Abstract: A composite metallic cast article (A) includes a shell (28) having a predetermined solid phase density. A non removable insert (24) is at least partially embedded within the shell (28). The insert (24) is fabricated from a foamed metal substance having a substantially lower solid phase density than the shell (28). The foamed metal insert (24) may have a layer of skin (26) fused with the molten metal of the shell (28) during the casting process. Tapered locating pins (30) or other spacing elements position the insert (24) within the mold cavity (18) to prevent shift during the casting operation. The foamed metal insert (24) reduces the time and expense involved in removing a traditional casting core after the casting operation is complete. Also, the insert (24) can be completely enclosed within the shell (28) of the article (A), thereby expanding the design capabilities of such cast articles (A).

Abstract: An abrasive machining assembly (10) wherein a worktable (14) is rotatably supported on a frame (12) for rotation about a table axis (A) and a plurality of platens (32) are supported on the worktable (14) with each of the platens (32) being adapted for supporting a workpiece to be machined by a machining disc (38) rotating about a tool axis (B). Each platen (32) is rotatably supported for rotation about a platen axis (C) which is radially spaced from the table axis (A) a different distance than the tool axis (B) whereby each of the platens (32) rotates about a platen axis (C) which is parallel to and offset from the tool axis (B) when positioned in the workstation.

Abstract: An abrasive machining assembly (10) wherein a worktable (14) is rotatably supported on a frame (12) for rotation about a table axis (A) and a plurality of platens (32) are supported on the worktable (14) with each of the platens (32) being adapted for supporting a workpiece to be machined by a machining disc (38) rotating about a tool axis (B). Each platen (32) is rotatably supported for rotation about a platen axis (C) which is radially spaced from the table axis (A) a different distance than the tool axis (B) whereby each of the platens (32) rotates about a platen axis (C) which is parallel to and offset from the tool axis (B) when positioned in the workstation.

Abstract: A hold-down mechanism (88) is provided for holding a base plate (32) of a casting assembly (20) in engagement with a crucible (28). The hold-down mechanism (88) includes a plurality of Belleville-type washers (89) for allowing relative movement while maintaining a predetermined force holding the base plate (32) in engagement with the crucible (28). The hold-down mechanism includes a plurality of tension rods (90) and a plurality of forks (91) each having a pair of spaced fingers (92), each of the rods (90) being paired with one of the forks (91). Each of the rods (90) has a threaded end (93) and the Belleville-type washers (89) are disposed about the threaded end (93) of each of the rods (90) with a threaded nut (94) engaging the threads (93) of each of the rods (90) for compressing the washers (89) against the fingers (92) of the forks (91).

Abstract: The subject invention is characterized by a mechanism for moving the tilt plate (45) laterally of the guide posts (38) to a loading position outside the operating area within the assembly so that the attachment surface faces sufficiently upwardly to allow a cope (36) and drag (34) defining a mold to rest thereon under the force of gravity. A plurality of crank arms (48) are fixed to and extend upwardly from one lateral edge of the tilt plate (45) to a distal end. A pair of hydraulic cylinders (51) are disposed above the movable platen (43) with a first connection (52) to the distal ends of the crank arms (48) and a second connection (53) to the movable platen (43) for rotating the crank arms (48) to thereby rotate the tilt plate (45) about a tilt axis (50) between an operating position within the assembly and the loading position outside the assembly and facing upwardly.

Abstract: The invention is characterized by a rack mechanism (60) interconnecting a fixed platen (41) and a movable platen (43) for preventing the movable platen (43) from cocking relative to its guide posts (38) during vertical movement thereof. The rack mechanism (60) includes a gear rack (61) paired with each of the guide posts (38) with the bottom end of each gear rack (61) secured to the movable platen (43), and a spur gear (71) in meshing engagement with each of the gear racks (61) and supported on the fixed platen. A box-like framework interconnects the gear racks (61) and a synchronizing drive system simultaneously rotates the spur gears (71) in unison and includes parallel shafts (72) on opposite sides of the framework with two of the spur gears (71) supported on each of the shafts (72) and in meshing engagement with two of the gear racks (61). The running tolerances between the spur gears (71) and the gear racks (61) can be adjusted by pillow blocks (76) supporting the shafts (72).

Abstract: A casting mold assembly includes cope and drag sections having a casting cavity therebetween and a casting core supported within the cavity. A vertical down sprue extends through the cope section and joins a flow passage extending through the core in prolongation of the down sprue for introducing molten metal directly into the mold cavity to produce a disk brake rotor. A filter is supported in the flow path of the core and a flow control lip is provided at the exit of the flow path to provide a flow constricting gap between the annular lip and an underlying lower cavity wall to slow the flow of metal into the cavity.

Abstract: A casting core 100a, 100b is fabricated entirely of decomposable refractory material such as foundry sand/binder and is formed with a plurality of push rod passage-forming portions (136a, 136b) for forming a corresponding plurality of push rod passages within a cylinder block (26) and a transverse intersecting oil gallery-forming portions (138a, 138b) for forming an associated long and narrow oil gallery within the cylinder block.

Abstract: A portable container 10 for containing liquids has a circular top wall portion 12, a circular exterior bottom wall portion 14, and a cylindrical side wall portion 16 extending vertically between the top wall portion 12 and exterior bottom wall portion 14. The container 10 includes a plurality of forklift tubes 18 attached to the exterior bottom wall portion 14 for receiving the forks 20 of a forklift vehicle 22. The side wall portion 16 has a drain opening 24 and a valve 26 disposed therein for draining the liquids from the container. The container 10 is characterized by an interior false bottom portion 30 abutting the side wall portion 16 and sloping downwardly toward the drain opening 24 for causing complete drainage of the liquids contained within the container 10.

Abstract: A decomposable casting core (56a, 56b) is formed in-situ with a sleeve-like liner member (64) and the assembly mounted within the mold cavity (24) of a cylinder block casting mold (22) for lining piston cylinder chambers (62a, 62b) of a cylinder block (26) cast within the mold (22). The liner member (64) is formed with an inner annular recess (80) which receives a corresponding annular projection (76) of the core (56a, 56b) for preventing the liner (64) from sliding axially on the core (56a, 56b) during casting.

Abstract: A vacuum-assisted gravity pour casting apparatus (10) has a vacuum housing (12) with a fixed top portion (14) and a moveable bottom portion (16). A lower portion (80) of a filling vessel (62) extends through an opening (30) in the top portion (14) and seals the opening (30) against leakage. The bottom housing portion (16) is supported on a scissors-lift mechanism (48) which lowers and raises the bottom portion (16) to open and close the chamber (20) for cycling molds into and out of the chamber (20). A stopper rod (86) controls the flow of molten metal (M) through a bottom nozzle (70) and into the mold.

Abstract: A melt-out zinc core is coated with insulating mica material and a graphite release agent and supported within a die cavity of a high pressure squeeze casting apparatus. Molten casting metal having a melting temperature above that of the core is injected into the die and then pressurized to about 15,000 psi to squeeze form the article in the die and around the core. The resultant article and core are then heated to above the melting temperature of the core and the core extracted from the article through cast-in outlet openings formed by the core. The insulating material and release agent are also extracted from the cast article by rinsing the cored passages of the cast article with water.

Abstract: A blow head or gassing head of an automatic core machine, which produces sand casting cores in a core box is formed of a downwardly opening box-like frame having a bottom closure plate. The heads may be alternatively used to respectively deposit a sand and binder material or to flow gas into a sand-filled core box cavity positioned beneath the head. The closure plates are provided with openings through which either the sand-binder material may drop from the blow head frame into the core box cavity or through which gas may flow from the gassing head frame into the cavity. The plate is loosely positioned beneath the frame and is clamped tightly upwardly against the bottom peripheral edge of the head by a spaced pair of elongated, rigid rails which engage and support the opposite side edges of the plate. A rail holding a clamping mechanism selectively moves the rails upwardly for clamping the plate against the frame and downwardly to free the plate relative to the frame.

Abstract: A bottom pour casting apparatus (100) includes a vessel (114) having a bottom nozzle (118). A stopper rod (112) is coupled to a programmable controller (250) by linkage mechanism (250) for controlling the movement of the stopper rod (112) according to a pouring schedule. An LDT position sensor (216) is coupled to the stopper rod (112) by a cable (238) and also electronically to the controller (250) for sensing the actual position of the stopper rod during a pouring cycle and conveying this information directly to the controller (250) thereby bypassing any backlash present in the linkage mechanism (116) to enable precise control of the stopper rod movement. A method includes rezeroing the position sensor (116) at the beginning of each pouring cycle to account for slag build-up on the nozzle (118).

Abstract: A pouring ladle (12) includes a horizontal chamber (22) having an inlet (24) at one end thereof for admitting molten metal into the chamber (22) and a bottom-poured nozzle (28) at an opposite end for discharging the metal into an underlying mold (30). A coreless induction heater (56) surrounds the chamber (22) for heating metal as it flows from the inlet (24) to the outlet nozzle (28). The induction heater (56) may be operated simultaneously with the pouring of metal and be used to pour treated ductile iron without plugging the inductor (56).

Abstract: A sand casting core (102) for use in the manufacture of cast metal cylinder blocks includes a camshaft gallery-forming portion (108) and an interconnected oil gallery-forming portion (110) which is joined to the camshaft gallery-forming portion (108) via a plurality of transverse feeder passage-forming portions (112) extending therebetween for forming corresponding cast-in camshaft gallery (104) and interconnecting oil gallery (106) passages within a cast cylinder block (26).

Abstract: A method for metallurgically bonding cylinder liners (12, 12') within a cylinder block 14 of an internal combustion engine. The liners (12, 12') are cleaned (16) and their outer surfaces coated (18) with a low melting point cooling material (20) such as molten zinc forming a metallurgical bond therebetween. The coating (20) is allowed to solidify forming an outer oxidized layer (24) on the coating (20). The oxidized layer (24) is subsequently removed to expose an unoxidized outer surface (26) of the coating (20). The coated liners (12, 12') are then disposed within a casting mold and molten aluminum-based cylinder block material (36) is poured into the mold and about the coated liners (12, 12'). The molten cylinder block material (36) remelts the coating (20) on the liners (12, 12') and causes the coating to further alloy with the cylinder block material (36), whereupon cooling the cylinder liners (12, 12') are metallurgically bonded to the cylinder block (14).

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for heat treat hardening multiple wear surfaces (24,26,28) of a metal workpart (14). Flame burners (38) and associated trailing quenches (36) travel along a linear and vertical path (13) across the workpart (14) to flame harden the wear surfaces (24,26,28) thereon. The workpart (14) is mounted on support studs (60) extending from a turntable (52), and clamping arms (66) securely engage the workpart (14) with the support studs (60). The turntable (52) rotates the workpart (14) relative to the travel path (13) of the flame burners (38) to move flame hardened surfaces (24,26,28) out of the travel path (13) and move unhardened surfaces (24,26,28) into the travel path (13) for flame hardening by the flame burners (38).

Abstract: An intake manifold (10) includes cast plenum (12) and flange (14) members defining a plurality of outlet (22) and inlet (24) holes therein. Tubes (16) have opposite first (44) and second (46) ends which are received into the outlet (22) and inlet (24) holes with an interference fit and joined thereto with metallurgical bonds (48,50) comprising a low melting point metal coating material (52), such as zinc, alloyed with the tube metal and each of the plenum and flange metals. The method includes coating the ends (44,46) of the tubes (16) and the walls of the holes (22,24) with the molten coating material (52), heating the plenum (12) and flange (14) to an elevated temperature and then forcing the tubes (16) into the holes (22) to form the metallurgical bonds (48,50).

Abstract: A method of eliminating solidification shrinkage porosity defects in cast metal articles includes disposing an expanded polystyrene chill (36) within a preformed mold cavity (26) and thereafter introducing molten metal into the cavity (26) and vaporizing the chill member (36), whereby the heat of vaporization rapidly cools a localized region of the molten metal adjacent the chill member and accelerates solidification thereof enabling remote still-molten metal to feed solidification shrinkage in this region and prevent the formation of porosity defects that would otherwise result.