Patents by Inventor William J. Folder

William J. Folder has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5488988
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for casting metal strip in which molten metal is introduced between a pair of parallel casting rollers (16) via a tundish (18) and metal delivery nozzle (19b). Casting rollers (16) are cooled so that shells solidify on the moving roller surfaces and are brought together at the nip between them to produce a solidified strip product (20) at the roller outlet. A casting pool is established by pouring a first batch of molten metal at a relatively high temperature above the liquidus temperature of molten metal through the delivery nozzle (19b) and is thereafter maintained by pouring through the delivery nozzle (19b) a second batch of molten metal at a relatively lower temperature. The bottom of the tundish (18) is formed with a well (26) to hold the first batch of molten metal and there is heating means (8) to heat the metal in the well (26).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 6, 1996
    Assignees: Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Company Limited, BHP Steel (JLA) Pty Ltd.
    Inventors: Hisahiko Fukase, William J. Folder, Walter Blejde
  • Patent number: 5287912
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for casting metal strip in which molten metal is introduced between a pair of parallel casting rollers (16) via a tundish (18) and metal delivery nozzle (19). Casting rollers (16) are cooled so that shells solidify on the moving roller surfaces and are brought together at the nip between them to produce a solidified strip product (20) at the roller outlet. A clean head end of the strip (20) is formed by adjusting the nip of the casting rollers to form a transverse bulge (103) across the width of the strip. The two separate solidified metal shells (105) and defines a line of weakness across the width of the strip. The strip separates at the line of weakness to form a clean head end for the following strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 22, 1994
    Assignees: Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Company Limited, John Lysaght (Australia) Limited
    Inventors: William J. Folder, Lloyd W. Townsend, Hisahiko Fukase
  • Patent number: 5259439
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for casting metal strip in which molten metal is introduced between a pair of parallel casting rollers (16) via a tundish (18) and delivery nozzle (19). Casting rollers (16) are cooled so that shells solidify on the moving roller surfaces and are brought together at the nip between them to produce a solidified strip product (20) at the roller outlet. The tundish (18), delivery nozzle (19) and a pair of side closure plates (56) to confine the pool of metal on the casting rollers are separately preheated to working temperature and then rapidly brought into an operative assembly and casting is started before detrimental uneven or localized cooling of the preheated components can develop. To avoid material deterioration and metal flow irregularities due to oxidation on preheating, the delivery nozzle (19) and side closure plates (56) are provided with oxidation retarding coatings, for example in the form of ceramic glazing, or are preheated in an inert atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1993
    Assignees: Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Company Limited, John Lysaght
    Inventors: Walter Blejde, William J. Folder, Hisahiko Fukase, William J. Sinclair
  • Patent number: 5238050
    Abstract: With reference to FIG. 4 , a metal delivery nozzle (19) for delivering molten metal to a nip between a pair of strip casting rollers comprises an upwardly opening inlet trough (61) to receive a series of free falling vertical stream (65) of molten metal and a metal flow passage (62) extending downwardly from the bottom of the inlet trough (61) to a metal flow outlet slot (69). Trough (61) has a side wall surface (64) which slopes downwardly and across the trough to the upper end of the metal flow passage (62). The free falling streams (65) impinge on side wall surface (64) at an acute angle of impingement such that the molten metal tends to adhere to that wall surface and to spread into the form of a sheet (70) flowing down the side wall surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1993
    Assignees: Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Company Limited, John Lysaght Limited
    Inventors: William J. Folder, John Freeman
  • Patent number: 5221511
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for casting metal strip in which molten metal is introduced between a pair of parallel casting rollers via a metal delivery nozzle disposed above the nip between the rollers, wherein the delivery nozzle comprises an elongate trough to receive molten metal, a nozzle outlet slot extending longitudinally along the bottom of the trough, a baffle structure extending above the slot, and a pair of flow passage means spaced apart laterally of the trough, one to each side of the outlet slot and each providing for flow of molten metal from the trough interior above the baffle structure into the trough interior below the baffle structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1993
    Assignees: Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd., John Lysaght (Aus) Ltd.
    Inventors: Hisahiko Fukase, Walter Blejde, William J. Folder, Keith F. Pitchford, Joseph G. Herbertson
  • Patent number: 5178205
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for casting molten metal by passing molten metal form a casting pool above the nip of the pair of chilled rollers and thence through the pair of counter rotating chilled rollers, to thus form a thin sheet of solid metal. The molten metal is delivered to the casting pool from a metal delivery nozzle which contains an outlet flow passage at the bottom thereof, below the surface of the casting pool, through which the molten metal passes into the casting pool, which further contains a diffuser therein just above the outward flow passage, and which contains a pool of molten metal sufficiently deep that its surface is above the diffuser. The diffuser had a multiplicity of flow passages (holes) therein through which the molten metal, which is fed to the delivery nozzle, passes and is diffused into the outlet flow passage. An energy absorbing baffle means may be provided above the diffuser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1993
    Assignees: Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. Limited, John Lysaght (Australia) Limited
    Inventors: Hisahiko Fukase, Walter Blejde, William J. Folder, Stephen B. Leabeater, Joseph G. Herbertson