US2501536A

US2501536A - Casting machine

Info

Publication number: US2501536A
Application number: US589515A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert H Orr
Original assignee: Tennessee Coal Iron and Railroad Co
Current assignee: Tennessee Coal Iron and Railroad Co
Priority date: 1945-04-21
Filing date: 1945-04-21
Publication date: 1950-03-21
Anticipated expiration: 1967-03-21

Description

March 21, 1950 R. H/ORR CASTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 21, 1945 March 21, 1950 R, H, ORR 2,501,536

CASTING MACHINE Filed April 21, 1945 V 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR March 21, 1950 Filed April 21, 1945 R. H. oRR 2,501,536

CASTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 o I 7 a A INVENTOR Faber) 07'7' AT ORNEY R. H. ORR

CASTING MACHINE March 21, 1950 Filed April 21, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR To be? /7 07'?" 5 5 ATTORAQY Patented Mar. 21, 1950 2,5di i6 CASTING MACHINE Robert H. Orr, Birmingham, Ala., assignor to Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company, a corporation of Tennessee Application April 21, 1945, Serial No. 589,515

3 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to casting machines which, while not limited .thereto, are peculiarly well suited for casting elongated tin anodes used in electrolytic tinning processes.

The primary object of the invention is to provide improved means for casting metal objects in separable mold sections equipped with power means for separating the sections and power means for ejecting the castings from the molds.

Another object of the invention is to provide supporting means including power-operated mechanism for shifting one of the mold sections relatively to the other and for imposing pressure to hold the mold sections in tight engagement with one another when the latter are in closed casting position.

A further object of the invention is to provide power means for ejecting a casting from the mold after the sections thereof have been separated.

An additional object is to provide a conveyor table in a position to receive the castings ejected from the mold by said ejector means.

Another object is to provide means for tiltably supporting the conveyor and power means for tilting such supporting means.

A further object is to combine and coordinate the various instrumentalities shown and described, in such manner that they individually and7 jointly perform the functions hereinafter set for h.

The above and further related objects are made available by the embodiment of the invention herein shown.

For a more complete disclosure of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a casting machine embodying the herein claimed invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of Figure 1, taken on line II-II of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, illustrating the position of movable mold sections after they have been separated from complementary fixed sections, and also illustrating a different position of certain elements of the casting ejector mechanism.

Figure 4 is a plan view of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a diagram showing the piping and valves controlling the operation of the several air cylinders which actuate the various mechanisms herein described.

Referring in detail to the embodiment of the invention illustrated, numerals |0l0 represent side frames which are spaced apart by transverse cross members l2--|2 and longitudinal members I l-l4. A transverse cross member 16, rigidly secured to frame members Ill-4i), carries ears 2 l8 which support a pivot pin which passes through a lug 22 depending from a cross member 24 secured to the side angle bars 26 constituting the main frame elements of a conveyor table indicated as a whole at 28. Journaled between the angles 26 of the conveyor table 28 is a series of rotatably mounted rolls 29 collectively constitutinga roller table over which the castings are adapted to be ushed or to roll by gravity when the table is inclined.

A fluid pressure cylinder 30 fulcrumed on a pin 32 carried by a bracket 33 is secured to the frame structure. Within the cylinder 30 is a piston carrying a rod 34 pivotally connected by a pin 36 to a lug depending from the under side of the conveyor table. As thus arranged, it is apparent that by supplying pressure fluid to either end of the cylinder 3|], the conveyor table can be rocked about the pivot pin 2!} so as to vary the angularity thereof.

Supported at an angle oblique to the uprights In of the frame are a plurality of fixed brackets 38 to which are secured fixed mold sections 40 of angular cross-sectional or L shape, as shown. Slidably guided on the fixed brackets 38 are supporting heads 42 which are connected by pins 44 with upstanding ears 46 secured to movable L-shaped mold sections 48 which are complements of the fixed mold sections 4B, the latter being provided with notched portions 5c forming seats for coaction with the tongue extremities 52 of the movable sections 48. The heads 42 make a comparatively loose sliding fit on the guides of the brackets 38, and said movable mold sections 48 are suspended from respective pairs of adjustable links 54 connected by pins 56 with the cranks 58 secured to rock shafts 62. At one end of each shaft, each crank 58 has a

bell crank arm

60 and 60 respectively. The shafts 62 are mounted in brackets 64 secured fixedly to the uprights ll] of the frame of the machine. The arm 60 of the right-hand bell crank of Figures 2 and '3 is connected by a pin H! to the clevis end of a piston rod 12 extending from a piston M operating in the cylinder 68. The left-hand bell crank arm 66 of Figures 2 and 3 is connected to a pin 66 carried by ears at the left end of the cylinder 68. When fluid pressure is admitted to the left-hand end of the cylinder, as viewed in Figure 2, the piston 14 will be forced outwardly and thus materially increase the distance between the

pins

66 and 10, thereby rocking the cranks 58 so as to lift the supporting heads 452 to the position of Figure 3 and thus separate the upper mold sections 48 from the lower mold sections 40. When fluid pressure is admitted to the right end of the cylinder 68, the piston i4, through the connections shown, will shift the mold parts to the closed position of Figure 2, and forcibly hold them in such position.

A pair of wedge members 16 having converging faces 78 cooperating with wedge faces 89 formed on the upper mold sections #8 are providedwith lateral extensions 82 which are pivotally connected with the pins 4 3. The pins 44 connect with the links 54 and pass loosely through slots at in the ears 45, so as to provide for a slight amount of lost motion to provideaclearance between the wedge faces '18 and the wedge projections 80, as shown in Figure 3, when the'mold sections are separated. When the mold sections are closed, as illustrated in Figure 2, the-Wedgemembers it are held by the pressure of the piston in cylinder fit in a manner to firmly hold the tongue portions 52 of the movable mold sections 58 against the grooved seats 59 of the fixed mold sections Ill). The conjoint action of the fluid pressure means and the wedge members described provides an extremely tight joint between the interfitting separable mold parts, and thus insures the formation of clean-cornered castings, which is highly desirable in the casting of tin anodes for use in an electrotinning process.

For ejecting the castings from the -mold' sections, I provide cylinders 86' having pistons 88 working therein carrying ejector rods 93 which are adapted to be moved from the position of Figure 2 to the position of Figure "3 so as to strip the castings C from the molds and to transfer them onto the rollers 29 of the conveyor table.

As shown in Figure 5, I provide a valve-and piping layout whereby the operations of all the operating cylinders can be controlled from a common station convenient to the operator. As illustrated, 52 represents an air line connected to a suitable supply of compressed air (not shown). Said air line is connected with four individual four-

way valves

84, 96, 98, and Hill.

The valve 94, which controls theconveyortilting cylinder 38, is a four-way valve without neutral position, and is connected with opposite ends of cylinder Si! by pipes B l anda i as shown.

Valves 9t andlill, which control the ejector cylinders 88, are spring biased four-way valves which automatically return to position after each operation. They are connected to the opposite ends of cylinders 85 by respective pipes 95 95 93 and 98 as shown.

Valve iilfl, which controls the mold opening and closing cylinder 58, is a four-way valve without neutral position, and it is connected-with the pposite ends of cylinder 68 by pipes lllll and lim as shown.

With the arrangement of operating cylinders connected with their respective control valves as shown and described, interlocks between the valves are not necessary, since the valves 9% and as which control the cylinder 86 for ejecting the cast anodes from the molds are returned automatically to closed position by suitable springs. not shown thus preventing the ejector rods 98 from interfering with the lowering of the upper mold sections 6-8. In the event that the valve 94 should be inadvertently operated at any time during the pouring of metal into themolds, no harm would result, since such act would merely 4 shift the position of the conveyor table about its pivotal support 20.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that in the normal operation of the casting machine illustrated, molten metal may be poured into the molds at the point 93. At the time of casting, it will be understood, there will be pressure on the right side of the piston M in the cylinder 88, so as to thus cause the cranks 58, arms 68, 69 and links 5 to press down on the wedge members 16 and thereby forcibly hold the upper movable mold sections 48 in firm engagement with the lower fixed sections 40. After the casting has solidified within the mold sections, air pressure will be admitted to the left end of the cylinder 68, as viewed in Figures 2 and 3, to thus lift the links E l, and through the connections described, raise the upper mold sections l8. After the mold sections are separated, the operator will shift the valves 96 and 98 to cause the ejection of the castings onto the conveyor table, which at this time will be inclined at the same angle asthe mold sections. Thereafterwhen the ej rods have been retracted, the operator may operate the valve i l to shift theconveyor to substantially horizontal position to arrest or control the gravity travel of the castings along the conveyor table, as described.

While I have described quite precisely a preferred practical embodiment of the invention, it is not to be construed that I am limited'thereto, since various modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A casting machine comprising a frame, a pair of lower mold sections of L-shape in crosssection rigidly supported on said frame, a pair of complementary movable upper mold sectionsof inverted L shape in cross-section, uprights fixed to said frame and arranged inopposed pairs alongsideeach of said lower mold sections, a plurality of heads, one of which isslidable on each of said uprights, a pair of rock shafts rotatably supported on said .frame and carrying cranks operatively connected through said upper mold sections to said heads, mechanism for rocking said shafts, and wedge means responsive to movement of said cranks and having lost motion connections with said upper mold sections for firmly holding said upper mold sections in closed position on said lower mold sections.

2. A casting machinecomprising a frame, .a conveyor on said frame, a pair of lower mold sec tions of L-shape in cross-section, one of which is rigidly supported on said frame at each side of saidconveyor to discharge castings thereto, a pair of complementary movable upper mold sections of inverted L-shape in cross-section, uprights fixed to said frame and arranged in opposed pairs alongside each of said lower mold sections, a plurality of heads, one of which is slidable on each of said uprights, a pair of rock shafts rotatably supported on said frame and carrying cranks operatively connected through said upper mold sections to said heads, mechanism for rocking said shaftsv and thereby raising and lowering said upper mold sections, and wedge means responsive to movement of said cranks and having lost motion connections with said upper mold sections for firmly holding said upper mold sections in closed position on said lower mold sections.

3. A casting machine comprising a frame, a conveyor on said frame, a pair of lower mold sections of L-shape incross-section, one of which is rigidly supported on said frameat each side of said conveyor to discharge castings thereto, a" pair of spaced complementary movable upper J mold sections of inverted L-shape in cross-sec f tion, uprights fixed to said frame and arranged in opposed pairs alongside each of said lower.

mold sections, a plurality of heads, one of which i slidable on each of said uprights, a pair of rock" shafts rotatably supported on said frame and carrying cranks operativeiy connected through said upper mold sections to said heads, mecha l nism for rocking said shafts and thereby raising and lowering said upper mold sections, and

wedge means spanning the space between said upper mold sections and being connected to opposed pairs of heads and having lostmotion con;

nections with said upper mold sections for firmly holding said upper mold sections on said lower I mold sections when the upper sections are low;

ered, said upper mold sections leaving unob structed the space between said lower mold sections when the upper sections are'raised.

ROBERT H. ORR.

6 REFERENCES cum) The following referencesare of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS