Abstract: An investment mold slurry curtain apparatus includes a slurry curtain of a slurry fluid, the slurry curtain having a length and a thickness, the length substantially greater than the thickness. The apparatus also includes an outlet configured to dispense the slurry fluid and form the slurry curtain. The investment mold slurry curtain apparatus may include and be described as an investment mold slurry coating apparatus including a conduit configured to receive a flow of a slurry fluid and an outlet operatively coupled to the conduit, the outlet configured to dispense the flow of the slurry as a curtain of the slurry.

Abstract: A counter-gravity casting method and apparatus in which the mold is held stationary and the crucible is moved generally laterally from a melt chamber to a fill chamber positioned below the mold with respect to gravity. A casting chamber is located generally above the fill chamber with respect to gravity. The method and apparatus utilize separate chambers for melting and casting in which the pressure in each chamber can be varied relative to each other in order to introduce molten metal into the mold.

Abstract: A counter-gravity casting method and apparatus in which the mold is held stationary and the crucible is moved generally laterally from a melt chamber to a fill chamber positioned below the mold with respect to gravity. A casting chamber is located generally above the fill chamber with respect to gravity. The method and apparatus utilize separate chambers for melting and casting in which the pressure in each chamber can be varied relative to each other in order to introduce molten metal into the mold.

Abstract: A method of using a bonded refractory mold is disclosed. The method includes forming a refractory mold including a mold wall on a fugitive pattern including a thermally removable material. The mold wall including a refractory material and defining a sprue, a gate and a mold cavity, the gate having a gate inlet opening into the sprue and a gate outlet opening into the mold cavity; a gas vent extending through the mold wall; and a gas permeable refractory material covering the gas vent, the fugitive pattern having a sprue portion, the sprue portion having a sprue channel that is in fluid communication with a sprue inlet and that extends toward a sprue outlet. The method also includes heating the refractory mold with a hot gas to remove the thermally removable material, wherein a portion of the hot gas is exhausted from the refractory mold through the gas vent.

Abstract: A method of making a bonded refractory mold is disclosed. The method includes forming a fugitive pattern including a thermally removable material. The method also includes forming a refractory mold including a mold wall, the mold wall including a refractory material and defining a sprue, a gate and a mold cavity, the gate having a gate inlet opening into the sprue and a gate outlet opening into the mold cavity, the mold defined by the fugitive pattern. The method further includes forming a gas vent that extends through the mold wall. The method also includes covering the gas vent with a gas permeable cover.

Abstract: A bonded refractory mold is disclosed. The mold includes a mold wall. The mold wall includes a bonded refractory material and defining a sprue, a gate and a mold cavity, the gate having a gate inlet opening into the sprue and a gate outlet opening into the mold cavity. The mold also includes a gas vent extending through the mold wall. The mold also includes a gas permeable cover covering the gas vent.

Abstract: A method of using a bonded refractory mold is disclosed. The method includes forming a refractory mold comprising a mold wall on a fugitive pattern comprising a thermally removable material, the mold wall comprising a refractory material and defining a sprue, a gate and a mold cavity, the gate having a gate inlet opening into the sprue and a gate outlet opening into the mold cavity; a gas vent extending through the mold wall; and a gas permeable refractory material covering the gas vent, the fugitive pattern having a sprue portion, the sprue portion having a sprue channel that is in fluid communication with a sprue inlet and that extends toward a sprue outlet. The method also includes heating the refractory mold with a hot gas to remove the thermally removable material, wherein a portion of the hot gas is exhausted from the refractory mold through the gas vent.

Abstract: A bonded refractory mold is disclosed. The mold includes a mold wall, the mold wall comprising a bonded refractory material and defining a sprue, a gate and a mold cavity, the gate having a gate inlet opening into the sprue and a gate outlet opening into the mold cavity. The mold also includes a gas vent extending through the mold wall. The mold also includes a gas permeable cover covering the gas vent.

Abstract: A method of making a bonded refractory mold is disclosed. The method includes forming a fugitive pattern comprising a thermally removable material. The method also includes forming a refractory mold comprising a mold wall, the mold wall comprising a refractory material and defining a sprue, a gate and a mold cavity, the gate having a gate inlet opening into the sprue and a gate outlet opening into the mold cavity, the mold defined by the fugitive pattern. The method further includes forming a gas vent that extends through the mold wall. The method also includes covering the gas vent with a gas permeable cover.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for compacting support particulates media around ceramic shell molds and around fugitive patterns wherein the mold or pattern is placed in a container and the container is filled with support particulates media. The container is set to rotating and vibrating while it is tilted. The combination of rotation and tilting cause voids at the wall of the mold or pattern to be constantly and methodically reoriented so that the free surface of the support media in the voids is moved past its dynamic angle of repose and is caused to flow into those voids by the combined action of the vibration and the constantly changing orientation of the voids relative to the gravity vector.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for densifying an article wherein the article is disposed in a first molten salt pressure transmission medium in a container. The first medium is heated to a first elevated densifying temperature. The container is disposed in a second molten salt pressure transmission medium at a second temperature lower than the first temperature. The first medium and the second medium are communicated so that pressure applied to the second medium is transmitted to the first medium. Pressure is applied to the lower temperature second medium sufficient to densify the article disposed in the first higher temperature medium. Following densification of the article, the container is removed from the second medium. The method and apparatus are especially useful for closing internal porosity of metallic and intermetallic castings.

Abstract: A method for the differential pressure, countergravity casting of molten metal includes applying a differential pressure to urge molten metal through a constricted inlet passage into a mold cavity of a mold from an underlying molten metal pool, withdrawing the mold from the pool after the mold cavity is filled with the molten metal, holding the molten metal in the mold by combined differential pressure/molten metal surface tension holding action until the molten metal solidifies in the constricted inlet passage of the withdrawn mold or until the mold can be inverted. The differential pressure can be released after the metal solidifies in the inlet passage or after the mold is inverted to allow the molten metal to solidify under ambient pressure.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for counter-gravity casting of molten metal, in a gas permeable mold with a fill passage upper end above the lateral communication of the passage with other mold cavities. The mold is filled by low pressure in a chamber sealed about the mold while the mold fill passage is communicated with the molten metal. Provision is made for maintaining, during filling, the upper part of the mold fill passage at a lower pressure than that in the chamber external to the mold.

Abstract: The sand-binder mixture in a sand casting mold is controlled so that it contains sufficient binder to enable it to set to form a mold, yet the resulting set mold is sufficiently porous to receive liquids and vapors from a disposable pattern and sufficiently rigid to retain the pattern shape after the pattern is removed. At the proper binder loading, the mold has porosity such that the pattern will evacuate the cavity prior to casting when heated at relatively low temperatures (well below pattern combustion temperatures) that do not harmfully affect the mold and do not necessarily remove all of the pattern material from the mold. Thus, the pattern is removed from the mold cavity, before the molten metal is added, by heating the pattern and mold to cause the pattern to become fluid and to flow both into the sand mold and out of openings in it, without the need for high temperature combustion. The molten metal is then added to the cavity, and allowed to solidify before it is removed.