Abstract: A method for casting steel ingots in molds is provided wherein the upper surface of the ingot is caused to solidify before the interior of the ingot is solidified in order to provide an improved ingot having sound and homogeneous material over all the surfaces of the ingot and a good distribution of segregates throughout the cross section of the ingot. In the improved method, the surface temperature of the upper surface of the ingots is maintained at or near the liquidus temperature of the steel being casted for at least 10 seconds after casting so that the upper surface of the ingot remains fluid to allow slag inclusions to float to the upper surface of the ingot. The upper surface of the ingot is then solidified between 10 seconds and 2 minutes after casting by lowering the surface temperature of the ingot to a temperature at or near the solidus temperature of the steel so that the upper surface of the ingot solidifies before the interior of the ingot is solidified.

Abstract: A bracket and method for releasably holding two concrete form walls, the bracket having a horizontal crosspiece with downwardly projecting legs at each end. The legs cooperate with flange means to embrace the form walls to resist lateral movement of the form walls before and while concrete is poured into the space created between the form walls. The bracket includes means to hold (1) the crosspiece above the concrete, (2) the form walls vertically, and (3) the form walls above the ground surface to establish the grade of the form walls.

Abstract: A lathe is designed to accommodate a variety of machining operations, and provide automatic feed and accuracy of alignment at a minimum of cost. The preferred form of the machine is adapted to function either as bench lathe with its own speed-reducer, or in conjunction with a base machine providing support and power at variable rotational speeds.

Abstract: A portable apparatus for forming individual or multiple reinforced concrete, hollow core units of a modular building structure in interconnected side by side and/or high rise relationship which apparatus may be sufficiently collapsed to allow for easy removal from the formed and cured hollow core unit to again be used to form additional subsequent, interconnected, hollow core units of the building structure.

Abstract: An improved reinforcing material for concrete is manufactured by causing molten steel to impinge upon a relatively cold metal surface of great cooling capacity, moving rapidly substantially across the direction of delivery of the molten steel, to form at least one discrete relatively thin flake-shaped layer of molten steel on the metal surface, causing the layer to solidify on said metal surface to form a steel flake, and mutually adjusting the parameters which determine the shape and the dimensions of the steel flakes so as to give the flakes a shape tapering towards the ends of the flake and a thickness of about 0.1 mm to about 0.5 mm, a maximum width of at least about ten times the thickness but at least about 2 mm, and a length of at least about 100 times the thickness.

Abstract: A system for centrifugal casting of induction melted metal includes a crucible and a porous mold secured to a casting arm. The casting arm is secured to a hollow rotatable shaft which includes two separate fluid channels extending axially therethrough. The shaft is supported on a rotary valve which provides separate flow communication with each flow channel. One flow channel provides pressurized argon to the crucible to prevent oxide formation during casting. The other channel provides a vacuum to the exterior of the mold to draw gasses out of the metal, aid in the argon flow into the mold, and to augment the centrifugal flow of the molten metal into the mold.

Abstract: A pressure die-casting block wherein two block halves are assembled together along a parting plane to provide an internal cavity. One of the block halves is provided with a venting valve the port of which opens into the parting plane to thus communicate with the cavity. In the assembled condition of the block an end face of the venting valve abuts an end face of the other half block and means are provided whereby these two abutting faces bear upon one another with a force additional to the force holding the two half blocks together.

Abstract: Apparatus for molding, for example, a seamless brake drum female mold having a plurality of radially inwardly extending grooves and ridges. The apparatus includes a generally hollow one-piece distensible and flexible hollow male mold having an annular side wall having a plurality of radially extending projections and undercuts and includes an outer core box positioned around the flexible mold and defining an annular cavity with it. The apparatus further comprises a packing mandrel for supporting the hollow flexible mold while mold material is packed around it and a vacuum mandrel to be inserted within the flexible mold to cause the collapse of the flexible mold so that the molded article can be lifted off the flexible mold despite the radially extending projections.

Abstract: A device for restoring the mechanical properties of the metal band used for closing the mould in the wheel of a machine for the continuous casting of liquid metal comprises a plurality of planishing rollers arranged with their axes parallel to the axis of the casting wheel and to bear against opposite faces of the band in a region in which the band is not in contact with the wheel, the rollers being spaced apart in the direction of movement of the band therebetween so that they are not opposite one another.

Abstract: The embodiment of the invention disclosed herein is directed to a curber and sidewalk-forming apparatus for contouring concrete along a predetermined run. The apparatus includes a hopper having at least one wall thereof sloping downwardly toward an opening formed in the bottom of the hopper which coincides with an opening formed in a slide plate surface at the bottom of the machine. Flowable concrete passes from the hopper through the opening in the slide plate and is directed rearwardly of the apparatus while the apparatus is transported in a predetermined direction along its run. A vibrating apparatus is secured to one of the walls of the hopper to insure proper flow of the concrete along the interior surface of the hopper so that the concrete continuously flows beneath the apparatus for forming curbs, gutters and sidewalks. A motor generator set is secured to the slide plate and produces electricity to operate electrical motors of the vibrator and winch secured thereto.

Abstract: In a method of producing homogenous ingots of high-melting, nitrogen-containing alloys, whose nitrogen contents are above the solubility limit at atmospheric pressure, according to the electric slag remelting process and using a pressure above atmospheric, a composite electrode consisting of at least one core made of a nitrogen-containing alloy and a jacket made of a nitrogen-containing alloy is used, wherein one of the nitrogen contents is higher and the other one is lower than that of the ingot to be produced.

Abstract: The surface of a mouldable material such as wet cement is shaped to a desired configuration by a profile forming device moved longitudinally relative to the material and rotated about an axis transverse to the direction of bodily movement. The profile forming device is eccentrically mounted or otherwise shaped to produce cyclic variation in level in the longitudinal direction and has a variable configuration along its length to provide a transverse variation in level of the surface. The profile forming device is driven at a speed to cause rubbing over the surface. It may also be moved bodily in a cyclic manner in the direction of its axis and/or away from and towards the surface.

Abstract: A static mold vent comprising a bore extending through a mold wall with a cylindrical inner portion opening at a cavity surface in the mold and a threaded outer portion opening at an exterior surface of the mold, a plug with a threaded outer portion engaged in the threaded portion of the bore and cylindrical inner portion projecting inwardly through the inner portion of the bore and cooperating therewith to define an air conducting annulus opening at said cavity surface, air bleed means in the plug communicating between the outer end thereof and the outer end of the annulus and tool engaging means engageable at the rear end of the plugs.

Abstract: A die mold is disclosed for the manufacture of crate like containers having lateral walls at least the upper portion of which are double-walled to provide substantial stability to the container and strength to the container walls. The die mold includes a base plate, lateral wedges which move upwardly and downwardly at an angle to the vertical during opening and closing of the mold, and slider means which are positioned on the lateral wedges and are movable with respect to the lateral wedges in a reciprocal direction relative to the walls of the containers formed by the die mold. Holding means is provided for holding the slider means in the same position relative to the container during mold opening, and control means are provided to permit the slider means to move back from the container walls after the container has been moved a predetermined distance away from the base plate.

Abstract: In continuous blow molding machinery employing a series of carriers successively traversing a closed path between preform loading, molding and molded article eject stations, an upwardly inclined removal ramp in the path of underblown parts but clear of the carriers is provided between the molding and loading stations for automatically removing such parts from the carriers. The method involves continuously stripping such parts before the loading station by elevating them relative to a rod portion of the carrier via interfering engagement with such ramp.

Abstract: A method of applying a refractory coating or facing to a ferrous metal substrate that is in the form of a finished article, such as that of a piston seal or the like, and that has sections of such small dimensions as to be easily distorted by heat. The method includes an induction heating step carried out under conditions so controlled as to effect a bond of greatly improved strength in shear between the coating and substrate without, however, causing heat distortion of even the small dimensioned sections beyond functionally permissible limits. An agent capable of effecting diffusion bonding, such as free nickel, or an alloy or mixtures containing free nickel or an equivalent bonding element, is made available at the interface in the coating and substrate to facilitate the obtaining of such greatly improved bond as a result of the induction heating step. The bond obtained is in excess of 10,000 psi in shear and generally equal to or in excess of the tensile strength of the refractory coating.

Abstract: A connector block molded of glass-filled thermo-plastic includes an integral gate extending along the ends of a row of cavities. The gate is connected to the block by a hinge portion having opposed resin rich surface layers and a rigid glass fiber-resin composite between the layers. Upon movement of the gate toward a position where it closes the adjacent ends of the cavities, one resin layer and the composite in the hinged portion break permitting retention of the gate about the remaining flexible layer to close the ends of the cavities.

Abstract: Composites consisting of sintered tungsten carbide particles in a local matrix of a steel alloy having a carbon, cobalt and tungsten content are prepared by placing particles of tungsten carbide with cobalt binder, at least some of which are larger in size than those desired in the final composite in a mold. Matrixing alloy having little or no tungsten content is heated above its melting temperature and then poured into the relatively cold mold. The carbon, tungsten and cobalt dissolve at the outer surfaces of the particles and diffuse into the alloy which is allowed to naturally cool and solidify.

Abstract: A method of affixing surface enlarging, transversally corrugated metal strips to elongate metal basic profiles which are advanced in the direction of their longitudinal axes while simultaneously being joined by a joining compound to the wave crests on one side of the corrugated metal strips.

Abstract: The oxygen content in a continuous casting mold atmosphere may be minimized by use of a gas shroud with tubular members having the following area relationship: ##EQU1##