Abstract: In the mold-immersion type countergravity casting method, a resin-bonded particulate mold is formed in-situ in the vacuum chamber used to draw melt into the mold by: providing the chamber with a porous wall; positioning a gasifiable pattern in the chamber; embedding the pattern in a mass of mold-forming particulate containing a chemically curable precursor of the resin binder; and passing a curing gas through the porous wall and mass to cure the resin and unify the mass about the pattern. Thereafter, the mold is immersed in an underlying pool of molten metal and a vacuum drawn in the chamber to displace the pattern in the mold with metal.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for joining lead battery parts (e.g., plate lugs, intercell connectors, terminals, etc.) together via a low resistance electrical coupling wherein substantially oxide-free, arc-melted, superheated molten lead is cast into a cavity between the parts. The parts are shielded from the arc while being bathed in a non-oxidizing atmosphere which is preferably formed from an ionizable, non-oxidizing gas heated by the lead-melting arc and spewed onto the parts along with the molten lead to provide additional heat thereto.