Abstract: A molten metal feed tip for a continuous caster for aluminum or the like is made by forming a slurry of refractory fibers in an aqueous solution containing a dispersion of colloidal silica. Liquid is extracted from the slurry to form a flexible felt blanket of refractory fibers which is then compressed in a closed die cavity having the desired geometry of one moiety of the molten metal feed tip. The felt blanket is heated in the closed die cavity to a sufficient temperature to extract water from solution remaining in the blanket to form one rigid moiety of the feed tip. Two such moieties are assembled to form a feed tip having a molten metal feed gap therebetween. The feed tip tapers towards the downstream edges which are compressed to a higher density than the upstream portion of the feed tip. The downstream edges have a greater thermal conductivity than the thermal conductivity of the upstream portion.

Abstract: In order to cool the jet coming from a crucible and then the wire as it starts solidifying, there is used a gaseous cooling fluid mixture having a base of gaseous hydrogen and at least one other component which is a compound of hydrogen capable of an endothermic chemical reaction in contact with the jet (wire) and of a chemical composition such that the product or products of this reaction have a high molecular content (mol %) of free hydrogen.

Abstract: An aluminum wire feeder consisting of a flexible conduit and positioning tube are connected to a removable shroud by a tube holder. A feed mechanism provides a continuous source of aluminum wire for feeding the same to a continuous casting mold, only during shrouding conditions.

Abstract: A chuck for a rotary tool includes a body having a cylindrical bore for receiving the shank of a work performing member. A sleeve surrounds the body and forms an annular space in which is disposed a pair of opposed jaws which extend through opposed slots in the body for forcibly engaging the shank. The jaws each include an integral lever and an outer edge forming a fulcrum about which the levers are pivoted to force the jaws into engagement with the shank. A nut with a conical cam surface is threadedly disposed on the body and engages the levers in response to manual turning of the nut to clamp or release the shank.

Abstract: An oscillating cooled mold assembly for the continuous, high-speed casting of metallic strands or rods, especially upcasting strands or rods of copper alloys such as brass, has a hollow die in fluid communication with a melt typically held in a casting furnace. A cooler body surrounds the die in a tight-fitting relationship to form a solidification front in the melt as it advances through the casting zone of the die. The strand or rod formed from the solidified melt is pulled through the die while the mold oscillates in a direction substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the rod.

Abstract: Improvement in apparatus for making metal filament by depositing a stream of molten metal onto the inner surface of an annular chill roll as it is being rotated includes provision of a rotatably mounted annular chill roll having an inner surface substantially parallel to its axis of rotation, and means for stripping the metal filament from the inner surface of the chill roll and for guiding the stripped metal filament away from the chill roll.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing a metal ribbon has a rotary roll. Molten metal is poured from a heated nozzle onto the outer peripheral surface of the roll to form a solidified metal ribbon on the roll surface. To facilitate easy separation of the metal ribbon from the roll surface, a jet of a non-oxidizing gas is directed to the point of separation of the ribbon from the roll surface. The roll surface just upstream of the metal-pouring nozzle is enclosed by a cover the inside of which is evacuated to assure intimate contact of the poured metal with the roll surface and thus improve cooling of the poured metal. A heater is provided in the cover to heat the roll surface just upstream of the metal-pouring nozzle for thereby removing dew droplets and ambient gases from the roll surface whereby the formation of depressions or recesses in the roll-containing ribbon surface is prevented.

Abstract: A vertical, open-ended ingot mold assembly including a mold stool having a relieved portion machined in its base which machined relieved portion has a cavity therein produced by erosion during casting. The useful life of the mold stool is prolonged by providing a quantity of metal particles to fill the cavity and having a plate positioned over the cavity and metal particles, which plate is secured within the cavity by a ring that is within the relieved portion of the mold stool. This ring protects the periphery of the machined relieved portion from erosion during casting and also prevents the plate and metal particles from mingling with the cast metal. For each successive casting operation, the eroded cavity is filled with metal particles and a new plate is positioned thereover. Alternately, the use of metal particles may be avoided by using only a plate of a thickness sufficient to protect the remainder of the mold stool from erosion.

Abstract: A permanent mold for gravity casting of light alloy cylinder heads comprising a base, a pair of lower platens slidably mounted on the base for movement horizontally toward and away from one another cooperating to define a mold cavity when they are in position adjacent one another, and a tiltable upper platen hinged on each lower platen and movable from a position adjacent and overlying a portion of the platen to a position above the platen. A top core support is adapted to be moved into position on the mold when the lower platens are adjacent one another and the upper platens are pivoted downwardly onto the lower platens. A plurality of inserts are adjustably supported on the top core support and extend downwardly to form corresponding cylinder openings in the casting.

Abstract: A chuck has a chuck body formed centered on the chuck axis with an annular array of outwardly directed teeth. A plurality of generally angularly equispaced and radially displaceable jaws on the body can be displaced toward and away from each other by means of a tightening sleeve which is rotatable on the chuck body about the chuck axis. A ratchet pawl is pivoted on this sleeve and has an end engageable with the teeth in a direction so as only to allow rotation of the sleeve and chuck relative to each other in a direction moving the jaws toward each other. A spring is braced between this pawl and the sleeve and urges the sleeve into radial engagement with the teeth. A release ring can be rotated relative to the chuck body between a holding position which allows the spring to press the end of the pawl against the teeth and a releasing position which holds the end of the pawl out of engagement with these teeth.

Abstract: The disclosed continuous casting mold is especially constructed for use with a vaporizable coolant which is nonreactive with the molten metal being cast or the mold itself and includes an inner mold body having a longitudinal solidification chamber therethrough, an intermediate mold body surrounding and spaced from the inner mold body to define an annular cooling chamber therebetween and an outer mold body surrounding and spaced from the intermediate mold body to define an annular manifold chamber therebetween. Coolant access means associated typically with the outer mold body provides entry for coolant into the manifold chamber.

Abstract: A casting wheel for a continuous casting machine of the wheel-and-belt type is provided with at least one annular member defining one of the lateral walls of the casting groove. The annular member is secured to one of the support flanges of the casting ring preferably by interposition of a gauged annular distance piece, this piece having each time an axial length such as to obtain, when added to the annular member, the desired groove width. The casting wheel is particularly suitable for casting aluminum strips. Substitution of a gauged annular distance piece with another having a different axial length allows the width of the cast strips to be varied without substituting the whole casting ring.

Abstract: A bale bagging apparatus for placing a bag having an open end and a closed end over an elongated bale transported transversely along a conveyor, the apparatus having a stop reciprocable toward and from the bale to retain the bale at a bagging station along the conveyor; an open ended sleeve adapted to receive the bag externally and to telescope over the bale, the sleeve reciprocating in a path which is normal to the conveyor and extends across the station from a bag receiving position to a stripped position; and elements for stopping movement of the bale along the conveyor when the bale is aligned with the sleeve, so that a stroke of the sleeve from the receiving position into the stripped position strips the bag from the sleeve over the bale.

Abstract: A spiral wrapping apparatus provided with a mechanical closure device is used to tie the leading and trailing edges of a film web which have been overwrapped around a plurality of vertically stacked units to form a unitary package. The leading edge of material from the film dispenser is held by a clamp mechanism to a turntable. As the turntable is rotated to wrap the load, the wrapping material is stretched and the trailing end of the material is formed into a rope-like configuration which is carried on the mechanical closure device to a position adjacent the clamped leading end of material with the leading and trailing ends then being tied together.

Abstract: A method of monitoring the mold geometry during the continuous casting of billets and blooms formed of steel. During the progress of the continuous casting operation there is measured the actual value of the withdrawal of heat at the continuous casting mold and this value is compared with a set or reference value. In the presence of a deviation exceeding a predetermined magnitude there is determined a damaging mold geometry.

Abstract: In casting of a cast-iron ingot mould in a sand mould, it is proposed to inject air into the moulding sand adjacent the lower end of the ingot mould, after the ingot mould surface has solidified. The injected air causes conversion of the perlite at the interior surface of the ingot mould into ferrite. This improves the resistance of this surface region to corrosion during casting of ingots in the ingot mould, thus prolonging the life of the ingot mould.

Abstract: A casting plant comprises a pressure ladle and a small-capacity tilting ladle to regulate the filling of molds making up a casting line and successively moving to a position beneath the tilting ladle. The control system comprises two servo loops. One servo loop includes sensors acting upon a motor to control the angular position of the tilting ladle so that the level of metal in the pouring gate of the mold remains constant during the pouring operation. During this time, an optical sensor, an angular-position sensor, and a pressure sensor included in the other servo loop supply input data which are processed to supply a signal acting upon a valve in a gas line feeding the pressure ladle. This valve regulates the flow of molten metal from the pressure ladle to the tilting ladle so that the quantity of metal contained in the tilting ladle remains substantially constant.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is a method for increasing the width of a cast piece during continuous operation. The method comprises stopping pouring a molten metal into a mold, inserting a frame including a pair of opposite side plate members into the mold so that the lower ends of the members are dipped in the molten metal, pouring the molten metal into a cavity defined by said frame, and withdrawing the cast piece together with said frame to obtain a cast piece having a desired width.

Abstract: An intermittently moving gondola-type conveyor for handling pallet-supported foundry sand molds includes stations along the curvilinear path of said conveyor where(1) each freshly made mold is invested with a weighted jacket;(2) each jacketed mold is moved to a position to receive molten metal;(3) each of said metal-filled molds is moved through a cooling zone;(4) at the end of said cooling zone, the weighted jacket is removed and transferred to an on-coming freshly made mold, and(5) said cooled metal casting and its surrounding unjacketed sand mold is subsequently discharged said conveyor; each gondola being movably suspended from an overhead curvilinear post-supported upper track, and stabilized against lateral swinging by movable attachments to a lower parallel track also supported by the vertical posts.

Abstract: A cooling jacket for an ingot mold for the continuous casting of metal comprises a tubular element and a grid of stiffening ribs projecting from the outer surface of the tubular element, in which the grid is provided at the intersection of the stiffening ribs with openings or bores which pass also through the tubular element for the passage of fastening elements in form of tie rods therethrough by which an inner tube for the passage of the metal to be cast can be fastened to the cooling jacket with radial clearance. The upright ingot mold in which the cooling jacket is used and which is especially employed for the casting of steel, includes, besides the cooling jacket and the inner tube, an outer shell surrounding the cooling jacket with considerable clearance. The outer shell is closed by plates at opposite ends to which opposite ends of the inner tube are respectively fastened and these plates are provided with openings aligned with the opposite open ends of the inner tube.