Abstract: A cast metal railroad car wheel includes a hub section, a tread section, and an uninterrupted annular web extending between and supporting the tread section on the hub section. The web includes a disk-shaped surface that is continuously concave and that does not include a reversely curved portion. A V-process casting process casts railroad wheels using a vacuum-process casting mold with opposing halves each partially filled with unbonded sand and sand-retaining-plastic film and a vacuum application port and that, when positioned together with the unbonded sand held to shape by vacuum and the film, define a cavity shaped to form a railroad car wheel. The V-process includes feeding molten metal into the cavity, cooling the molten metal, and releasing a vacuum to cause the sand to fall away from the railroad car wheel.

Abstract: A cast metal railroad car wheel includes a hub section, a tread section, and an uninterrupted annular web extending between and supporting the tread section on the hub section. The web includes a disk-shaped surface that is continuously concave and that does not include a reversely curved portion. A V-process casting process casts railroad wheels using a vacuum-process casting mold with opposing halves each partially filled with unbonded sand and sand-retaining-plastic film and a vacuum application port and that, when positioned together with the unbonded sand held to shape by vacuum and the film, define a cavity shaped to form a railroad car wheel. The V-process includes feeding molten metal into the cavity, cooling the molten metal, and releasing a vacuum to cause the sand to fall away from the railroad car wheel.

Abstract: A core box having a core pattern and a self-contained mechanism for physically contacting a core, disposed within the pattern, and forcibly ejecting it from the pattern. The mechanism comprises a plurality of ejector pins which are movable into contact with the core by an inflatable bag disposed in the core box.