United States Patent Buckner [451 Apr, 18, 1972 54] PLATFORM FOR TRANSPORTING 3,343,153 451362 Garrett ..105/355 4 6 5 FOUNDRY MQLDS 3,133,658 5/ 1964 [72] Inventor: Harry F. Buckner, 3665 Pondee, Dear- 2,640,441 6/1953 Jones 105/364 born, Mich. 48124 Primary Examiner-Arthur L. La Point [22] Flled 1970 Assistant Hammer-Richard A. Bertsch [2]] Appl. No.: 79,396

[57] ABSTRACT 52 us. c1 ..105/355,105/279, 105/364 An improved Platform for carrying foundry molds on a car [51 1 Int. Cl ..B61d 11/02 featuring triangularly p d diverlefs the ends Ofthe P 5g p Search 04/ 33 279; 105/355 3 6 form which direct the overflow of molten metal on the top of 105/367, 364, 279 V the platform away from the car hitch and the tracks on which the car travels.

{56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 2,839,010 6/1958 Harbulak ..l05/364 1 PLATFORM FOR TRANSPORTING FOUNDRY MOLDS This invention relates to an improvement in platforms for transporting foundry molds.

ln mass production foundry practice, molds are carried on a platform which in turn is carried on a track-mounted foundry car. These cars are successively connected by hitches to form a train which is moved past ladles or the like which fill the molds. While highly desirable, it is virtually impossible to maintain all of the poured molten metal in the mold. The stop and start motion of the train can cause molten metal to slosh out of the mold and onto the platform, or excess drippings from the ladle may fall on the platform. While it is preferable to allow the molten metal to run off the platform, it is undesirable to allow it to run off randomly. Such a random flow can fall upon the train tracks as well as the hitches connecting the cars of the train together. The solidification of molten metal on the tracks or car hitches can cause a hazardous condition as well as an inconvenience.

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide an improved platform for track-mounted foundry cars which prevents the molten metal runoff on the platform from falling on either the train tracks or the hitches connecting the cars.

It is also an object of this invention to provide diverting means on the ends of such a platform which directs the overflow of molten metal away from the car hitches and train tracks.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the top side of a platform embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bottom side of the plat form of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the platform of FIG. I mounted on a foundry car.

Referring now to the drawings, a platform of the present invention comprises a body 12 in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped preferably made of cast iron or the like. Body 12 has a top 14, ends 16 and 18, sides 20 and 22, and a bottom 24. A perimetrically extending edge 26 overlaps bottom 24 to thereby allow platform 10 to be seated on a platform carrying car (shown schematically in FIG. 3). When platform 10 is seated on a car, ends' 16 and 18 are spaced apart in the direction of car travel. A separator bar 28 extends laterally across the middle of top 14 for the purpose of separating molds which are placed on top 14.

Three identical triangularly shaped diverter plates 30 preferably made of cast iron are mounted on ends 16 and 18. The apex 32 of each diverter 30 is adjacent top 14 and is chamfered as at 34 to enhance the diverting effect in this area. The base 36 of each diverter 30 is spaced vertically downwardly of apex 32 so as to be adjacent edge 26, edge survide diverters on the sides of the faces 38 of diverter 30 extending laterally outwardly and vertically downwardly between apex 32 and base 36. The thickness of diverter 30 is sufficient to accommodate the largest anticipated flow rate from top 14. The center diverter is positioned so that it is vertically above the car hitch when platform 10 is seated on the car; the diverters laterally adjacent the center diverter are positioned vertically above the track rails on which the platform-carrying car travels. Such an arrangement of diverters with the ends of the platfonn defines channels 40 having laterally divergent ends adjacent apexes 32 communicating with top 14 and laterally convergent ends adjacent bases 36.

The incorporation of channels 40 with platform 10 successfully diverts the runoff of molten metal from top 14 so that the car hitches and tracks are protected. There is no need to proplatform since these already extend outwardly beyond the rails of the track. Aside from the improvement in safety to personnel derived from the use of these diverters, there is no longer the waste of time required to remove accumulated metal from the car hitches and tracks, nor is it necessary to replace the hitches and tracks as has sometimes been required.

While these diverters may be constructed in any one of a number of possibleways, the particular construction disclosed, namely the triangularly shaped plate, is economically and readily fabricated.

I claim:

1. In combination a foundry car having track-engaging wheels and a hitch adapted to be connected with another foundry car and a platform on said foundry car, said platform comprising a body having a substantially flat horizontal top surface adapted to carry a mold and extending lengthwise of the car to terminate in laterally extending edges at lengthwise opposite ends of the body and a substantially vertical end surface at each lengthwise opposite end of the body terminating in a laterally extending upper edge at the adjacent, laterally extending end edge of the top surface and a plurality of three laterally spaced, triangularly shaped plates mounted flat against each vertical end surface, each of said plates having an apex adjacent the horizontal top surface of said body and a base spaced vertically below the apex, the laterally outer plates being spaced vertically directly above the rails of the track on which the car travels and the center plate being spaced vertically directly above the hitch of the car whereby the two edge surfaces of each plate which diverge from the apex to the base form diverting means for diverting molten metal which runs over the end edges of the top surface of the body away from the rails of the track on which the car travels and away from the car hitch.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the apex of each plate is chamfered adjacent the vertical end surfaces of the body on which it is mounted.