US1943026A - Mold for casting zinc slabs - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 9, 1934.

M. A. M CREARY T AL 1,943,026 MOLD FOR CASTING ZINC; SLABS Filed March 21, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l Exams: Mder fl file Creamy Wm B. 0 m7" Jan. 9, 1934. MCCREARY r L 1,943,026

MOLD FOR CASTING ZINC SLABS Filed March 21, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 j aw- Jan. 9, 1934.

MOLD FOR CASTING ZINC SLABS Filed March 21, 1950 I5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Evafins M00 6 an M. A. MCCREARY El AL 1,943,026

Patented Jan. 9, 1934 MOLD FOR CASTING ZINC SLABS Miller A. McCreary and William B. Porter, Danville, 111., assignors to The Hegeler Zinc Company, Danville, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application March 21, 1930.

3 Claims.

Broadly, the present invention relates to the class of metal founding.

Specifically the invention relates to a mold for casting slabs of zinc metal preparatory to 5 rolling the same into long and relatively very "thin strips.

Principal objects of the invention are to provide an improved mold for casting zinc slabs, by means of which slabs of relatively uniform texture will be produced; and, to prevent the formation of voids in the castings-commonly known as piping-which in the subsequent rolling or other fabrication of the metal, may result in faults or fissures which very adversely affects the quality of the product.

' Io effect the objects thereof, a mold embodying our invention and improvements comprises the various features, combinations of features, and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

4 In the accompanying drawings, in which our invention is fully illustrated,

Fig. l is a side view of a mold embodying our invention and improvements showing the same set up ready for pouring the metal, in full lines, its position during cooling of the metal being indicated in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the mold proper removed from the supporting frame. Fig. 4 is a sectional View of the mold proper removed from the supporting frame, substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, with parts thereof omitted.

Fig. 5 is an end view from the left side of Fig.

'1, showing the mold closed; and

' which are hinged together to provide for opening Cal and closing the mold, and B designates as a whole, a frame in which the mold proper is mounted so as to be rotatable about a transverse axis from a substantially horizontal position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, to a substantially upright or vertical position, as shown in dotted lines in said Fig. 1.

For purposes of convenient reference, the mold ;sections a, a will hereinafter be designated as Serial No. 437,831

the lower and upper mold sections, respectively.

As erected for use, the supporting frame B is rigidly secured to the floor or other suitable supporting surface indicated by the line b, in any suitable manner as by bolts 1.

As shown, also, the mold proper A is rotatably mounted in the frame B by means of trunnions 2 formed on the lower mold section a, which are adapted to engage open-sided bearings 3 formed in the ends of spaced arms 4 formed on the base 5 I or frame B and which extend at an angle upwardly and rearwardly therefrom so that they will overhang, all as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Formed at the outer ends of the trunnions 2 are heads 5 which are adapted to embrace the outer sides of the bearings 3, thus preventing possibility of lateral displacement of the mold A from its bearings.

To provide for opening the mold, corresponding sides of the mold section a, a are hinged together, such hinged connection consisting of two sets of lugs, 6 and 7 formed on said mold sections, respectively, each set consisting of overlapping lugs, provided with aligned holes or bearings adapted to receive pivot pins 8.

In accordance with our invention, see particularly Fig. 1, turning movement of the mold A is limited by stops, contact of the mold with which, respectively, define horizontal and vertical positions of the major dimension of the mold, said 5 stops comprising a stop 10 on the frame of the mold which projects into the path of movement of a rigid part of the mold adjacent the end thereof which is uppermost when the mold is disposed vertically, and which defines casting position of the mold-that is substantially horizontal position. As shown, also, the stop which defines vertical position of the mold consists of a fixed block 10, which may form part of the foundation of the mold and is positioned in the path of movement of the lower end of the mold when the mold is turned into vertical position. Also, to provide for varying the casting position of the mold A, if desired, the stop 10 is preferably adjustable, consisting, as shown, of a bolt which has screw threaded engagement with a hole formed in the mold base B, and adapted to be secured in different adjusted positions by means of a locknut 11, in a familiar manner.

In the preferable construction shown, also, the trunnions 2 are positioned below the center of gravity of the mold both when in vertical and in horizontal positions, the relation being such that the mold will be stable in both positions defined by the stops 10, 10'.

shown in Fig. 1.

As shown, the mold cavity a is formed by recesses 12 and 13 formed in the contacting sides of the mold sections a, a, see particularly Figs. 4 and 6, said recesses being shaped and propertioned to form a slab or casting of desired size and shape.

For casting zinc slabs to be rolled into strips, the mold cavity a is substantially rectangular in cross-section and is proportioned to form slabs which, in usual practice, are about 5 ft. long x 10 in. wide x 2 in. thick, though this relation may Vary within wide limits, as may be desired.

Preparatory to the casting operation, the upper mold section a is turned to bring the recessed side thereof into contact with the recessed side of the lower mold section, means being provided for rigidly securing said mold sections together in such closed position. As shown, the means for this purpose consists of eye-bolts 14, the eyes in which are pivoted between sets of spaced lugs 15 formed on the top mold section 0. adjacent to opposite ends thereof, said eye-bolts having rigid shoulders adjacent their free ends adapted to interlock with shoulders formed at the undersides of sets of lugs 16 formed on the lower mold section in line with the lugs 15 on the upper mold section, said lugs 18 being spaced apart to permit the eye-bolts 14 to enter between them, as best To provide for adjusting the position of the shoulders on the eye-bolts 14 relative to the shoulders on the lugs 16, said heads are preferably formed by nuts 17 which have threaded engagement with the ends of said eye-bolts,

said nuts preferably being castellated and adapted to be secured in different adjusted positions by means of cotter pins, in a familiar manner.

In the preferable construction shown, the eyebolts are pivoted to pins 18 secured in the lugs 15 and said eye-bolts are adapted to be subjected to tension to draw and secure the mold sections into close contact with each other by means as follows: Pivoted on the pins 18 are levers 19 formed on which, eccentric to the axes of said pins are hubs 20 to which the eyes in the eye-bolts 14 are fitted so that said eye-bolts will turn freely thereon, the relation being such that when the levers 19 are thrown frontwards, the eccentric hubs 20 thereon will operate to depress said eye-bolts to disengage the heads thereon, specifically the nuts 17, from the shoulders on the lugs 16 on the lower mold section; the relation being such also, that when the nuts 17 on the eye-bolts 14 are in engagement with the lugs 16 and the levers 19 are turned rearwardly substantially into the position shown in Fig. 5, said eye-bolts will be subjected to tension which will operate, in an obvious manner, to raise the eye-bolts 14 to effect engagement of the heads thereon with the shoulders on the lugs 16, said nuts being preferably so adjusted that when the mold sections a, a. are in designed contact, the major axes of the eccentric hubs 20 will slightly over-throw vertical lines through the centers'of the pins 18, thereby looking the mold sections together, in an obvious manner. In the preferable construction shown, also, the eccentric hubs 20 are so positioned on the levers 19 that immediately after the major axes of said hubs pass the vertical, said levers 19 will contact with rigid parts of the upper mold section a, thus effectively clamping the mold sections together in closed position.

As shown, the upper mold section is adapted to be turned pivotally to open the mold, by means of a suitable bar 21, an end of which is adapted to engage a hole or opening in a boss 22 formed on the top side of the upper mold section a. As shown, said bar forms a separate part and is removable when not in use.

In accordance with usual practice, the molten zinc is poured into the mold when said mold is disposed horizontally, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, this being effected by means of a hollow extension 23 of the lower mold section, the interior of which is in open communication with the mold cavity a the preferable relation being shown in Fig. 4, in which the bottom of the cavity in said hollow mold extension is below the bottom of the mold cavity when the mold is disposed horizontally, and the top of said extension is higher than the top side of the mold cavity, when disposed horizontally. With this relation, it is obvious that the molten zinc may be poured into the mold without appreciable fall, it being recognized that to permit molten zinc to fall any considerable distance when pouring it, will adversely affect the quality of the metal.

As shown, also, see particularly Fig. 4, the mold cavity comprises a sink-head 24, arranged between the mold cavity proper and the interior of the hollow extension 23, the dimension of said sink-head, corresponding to the thickness of the mold cavity proper, being sufficiently greater than said dimension of the mold cavity, that the metal contained therein will cool and set more slowly than the metal in the body portion of the mold proper.

In operating our improved mold, the molten zinc is poured when the mold is positioned horizontally, and when full and while the metal is still molten and fluid, said mold is turned pivotally into upright position, thus producing a static head of molten metal in the mold, which we have discovered will effectively prevent piping as the metal cools, the metal in the sinkhead compensating for any shrinkage in the mold and insuring a perfect slab. Also, the dimension of the sink-head in the direction of the length of mold cavity proper is proportioned to subject the molten metal in the upper portion of mold cavity-when the mold is turned into upright positionto an effective static pressure.

Preferably, also, see particularly Fig. l, usual inclined surfaces 25 and 26 are provided between the interior of the hollow mold extension 23 and the sink-head 24, and between said sink-head and the mold cavity proper. Thus by inserting paddle-shaped barriers in position between opposite side walls of the pot-forming extension of the lower mold section, but which terminate above the bottom thereof, oxide which forms on top of the metal, will be prevented from entering the mold with the molten metal which passes under the lower ends of said skimming device.

For convenience in turning the mold pivotally from horizontal to vertical position and vice versa, a suitable handle i provided consisting, as shown, of an extension of the hinge pin 8 which is uppermost when the mold is disposed vertically.

While we have herein shown and described 4 what we now consider to be a preferable form of mold for the practice of our invention as it relates to a process of casting zinc slabs, it is obvious that, within the scope and contemplation of our invention, said mold admits of a wide 5 range of variation and modification. We do not, therefore, desire to limit the protection of the patent to the structure shown, but to include therein such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the claims.

' As used in the claims to indicate the mold sections, the designations upper and lower refer to the mold when in horizontal position.

We claim:

1. In apparatus for the purpose specified, the combination of a frame, a mold proper comprising sections which form a mold cavity, means for pivotally mounting said mold proper on said frame, and stops which limit pivotal movement thereof to approximate vertical and horizontal positions, respectively, and the center of gravity of said mold proper being higher than the pivotal axis thereof, both in horizontal and vertical positicns, and outside oi its pivotal axis when said mold proper is vertical.

2. The apparatus specified in claim 1, the lower mold section of which comprises a hollow extension forming an open-sided pot, the interior of which is in open communication with the slabforming section of the mold cavity, the top and bottom sides, respectively, of said slab-forming mold section, being below the top of said extension and above the bottom of said pot when the mold proper is horizontal.

3. The apparatus specified in claim 1, in which the mold cavity comprises a sink head intermediate the pot in the extension of the lower mold section and the slab-forming section of the mold cavity, and the bottom of said pot is below the bottom sides of said sink head and of the slabforming section of the mold cavity when the mold is in horizontal position.

MILLER A. MCCREARY. WILLIAM B. PORTER.

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