute angle to the vertical from under the dies for filling with molten metal. The outwardly movable shot sleeve of the injector seats in two semi-annular docking blocks, one mounted in the stationary die and the other mounted on an outward projection or extended portion of the slide on the movable die. Thus, when the dies are closed, the two semi-annular docking blocks for the shot sleeve form an aperture completely within the stationary die, which aperture communicates with an outwardly tapered trough duct that extends to the casting between the dies. This trough configuration forms a sprue in the stationary die that permits the separation of the movable die from the stationary die and then the retraction of the bottom slide without obstruction by any part of the sprue or the casting.