US1467490A - Casting machine - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 11, 1923. 1,467,490

P. E. NORRIS CASTING MACHINE Filed April 9. 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 11, 1923.

P. E. NORRIS CASTING MACHINE Filed April 9, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PAUL E. NORRIS, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR- 'I't) WILLARD STORAGE BATTER-Y COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPGRATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

CASTING MACHINE.

Application filed April 9,

To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL E. Nonms, a citizen of the United States, residing at Swissvale, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Casting Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in casting machines dapted especially for casting lead storage battery parts.

The casting machine constituting the subject matter of this invention comprises a sectional rotary casting table, each section having one or more molds in which the molten metal is cast int-o pieces of the desired shape, and each being provided with an ejector co-operating with a suitable stationary part such as a cam, the mechanism being so arranged that molten metal may be poured onto the table at one point so as to fill the molds, and at another point the excess metal will be scraped off the "top of the table after the metal has sufiiciently cooled and hardened, and at another point the cast pieces will be ejected.

The principal features of the invention reside in forming the casting table of removable sections, preferably sector shaped, each section having its own ejector which can be applied or removed with the section as when it is desired to vary the shape of the parts to be cast, or to replace a damaged section.

The invention may be further briefly sumarized as consisting in certain novel details of construction, and combinations and arrangements of parts which will be described in the specification and set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings, F ig. 1 is a plan view of the apparatus formed in accordance with my invention; Fig 2 is a side View of the same; Figs.

' 3 to 6 inclusive are detailed views of the cam which co-operates with theejectors to eject the cast parts from the molds, Fig. 3 being a plan view of the cam, Figs. i and 5 cross-sectional views of the same, and Fig. 6 a developed view; Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical section through the center of the casting table; Fig 8 is a top plan view of the rotary mold carrier or sectional 1920. Serial No. 372,594.

table; Fig. 9 is a top plan view of one of the segment shaped mold blocks of the table; and Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional view of the same.

Referring now to the drawings, 10 represents a stationary frame or base on which is" rotatably supported to rotate about a fixed shaft 11 (see particularly Fig. 7) a sectional horizontal casting table 12. This table 12, which is constructed in the manner hereinafter explained, is carried by a rotary mold support 13, (see Figs. 7 and 8) which is in the form of a hollow casting provided at the top and bottom with hublike extensions 13 and 13 having openings through which the stationary shaft 11 extends. Between these extensions 13 and 13 there is lateral spider-like, circular enlargement or rim 13 having spaced openings 13, as shown most clearly in Fig. 8, this part of the mold support carrying the blocks of which the casting table 12 is composed. The mold support is centered on the shaft 11 at the hubs or axial extensions 13 and 13 which are recessed to receive upper and lower packing glands 14 and 15, and the mold support is rotatably support-- ed from a horizontal portion 10 of the frame 10 by a ball and ring bearing 16 (see Fig. 7).

Though the mold support and sectional casting table may be rotated in different ways, in this instance the lower hub or extension 13" of the mold support has fixed to it a. gear 17 which is engaged and driven by a pinion 18 at the top 'of a vertical shaft 19 suitably journaled in the frame 10, and this shaft is rotated through suitable speed reducing power transmitting gears which may be designated as a whole by the reference character 20, and by a motor 21 mounted on a motor support 22 resting on the base of the machine.

Coming now to the parts of the machine in which my invention is more directly involved, it will be observed by reference particularly to Fig 1, that the casting table 12 is composed of a series of wedged shaped or segmental blocks 12 which when assembled on the rotary support 13 form a complete and unbroken annular casting table. Each mold block fits onto the laterally extending circular flange or rim 13 of the rotary mold support 13, and these blocks are secured in place by a segmental ring 23 secured by screws 24 to the mold support 13, and overlappin slightly the inner portions of the mold bloc s which are notched asshown at 12" to accommodate the overhanging portion of the ring 23. Additionally the mold blocks have outer depending flanges 12 which are secured by axially disposed screws 25 to the outer periphery of the circular rim 13 of the mold support 13, the screws enterin the part 13 between the openings 13 as W1 1 appear from Fig. 8.

At the top of each mold block 12 is a mold cavity 12 shaped to correspond to the part to be cast.

Each mold block 12 has attached to its under side an ejector unit which extends down through one of the openings 13 of the rotarymold carrier. Each e'ector unit includes an ejector tube 26 provided at its upper end with flanges secured by screws 27 to the lower side of the mold block, which tube accommodates either one or two ejector rods 28 which extend up through the tube to the base of the mold cavity. For casting certain parts such as so-calledplate straps, one ejector rod only is employed for each mold cavity, but if so-called connectors are to be cast, whose outline is similar to that illustrated in Fig. 9, two-ejector rods are utilized. The e ector rods are surrounded by coil springs 29 located in the ejector tube 27, and serving to yieldingly hold the ejector rods in their lowermost positions, and at the lower ends of the ejector rods are transverse pins which project through slots 30 of the ejector tubes, and are provided at opposite ends outside the tube with rollers 31.

Co-operating with these ejectors is an arcshaped ejector cam 32'which is secured to the part 10 of the frame. This cam has two arc-shaped cam tracks '32 adapted to be engaged by the rollers 31 as the table is rotated so as to force the cast parts out of the mold cavities.

Extending across the top of the table and slightly above the same is a cutter bar 33 supported at its ends by bolts or equivalent means 34 extending up from the frame or bed, and at the center supported at the top of the stationary shaft 11 about which the table 12 and table support rotate. This cutter bar carries a stationary trimming knife 35 (see Figs. 1 and 2) which engages the top of the table and cuts or scrapes the excess metal off the same.

In 0 ration, assuming that the proper mold 'blfcks are in place on the table sup port, the table is rotated, and molten metal is poured onto the same, perferably in a continuous stream, and at a rate which depends upon the of the table. The metal completely fills the mold cavities and runs menace over the top of the mold blocks. The point at which the metal is poured onto the table is so located with respect to the cutter 35 that the metal congeals before the cutter is reached, though I may, if desired, hasten the congealing of the metal by supplying water onto the table or onto the molten metal bysa suitably positioned water supply pipe. the table 1s rotated, the cutter 35 cuts or peels off all excess metal, leaving the top surface of the mold blocks clean, and leaving smooth top surfaces on the parts that are cast in the mold cavities. Then after the mold blocks pass the cutter the parts cast in the molds are ejected by the action of the stationary cam 32 elevating the e'ector rods 28. As the castings are thus llfted from the mold blocks, an operator brushes or wipes them off the table and they are carried away by a suitable chute or other suitable means. tthe same time the excem metal peeled off the table by the cutter is allowed to run down a chute or equivalent device.

By forming the table of sector shaped mold blocks and by forming each mold block and its ejector as a unit which can be applied to or removed as one element from the machine, it is apparent that the mold blocks can be very quickly changed when necessary or advisable.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a casting machine, a rotary horizontal casting table composed of a plurality of separate or independent fixed mold blocks having mold cavities and having a continuous flat surface and provided on the lower sides thereof with vertically movable ejectors, each ejector and its mold block constituting a unit which may be applied to or removed from the machine, and means controlled by the movement of the table for elevating the ejectors to lift the castings from the mold cavities.

2. In a casting machine, a frame and a flat horizontal casting table including a table support mounted on the frame for movement about a vertical axis, and a plurality of fixed tapered or segment shaped mold .blocks independently secured to said support and when assembled forming a continuous annular surface, said mold blocks having mold cavities in the top faces, and a cutter engaging said continuous annular surface for removing excess metal.

3. In a casting machine, a frame and a horizontal casting table including a table support mounted on the frame for movement about a vertical axis, and a plurality of tapered or segment shaped mold blocks independently secured to said support and when assembled forming a continuous annular surf-ace, said mold blocks having mold cavities in the top faces, ejector means carried by the mold block and including parts extending up to the mold cavities, and

means controlled by the movement of the table for operating the ejector means, said blocks being relatively fixed during the casting and ejecting operations.

4:. In a casting machine, a frame and a horizontal casting table including a table support mounted on the frame for movement about a vertical axis, and a plurality of tapered or segment shaped mold blocks independently secured to said support and when amembled forming a continuous annular surface, said mold blocks having mold cavities in the top faces, a cutter engaging said annular surface for removing excess metal and ejector means on the lower sides of the mold blocks and including vertically movable rods extending through the mold blocks to the mold cavities, said blocks being relatively fixed during the casting and ejecting operations.

5. In a casting machine a rotary horizontal casting table composed of a plurality ot' independent fixed mold blocks having mold cavities and having a continuous flat sur face, said blocks being provided on the lower sides thereof with vertically movable ejectors, each ejector and its mold block constituting a unit which may be applied to or removed from the machine, means for imparting a continuous rotative movement to the table and means controlled by the movement of the table for elevating the ejectors to lift the castings from the mold cavities.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature.

PAUL E. NORRIS.

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