Abstract: A supply vessel containing a molten bath has a discharge opening which is controlled by a valve. The discharge opening is located in a vertical plane and has a horizontal axis. The valve includes a set of valve plates having through openings for the passage of molten material. The valve plates are rotatable relative to one another in order to bring the through openings into and out of register and thus open and close the valve. One of the valve plates sits adjacent the discharge opening and is stationary while another of the valve plates is remote from the discharge opening and is freely rotatable. A mold having an inlet, a casting cavity and feeders between the inlet and casting cavity is brought into engagement with the freely rotatable valve plate. The mold is positioned with the casting cavity below the upper surface of the molten bath and with the feeders below the casting cavity. The valve is opened and the casting cavity filled with molten material via the mold inlet and the feeders.

Abstract: A cylinder block composed of a hypoeutectic aluminum alloy has cylinder liners of the same material. The cylinder liners contain SiC particles for wear resistance.

Abstract: A rotary slide valve for controlling the flow of molten material from a discharge opening of a holding vessel into an inlet of a rotatable casting mold has three valve plates which are in face-to-face contact. A first valve plate at the inflow side of the valve is fixed and is designed to abut the holding vessel peripherally of its discharge opening. A second valve plate at the discharge side of the valve is designed to engage the mold peripherally of the mold inlet and to rotate with the mold between two terminal positions. The third valve plate is sandwiched between the others and can be driven in rotation relative to both. Each of the valve plates is provided with a through opening. The valve is designed so that, at least in the two terminal positions of the discharge valve plate, the openings of all the valve plates can be brought into register and the openings of two of the valve plates can be brought out of register.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for casting novel motor vehicle wheels from metal, such as from an aluminum alloy, which wheels have a rim ring and a hub part connected by supporting radial elements. According to the present process the casting mold is formed by a plurality of molded core parts that are mainly ring- and/or disk-shaped and which are axially assembled while still attached to their mold sections and are centered relative to each other by the relative adjustment of the mold sections. The parting plane of the core parts runs perpendicularly to the wheel axis. This permits one-piece wheels to be cast with great accuracy, which wheels have few, if any, visible mold seams.