GB1426938A - Apparatus for compacting material - Google Patents

Abstract

1426938 Isostatic moulding GLEASON WORKS 5 Nov 1973 [5 Jan 1973] 51243/73 Heading B5A Isostatic moulding apparatus comprises a deformable mould 56, 58 supported in a pressure vessel 10 which also contains a system for applying fluid pressure to the walls of the mould to compact material therein, a closure member 54 for an opening in the pressure vessel, and means 64 passing through the closure for pressurizing the fluid in the system without the introduction of pressurized fluid into the vessel 10 from an external source. Two pressure vessels are mounted for rotation about an axis 16, Fig. 1, between a position 12 where moulded articles are removed by an extractor 26 and ferrous metal powder is fed into the mould by dispenser 24 and a position 10 disposed between two pressure resisting plates 18, 20. The chamber of each pressure vessel comprises a bore 50, Fig. 3, into the opposite ends of which are slidably sealed closure members 90 and 54 by means of high pressure seals 91 and 57. The member 90 supports inner and outer elastomeric moulds 56 and 58 by means of a ring 96 and a perforated sleeve 66, and a core 108 by means of plate 106 having peripheral grooves for passage of pressurized fluid from chamber 62 to the mould. After filling the mould the top is closed by a deformable plug 80 attached to a closure member 52. Then the pressure chamber 10 is placed between the plates 18, 20 and the closure member 52 is pushed down by ram 84 until a support member 86 can be slid into place between member 52 and the plate 18. The lower closure member 54 rests on a support platform 72 on the plate 20. Pressure is applied to the fluid in chamber 62 by a piston 64 in the closure member 54 being raised by operation of a multiplying piston 70 in the supports 20, 72. The closure members 54, 90 are forced outwardly by the pressure but are restrained by the pressure plates 18, 20. After compaction the mould is decompressed by lowering the piston 70 and applying pressurized fluid to the chamber 238 to act on flange 78 of piston 64 to assist in lowering it. The pressurized fluid is supplied by a reservoir 111, Fig. 1, containing gas under pressure over the fluid. A chamber in the centre of the piston 64 is connected through a hole 12 to the liquid in chamber 238 and through a valve 12 to the chamber 62 to permit pressure liquid to flow into the chamber 62 and replenish it during decompression of the liquid.