Axially Progressive Casting Patents (Class 164/117)
  • Patent number: 8967231
    Abstract: Herein disclosed is a centrifugally cast pole having a substantially uniform wall thickness along the long axis of the pole. During centrifugal casting, molten metal is poured inside a rotating, tapered mold. As chilled liquid is poured over the outside of the rotating mold, the metal forms, or paints, to the contour of the mold interior creating a metal pole. By precisely controlling casting gyrations such as the spin, travel, pitch, and yaw of the rotating mold and the calibration and physical mechanisms of the casting machine, hollow, tapered, tubular metal poles are produced with previously unknown uniformity of wall thickness. The controlling principles, designs, and mechanisms of this centrifugal casting method enable wall uniformity to extremely high tolerances. By extension, the ability to precisely control the metal volume painted inside the mold allows, as a design choice, wall thickness variation in any embodiment if so desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Inventor: Tom W. Waugh
  • Patent number: 8960263
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for centrifugal casting, in which transfer functions are developed relating the fluidity of molten metal, for example iron of varying composition, to casting machine movement for a particular mold in order to cast objects, for example pipe, having desired and uniform characteristics, including wall thickness. Fluidity is calculated for each pour of molten metal based on the measured pour temperature and measured liquidus arrest temperature. A drive system controlled by a programmable logic controller moves the casting machine in accordance with the output of the transfer functions based on the calculated fluidity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: United States Pipe and Foundry Company, LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth J Watts, Terry M Wood
  • Patent number: 8910699
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for centrifugal casting, in which transfer functions are developed relating the fluidity of molten metal, for example iron of varying composition, to casting machine movement for a particular mold in order to cast objects, for example pipe, having desired and uniform characteristics, including wall thickness. Fluidity is calculated for each pour of molten metal based on the measured pour temperature and measured liquidus arrest temperature. A drive system controlled by a programmable logic controller moves the casting machine in accordance with the output of the transfer functions based on the calculated fluidity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: United States Pipe and Foundry Company, LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth J Watts, Terry M Wood
  • Patent number: 8733424
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for centrifugal casting, in which transfer functions are developed relating the fluidity of molten metal, for example iron of varying composition, to casting machine movement for a particular mold in order to cast objects, for example pipe, having desired and uniform characteristics, including wall thickness. Fluidity is calculated for each pour of molten metal based on the measured pour temperature and measured liquidus arrest temperature. A drive system controlled by a programmable logic controller moves the casting machine in accordance with the output of the transfer functions based on the calculated fluidity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: United States Pipe and Foundry Company, LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth J. Watts, Terry M. Wood
  • Publication number: 20120048429
    Abstract: Herein disclosed is a centrifugally cast pole having a substantially uniform wall thickness along the long axis of the pole. During centrifugal casting, molten metal is poured inside a rotating, tapered mold. As chilled liquid is poured over the outside of the rotating mold, the metal forms, or paints, to the contour of the mold interior creating a metal pole. By precisely controlling casting gyrations such as the spin, travel, pitch, and yaw of the rotating mold and the calibration and physical mechanisms of the casting machine, hollow, tapered, tubular metal poles are produced with previously unknown uniformity of wall thickness. The controlling principles, designs, and mechanisms of this centrifugal casting method enable wall uniformity to extremely high tolerances. By extension, the ability to precisely control the metal volume painted inside the mold allows, as a design choice, wall thickness variation in any embodiment if so desired.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Inventor: Tom W. WAUGH
  • Publication number: 20080023172
    Abstract: Herein disclosed is a centrifugally cast pole having a substantially uniform wall thickness along the long axis of the pole. During centrifugal casting, molten metal is poured inside a rotating, tapered mold. As chilled liquid is poured over the outside of the rotating mold, the metal forms, or paints, to the contour of the mold interior creating a metal pole. By precisely controlling casting gyrations such as the spin, travel, pitch, and yaw of the rotating mold and the calibration and physical mechanisms of the casting machine, hollow, tapered, tubular metal poles are produced with previously unknown uniformity of wall thickness. The controlling principles, designs, and mechanisms of this centrifugal casting method enable wall uniformity to extremely high tolerances. By extension, the ability to precisely control the metal volume painted inside the mold allows, as a design choice, wall thickness variation in any embodiment if so desired.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2006
    Publication date: January 31, 2008
    Inventor: Tom W. Waugh
  • Patent number: 6634413
    Abstract: Methods for making various nickel based superalloys into engineering components such as rings, tubes and pipes by melting of the alloys in a vacuum or under a low partial pressure of inert gas and subsequent centrifugal casting of the melt in the graphite molds rotating along its own axis under vacuum or low partial pressure of inert gas are provided. The molds have been fabricated by machining high density, high strength ultrafine grained isotropic graphite, wherein the graphite has been made by isostatic pressing or vibrational molding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Santoku America, Inc.
    Inventors: Ranjan Ray, Donald W. Scott
  • Patent number: 5725042
    Abstract: The segregation in the hydrogen-absorbing alloy is decreased by a centrifugal casting which is devised in the present invention so that: a melt fed to the bottom portion of a cylindrical rotary mold solidifies during one rotation of the mold; and, the average depositing speed of melt is from approximately 0.005 to 0.1 cm/second.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1998
    Assignee: Showa Denko K.K.
    Inventors: Yoichi Hirose, Shiro Sasaki, Hiroshi Hasegawa, Uremu Hosono, Masahide Utsunomiya
  • Patent number: 4830084
    Abstract: Apparatus for the production of a metal article comprises means for maintaining a reservoir of molten metal with a free surface, means for rotating the free surface of the reservoir about an axis such that the molten metal is atomized and thrown outwardly away from the said surface by centrifugal action, and a substrate in the path of the atomized particles of said molten metal, whereby a solid article may be built up on the substrate by solidifying the atomized particles thereon. The molten metal may be produced by melting an electrode or otherwise.An annular solid metal article is disclosed having excellent mechanical properties. The solid metal article is produced in a single step by a spray deposition process. Molten metal is centrifugally atomized to splat and build up on a cooled mold surface disposed around the centrifuge means. Controlled relative reciprocatory movement in the direction of the rotational axis of the centrifuge is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1989
    Inventor: Alfred R. E. Singer
  • Patent number: 4385928
    Abstract: Herein is disclosed a method for agglomerating finely-divided particulate material of the types found in flue dusts from electric steel-making furnaces and the like, comprising introducing the dry flue dust together with about 8 to 12 percent by weight of a suitable binder such as water into the inlet end of a screw conveying device so configured and operated as to provide for a retention time for the mixture of binder and particulate material in progressing from the inlet to the outlet of about 15 to 60 seconds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1981
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1983
    Assignee: Lukens, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert E. Clevely
  • Patent number: 4316495
    Abstract: In a centrifugal casting apparatus, the rate of flow of molten iron poured into the mold is controlled by varying the inclination of the feed channel. In particular, at the end of the casting operation, the supply of liquid to the feed channel is cut off and the upstream end of the feed channel is progressively raised. This can be controlled automatically by a cast iron level detector adjacent the pouring spout. In this manner, localized thickness defects in a series of pipes can be corrected. Furthermore, pipes of constant thickness throughout their length can be provided without the need to vary the translational speed of the feed channel or vary the rate of pivoting of the ladle of molten liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1980
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1982
    Assignee: Pont-a-Mousson S.A.
    Inventor: Michel Pierrel
  • Patent number: 4194554
    Abstract: This process for manufacturing spheroidal graphite cast iron pipes by centrifugal casting has the feature that the rate of the cooling of the liquid iron just centrifugally cast in a tubular layer is increased from a zone of the layer spaced away from the mould to the free inner surface of this tubular layer while the cooling of the liquid iron in the vicinity of the surface of the mould is slowed down.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1979
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1980
    Assignee: Pont-A-Mousson S.A.
    Inventor: Michel Pierrel
  • Patent number: 4098462
    Abstract: An applicator nozzle for applying a coating solution onto the molding surface of a metal mold for use in centrifugal casting. The applicator nozzle mounted on an applicator lance is provided, at its one end facing the molding surface, with a plurality of small nozzle openings which are arranged at a predetermined pitch to each other in the direction of movement of the lance into the metal mold, through which nozzle openings, a solution of coating material is emitted in solid rod-like form in such an amount as to be sufficient to complete mold coating in one way of the nozzle into the metal mold, thus producing mold coating free from an undesirable spiral pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1977
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1978
    Assignee: Kubota, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Izaki
  • Patent number: 4058153
    Abstract: This process for manufacturing spheroidal graphite cast iron pipes by centrifugal casting has the feature that the rate of the cooling of the liquid iron just centrifugally cast in a tubular layer is increased from a zone of the layer spaced away from the mould to the free inner surface of this tubular layer while the cooling of the liquid iron in the vicinity of the surface of the mould is slowed down.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1975
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1977
    Assignee: Pont-A-Mousson S.A.
    Inventor: Michel Pierrel
  • Patent number: 4036279
    Abstract: A pouring chute is positioned with its discharge end disposed within an elongated hollow casting mold which is rotatably supported on a plurality of rollers. A molten metal is poured from a ladle into a receiving end of the pouring chute while the casting mold is rotating. A treating agent in wire form is fed by a wire feed mechanism along a guide member positioned adjacent the pouring chute and into the stream of molten metal flowing through the pouring chute adjacent the discharge end thereof for meltably intermixing with the molten metal. The wire feed mechanism and hence the feed rate of the wire is controlled in direct proportion to the flow rate of the molten metal through the pouring chute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1976
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1977
    Assignee: Caterpillar Tractor Co.
    Inventor: John R. Nieman