Patents Examined by Kuang Y. Lin
  • Continuous casting method manufacturing thin cast strips and continuous casting machine
    Patent number: 6868895
    Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a plurality of coil-shaped thin cast strips while molten metal r is being supplied to the molten metal pool 3 formed by a pair of cooling drums 1, 1 and a pair of side dams, when a casting operation corresponding to one coil of the coil-shaped thin cast strip has been completed, gas is made to blow from the gas nozzles 7b toward the scum s floating on the molten metal, so that the scum s drifts, due to the gas flow to one meniscus m2, and the thus drifted scum is attached to a surface of the cast strip and circumferential faces of the cooling drums and is then discharged from the molten metal pool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Tadahiro Izu, Takashi Arai, Mamoru Yamada
  • Sand-forming apparatus
    Patent number: 6866083
    Abstract: A sand-forming apparatus (10) comprising a sand magazine (12), a manifold (14), a core box (16) defining a cavity (18), a clamp table (20), and a blow tube assembly (22). The apparatus (10) is convertible from a sand-blowing state to a catalyst-introducing state without removal of the blow tube assembly (22) and/or unclamping of the tool package (e.g., the manifold (14) and the cope/drag halves of the core box (16)). In the sand-blowing state, sand is blown from the magazine (12) into the cavity (18) and, in the catalyst-introducing state, the catalyst is introduced into the blown sand in the cavity (18) to solidify the sand into a sand-shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: Equipment Merchants International, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald B. Senk, Jr., Steven J. Sigl
  • Multiple casting apparatus and method
    Patent number: 6866087
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for pressure casting a battery part wherein an extendible piston includes sidewalls for shutting off the supply of molten lead and an impact surface that extends in a side-to-side condition to form an end surface of a battery part cavity so that when the extendible piston is brought into an intensifying condition the extendible piston shuts off further supply of molten metal while a heat source maintains the lead in a molten state as the impact surface of the piston forms a side-to-side mold cavity surface to complete the mold cavity surface thereby eliminating unevenness in the surface of the finished battery part by generating a force with the extendible piston which is sufficient to form a battery part so that upon removal from the mold the batter part is substantially free of tears and cracks as well as surface irregularities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: Water Gremlin Company
    Inventor: Robert W. Ratte
  • Method and means for producing moulded foam bodies
    Patent number: 6866084
    Abstract: Present invention relates to a method and means for producing moulded bodies of a metal foam (9), in particular an aluminium foam. The Method involves the use of mould (1) having a cavity (8) and at least one entrance opening (3). The mould id filled with a metal foam in a manner where the entrance opening of the mould is submerged into a metal melt (4) and the melt is caused to foam inside the mould (1) and fill its cavity (8).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: Cymat Corporation
    Inventors: Petter Åsholt, Gunnar Tokle
  • Mould for metal casting
    Patent number: 6863113
    Abstract: A process for forming a mould or a core for casting molten metal by machining (e.g. cutting or drilling) to the desired shape a bonded particulate refractory material wherein the shear strength of the refractory particles is less than the shear strength of the bonds between the particles. The preferred particulate is aluminosilicate microspherers (e.g. “flyash floaters”) and the binder is preferably based on silica (e.g. fumed silica/sodium hydroxide). The bonded particulate material is easily machined to form accurately dimensioned moulds or parts thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: Foseco International Limited
    Inventors: Emad El-Demallawy, Sasha Hamdy Radwan
  • Gating system
    Patent number: 6863114
    Abstract: A gating system for adding an alloying material to a molten base metal in immediate connection with a casting process. The gating system has a runner having an inlet whose cross-sectional area is throttled, a reaction chamber whose sectional area varies along the height of the reaction chamber as a function of the teeming rate, and a pressure and mixing chamber which is connected after the reaction chamber and provided with a partition. This results in a constant alloying material content of the metal being obtained at a varying teeming rate during the casting process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: Novacast AB
    Inventor: Rudolf Sillén
  • Acid activated clay for use in foundry sand
    Patent number: 6860319
    Abstract: A foundry sand binder formed by reacting a smectite clay containing exchangeable calcium ions with an acid to enhance the ability of the clay to bind sand in forming a metal casting sand mold. The acid-treated clay is an excellent sand binder for metal casting molds and produces cast metal parts having improved surface finish with the elimination or substantial reduction in carbonaceous, e.g., coal, foundry sand additive, while reducing VOC emissions from the foundry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2005
    Assignee: American Colloid Company
    Inventor: Don Eisenhour
  • Material melting device of metal injection molding machine
    Patent number: 6860316
    Abstract: A material melting device of metal injection molding machine comprises a main feeding cylinder; a plurality of preheating feed cylinders parallel arranged at a lateral side of a main feeding cylinder of a metal injection molding machine; a plurality of material outlets formed at a side of each preheating feed cylinder. The material outlets are communicated to the main feeding cylinder through the guide tubes. Thereby, an inner side of the preheating feed cylinder is pre-heated so as to get preheated grains by adjusting the preheating screw rods in the preheating feed cylinder. Moreover, the preheating feed cylinders can be replaced by feeding funnels and the guide tubes are replaced by heating pipes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2005
    Inventors: Chi Yin Wu, Hou Wang, Chirn Shun Hsn
  • Apparatus and method for the continuous or semi-continuous casting of aluminium
    Patent number: 6860318
    Abstract: Apparatus for the continuous or semi-continuous casting of molten aluminium to form an ingot in the mould (8) of a casting machine, including a launder (4), a casting mould and feed means (2) which is coupled to the launder and extends into the casting mould. The feed means is connected to the underside of a tundish (3), and the tundish is provided with an inlet member (10) for admitting molten aluminium from the launder (4) into the tundish. The tundish is also provided with pressure-reducing means (5) for lowering the absolute gas pressure in the part of the tundish which is above the molten aluminium admitted into the tundish.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2005
    Assignee: Corus Technology BV
    Inventors: Gabriël Julius Raoul Tahitu, Jean Pierre André Westerveld
  • Process for producing shaped metal parts
    Patent number: 6854506
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing shaped metal parts, in particular reduced-weight shaped parts made from metallic materials. In this process, a metal body with a surface which is closed on all sides and a hollow structure in the interior is placed into a die as a core and is then surrounded with a metal melt by casting. The surface region of the metal body has a mean density which is higher than the interior of the metal body by a factor of 1.5 to 20.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Goldschmidt AG
    Inventors: Wilfried Knott, Benno Niedermann, Manfred Recksik, Andreas Weier
  • Dummy bar for a continuous metal casting plant, particularly for a continuous casting plant for preliminary steel sections
    Patent number: 6854508
    Abstract: A dummy bar for a continuous metal casting plant, particularly for a continuous casting plant for preliminary steel sections, includes a one-piece head piece having dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of the mold cross-section and two rows of segments connected to the head piece. The two rows of segments extend parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction of the dummy bar and are spaced apart from each other by the width of the dummy bar. Flexible steel bands are mounted on each row of segments for connecting the segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: SMS Demag Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Adolf Zajber, Thomas Fest
  • Casting method and casting apparatus
    Patent number: 6848496
    Abstract: A casting apparatus for performing a casting while an oxide film formed on a surface of a molten metal is reduced by allowing the molten metal and a reducing compound to be contacted with each other, includes: a molding die having a cavity for receiving the molten metal, a sprue from which the molten metal is poured and a feeder head portion arranged between the sprue and the cavity. A difference of heat insulation is partially provided between the feeder head portion and the cavity such that the molten metal filled in the cavity and the feeder head portion is sequentially solidified in a direction of from a terminal portion of the cavity to the feeder head portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Nissin Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keisuke Ban, Akira Sunohara, Yasuhiro Sasaki, Koichi Ogiwara
  • Method of manufacturing a laminated rotor
    Patent number: 6848495
    Abstract: A method of assembling and manufacturing a laminated rotor is provided which uses laminations having a thin bridge thickness. Different techniques are provided for preventing the molten material used in the casting or injection molding operation from leaking or seeping between the laminations during casting. In one technique, the laminations are stacked and oriented in the conventional way, and then both axial and radial pressures are applied to the stacked laminations to hold the laminations in position for the casting process. In another technique, the laminations are formed or extruded with a lip or collar portion that fit in a countersunk portion of an adjacent lamination and forms a wall or barrier between the laminations to prevent the leakage of the molten material during the casting or injection molding operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Bristol Compressors, Inc.
    Inventors: Jerry D. Edwards, David T. Monk, John W. Tolbert
  • Wetting agent for infiltrated aluminum preforms
    Patent number: 6848494
    Abstract: A method for the manufacture of a three-dimensional object includes the steps of forming a mixture that contains a binder, a wetting agent, and a least one of aluminum or a first aluminum-base alloy into a green composite, removing the binder from said green composite forming a porous preform structure and infiltrating the porous preform structure with a molten second aluminum base alloy to form the three-dimensional object with near theoretical density. The wetting agent assists in wetting during infiltration. The green composite may be formed by an additive process such as computer aided rapid prototyping, for example selective laser sintering. The method facilitates the rapid manufacture of aluminum components by an inexpensive technique that provides high dimensional stability and high density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth J. Newell, Charles H. Zenuk
  • Reduction casting method
    Patent number: 6845808
    Abstract: A reduction casting method includes the steps of: allowing a metallic gas and a reactive gas to react with each other to generate a reducing compound; introducing the thus-generated reducing compound into a cavity of a molding die 11; and reducing an oxide film formed on a surface of a molten metal by the reducing compound to cast a cast product. The reduction casting method uses a non-reactive gas as a carrier gas when the metallic gas is introduced into the cavity, in which a flow quantity of the non-reactive gas is allowed to be from one sixth to twice that of the reactive gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Assignee: Nissin Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Keisuke Ban
  • Reinforced shell mold and method
    Patent number: 6845811
    Abstract: A method of making a ceramic shell mold comprises repeatedly coating a fugitive pattern of an article to be cast with a ceramic slurry layer and applying on the ceramic slurry layer a refractory stucco to form a plurality of ceramic slurry layers and stucco layers on the pattern wherein at least one of the stucco layers is formed by applying discontinuous stucco fiber bundles held together in the bundles by a fugitive binder, which is removed during subsequent firing of the shell mold at elevated temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Assignee: Howmet Research Corporation
    Inventors: Xi Yang, Boyd A. Mueller
  • Method and device for controlling stirring in a strand
    Patent number: 6843305
    Abstract: A method of controlling the flow of molten metal in non-solidified portions of a strand (3) during continuous casting, and a device for application of the method. The device comprises a two-phase or plural-phase stirrer (1) arranged around a mould (6) that is open in opposite ends and that surrounds the strand (3), said stirrer (1) being arranged to generate a moving magnetic field in the melt, and at least one magnetic flow-conducting body (15) being placed between an inner periphery of said stirrer (1) and the outer periphery of the mould (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: ABB Group Services Center, AB
    Inventors: Anders Lehman, Per Larsson
  • Method and apparatus for low pressure aluminum foam casting
    Patent number: 6840301
    Abstract: A method for casting an article composed of a foamed metal includes positioning a die with a die cavity above a bath of a molten metal and pressurizing the bath to cause the molten metal to fill the die cavity. A gas is then bubbled through the molten metal to form a foam. The foam is formed in the die cavity. Once the foam in the die cavity is solidified, the pressure in the bath is released and the formed article is removed. An apparatus for the method includes a die positioned above the bath, the die having a die cavity in fluid communication with the bath. The bath is provided with a pressurizing means and a venting means as well as a gas supply port for forming the foam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: Cymat Corp.
    Inventors: Scott Nichol, James K. Killingbeck, Richard G. Manely
  • Heating to control solidification of cast structure
    Patent number: 6837299
    Abstract: A method for the production of a cast component comprising the steps of: 1) providing a molten metal mass in a casting mold and exposing the casting mold to a cooling environment thereby creating a solidification interface between molten metal regions and solidified metal regions, and 2) applying at least one focused energy source either to a portion of the filled casting mold to control a temperature gradient near the solidification interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: Sky+Ltd.
    Inventors: Max Eric Schlienger, Nina Bergen French
  • Mold and method for producing a two-stroke engine casing of a radio control model
    Patent number: 6827122
    Abstract: A mold and method for producing a two-stroke engine casing of a radio control model are to define a core cavity and a main cavity in the mold. A first core has a first end inserted into the mold and the core cavity is defined around the first end of the first core for forming a core and simplifying the manufacturing processes. The first core with the core is inserted into the main cavity to from the cylinder of the engine and the blocks of the core define grooves in the inner periphery of the cylinder of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Assignee: Thunder Tiger Corporation
    Inventor: Aling Lai