US2262208A - Apparatus for casting ingots - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 11, 1941. H. o. SHEPARD v APPARATUS FOR CASTING INGOTS Filed May 31, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN R D: IIIZZI... I:

Nov. 11, 1941. H. o. SHEPARD 2,262,208

APPARATUS FOR CASTING INGOTS Filed May 31, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' -ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 11, 1941 2.262.208 APPARATUS roa oas'rme moors Harold Oleott Shepard, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to United Engineering and Foundry Company,

Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application May 31, 1940, Serial No. 338,010 11 Claims. (01. 22-512) This invention relates to the casting of ingots, and more particularly to apparatus for casting tall ingots in bottomless molds. The invention is applicable to the casting of ingots from aluminum alloys, but it is not limited thereto as it may be used with any metal that can be cast in a bottomless mold in the well known manner.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide, apparatus for the above-mentioned purpose which is simple in construction, which is rapid in operation, which permits finished ingots to be readily carried away, and which is automatic in operation.

In accordance with this invention molten metal is poured into a bottomless mold where it and the ingot formed therefrom are supported by a vertically movable pedestal which serves as a temporary bottom for the mold. As metal is poured into the mold and starts to solidify into the form of an ingot the pedestal is slowly lowered so that more metal can be poured into the mold. The side walls of the mold are chilled by a cooling fluid which is sprayed thereon and then preferably collected and flowed onto the sides of the ingot emerging from th bottom of the mold. When the pedestal reaches a suitable point below the mold the ingot isreceived and supported by other means which control its downward rate of travel independently of the pedestal. The pedestal is then quickly lowered awayfrom the ingot so that-the ingot can be deposited upon a carrier by which the completed ingot is carried away from beneath the mold. Preferably, the carrier. comprises a carriage which is moved inwardly between the top of the lowered pedestal and the bottom of the descending ingot for receiving the ingot. Suitable automatic controls are provided so that the various parts of the apparatus move in a predetermined open bottom of the mold. In accordance with this invention the metal side walls of, the mold are surrounded by a plurality of vertically spaced pipes 4 connected together by a header (Fig. 1) to which a suitable cooling fluid, such as water, is delivered under pressure. The pipes are provided with perforations through which the water is sprayed upon the side walls of the mold to cool them so that they will rapidly conduct heat away from the molten metal that is poured into the mold in order to form an ingot 6. The sprays are shielded by a shield I surrounding them, and the lower flange of the mold is provided with openings 8 through which drains the water that has been sprayed onto the mold.

In order to support the molten metal in the mold, as well as the ingot that it forms, the mold is provided with a temporary bottom at the .beginning of the casting operation. This is in the form of a pedestal II mounted on the upper end cylinder l3. As the metal in the mold solidifies into the form of an ingot, the piston rod is allowed to slowly slide down into the cylinder in order to lower the pedestal and thereby permit the solidified portion of the ingot to slowly emerge from the bottom of the mold as molten metal is added to its top. The portion of the ingot emerging from the bottom of the mold is further cooled and solidified by the same water that was sprayed onto the sides of the mold and which drained through openings 8 into the frame where it is directed'against the sides of the ingot by deflector plates l4 suspended from the top of the frame. If desired, further spray pipes l5 can be mounted in the frame where they surround the ingot.

It is a feature of this invention that after the ingot has been lowered by the pedestal far enough to insure that its lowermost portion is quite solid and self-sustaining, it is received by other supporting means which then control its downward rate of travel independently of the pedestal. Such means preferably comprise a pair of driven pinch rolls ll which grip the ingot between them. These rolls are rigidly mounted on shafts l8 which are journaled in the upper ends of links H! at the ends of the frame. at one end of the shafts are supported by and pivotalIy' mounted on stub shafts 2 I that arejournaled in bearings22 projecting from the frame. The remaining links are rigidly mounted on stub shafts 23 pivoted in bearings 24. The upper ends of the links can thus'be swung inwardly and outwardly to adjust the pinch rolls toward and away from each other, the links being locked in position by any suitable means 25. Each shaft 2| is driven from a motor by a gear or pulley 26 mounted on' the outer end of the shaft the inner end of which carries a pinion 21 that meshes with a The links or by any other suitable means.

gear 28 on the overlying pinch roll shaft I158. The pinch rolls are driven at a speed that will permit the ingot gripped by them to be lowered at the same rate that it is lowered by the pedestal.

, Preferably, the pinch rolls are insulated from the frame and form part of an electric circuit which is closed when the ingot engages them. This circuit comprising rolls H and wires M and 48 connecting the roll driving motor M1 to the source of power-indicated generally by Li. and L2 is completed when'the descending ingot is engaged by the rolls, thus actuating the motor M. As soon as the rolls receive the ingot, the pedestal II is lowered more rapidly by connecting the circuit of which the pinch rolls form a part to a solenoid 52 which when energized actuates a plunger 53 operably connected to a lever 54 for rotating the valve to the desired position. As shown in Figure 3, the valve is so positioned that fluid under pressure is admitted thereto from a sourc of supply (not shown) through pipe 55 and directed to the top of cylinder l3 through connecting pipe 56. Fluid from the bottom of the cylinder is expelled through pipe 51 to the valve 5| from which it is directed to a sump or to the atmosphere. The pedestal ll thus drops away from the slowly descending ingot and comes to rest in a recess 36 in the'floor of frame 2.

When the pedestal enters this recess, as shown in Figure 1, it trips a switch 31 that closes an electric circuit comprising switch 37, wires 53 and 59, solenoid BI and a source of power indicated generally by Li and L2. A plunger 60 positioned within solenoid 6| is operably 'connected to a lever 82 of the valve 63 into which fluid is directed from a source of supply (not shown) through pipe 64. When the valve is 'in position as disclosed in Figure 3, fluid under pressure passes through the pipe 60 to the bottom of a cylinder 65 and the fluid is trapped in the opposite end and expelled therefrom through pipe aeeaeos pressure to th bottom of cylinder it through pipe 5'5 and expelling the fluid which is trapped in the opposite end through pipe 56 to a sump or to the atmosphere. In this manner the pedestal i i is again brought back up into the lower end of the mold so that a new ingot can be cast in the manner just described without material loss of time. Switch t6 may be tripped manually to deenergize the solenoid 69 when the pedestal II is raised to its topmost position in order that there be no opposition to the movement of plunger 53 when solenoid 52 is energized.

If ingots of smaller cross sectional area are desired a smaller mold can be mounted on frame 2 and pinch'rolls ll then adjusted toward each other so that they will grip' the narrower ingot formed therein.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle and method of practicing my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiments. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. Apparatusfor casting tallingots, comprising a bottomless mold of materially less height than the ingots to be cast therein, a vertically movable pedestal serving as a temporary bottom for the mold, means for lowering the pedestal as an inwardly,away.from the ingot after it has been 61 and valve 63 to a sump or to the atmosphere.

It is a feature of this invention that the piston in this cylinder is connected by a vrod fllito an ingot carriage 42 slidably'mounted on tracks 13 that extend into the frame on both sides of recess 36 in its floor. Rod 4i moves the carriage inwardly until itis directly below the downwardly moving ingotwhich it receives. Pouring of the v metal into the mold isstopped at such a time as will permit the top of the completed ingot to pass laterally beneath the pinch rolls after it has been dropped a short distance into the carriage. If shorter ingots are desired, filler blocks can first be placed. in the carriag so that the ingots will not drop very far from the pinchrolls. After the ingothas been received by the carriage the cylinder operably connected thereto maybe reversed manually in order to cause rod 4 -l to withdraw the carriage from frame 2 so that theingot can be readily removed from it by a crane switch v46, and a source of power indicated generally by L1 and A plunger 13 positioned within solenoid 69 is connected to the movable plunger 53, positioned within solenoid 52, which in turn is connected to lever 54 of the valve 5|.

When the solenoid B9 is energized, the plunger 13 will be pulled downward to cause the valve member to rotate, thus admitting fluid under 7 'receivedby' said supporting means, means adapted to be disposed between the lowered pedestal and the ingot for receiving the completed ingot in upright position and for 'carryi'n it away from beneath the mold, and control means for causa bottomless mold of materially less height than the ingots to be cast therein, a vertically movable pedestal serving as a temporary bottom for the mold, means for lowering the pedestal as an ingot is formed thereon by the solidifying of metal poured into the mold, means below the mold for supporting th growing ingot and controlling its downward rate of travel, control means for causing the pedestal-lowering means to move downwardly away from the ingot after it has been received by said supporting means, a carriage spaced laterally from the pedestal, means for moving the carriage in between the lowered. pedestal and the ingot for receiving the completed ingot and carrying it away from beneath the mold, and control means for causing the pedestal lowering means to rise back up to the mold so that a new ingot can be cast. g

3. Apparatus for-casting tall ingots, comprising a bottomless mold of materially less height than the ingots to be cast therein, a vertically movable pedestal serving as a temporary bottom for the mold, means for lowering the pedestal as an ingot is formed thereon by the solidifying of metal poured into the mold, rolls joumaled below the mold for frictionally engaging opposite sides of the growing ingot, means for driving the rolls to control the downward rate of travel of the ingot. control means for causing the pedestal-lowering means to move downwardly away from the ingot after it has been engaged by the rolls, means adapted to be disposed between the lowered pedestal and the ingot for receiving the completed ingot in upright position and for carryingit away from ,beneath th mold, and control means for causing the pedestal lowering means to rise back up to the mold so that a new ingot can be cast.

4. Apparatus for casting tall ingots, comprising a bottomless mold of materially less height than the ingots to be cast therein, a frame supporting the mold and provided in its floor with a recess directly below the mold, a vertically movable pedestal serving as a temporarybottom for the mold, means below the frame and extending up through it for lowering the pedestal as an ingot is formed thereon by the solidifying of metal poured into the mold, means below the mold for supporting the growing ingot and controlling its downward rate of travel, control means for causing the pedestal-lowering means to move downwardly away from the ingot and into said floor recess after the ingot has been received by said supporting means, a carriage spaced laterally from said recess, means for moving the carriage inwardly on said floor and over said recess between the pedestal therein and the ingot for receiving the completed ingot and carrying it away from beneath the mold, and control means for causing the pedestal-lowering means to rise back up to the mold so that a ne ingot can be cast.

5. Apparatus for casting tall ingots, comprising a bottomless mold of materially less height than the ingots to be cast therein, a vertically movable pedestal serving as a temporary bottom for ahe mold, means for lowering the pedestal as an ingot is formed thereon by the solidifying of metal poured into the mold, means below the mold for supporting the growing ingot and controlling its downward rate of travel, control means automatically actuated when the ingot engages said supporting means for causing the pedestal-lowering means to move downwardly away from the ingot after it has been received by said supporting means, means adapted to be disposed between the lowered pedestal and the ingots for receiving the completed ingot in upright position and for carrying it away from beneath the mold, and control means for causing the pedestal-lowering means to rise back up to the mold so that a new ingot can be cast.

6. Apparatus for casting tall ingots, comprising a bottomless mold of materially less height than the ingot to be cast therein, a vertically movable pedestal serving as a temporary bottom for the mold, means for lowering the pedestal as an ingot is formed thereon by the solidifying of metal poured into the mold, means below the mold for supporting the growing ingot and controlling its downward rate of travel, control means for causing the pedestal-lowering means to move downwardly away from the ingot after it has been received by said supporting means, a carriage spaced laterally from the pedestal, means actuated by the pedestal when it reaches its lower limit of travel for moving the carriage in between the lowered pedestal and the ingots for receiving the completed ingot and carrying it away from beneath the mold, and control means for causing the pedestal-lowering means to rise back up to the mold so that a new ingot can be cast.

7, Apparatus for casting t'all ingots, comprising a bottomless mold of materially less height than the ingots to be cast therein, a vertically movable pedestal serving as a temporary bottom for the mold, means for lowering the pedestal as an ingot =ls formed thereon by the solidifying of metal poured into the mold, means below the mold for supporting the growing ingot and controlling its downward rate of travel, control means for causing the pedestal-lowering means to move downwardly away from the ingot after it has been received by said supporting means, a carriage spaced laterally'from th pedestal, means for moving the carriage in between the lowered pedestal and the ingot for receiving the completed ingot and carrying it away from beneath the mold, and control means actuated by the carriage as it moves away from the pedestal for causing the pedestal lowering means to rise back up to the mold so that a new ingot can be cast. 1

8. Apparatus for casting tall ingots, comprising a bottomless mold of materially less height than the ingots to be cast therein, a vertically movable pedestal serving as a temporary bottom for the mold, means for lowering the pedestal as an tween the lowered pedestal and the ingot for receiving the completed ingot in upright position and for carrying it away from beneath the mold, and control means for causing the pedestal lowering means to rise back up to the mold so that a new ingot an be cast.

9. Appar tus for casting tall ingots, comprising a bottomless mold of materially less height than the ingots to be cast therein, means for spraying a cooling fluid on the side walls of the mold, a vertically movable pedestal serving as a temporary bottom for the mold, means for lowering the pedestal as an ingot is formed thereon by the solidifying of metal poured into tle mold, means below the mold for supporting the growing ingot and controlling its downward rate of traveL'control means for causing the pedestallowering means to move downwardly away from the ingot after it has been received by said supporting means, means adapted to be disposed between the lowered pedestal and the ingot for receiving the completed ingot in upright position and for carrying it away from beneath the mold, and control means for causing the pedestal lowering means to rise back up to the mold so that a new ingot can be cast.

10. Apparatus for casting tall ingots, comprising a bottomless mold of materially less height than the ingots to be cast therein, means for spraying a cooling fluid on the side walls of the mold, a vertically movable pedestal serving as a temporary bottom for the mold, means for lowering the pedestal as an ingot is formed thereon by the solidifying of metal poured into the weld, means for collecting said sprayed fluid and nowing it onto the sides of the portion 01, the ingot below the mold, means below the mold for supporting the growing ingot and controlling its downward rate of travel, control means for causing the pedestal-lowering means to move downwardly away from the ingot after it has been received by said supporting means, means adaptedto be disposed between the lowered pedestaland the ingot for receiving the completed ingot in upright position and for carrying it away from beneath the mold, and control means for causing the pedestal lowering means to rise back up to the mold so that a new ingot can be cast.

11. Apparatus for casting tall ingots, comprising a bottomless mold of materially less height than the ingots to be cast therein, a plurality of pipes surrounding the mold and adapted to be connected to a source of cooling fluid under pressure, said pipes being perforated for spraying the fluid onto the side walls of the mold, a shield surrounding the pipes and mold, a vertically movable pedestal serving as a temporary bottom for the mold, means for lowering the pedestal as an aaeaaoa of travel, control means for causing the pedestal-lowering means to move downwardly away from the ingot after it has been received by said supporting means, means adapted to be disposed between the lowered pedestal and the ingot for receiving the completed ingot in upright position and for carrying it away from beneath the mold,

and control means for causing the pedestal lowering means to rise back up to the mold so that a new ingot can be cast. I

HAROLD 0. SHEPARD.

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