Abstract: A cap for an investment vessel for receiving investment material comprises a platform having a contoured edge and an underside. A wedge is located on the underside of the platform and is frictionally engageable with at least a portion of an inner edge of the top of the vessel. When the cap is placed in frictional engagement with the vessel, the contoured edge provides a restricted opening to the vessel for controlling the flow of the investment material. A lip is provided on the platform at the contoured edge for channeling investment material to the opening.

Abstract: Hot rolled wide strips from a continuously cast strand are rolled down in a pitch line, which includes a rolling train. A separate thin slab is cut off from the cast strand in one of two casting lines arranged on the opposite sides of the pitch line, and is homogenized and brought to a predetermined temperature in an equalizing furnace arranged coaxially with a respective casting line. The thin slab is then transported from the equalizing furnace into a movable furnace part formed as an equalizer, a buffer, or a regenerative furnace part and arrange coaxially with the equalizing furnace. The thin slab is then transported from the respective casting line to the pitch line in a direction opposite to the casting direction by pivoting or sidewise displacing the movable furnace part, after a first reverse of the direction of movement of the separate thin slab.

Abstract: The strip is cast on a chilled casting surface of a rotating drum from a pool of the molten metal contained in a tundish having a graphite lip insert seated therein cooperating with, the casting surface adjacent to the tundish to form and contain the pool of the molten metal. The tundish preferably contains a feed chamber, a return chamber, and a diverting chamber, the feed chamber and the diverting chamber effectively removing turbulence from the molten feed and the return chamber having a vertically adjustable weir dividing the return chamber from the diverting chamber for controlling the surface level of the pool of molten metal in the diverting chamber and the lip insert and for diverting a flow of molten metal to the return chamber. A preferred lead alloy is a low antimony-lead alloy which is cast into strip and is subjected to a heat treatment to permit expansion and shaping in subsequent production of expanded mesh battery grids.

Abstract: In a continuous process for continuous casting and hot-rolling of metal sheet, off-line storage of a slab takes place in a thermally insulated storage chamber located alongside a thermally insulated zone through which the slab lengths travel in the production line between a cutter for the slab and the hot-rolling mill train. On stoppage of the hot-rolling mill train, at least one slab length is transferred laterally to the off-line thermally insulated storage chamber. To improve ductility, an induction heating stage is combined with a subsequent temperature-maintaining stage in the furnace for homogenization of temperature within the slab. Both these stages are performed on the slab at its casting thickness.

Abstract: In a vacuum casting method, a molding cavity is reduced in pressure to a vacuum, and when a gate is opened, a molten metal which has been raised to a molten metal retaining dome is charged into the molding cavity at a high speed. When a portion of a molten metal held in a molten metal holding furnace is raised to the molten metal retaining dome via a stalk, (1) the rising speed of a portion of the molten metal is set at 5-10 cm/sec, or (2) the rising speed is varied between an early stage of the rising motion and a later stage of the rising motion. In the latter method, the rising speed at the early stage of the rising motion is set at a speed higher than 10 cm/sec, while the rising speed at the later stage of the rising motion is set at 5-10 cm/sec. Due to the rising speed control, air involvement by the rising molten metal is effectively prevented.

Abstract: Sand cores are broken up and removed from castings, particularly from cylinder heads from internal combustion engines. A pneumatic hammer is applied to the casting while the casting is held against a low pressure cylinder. The casting is subjected to horizontal oscillation by a receiver actuated by a rod and a double eccentric rotatably driven by a geared motor.

Abstract: The mold has movable sidewalls (13) to adjust the width of the slab and an enlarged casting chamber (11) extending along the length of the crystallizer of the mold (10). Located immediately downstream of the mold (10) are containing plates (24) and transverse rolls (18) defining a possible first assembly (19) of rolls, a second assembly (28) of rolls and a third assembly (29) of rolls. The casting chamber (11) has an enlargement provided by a central curve defined by a first equivalent radius R, the central curve at the inlet (16) of the casting chamber (11) being defined by the specific first equivalent radius R' and by a width L of at least 500 mm. with a value of the lateral half-enlargement A between 30 mm. and 90 mm.

Abstract: A storage hopper retains the mold core material and an outlet member is connected below the hopper for discharging the mold core material into the core shooting head. The outlet member is inserted into the core shooting head and is mounted on a vertically adjustable machine frame such that it may be inserted to various depths within the core shooting head and may also be removed. A shutoff device in the form of a rotating shutter closes the outlet member. A frame supports the outlet member and the storage hopper and vertically adjusts both for immersion within the core shooting head. A displacement measuring sensor detects the vertical position of the vertical adjustment members in relation to the machine frame. In the method the storage hopper is filled with mold core material, the outlet member is positioned over the core shooting head, and the outlet member is immersed within the core shooting head.

Abstract: A vacuum casting apparatus in which a molding cavity is reduced in pressure substantially to a vacuum, and upon opening a gate, a molten metal which has been raised to a molten metal retaining dome is charged into the molding cavity via a runner at a high speed. The runner has a first portion making a pool of molten metal, a second portion connecting the molten metal retaining dome to the first portion, and a third portion connecting the first portion to the molding cavity. A pin is slidably provided in the first portion of the runner. An opening of the second portion of the runner to the first portion is located nearer to the pin than an opening of the third portion of the runner to the first portion. When the pin is moved into the first portion of the runner, the pin first closes the opening of the second portion and then begins to apply pressure the molten metal in the molding cavity.

Abstract: Apparatus for supplying melt from a melt-holding vessel to a casting machine comprises a ceramic melt pump casing or housing submersible in the melt. The casing includes a melt-pumping chamber with a melt inlet and melt outlet and a piston-receiving bore communicated to the chamber. A piston having a ceramic pumping portion is movable in the bore relative to the chamber in a suction stroke to draw the melt into the chamber through the melt inlet and in a pumping stroke to discharge the melt from the chamber through the melt outlet to, for example, a melt casting machine. A melt inlet valve having a ceramic valve portion submersible in the melt is movable relative to the melt inlet to open/close the melt inlet when the piston pumping portion is moved in the respective suction/pumping stroke.

Abstract: With the centrifugal casting apparatus, the rotating arm is never loosened to thereby obtain good casting quality even if rapid variation in speed is generated upon rotating of the rotating arm at high speed. The centrifugal casting apparatus is provided with a rotating shaft 51, a rotating arm 1 fixed to the shaft 51, a crucible 3, a mold 4 and the like provided at one end of the arm 1, and a balance weight 2 provided at the other end. The apparatus is provided with arm fixing bolts 12a, 12b for fixing the arm 1 to the shaft 51 and positioned so as to be deviated from the rotational center 15 of the shaft 51. The rotating shaft 51 is provided with fulcrum pins 18a, 18b serving as fulcrum for balance of the arm 1. The fulcrum pins 18a, 18b protrude from the shaft 51 when the balance of the arm 1 is adjsted, and retract into the shaft 51 when the arm 1 and the shaft 51 are fixed.

Abstract: Liquid metal is supplied from the bottom to the top into a casting mold by way of a casting runner and a filling hole arranged at the lowest point of a casting mold. Direct further use of the casting by avoiding formation of a sprue that must be subsequently processed is possible due to the fact that after totally filling the casting mold and only partial solidification of the metal therein, the casting pressure is decreased or turned off, so that liquid metal flows back out of the casting mold only through a return flow channel having a cross section significantly smaller than the cross section of the casting runner. A ram having a face corresponding in size and shape to the outer contour of the casting in the region of the filling hole is pushed at least over the last segment of the casting runner, thus displacing liquid metal present in the last segment into the casting mold sufficiently far in the direction of the mold interior until the fact of the ram aligns with the inner contour of the casting mold.

Abstract: Rolls are provided for a strip continuous casting machine. Each roll has an outer cylindrical surface and two flat bases attached perpendicular to the rotational axis of each roll. Each base has an annular reinforcing element positioned on the edge between the base and the cylindrical surface. The annular element is made of at least one flange having a material resistant to the wear caused by mutual contact between the surface of the rolls and the confinement plates.

Abstract: For a steel mold, one or more titanium melt inlet-forming members are provided for cooperating with the steel mold members to form an melt ingate that communicates to the mold cavity for supplying the melt thereto in a manner to avoid harmful iron contamination of the melt during casting. The mold body-to-mold cavity volume ratio is controlled between 10:1 to 0.5:1 to minimize casting surface defects and mold wear/damage.

Abstract: Waste gasses generated in the process of manufacturing cores and castings are collected and inventively routed to a heat treating furnace for incineration. Additionally, as a portion of the waste gas is being routed, it is put to use in the reclaiming of uncured scrap materials and the reclaiming of sand within the furnace. Additionally, provisions are made for decreasing the height of the furnace by decreasing the height of hoppers therein and increasing the size of the base of the hoppers to maintain proper flow of reclaimed sand and portions of core materials being reclaimed therein toward the base of the hopper. Multiple fluidizers are employed in the base of the hopper to accommodate for the increased size of the base of the hopper and maintain optimum flow of materials toward the base and optimum fluidization of the materials within the hopper.

Abstract: A foundry sand is regenerated in an upright chamber to which air is admitted at the junction between a peripheral wall and between while an abrating rotor is in a horizontal plane close to the bottom to establish a vertical line with columns of fluidized sand outwardly of the orbit of the rotor.

Abstract: The fill chamber bore of a die-casting machine is lubricated and prepared for casting by inserting an elongated member into the die-end of the bore while spraying with lubricant. During withdrawal of the elongated member, a conical spray of gas directed toward the die-end drys the lubricant and sweeps vapor and flash, or solder, out of the die-end. The elongated member is preferably a flexible carrier which is guided between the bore and a path between the open die halves lateral to the bore. The lateral path is perferably defined by a tubular member supported by a vertical carriage mounted on a vertical mast for alignment of the flexible carrier with the fill chamber bore when the dies are open. The vertical mast can be mounted on a horizontal carriage moveable along a horizontal bore to preclude interference with normal operation of the die-casting machine.

Abstract: The casting ejector includes a forcibly cooled ejector plate and a plurality of depending, solid ejector pins of high thermal conductivity cooperate with a casting mold to increase the strength of specifying portions of the casting. Copper, nickel, and alloys of each having a thermal conductivity of 40 W/mK or more are used, and the pins are disposed to contact high-stress locations of the casting.

Abstract: Assembly to wind-unwind thin slabs which cooperates with a continuous casting plant (11) producing thin slabs (12) and is positioned on the same axis as that plant (11), a heating and temperature-equalization furnace (17) being included upstream of the winding-unwinding assembly (10), at least one pair of drawing rolls (23) cooperating with the winding-unwinding assembly (10), which comprises two coiling-uncoiling units (20a-20b) positioned circumferentially equidistant from, and on, a base plate (21) able to rotate about a substantially central vertical axis, one of the units (20a-20b) taking over alternately the position and function of the other unit (20a-20b) and viceversa, each coiling-uncoiling unit (20a-20b) being equipped with its own lead-in guide (26) and powered rolls (28), the powered rolls (28) being coplanar and positioned below the thin slab (12) and cooperating with a curvature-imparting roll (29), which can be moved from a position of cooperation with, and between the powered rolls (28) to an

Abstract: In a method of vacuum casting wherein when the molten metal previously introduced into a molten metal reservoir is fed into a cavity, the lowest head of the molten metal in the molten metal reservoir is held to be higher than the level of a sprue, so that the cycle time of casting may be shortened and the quality of cast products may be improved. To this end, the interior of the molten metal reservoir is held gas tight while the sprue is opened by a gate member of straight tubular shape.