GB2024069A - Wheel casting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A foundry plant for producing railway wheels has two pouring tanks at a pouring station to allow uninterrupted filling of moulds by upward pressure casting, and a conveyor system downstream of the pouring station which allows for vertical movement of differently sized wheels. Cleaning, heat-treatment, fettling, ultrasonic testing are among processes which can be carried out on the wheels in the plant.

Description

SPECIFICATION Wheel casting apparatus The present invention relates to metal founding and more particularly to the physical arrangement and method of operating of a foundry.

The present invention represents certain improvements and refinements over the "Apparatus for Making Castings" disclosed in U.S.

Patent No. 2,999,281, assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

The apparatus disclosed in U.S. Patent No.

2,999,281 makes use of a single pouring tank. When empty, the ladle is required to be removed and refilled. As a result, the pouring operation must be stopped during the removal and refilling of the ladle.

Further, the conveyor system for the transport of the castings disclosed throughout the prior patent makes use of horizontally placed roller conveyors. This type of conveyor system presents certain difficulties in the transport of castings of varying diameters.

Finally, the casting processing system shown in the prior patent discloses a single conveyor system where the castings are passed through a single inspection station.

This can lead to delays and backlogs in the casting inspection operation.

It therefore is a primary object of the present invention to provide an arrangement for the production of metal castings.

It is a particular object of the present invention to provide a casting arrangement with a very short delay upon the emptying of one pouring tank and the substitution of a filled pouring tank.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a casting arrangement capable of producing and handling castings of varying diameters easily and safely.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a casting arrangement wherein the processing of the completed castings is more efficiently accomplished due to the presence of a plurality of grinding apparatus and multiple inspection stations.

Summary of the Invention The present invention provides an arrangement for the production of metal castings by forcing molten metal into permanent molds each comprising cope and drag sections. The arrangement includes a pouring station for producing the castings, the pouring station being adapted for the alternate acceptance of either of two pouring tanks. A conveyor circuit is provided for transporting the castings through several processing stations. Another conveyor is provided for transporting the drag sections through several processing stations.

Another conveyor is provided for transporting the cope sections through a plurality of processing stations. The pouring station is so disposed as to form a common part of all three conveyors.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure la is a diagrammatic plan view of a portion of a foundry plant embodying features of the present invention, approximately onethird of the plant being shown in this view, and Figs. 1 b and 1 c are views similar to Fig.

1 a, but show other portions of the plant not shown in Fig. 1a; Figs. 1a, 1b and 1c are intended to be read as a single combined figure along the lines X-X and Y-Y of the respective figures.

Detailed Description of a Preferred Embodiment Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that a foundry plant embodying the features of the present invention comprises three contiguous sections or divisions: the melting furnace room, the molding room, and the finishing room, which are illustrated in Figs. 1 a, 1 b and 1 c, respectively.

Although the details of the pouring structure and molds are not shown, as they do not form a part of this invention, it should be understood that the foundry plant to which this invention pertains is one adapted for pressure casting operations of the type disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 2,847,739, granted August 19, 1 958 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. In this type of casting operation, molten steel is forced upwardly against the force of gravity by the application of fluid pressure thereagainst from a ladle, disposed within a pressure tank or container, through a ceramic pouring tube mounted within the cover of the container into a bottom ingate of a mold disposed above the container and comprising cope and drag sections preferably formed of graphite.The cope section is provided with separately baked riser liners and also with a stopped assembly operable to close the ingate at the end of each pouring operation.

The essential features of this invention are the provisions for the pouring process and the arrangement of processing stations for the separate mold sections and for the molded castings.

As the casting process begins with the melting of scrap metal for the heat, the melting furnace room as seen in Fig. 1a will be described first.

The primary consideration with the location of the melting furnce room and its facilities is that the melting furnaces 10, preferably three in number, are located adjacent and in alignment, longitudinally of the plant, with the area of pouring, referred to as the pouring station 20. Each furnace has a spout 1 2.

Furnaces 10 are preferably mounted so that the furnace doors are accessible from ground level 11 and so that the foundation of the furnaces are accessible from the foundation level 1 3 itself.

Although the melting furnace room of the plant includes numerous subdivisions such as the laboratory and other subsections (not shown on the drawings), the subsection shown on the Drawing la is the scrap bin area indicated generally at 2, which is disposed on the opposite side of the melting furnaces from the pouring station 20 and in longitudinal alignment with the melting furnaces 10 so as to afford accessibility for a pair of traveling bridge cranes 4 and 14 on a common track 6 to all three stations or subsections of the plant, namely, the furnace area 8 and the pouring area 34 to a point slightly past the tube holding furnaces 26.

The charge is transported from the scrap storage bins 2 to charging scale 5, and then to the melting furnaces 10 by crane 4.

The furnaces 10, preferably three in number, are each preferably of twenty-five ton (22.5 metric ton) capacity and will supply a heat sufficient to pour approximately 40 castings of at least 815 pounds (370 kg.) each.

In this example, the castings to be poured are railway car wheels and the plant is designed to produce approximately 335 wheels per eight hour shift, or 1,005 castings per twentyfour hour working day. As the melting time of each furnace is approximately one and onehalf hours and the cycle of operation of the mold processing operation, hereinafter described in detail, is approximately 40 complete molds at the rate of one per minute, by alternating the heats from the three furnaces, it will be seen that in less than one hour one of the furnaces will produce a heat sufficient to form 40 castings or one complete cycle with respect to the processing of complete molds.

Referring now to Fig. 1 b of the drawings, it will be seen that a tube processing area 25 is located immediately adjacent and to the left of pouring station 20. This area includes tube processing area 25, which includes tube repairing area 27 and tube preheating area 29.

Preheating area 29 contains three tube preheating furnaces 28, each capable of holding three tubes. Area 29 also contains two tube holding furnaces 26, each capable of holding one cover-tube assembly. Tube preheating furnaces 28 are used in heating the ceramic pouring tubes used in the pouring operation.

This insures the availability of hot tubes for insertion into pouring covers and also for use at the pouring station tank 22 in event of a failure of the tube in use. The tube holding furnaces 26 are used to maintain temperature of the pouring tube. This insures the availability of a pouring cover for use on a pouring tank 22 to be brought onto the turntable at pouring station 20. The location of the tube processing area affords accessibility for two cranes 23 and 24 traveling longitudinally on a common track 21.

Crane 23, as seen in Fig. 1 b, is known as the tube handling crane, and is used to transfer the pouring tube handling crane, and is used to transfer the pouring tubes and covers from the tube processing and repair area to and from preheaters 28. Crane 24 is known as the pouring crane and is used to transfer the pouring tubes to the pouring tank 22 in the pouring station 20. Crane 24 is also provided with a subcrane or transversely traveling mechanism (not shown) which is operable to transfer molds to and from the pouring station 20 from conveyors 30 and 32 in a manner hereinafter described.

Disposed adjacent opposite sides of pouring station 20 are a pair of aligned reciprocating pusher conveyors extending generally transversely of the foundry plant. The reciprocating pushing conveyor 30 on the lower side of the drawing is employed in the pre-pour operation, and the reciprocating L-shaped pusher conveyor 32 on the upper side of the drawing is employed in the post-pouring operation.

Each reciprocating pushing conveyor (not shown in detail) is of the conventional type comprising a plurality of rollers for supporting the mold sections and a hydraulically actuated reciprocating beam disposed below the rollers and having a plurality of dogs for connection to the mold sections on the rollers. The beam is moved in one direction a predetermined distance, in the case of conveyors 30 and 32 the distance is about 5 feet (1.5 m). In operation, this beam moves 1.5 m., thereby advancing each mold section to which it is connected a distance of 1.5 m. or one station.

After moving forward 1.5 m. or one increment, the beam returns to its original position, without moving the mold sections, and repeats the original movement. Thus it will be apparent that once a mold section is placed on position (e) of conveyor 30 or position (a') of conveyor 32, it passes through all of the intermediate stations on the conveyor.

Inasmuch as the disposition of the facilities and equipment of the molding and finishing room sections of the foundry plant, like those of the melting room section, are interwoven in their operation, it is believed that the invention can best be described by explaining the various operations of a complete cycle in the casting process at the same time, in order to avoid unnecessary repetition.

To return first briefly to the operation of the melting room facilities, it will be understood that the charge is transported from the scrap storage bins 2 to the melting furnaces 10 by crane 4.

The casting operation is initiated by tapping a heat from one of the furnaces 10 through spout 1 2 to a ladle (not shown) hanging on crane 14 above pit 15, which is just slightly below ground floor level, and the ladle is transported by crane 1 4 to slagging station 1 7 where slag is removed and then lowered into one of two below floor pouring tanks locations 16 or 18.

The now empty pouring tank 22 previously in use is then rolled to the empty location 1 6 or 1 8. Filled pouring tank 22 to the empty location 16 or 18. Filled pouring tank 22 then is rolled over tracks 1 7 or 1 9 to pouring station 20.

A pouring tube and tank cover assembly (not shown) are transported by crane 24 to the pouring tank location 22 where the recently filled tank awaits. The tube and cover assembly are lowered into the tank 22 with the tube disposed to extend down into the filled ladle and with the cover closing the top of the tank around the tube.

A drag assembly comprising a mold drag section and retainer (not shown, but hereinafter referred to as a drag) is transported by conveyor 30 from position (e) thereon to close down position (c) or (e) therein, whereat either one of a pair of longitudinally traveling mold close down cranes 36 pick up a cope assembly comprising of a mold cope section and retainer (not shown, but hereinafter referred to as a cope) from position 38 of cope conveyor 146 or position 40 of cope conveyor 148 and places it on the adjacent drag to close down the mold. The assembled mold is then transported by conveyor 30 to position (a) thereon where it is picked up by crane 24 and placed on the tank cover in position over pouring tank 22.After the mold is checked and miscellaneous steps, not essential parts of this invention, are completed, the mold is filled and is then transported by pouring crane 24 to position (a') of conveyor 32 as a new mold is placed over tank 22. During pouring of successive molds, the crane 24 remains over the tank 22 with the mold sections being carried by the subcrane (not shown) of crane 24.

The complete mold containing the casting (not shown) is then moved by conveyor 32 from position (a') to position (I') thereon. At position (I') the cope is picked up by a transversely traveling mold splitting crane 42 and transported to the adjacent end of a roller type cope conveyor 44 which moves the cope along to an automatic feed control device or stop 90. Conveyor 44, like the other conveyors hereinafter referred to, is a power driven roller type conveyor. Stop 90, like other stops or feed control devices hereinafter referred to, comprises either a mechanism including arms movable into a position to engage and block further movement of an article traveling along the conveyor or a mechanism to stop a segment of the conveyor itself. The stops can be released automatically or manually, as necessary, so as to release one article at a time.

After the cope has been removed and placed on cope conveyor 44, the drag containing the casting is moved by conveyor 32 to position (n') thereon at which point the casting is picked up from the drag by a transversely traveling hot wheel transfer crane 46 and placed on the end of one of three chain driven wheel kiln slot type conveyors 48.

After the wheel has been removed, the drag is moved from conveyor 32 at position (o') thereof by conveyor 50, at the end of conveyor 32. Conveyor 50 moves the drag to the powered lifting turntable 52, which in turn lifts the drag free of the conveyor, rotates the drag 90 counterclockwise and deposits the drag back on turntable 52 for travel to conveyor 54.

In order to describe the remainder of the plant facilities and their operations, the processing routes of the drags, copes and castings, respectively, will be discussed in that order.

Conveyor 54, a roller flight chain driven type conveyor, transports the drags along to stop 56, behind which drags on conveyor 54 can accumulate to be released one at a time by stop 56 to sandblasting station 58. The drag then proceeds to drag inspection station 60 where the drag is automatically tipped up at an angle to permit the removal of any foreign material and general inspection of the drag. The drag is then returned to the horizontal position with the mold cavity facing upwardly.

After the cleaning operation, the drag is moved to stop 62, where it is released to turntable 64. Turntable 64 (not shown in detail) like all of the other turntables, hereinafter described, comprises a base and table rotatable thereon provided with powdered rollers which receive an article to be moved, stop moving while the table rotates, and then move the article off the table to another set of powdered rollers which move the article on to the next conveyor. The turntables can be set to operate automatically or by manual push button so as to move only one article at a time as it is released by a feed control device.

Here the drag is rotated 90 counterclockwise and then passed on to conveyor 65. Conveyor 65 moves the drag to stop 66, whereupon the drag is released to turntable 68. Here the drag is rotated 90 counterclockwise and then passed on to conveyor 69. Conveyor 69 advances the drag to stop 70. Stop 70 releases the drags one at a time to drag spraying station 72, which can accommodate two drags at a time. At spraying station 72, the drag cavity surface is sprayed with a mold coating.

Although the details are not shown, it will be understood that the drag spraying station or booth (as well as the hereinafter described cope spraying station) is equipped with automatic means to lift the rotate the drag as the mold coating is applied.

After the drag spraying operation is completed, the drag is moved to transfer car 73, which is movable on tracks 74 to permit the drag to move onto one of conveyors 76 or 78. The drag is then moved by conveyor 76 or 78 to stop 80 or 84, respectively. Conveyors 76 and 78 (likewise cope conveyors 146 and 148) are completely covered with a mold holding oven capable of heating or cooling as necessary. From there one drag at a time can be released and placed onto one of turntables 82 or 86. The drag is rotated 90 counterclockwise and moved to position (e) of conveyor 30, thus ending the cycle for processing of the drag.

After the cope has been picked up by crane 42 from position (I') of conveyor 32, it is moved along by conveyor 44 to stop 90.

From stop 90 each cope can be released one at a time to enter riser knockout stations 92 and 94. There the metal risers are automatically removed along with the spent sand core iiners and the cope is then moved onto roller flight chain type conveyor 96. The cope is moved along by conveyor 96 to stop 98, from which it enters turntable 100. After being turned 90 counterclockwise on turntable 100, the cope is moved onto conveyor 1Q2 which contains a temperature sensor (not shown). The cope is moved to stop 104, and onto turntable 106. After being turned 90 clockwise, the cope is moved onto conveyor 108. As the cope is moved along conveyor 108, the cope pauses beneath dispensers 107 and 1Q9, which have facility to fill the cope dome lining as required with sand and bake the cope dome.The cope then passes to one of the corebakers 110 or 11 2. After baking, the cope continues along conveyor 108 to roll over station 114, where the cope is automatically tipped over to a cavity up position so that excess sand is dumped from the riser holes. The cope then moves onto conveyor 116. Conveyor 116 moves the cope to stop 118, from which it is released onto turntable 1 20. After being rotated 90 clockwise on turntable 120, the cope moves to cope cleaning station 1 22. After the cleaning operation, the cope is moved onto turntable 1 24 where it is rotated 90 clockwise.

The cope then moves onto conveyor 1 26 and is moved to stop 1 28. The cope is released from stop 1 28 to enter rollover clean out station 130, where the cope is once again tipped over to remove sand in the cavity left from the cope cleaner. It then exits from 1 30 with its cavity side up.

The cope then enters onto conveyor 1 32 which moves the cope along to stop 1 33. The cope is released onto turntable 1 34 where it is turned 90" counterclockwise and then enters onto conveyor 1 36. From conveyor 136, the cope enters turntable 1 38 on which it is rotated 90 counterclockwise. From turntable 138, the cope enters cope spraying station 140 which can accommodate two copes in a manner similar to the drag spraying station 72. Here the mold coating is applied. From cope spraying station 140, the cope is moved into stopper setting station 142, where the stopper assembly is inserted.The cope exits from station 142 with the cavity side down and enters transfer car 144, which is movable on tracks 145 to permit the cope to move onto one of two conveyors 146 or 148 covered by mold holding ovens similar to drag holding ovens over conveyors 76 and 78. The cope is then moved by conveyor 146 or 148 to stop 1 50 or 152, respectively, or until contacting cope immediately ahead. From there one cope at a time can be released to positions 38 or 40 for pickup by one of the closedown cranes 36. This ends the cycle for processing of the cope.

Thus it will be seen that there are provided generally parallel cope and drag processing assembly line type routes compactly and efficiently arranged and disposed in two generally rectilinear closed circuits with the drag circuit being circumjacent the cope circuit.

The purpose of enclosure 1 60 in Fig 1 c is to preheat new or remachined molds. Three conveyors 162 are provided to move new and remachined molds through the preheat furnace. Monorail 1 65 is the means whereby molds are placed in and removed from the process cycle.

Generally indicated at 166 on Fig. 1c is mold repair shop where old and new molds are remachined and assembled in a known manner.

Figs 1 b and 1 c show the processing of the casting, which in this example is a steel railway car wheel, after it leaves the pouring station 20. The wheels are poured and then they are placed on one of three power slat type conveyors 48 of the wheel kiln 1 70 by hot wheel transfer crane 46.

The wheel kiln, although enclosed to retain some heat therein, is not provided with any heating means and its sole purpose is to permit the still hot wheels placed therein to cool gradually. As the wheels leave the wheel kiln 1 70 on one of the power slat conveyors 48, they enter a transfer car 1 72 which travels on tracks 1 73. From transfer car 172, the wheels enter a dumping station 1 74. This is the first of several stations for processing and finishing the wheels After passing through dumping station 1 74 where the wheel is tipped to a vertical position to dispose of debris therein, the wheels enter pipe cut off station 1 76. Next, the wheels enter sprue removal stations 1 78 and 1 80. It will be understood that although the wheel must pass through both sprue removal stations 1 78 and 1 80, the actual sprue re moval for one wheel is accomplished at one of these stations. Each wheel then enters chipp ing station 182 where the residual riser mate rial left from the sprue removal is chipped off.

The wheels then travel vertically to down ender station 184, where the wheels are set on their horizontal sides once again with flange up. The wheels then progress to stamping press 1 86 where they are hot stamped with the necessary markings such as date, serial number and wheel size. Next the wheels progress along conveyor 1 90 to one of three hub cutter stations 1 88. Each wheel stops at one of the three hub cutter stations 1 88 where a bore is cut through the center of the wheel hub. From there the wheels continue down conveyor 1 90 to a lift 1 91. There the height of the conveyor is raised to continue to lowerator 192, where the conveyor height is lowered.

From lowerator 92, the wheels continue to station 1 94 where they are rolled over back to the original flange down position. The wheels then pass to conveyor 1 96 and to stop 1 98.

The wheels are released from stop 1 98 one at a time to roll forward and to be picked up automatically by a manipulator, indicated generally at 202, and transferred to rotating heat treatment furnace 200. The furnace is provided with a plurality of indexed stops so that each time one wheel is rotated from one position to the next, another wheel is automatically added by the manipulator 202 and another wheel is automatically removed from the furnace by a second manipulator 204 and placed on a conveyor 205 to roll by gravity beneath transfer conveyor 206.

The castings remain in the rotating furnace 200 for a heat treatment that lasts aproximately 1-1/2 hours, which represents the time for one complete revolution of the furnace hearth.

As the wheels are carried by transfer conveyor 206, they can be directed to an optional rim treatment process by entering horizontal conveyor 208. As the wheels are moved along conveyor 208, they enter rollover 209 where the wheel is turned to a flange side up position. From rollover 209 the wheels enter conveyor 214 and are passed to one of a series of quenching stations 212.

The wheels then enter turntable 21 6 which rotates and then exit onto conveyor 218.

From there, wheels enter onto turntable 220 and then are passed to conveyor 222. At the end of conveyor 222, the wheels are up ended to a vertical position for entry into draw furnace 224. The rim treated wheels in passing through draw furnace 224 are tempered for about two hours. Upon exiting draw furnace 224, the rim treated wheels enter horizontal conveyor 226 and pass a series of hub cooling stations 228. The hubs of the wheels are cooled by the application of a fine spray of water for a short period of time. All the time that the wheels are on conveyor 226 the entire surface of each wheel is, of course, air cooled by the atmosphere surrounding the conveyor which is at ambient temperature.

The wheels move along conveyor 226 to upender 230.

As an alternative to the rim treatment process, the wheels on transfer conveyor 206 can be allowed to pass conveyor 208 and instead move onto slat conveyor 240. When on conveyor 240, the wheels do not receive any rim treatment and move along to upender 242.

As the wheels reach upending devices 230 and 242, the wheels are removed by a lift truck or similar means device (not shown) and moved to a storage and cooling area indicated generally at 250. There the wheels are placed vertically on edge to cool. The storage area is capable of holding all the wheels cast in three eight-hour shifts, or approximately 1,005 wheels.

From the storage area, the wheels are moved by a lift truck or similar means to a checker plate station 260. The wheels then pass to a lift station 261. From lift station 261, the wheels pass via a vertical conveyor 262. Vertical conveyor 262 is similar to other vertical conveyors hereinafter referred to, and comprises a rail and side supports which permit the wheel to roll downward thereon.

The vertical conveyor itself does not move.

From vertical conveyor 262, the wheels move downward to an apex grinding station 264, where the initial apex grinding is performed.

The wheels then pass through a vertical turntable 266 to a cleaning machine 268 where scale is removed from the wheels.

From cleaning machine 268, the wheels pass via vertical conveyor 270 to an elevator 272 where they are raised for entry into the magnetic particle testing station 274 where the wheels are tested and marked under ultraviolet lighting for surface discontinuities. The wheels then pass to an ultrasonic testing station 276 to scan for subsurface discontinuities. At this station, the wheels are selected to pass to one of three processing lines. Prior to the processing lines, the wheels pass through an automatic Brinell testing station 278.

Wheels that must be scrapped are passed through turntables 280 and 312 to turntable 314, then to turntable 316 and on to scrap escapement lift 318. Wheels that are essentially devoid of discontinuities are passed through turntable 280 to turntable 312 and on to turntable 310 as further described below. The wheels entering vertical turntab.a 280 that need further grinding are sent through turntable 280 to turntable 282 as further described below.

Specifically, the wheels needing further grinding pass via turntable 280 to turntable 282 and onto one of four turntables 284. Lift 308 is provided between the second and third turntables. The wheels are directed by one of the turntables 284 to one of four vertical conveyors 286. Passing via one of conveyors 286, the wheels pass through additional grinding stations 288 and 290. From there, the wheels are directed by one of the turntables 292 to a turntable 294 and on to lift 300. The wheels pass from lift 300 to magnetic particle testing station 302 and ultrasonic testing station 304 for tests similar to those described previously. From the testing stations 302 and 304, the wheels that must be scrapped are selected to pass through turntables 282 and 310 and onto turntable 316. From there the scrapped wheels pass to scrap escapement lift 318.

If the wheels need extensive additional grinding, they can again pass through turntables 284 and onto grinding machines 288 and 290. But if the wheels are acceptable, they pass to turntable 310 where they join the acceptable wheels from turntable 312 in final processing.

From turntable 310, the acceptable wheels pass to a downending station 320 where the wheel is lowered to a horizontal position. The wheels are passed one at a time to automatic warpage testing station 322. Acceptable wheels pass on to upending station 324 where they are returned to a vertical position.

The wheels then pass into a superficial grinding station 326, turntable 328 and superficial grinding station 330. At grinding stations 326 and 330, any minor grinding is performed as required to complete the grinding of the wheel. Turntable 328 rotates the wheel 180 between the two grinding stations. From grinding station 330, the wheels pass to turntable 332. From here, wheels can be passed directly via vertical conveyor 342 to turntable 344, and onto vertical conveyor 348 and turntable 350. From here, the wheels pass through the peening and boring operations described below. If a delay in peening and boring is desired, the wheels can be passed from turntable 332 onto vertical conveyor 334 to elevator 335. From there, the wheels pass to vertical transfer car 336 and into one of the vertical storage conveyors 338.From vertical storage conveyors 338, the wheels pass to vertical transfer car 340 and onto vertical conveyor 341. From vertical conveyor 341, the wheels pass onto turntable 351 and onto turntable 350.

Next the wheels enter peening station 352 where the wheels are subjected to a shot blasting. From peening station 352 the wheels pass to turntable 360 from which the wheels pass alternatively to one of downenders 361 or 362. If passing to downender 361, the wheel is placed horizontal and then moved to transfer car 372. From transfer car 372, the wheel is moved into boring mill 370 where the hub is bored. Boring mill 370 is powered by hydraulic equipment 371. The wheel then passes to transfer car 364 and onto conveyor 366. Before entering upender 375, the wheel is rolled over to dispose of boring chips. The wheel then passes to upender 375 and onto turntable 376. The next wheel will alternately come from downender 362. This wheel will be moved to transfer car 364 and through boring mill 370. The wheel then moves to transfer car 372 and via conveyor 373 to upender 374. Similarly as above, the wheel is rolled over to dispose of boring chips before entering upender 374.

Here the wheel is again placed vertically on its edge and moved to turntable 376.

From turntable 376, the wheels pass through hub chamfer station 378. The wheels then pass to final inspection station and scale 380. Here the wheels are taped, further inspected and stamped to indicate wheel diameter and bore size. From here, the wheels are removed to a storage area indicated generally at 381. If desired, certain wheels requiring special boring can be moved to special wheel rest area 383 and then placed individually in special boring machine 379. The wheels are then placed in storage area 381 and are ready for loading on railway cars, etc. (not shown).

Claims (8)

1. In an arrangement for producing metal cast railway wheels by forcing molten metal by pressure upwardly into permanent molds each comprising cope and drag mold sections and a pouring tube through which the metal is forced under pressure into the mold, the combination including: a pouring station for producing the castings, an open conveyor circuit for transporting castings from the pouring station through a plurality of casting processing stations, said processing stations including an optional casting rim treatment station and a plurality of grinding stations; a closed conveyor circuit for transporting the drag sections from the pouring station through a plurality of drag processing stations on a single conveyor and back to the pouring station on two conveyors;; another closed conveyor circuit for transporting the cope sections from the pouring station through a plurality of cope processing stations on a single conveyor and back to the pouring station on two conveyors; said pouring station being disposed in a generally straight conveyor line which forms a common part of all three previously mentioned circuits; a pouring tube and cover assembly station with pouring tube preheat station adjacent the conveyor line and in close proximity to the pouring station and means for transferring preheated tubes and preheated pouring tank covers and pouring tubes to the pouring station as required; a mold assembly station in said straight line path immediately preceding the pouring station; a mold disassembly station in an L-shaped extension of said conveyor path following said pouring station;; and a mold preheating station adjacent a portion of said drag conveyor circuit, wherein the improvement comprises said pouring station comprising a pouring location and two pouring tank filling locations, said pouring tank filling locations being joined to said pouring location by separate track means that enable a separate pouring tank to be rolled to and from each pouring tank filling location to said pouring location, and said conveyor circuit being adapted to transport a number of different diameter railway wheel castings by the adaption of certain sections of said conveyor to transport said wheel castings vertically.

2. An arrangement for producing metal cast railway wheels by forcing molten metal by pressure upwardly into permanent molds each comprising cope and drag mold sections and a pouring tube through which the metal is forced under pressure into the mold, which includes a pouring station for producing the castings which comprises a pouring location and two pouring tank filling locations, said pouring tank filling locations being joined to said pouring location by separate track means that enable a separate pouring tank to be rolled to and from each pouring tank filling location to said pouring location, and an open conveyor circuit for transporting castings from the pouring station through a plurality of casting processing stations which conveyor circuit is adapted to transport a number of different diameter railway wheel castings by the adaptation of sections of said conveyor to transport said wheel castings vertically.

3. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the conveyor circuit is adapted to transport said wheel castings vertically in one or more of the following instances: (i) through a sprue removal station; (b) through a furnace for tempering the wheel castings; (iii) through a hub cooling station for cooling the hubs of the wheel castings; (iv) to a wheel casting storage and cooling area; (v) through a checking station; (vi) through a grinding station; (vii) through one or more testing stations; (viii) through a peening station; (ix) through a chamfering station, and (x) through a final inspection station.

4. An arrangement for producing metal cast railway wheels, substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

5. A method of producing metal cast railway wheels comprising the steps of: assembling a mold by placing a cope section on a drag section to close down the mold, moving said assembled mold along a conveyor to a pouring section, pressure pouring molten metal upwardly through a pouring tube into said mold from a covered pouring tank, moving said filled mold along said conveyor to a mold disassembly station, where said cope is removed and said casting is lifted from said drag section, said cope section is placed on a cope conveyor and moved through a plurality of cope processing stations including cleaning core baking, application of mold wash and inspection, said cope is then moved to one of two conveyors from which it once again will be placed on a drag section to form a complete mold, after said casting is removed, said drag section is placed on a drag conveyor and moved through a plurality of drag processing stations including cleaning, application of mold wash and inspection, said drag is then moved to one of two conveyors from which is once against will be covered with a cope section to form a complete mold, after removal from said drag section, said casting is moved through a wheel kiln and several other processing stations, including sprue removal, hub cutting, optional heat treating and rim treating, cleaning, grinding and hub boring, wherein the improvement comprises the provision whereby said pouring tank may be moving into the pouring location along either of two tracks, and while said pouring tank is being utilized in the pouring operation, a second pouring tank is being filled and covered with a preheated pouring tube and tank cover at either of two pouring tank filling locations, so that when the pouring tank being utilized is emptied, it can be easily moved to one pouring tank filling location for refilling and the filled pouring tank can then be easily moved from the other pouring tank filling location to the pouring location, and said casting is moved through said plurality of processing stations by several vertical conveyor sections that enable the method to produce a number of different diameter railway wheel castings.

6. A method of producing metal cast railway wheels which includes pressure pouring molten metal upwardly through a pouring tube into a mould from a first covered pouring tank, said pouring tank being movable into its pouring location along either of two tracks, and while said first pouring tank is being utilized in the pouring operation, a second pouring tank is being filled and covered with a pre-heated pouring tube and tank cover at either of two pouring tank filling locations so that when the first pouring tank is emptied, it can be easily moved to one pouring tank filling location for refilling and the filled pour ing tank can then be easily moved from the other pouring tank filling location to the pour ing location, and moving said casting through a plurality of processing stations by means of several vertical conveyor sections whereby railway wheel castings of different diameters may be produced and processed.

7. A method of producing metal cast railway wheels substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

8. The features hereinbefore disclosed, or their equivalents, in any novel selection.