Abstract: A rotary casting machine with an improved translatable band comprising a rigid frame with a rotary casting wheel having a peripheral groove mounted on the frame, the band and the wheel being relatively moveable to move "damaged" surface areas of the band out of contact with the wheel and present "new" surface areas for molding purposes. An endless band frictionally engages a portion of the wheel, the band having a width greater than the width of the casting wheel. Guide rollers on the frame orient the band properly on the frame and into cooperation with the groove of the casting wheel so as to form a mold. A power source drives the casting wheel and the frictionally engaged endless band. A spout is provided for the addition of molten metal to the groove and band mold. A pusher is provided to adjustably translate the band laterally across the peripheral groove of the casting wheel.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a high tensile strength aluminum alloy electrical conductor that is manufactured by alloying at least one alloying element with molten aluminum in sufficient proportion to yield intermetallic precipitates during subsequent solidification and thermomechanical processing. The conductor is in the form of a hard-drawn wire which is annealed at a temperature within the range corresponding to the onset of recovery such that there will be produced secondary intermetallic precipitates corresponding to the primary precipitates which come out of solution during casting, whereby both the primary and secondary precipitates act to pin dislocation sites between adjacent subgrain boundaries in the aluminum matrix thereby increasing the ultimate tensile strength and yield strength of the conductor.

Abstract: A lightning protection circuit involves the grounding of the neutral center point of a direct current circuit carrying current to electrolytic reduction cells in a pot room of an aluminum reduction plant. The grounding is accomplished to earth ground via buried grounding rods which are connected to the center point via an interruptible grounding circuit. A safety circuit arrangement is provided which is responsive to direct current and effects the opening of the grounding circuit whenever the current in the grounding circuit exceeds a predetermined value. The safety circuit arrangement also involves a voltage sensing path responsive to the magnitude of the voltage between plant ground and the center point of the direct current circuit which effects an interruption of the grounding circuit whenever this voltage exceeds a predetermined value in either the positive or negative direction.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to an aluminum alloy electrical conductor which contains from about 0.20% to about 1.60% by weight nickel, from about 0.30% to about 1.30% iron, optionally up to 2.00% of additional specified alloying elements, and the remainder aluminum with associated trace elements. The conductors are processed in a continuous operation which includes continuous casting, hot-rolling in the as-cast condition to form continuous rod, cold-working of the rod by drawing it through a series of wire-drawing dies, without preliminary or intermediate anneals, and thereafter annealing the wire to achieve a minimum electrical conductivity of 58% IACS, an ultimate tensile strength of at least 12,000 psi, a yield strength of at least 8,000 psi and an elongation of at least 12% when measured as a No. 10 AWG wire. The additional alloying elements are precisely controlled in order to facilitate the continuous processing of the cast bar without splitting and cracking of the subsequently rolled and cold-drawn rod.

Abstract: Aluminum alloy electrical conductors are produced from aluminum base alloys containing from about 0.20 percent to about 1.60 percent by weight nickel, from about 0.30 percent to 1.30 percent iron, optionally up to about 1.00 percent of additional alloying elements, the remainder being aluminum with associated trace elements. The alloy conductors have an electrical conductivity of at least fifty-seven percent (57%), based on the International Annealed Copper Standard (IACS), and improved properties of increased thermal stability, tensile strength, percent ultimate elongation, ductility, fatigue resistance and yield strength as compared to conventional aluminum alloys of similar electrical properties.

Abstract: An improvement in the process for the recovery of aluminum from alunite in which potassium hydroxide is recovered from byproduct potassium sulfate by electrodialysis, further improvement being the use of sodium hydroxide from the bleed stream from the Bayer leach for use in the electrodialysis process for recovering potassium hydroxide from potassium sulfate.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for the immersion treatment of discrete lengths of galvanized conduit to inhibit the formation of "white rust" on the conduit surfaces are disclosed. The conduit is continually conveyed successively through three treatment zones comprising a cleaning bath containing a cleaning agent which removes lubricating oils, greases, dirt and the like from the conduit interior and exterior surfaces, a rinse bath and a coating bath containing a coating agent including chromate ions and a polymeric coating composition. A rotary star wheel-type conveyor is arranged in each treatment zone for transporting the conduits in spaced, substantially parallel relation to each other about an arcuate path through each bath and for inclining the conduit above the bath for a time effective to drain excess liquid from the interior and exterior conduit surfaces. Effective draining of excess liquid prior to entry to another zone minimizes contamination of the various baths and yields a high quality product.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for continuously casting molten metal are disclosed wherein a flexible belt is used to enclose the peripheral groove of the casting wheel of a wheel-belt type machine and the useful life of the belt as well as the heat-transfer rate of the molten metal are increased by providing a continuous length of ablative material on the surface of said flexible belt which contacts the molten metal.

Abstract: A system for continuously quench-pickling cast rod from a continuous casting machine wherein molten metal is poured into a mold of a casting device and cooled and solidified into a continuous solid bar, the bar is elongated and reduced in its cross-sectional area to form continuous rod, and the rod is arranged in a coil. The surface of the hot rod from the rolling mill is contacted with a pickling fluid, such as a citric acid solution, after the rod leaves the rolling mill and before the rod is arranged in a coil, to simultaneously quench and pickle the rod.

Abstract: A method of treating molten aluminum and aluminum alloys to remove solid and gaseous impurities therefrom is disclosed. Molten metal is flowed through an integrated series of successively arranged purification stages including a deslagging stage wherein relatively large particulate impurities are removed from the molten metal by filtering the same through a woven refractory filter, a fluxing stage for removing entrapped and dissolved hydrogen from the molten metal, an adsorption stage wherein the molten metal is passed over a plurality of impurity-adsorbing refractory plates and a final filtration stage wherein the finer particulate impurities are removed by filtering the molten metal through a rigid, porous refractory filter medium.

Abstract: In a continuous casting system where molten copper is cast into a bar and then rolled into a rod, the copper rod is immediately hot-coiled before being subjected to any quenching or cooling operation. The hot-coiling of the rod is carried out at a temperature of from 700.degree. F. to 1200.degree. F. and preferably within a range of from 950.degree. F. to 1150.degree. F., so that the rod is hot-coiled at a high enough temperature to permit sufficient thermal vacancy diffusion to occur within the rod material, and thereafter gradually cooled to room temperature to thereby impart certain improved mechanical properties to the resultant rod product. A copper or copper alloy rod which is processed in this fashion has a lower yield tensile strength, lower ultimate tensile strength, lower recrystallization temperature, lower hardness and is much more ductile and hence easier to draw into wire than a corresponding rod which is quenched or cooled prior to coiling.

Abstract: An improved rotary shearing apparatus for cutting a rapidly moving body including rotatable blades which may be inserted into a cutting position and withdrawn therefrom, positioning means for inserting or withdrawing the blades into or out of cutting position, and automatic switches and circuitry capable of causing insertion of the blades and their withdrawal within one rotation of the blades, so that the blades will sever the rapidly moving body with a single clean cut and without disturbing its rapid movement.

Abstract: Reducing or overcoming frictional drag on a rod moving through an enclosing tube by utilizing viscous drag of a liquid medium flowing through the tube in the direction of rod movement. Heated metallic rod moves through a hollow support tube leading from the output of a rolling mill to a mechanism for coiling the rod. The rod leaving the rolling mill is at an elevated temperature which places the rod in an extremely flexible state, so that the rod tends to become twisted within the tube to create "cobbles" or entanglements preventing further movement of the rod through the tube. The present apparatus and method, as applied to the disclosed embodiments of the invention, provide a flow of liquid medium through the tube in the direction of rod movement at a velocity sufficient to impart substantial force to the rod through the effect of viscous drag between the moving liquid medium and the rod.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for continuously casting molten metal into a rod of indefinite length comprising a rotatable casting wheel having an elongate arcuate molding passageway for receiving molten metal, and a plug which is retained within the passageway by magnetic force for temporarily blocking the passageway at an intermediate position along its length to prevent escape of molten metal from the passageway during initial start-up of the casting operation.

Abstract: An improvement in the process for the recovery of aluminum from alunite in which the alunite in particulate form is dehydrated, sulfur and alkali metal compounds removed from the dehydrated ore leaving a particulate residue containing aluminum values, the residue digested with at least one alkali metal hydroxide to convert the aluminum values to soluble aluminates, silicon removed from the soluble aluminate solution, and aluminum values precipitated from the aluminate solution, the improvement comprising: multiple stage digestion of the particulate residue accomplished by dividing the particulate residue into two fractions, digesting one fraction first and using the first stage liquor from the first digestion step to digest the remaining fraction. The fraction digested first may be the one having the smaller particle size, or the one having the larger particle size.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for of starting the continuous casting of a first metal in the mold of a continuous casting machine, in which a molten second metal having a melting point lower than that of the first metal is first introduced into the mold of the casting machine at a temperature substantially below the melting point of the first metal and in which the introduction of the second metal is discontinued and the casting of the first metal is begun after cooling of the mold has caused the second metal to form a solidified plug within the mold and while the cooling of the mold continues. The apparatus includes means for the sequential casting of the second and first metals in a casting machine while the casting machine is being cooled and the method allows metals of very high melting point, such as steel, to be continuously cast without damaging the mold or creating undue danger to the operator.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a method of and apparatus for lifting a load utilizing an existing bridge or gantry-type overhead crane in combination with a portable lifting beam or Strongback adapted to be lifted into position and partially supported by the existing bridge crane. The portable lifting beam includes a horizontally extending main beam having a telescoping section to reduce the longitudinal extent of the main beam to a dimension less than the distance between the parallel rails upon which the bridge crane is supported, whereby the lifting beam may be raised and lowered by the bridge crane between the parallel rails while being disposed perpendicular thereto. Once the lifting beam is lifted above the parallel rails, the hydraulic means are actuated to extend the telescoping section from its retracted position to increase the longitudinal extent of the main beam to a dimension equivalent to the distance between the parallel rails whereby the portable lifting beam or Strongback may be disposed thereon.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a system for the continuous high speed production of non-metallic (NM) sheath cable from bare and insulated single strand conductors continuously produced in a high-speed tandem wire drawing and insulation operation. An automated material handling system is provided for transporting and conveying wire pack containers from coiling strands where the bare and insulated single strand wires are coiled into the containers to a station where the wires are continuously paid-out overhead from the wire pack containers and brought together in a jacketing line where PVC coating compound is extruded thereon. A sheathed cable is then coiled and packaged in a continuous manner. The depleted wire pack containers are then transported back to the coiling stands to close the material handling loop. The system is controlled by a programmable computer which controls the delivery of wire pack containers to various ones of a plurality of conveyor lines on a demand basis.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for continuously homogenizing and quenching aluminum billets in an in-line tandem system. The billets are conveyed into a furnace and transported through a series of stages therein where they are heated to obtain a uniform crystalline structure, and then immediately conveyed into and through a quench chamber where they are rapidly cooled to obtain improved metallurgical properties. The quench chamber includes a series of ring-shaped spray headers having a plurality of spray nozzles disposed thereabout for emitting a cooling fluid evenly about the billets as they pass through the rings in order to prevent warpage. The spray rings are vertically adjustable by means of a common linkage so that they will be concentric with respect to the longitudinal axes of billets of different diameters adapted to pass therethrough.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for automatically coiling predetermined lengths of multi-conductor electrical cable and packaging individually wound coils of cable are disclosed. A plurality of monitoring devices are arranged along the cable feed path to a coiling machine for continuously monitoring a number of selected parameters of the cable for defects and for generating fault signal outputs indicative of a predetermined variation from a standard value of the selected parameters. Successively wound coils are transferred from the coiling machine to a packaging machine where they are individually packaged, sealed and discharged. The fault signal outputs generated by the monitoring devices are transmitted to the packaging machine to automatically and positively identify a package containing a defective coil by disabling the package sealing mechanism. An electrical circuit is provided for discriminating between faults occurring in a coil being wound and faults occurring in a next successive coil to be wound.