US739062A - Casting-machine. - Google Patents

Description

No. 739,062. PATENTED SEPT. 15, 1903.

F. N. GLINE.

CASTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION I'ILBD FEB. 28, 1902.

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Y I de PATENTED SEPT. 15, 1903.

F. N. GLINE.

CASTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED FEB 28, 1902 N0 MODEL.

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PATENI'BD SEPT.15, 1903. P. N. cums. CASTING MACHINE: APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28, 1902,

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CASTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION PILEDIIZB. 28, 1902.

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UNIT-ED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

ratlita September 15, 1905'.

FRED ctmnoncmc eo, ILLINOIS.

CASTING-iMACHINEr QPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 739,062, dated September 15, 1903. Application filed Pebruary 28, Serial No. 9 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, FRED N. CLlNE, a citiezen of the United States, residing at Chicago, j

in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Casting-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,-forming a part thereof.

This invention is an improvement in the mechanism of automatic casting-machinesthat is, machines in which castings are produced in molds of which a multiplicity enter into the construction of the machine and are brought successively to position for receiving the charge of molten metal andcarried therefrom, opened, and discharged automatically.

It consists of features of construction set out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of my improved casting-machine omitting the conveyer for carrying away the castings. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same with the parts removed, the section being made vertically through the axis of the main operating-shaft. Fig. 3 is a detail plan, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of one of the master-wheels and the driving mechanism for the same. Fig. 4 is a section at the line t 4. onFig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section at the line 5 5 on Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a detail section axial with respect to the, main operating-shaft through a clutch and tripping mechanism thereon and'associated therewith. Fig. 7 is a detail section at the line 7 7 on Fig.2. Fig. 8 is an elevation of the levers by which the molds are held closed during the filling and their supporting standards. Fig. 9isa partlysectional side elevation of one of the crucibles and burners by which it is kept hot, section being made axially through the-burner and wall of the'crucible at their discharge therefrom. Fig. 10 is a detail section at the line 10 10 on Fig. 1, showing upon a larger scale than said figure one of the molds open. Fig. 11 is a section at the line 11 11 on Fig. 2 upon a largerscale than said figure. Fig. 12 is a section at the line 12 12 on Fig. 11. Fig. 13 is a detail section of a stopperand holder for one of the spouts. Fig. 14 is a plan view of a triple funnel-trough for directing metal into three molds at a time or successively. Fig.

15 is a section at the line 15 15 on Fig.-l4.

Fig. 16 is a detail section atthe line 16 16 on .Fig. 2, showing the parts at a difierent stage of the action. Fig. 17 is a detail view of the automatic hammer for rapping the molds to free the castings. Fig. 18 is a detail section at the line 18 18 on Fig. 2.

The general character of the machine may be first explained. It comprises two master wheels 1 1, around which an endless chain 2 travels, molds 3 3 to any number desired up to the total number of links of which the chain is formed being mounted on the links,

respectively, and carried by the latter to molding pots or crucibles 4 4, which are mounted overhanging the master-Wheels, respectively, and adapted to discharge into the molds as the latter pass successively under the crucible-spouts. The mechanism is such as to give the master-wheels, and thereby the chain and molds, step-by-step movement, causing the molds to be carried successively to the crucible-spoutsand to be halted in position to receive their charge of metal, then moved onward with the chain to a position where they may be opened and discharged. In the specific construction illustrated the step movements are of such duration as to carry the molds in groups of three at a time into position to be filled from three spouts with which the crucible is provided, all being similar to the one spout 5 which is shown. The molds are two-part molds opening by horizontalswing about vertical hinges and being automatically closed as they approach the position for receiving metal, means being provided for clamping them firmly while they are receiving the charge, but with capacity for opening slightly to accommodate the expansion of the metal, the devices which hold them shut being arranged to comeinto operation for that purpose only while the molds are halted and being out of action during the travel of the chain and molds, so

that the pressure necessary to secure the shaft, this having similar worms 7 7, meshing ,with gears 8 8 on the master-wheels, respectively. One advantage of this mode of driving is that in addition to giving positive movement to the two master-wheels, and thereby rendering the movements of sa d master-wheels perfectly synchronous, the momentum of the master-wheels is not communicated to the shaft-that is, there is no tendency to maintain the rotation of the shaft, the only effect of the momentum of the master-wheels being a tendency to give endwise movement to the shaft when the rotation of the wheels is arrested. To arrest the endwise thrust which the shaft thus receives, a

thrust-bearing 9 is provided, and thus the foundation frame 10, which sustains this thrust-bearing, absorbs the shock, if any, consequent upon the arrest of the rotation of the wheels. Power is communicated to the shaft 6 by sprocket-wheel 11, loose on the shaft adjacent to a hearing or stop-collar 12 on said shaft, said sprocket-wheel having a conical friction seat 13, adapting it to constitute one member of a friction-clutch, the

other member 14 being feathered on the shaftand adapted to rotate with the latter and slide upon it. The hubs of the two clutch members 11 and 14 have axial cavities 15 and 16, respectively, to accommodate the spring 17, which is stopped at its opposite ends against the bottom of the cavity 16 and at the otheragainsta stopcollar 18, fast on the shaft in the cavity 15, being secured to the shaft before the sprocket-wheel clutch member is put in place on the shaft. The hub of the clutch member 14 has a peripheral groove 18, (see Fig. 7,) in which is seated a shoe 19, which is pivoted to fork-arms 20 of the shipping-lever 21. This lever is pivotally connected to bars 22 and 23, which extend in 0pposite directions each through a bearing 25, (one being shown,) in which they slide and are guided longitudinally. Their ends remote from their pivotal connections to said lever are connected with pedal bell-crank levers 2G 26, by which the operators, respectively, are enabled to actuate the slide-bars, but in such manner that the shipping-lever 21 does not operate the clutch member l4'unless both the members 22 and 23 are actuated in the operating direction. This specific result is obtained by virtue of the fact that said shipping-lever has no fulcrum other than the three connections describedto wit, one to the shoe which engages the clutch member and the other two to said slide-bars,.respectively. One of the bars-it is of no consequence which onehas its pivotal connection to the shipping-lever at a slot shown in the drawings at 27 in the bar, the elongation of the slot being sufficient to accommodate the entire longitudinal movement which the operating-pedal is adapted to give to the bar having such slot. When the clutch member 14 is out of engagement with the sprocketwheel clutch member 11, the pivot of the bar which is connected at the slot 27 stands in the end thereof remote from the pedal-operated end of the bar. If the operator at this whose pivotal connection to the lever is not slotted, the lever will act as if fulcrumed at its pivotal connection with the shoes 19 and the slotted pivotal connection of the lever will move the length of the slot, stopping with the pivot at the end of the slot, and be ing'at this position it will engage as soon as that bar is operated by its pedal-lever, and thereupon the pivot of the lever to the other bar becomes a fulcrum and the shoe-connected end of the lever moves to effect ongagement of the clutch members. Since the spring 17 holds the clutch members apart,

rotation of the shaft 6 will cease whenever the clutch member 14 is not positively held in Working relation to the member 11. In order to cause the duration of the rotation of the shaft at each step-that is, between consecutive intervals of rest,to be always sufficient, and no more than sufiicient, to actuate the master-wheels the distance corresponding to the number of molds which there is provision for filling at one time-in the machine as illustrated three molds spaceI provide the following mechanism: Fast on the shaft 6 is a beveled gear 28. Meshing with this beveled gear is a beveled gear-rim 29 on a wheel or disk 30, whose shaft 31 is journaled on a bracket 32, which bracket has also a bearing for the shaft 6, adjacent to which the beveled gear 28 is located on said shaft. The wheel or disk 30 extends diametrically considerably beyond the circumference of the gear-rim 28, which projects upwardly from said disk, and in the periphery of the disk there is a notch 33. From the lower side of the element which forms the shoes 19 for engaging the groove 18 of the clutch member 14 there is an abutment or tooth 34, which projects laterally at the plane of the periphery of the disk 30 and is in position to bear against said periphery when the clutch member 14 is in working engagement with the clutch member 11. The relative size of the beveled gear 28 and the beveled gear-rim 29 is such as to cause the latter and the entire wheel 30 to revolve once while the shaft 6 is revolving enough times to cause the master-wheels to rotate the distance necessary to bring the desired number of molds into position for fillingthat is, in the present construction three molds space. The notch 33 on the disk 30 comes around to the abutment or teeth 34 on the clutch-operating shoe at the time the masterwheel IIO should halt to have the molds at the proper position for receiving their charge of metal from the melting-pot hereinafter described. When the notch registers with the abutment, the spring 17 acts to force the clutch members apart, such movement having been prevented so long as the abutment was bearing upon the periphery of the disk, but being possible when the notch in the disk reachesthe abutment, so the latter can recede in the notch. The disengagement of the clutches cutting off the driving power from the shaft 6 occurs simultaneously with the engagement of the wheel with the abutment, and such engagement causes the rotation of the wheel tobe arrested instantly. No difficulty is eX- perienced in thus instantly arresting the wheel, and thereby the shaft 6, because the momentum of these-parts is comparatively slight, the momentum of the master-wheel, which would be great, being in a direction to actuate the shaft 6 longitudinally against the thrust-bearing and not to rotate it, and the friction caused by this momentary draft of the master-wheels upon the shaft through the engagement with the worms on the latter tends rather to assist the stoppage of the shaft than to continue its rotation. When the molds have been filled and'the operators desire to start the master-wheels on the next step of rotation, they will both depress their respective pedals, and the clutch member 14 will be forced into engagement with the clutch member 11, and the wheel 30 will be at the same time by the same movement released.

In order to cause the devices which clamp the molds while they are being filled to be operated for that purpose only when the master-wheels halt and the molds are in'position for, filling, and thus to avoid the friction which would resist the rotation of the master-wheels during the periods of action while carrying the molds to and from the position for filling, I provide mechanism which will now be described.

.The two slide-bars 35, which operate the clamping devices, are providedwith springs 41 41, tending to thrust them endwise toward each other, and are connected by links 36 36, said links being pivoted together and to an upstanding thrust-bar 37. The pivot 38 of the thrust-bar to the links is guided vertically in a slot 39 of a bracket 40, erected on the foundation support or frame 10, and when the pivot is at the point of the slot 39 the links 36 36 are a little below the line connectin g their pivots to the slide-bars, respectively. The maximum separation of the slide-bars being caused by straightening the links-that is, bringing the three pivots in lineit will be seen that as soon as the pivot 38 passes below this line the re action of the springs 41 41, tending toforce the bars endwise together, holds the pivot 38 at the lowest limit of the slot 39, and the thrust-bars are thus locked in most widely-spread position, .This posi tion is that at which the molds are clamped shut, as will hereinafter appear. The thr ustbar 37 at its upper end is forked, and between the fork-arms 42 42 it carries an antifr-iction- 'roll 43. I On the outside of the clutch member 13, which is rigid with the sprocket-wheel 11, I mount a friction-clutch member 44, adapted to engage frictionally on the-outside of the clutch member 13, said member being exteriorly as Well as interiorly conical for this purpose. To said outer clutch member 44 there is connected, by means of bolts 45, a flanged sleeve 46, the flange constituting a circular disk 47, through which the attaching-bolts take loosely, being screwed into a cam-flange 48 of said clutch member 44, slight play being allowed for the disk on the'bolts before theheads of the latter stop movement of said flanged sleeve 46 longitudinally with respect to the shaft. The sleeve overhangs the clutch member 14, and diametrically opposite studs 49 49 project from the sleeve into a groove50 in the periphery of said clutch member 14, so that the longitudinal movement of said clutch member carries the sleeve or like movement of the sleeve carries the clutch member; but said members do not necessarily communicate rotary movement to each other, the sleeve, however, taking rotary movement from clutch member 44 by reason of the bolts 45 projecting through the fiangeddisk 47. The cam-flange 48, above mentioned, is .at the end of the clutch member 44 next the sprocket wheel 11. This flange is circular, but eccentric to the shaft and with respect to the flanged disk 47 which rotates with it. At the point of least eccentricity of the camrflange the disk-flange has a notch 51. The roll 43 is adapted to travel on the periphery of the eccentric cam 48,

and the fork-arm 42, which carries the roll, is adapted to enter and engage the notch 51 when the latter coincides with said fork-arm and said fork-arm is pressed laterally toward IIO the disk. A spring 52, secured to the bracket 47 and the cam-flange of said clutch member" 44 being at that stage all taken up, the disk and cam flanges being in contact, and the two parts-clutch member 44 and sleeve 46-? being in position to operate as one piece.- The thrust-bar has an arm 54 projecting sub-, stantially at right angles both to the bar and to the pivot 38, and at the endof said arm is an antifriction-roll 55. This roll is stopped at 5b'-o n .the surface of the foundation-frame 1Q when the bar 37 is at the lowest position described-that is, with the pivot 38 slightly below the line connecting the pivots of the links to the slide-bars, respectively. The operation of this structure is as follows: When the clutch member 14 is in driving engagement with the clutch member 13 and while, therefore, the master-wheels are operating to drive the chain and carry the molds into and out of position for filling, the clutch member 44 is out of driving engagement with said clutch member 13, being held thus by the sleeve 46, which is forced longitudinally against the cam-flange of said clutch member 44 by the movement of the clutch member 13 into operative engagement with the nearer cone-face of the clutch member 13. At this position of the parts initially the roll 43 is opposite the least eccentric point of the cam 48, the fork-finger 42 is engaged in the notch 51 of the flanged disk 47, and thereby the clutch member 44 is held locked against rotation, which it might otherwise receive frictionally from its bearing on the outer cylindricalsurface of the clutch member 13 or the web of the sprocket-wheel 11 or from the frictional driving tendency of the clutch member 13, communicated through the sleeve 46. As soon as the proper number of revolutions of the shaft 6 have caused the notch 33 on the disk to reach the abutment or tooth 34 on the stem of the shoe 19 the spring 17, reacting to force the clutch members 13 and 14 apart, causes the latter to be locked at rest by the engagement of said abutment in said notch. Thereupon the rotation of the shaft 6 and the master-wheels ceases and the molds come to rest in position for filling. Longitudinal movement of the clutch member 14 away from the clutch member 13 carries the flanged disk 47in the same direction, freeing the fork arm 42 of the upstanding lever thrust-bar 37 from engagement with the notch 51, and also notwithstanding the play between the flanged disk 47 and the cam-disk 48 carries the said clutch member 44 into frictional engagement with the outside of the clutch member 13, so that said clutch member 44 and cam 48 begin to revolve immediately upon the disengagement of'the fork-arm 42 from the notch 51. A half-rotation of the clutch member 44 and its cam 48 causes the latter to force the thrust-bar downward to the distance of the maximum eccentricity of the cam, carrying the pivot 38 below the line of the other pivots of the links 36 and locking the slide-bars 35 at their maximum spread,

clamping the molds shut. The time occupied by the half-rotation of the sprocket-wheel 11, which produces this locking, is the total delay occurring after the halt of the masterwheels and molds before the latter are tightly clamped and ready to receive their charge of metal. Incidentally the downward movement of the thrust-bar 37, which produces the locking described, carrying the pivot below the line of the pivots links 36, as mentioned, causes the slight movement which the slidebars make under the reaction of the springs 41 to pull the thrust-bar 37 down a little farther than it would be forced by the cam, and thus carry the roll 43 out'of contact with the cam 48, so that no power is absorbed in holding the molds clamped during the period of filling. As soon as the operators, having depressed their pedals, cause the shipping-lever 21 to throw the clutch member 14 back into driving engagement with the clutch member 13 the flange-disk 47 of the sleeve 46, being forced over toward the sprocket-wheel, first causes the face of the cam-disk to strike the said fork-finger 42 and tilt the thrust-bar 37 over at the upper end, and the roll at the end of the arm 54 becomes the fulcrum for this tilting action of the thrust-bar, which causes the latter to be lifted at the same time that it is thus tilted by the lateral pressure of the flange-disk 47, the lifting movement being sufiicient to carry the pivot 38 of the links to the thrust-bar above the line of the pivots of said links to the respective slidebars 35, thus unlocking the thrust-bar and slide-bars and causing the former to be immediately thrust upward by the action of the springs 41 on the slide-bars. Such upward movement is permitted by the half-rotation of the cam 48, which is not yet disengaged from the clutch member 13, the entire action thus far described as resulting from the movement given by the clutch member 14 to the disk 47 being effected by the slight movement of that disk which will occur before the slack or play between its face and the seat of the cam 48 is taken up, so that by the time the disk is against thecam and in position to push the latter, and thereby the clutch member 44, out of engagement with the outer surface of the clutch member 13 the cam has made its halfrotation, the slide-bar is at its highest posi tion, and when in the continued rotation of the disk 47 the notch 51, coming around to the fork-finger of the thrust-bar 37, receives said finger, its rotation being now due merely to momentum, the clutch being disengaged, it is brought to rest by said engagement of the finger in the notch, and thereby locked in the position of rest-that is, the position at which the molds are free from the pressure of the clamps. All the action thus described, commencing with the first movement of the clutch member 14 toward the position of engagement with the member 13, takesplace within one-half revolution of the sprocketwheel 11 and clutch member 13, and its completion and the resulting unclamping of the molds is substantially simultaneous with the completion of the movement of the clutch member 14 into frictional contact with the member 13, so that the molds are free from the restraint of the clamps by the time the mold-carrying chain recommences its travel.

The slide- bars 22 and 23 are provided with springs 57 57, tending to give them longitudinal movement in the opposite directions from their movement derived from the bell- IIO crank pedal-levers, respectively, so that they tend to return from the position to which they are moved by the depression of the pedal-levers. Such return movement must occur after the rotation of the shaft 6 has commenced and after the notch 33 of the disk 30 has movedv away from the abutment 34 on the stem of the shoe 19 and has thereby locked the shipping-lever in position to hold the clutch member 14 over into driving engagement with the member 13, and, on the other hand, such return must not occur until after the rotation of the shaft 6 has commenced and continued far enough to thus lock such members. This result might be accomplished by requiring each operator-to hold his pedallever down until the master-wheels start and then to release it. It is desirable, however, to relieve the operators of the necessity of thus holding the pedal-levers and to provide means for automatically holding them, since if it depends upon the voluntary action of the operator any neglect in this respect may involve seriousccnsequences. For rendering this action automatic I provide the following devices for unlocking and releasing the bars 22 and 23: 58 is a shaft having a sliding movement it a plane at right angles to the wheel 30. It is provided with a spring 59, reacting between one of the bearings and a collar 60 on said shaft, tending to thrust the shaft toward the wheel 30. upraise orcam projection 61, which is located in position to encounter theend of the shaft 58 as the wheel 30 revolves and to thrust said shaft away from the wheel just before the notch 33 reaches and becomes engaged with the abutment 34-that is, just before 'the wheel 30 is stopped by the engagement of said abutment in the notch-so that when the wheel stops the cam 61 is in position to hold the shaft 58 thrust away from the face of the wheel. Said shaft 58 extends across and close to the slide- bars 22 and 23, and said bars are provided each with a ratchet-tooth 62, whose width is a portion only of the width of the.

bar, and on the shaft 58 are provided springactuated dogs 63 63, which are adapted to ride upon the ratchet-teeth as the bars are pulled longitudinally by the pedal bell-crank levers and to engage behind said teeth at the limit of said longitudinal movement. The

- dogs, it will be noticed, are in position to thus ride upon and engage behind the ratchetteeth only when the shaft' 58 is thrust away from the wheel 30, as described. The width of the ratchet tooth and dog, however, in each case is such that the dogs are out of the path of the teeth and cannot be engaged therewith when the shaft 58 is thrust inward-that is, toward the wheel 30-by its spring when the cam 61 is out of its path. The operation of this device, it will'be seen, will be that when the shaft 6 and wheel 30 are atrest-that is, when the master-wheels are. at rest and the molds arc beingfilled-the dogs on the shaft On the face of said wheel is any 58 are in the paths,respectively,of the ratchetteeth on the bars 22 and 23, so that when the operators depress their respective pedal-levers and pull the bars 22 and 23 in the direction to operate the shipping-lever each bar is locked at thelimit of the longitudinal movement thus received by the engagement of its dog with the ratchet-tooth on the corresponding bar. The first bar thus actuated is held in the position into which it has thus been moved from its necessary fixed fulcrum. in the shipping-lever when the latter is afterward actuated by the other bar, and both bars are held in position necessary to hold the clutch member 14 in working engagement with the bar 13 long enough to cause the shaft 6 to start, and the rotation of the shaft a suf ficient distance to cause the wheel 30 to ro-. tate at its periphery the width of the notch 33 locks the shipping-lever'in position to which it is thus moved by the action of the operators on their pedal-levers and at the same time carries the cam 61 out of the path of the shaft 58, and the spring on said shaft thereupon-thrusts the latter endwise, caus- .ing it to carry the dogs 63 63 out from behind the ratchet-teeth on the bars 22 and 23, re-

spectively, thus allowing said bars to be retracted by their respective springs, the teeth passing by the sides of the dogs back to the position where the dogs are again moved into line with them, and the endwise play of the bars will again cause them to become locked by the dogs.

lhe clamping of the molds caused by the slide'bars 35 is effected by mechanism which comprises clamping-shoes 64 64 64, which are also of the nature of eveners-that is, devices adapted to distribute the pressure'throughout the length of the molds-this quality being obtained by virtue of the fact that said bars 64 are pivoted midway of their length to levers 65 65 65, by which they are respectively carried and actuated. These levers 65 are f'ulcrumed on a shaft 66, which extends through four posts 67 67 67 67, constituting a tie-rod .to unite the posts, between which the levers 65 extend vertically. The clamps pertaining to each master-wheel are actuated by one of the slide-bars 35, the slide-bars being connected to a lever-arm 68 on the rock-shaft 69, which is journaled in brackets 70 70 on the base-frame 10. Said rock-shaft has leverarms 71 71, connected by a wrist 72, to which are connected three links 73 73 73. Each link extends through an eye in the lower end of one of the levers 65, a checknut 74 being screwed onto the-link, to which it is threaded beyond the lever, and a spring 75 being coiled about the link behind the lever and checked by an adjusting-nut 76. This structure, it will be seen, causes the outward thrust which slide-bar 35 receives when the links 36 36 are forced downward intoline to force the clampshoes. and. eveners 64 64 64 64 against the molds in front of them, respectively, and to clamp the molds closed, said clamping being,

however, effected with a yielding pressure, due to the presence of the springs 75, so that the expansion of the metal as it cools in the mold may force the latter slightly open instead of bursting the mold or tearing oif the hinges. It will be noticed also that the force needed for clamping the molds is required only when the necessity for power to rotate the master-wheels is intermitted, the latter being at rest.

For the purpose of initially closing the molds before they reach the clamps which are to hold them more firmly closed I provide a spring-bar 116, which is lodged in recesses in the face of the shoes 64:, being most conveniently secured to the middle shoe, the end of the said spring-bar toward the entering molds being curved outward at 117, so that the molds carried by the chain approaching hinged side foremost encounter the curved end of the bar and are forced shut, and so held while the molds travel alongside said bar and are halted with one mold opposite each shoe. In order to support the chain in its travel between the master-wheels and prevent it from sagging under its own weight and that of the molds, and therebyincreasing the strain upon the wheels and the friction, I provide the fixed member of each mold with a bracket 118 at its upper end in position to pass clear of the masterwheel as the chain travels around the latter, and in said bracket Ijournal a small pulley 119, having a grooved periphery, and on the base-frame I mount a rail or plate 120, having its upper edge adapted to seat the grooved pulley 119, the upper edge of said rail at the ends being sloped outward, adapting it readily to receive the pul- I leys as the links pass by the master-wheel,

so that the weight is taken by the plate as soon as the support of the wheel is .lost. In order to prevent the molds from swinging inward at their upper ends-by reason of being thus supported at one side only at the upper end, I make the plate 120 of suflicient depth to extend down past the link proper, being deflected at 122 to accommodate the links which seat against it as they travel past it. The plates are supported on the base-frame by suitable standards or lugs 123.

The crucibles 4 4 are mounted in aperfectly similar manner, one over each master-wheel in position to discharge through suitable spouts into the molds as they pass around the master-wheel, or rather as they halt midway in their travel about the outer side of the masterwheel. The structure of one of the pots and its mountings will now be described. First, it will be observed that the master-wheel is journaled upon a vertical stud or axle 130, which projects upward from the base-frame 10, ball-bearings being provided-at 131 between the lower face of the hub of the masterwheel and the upwardly-facing shoulder about the stud-axle, and also at 131 at the upper end of the hub between the same and the adjustable cone 131 on the stud-axle.

The stud-axle is extended above the hub of the master-Wheel and reduced in diameter to form a shoulder at 132, and an oscillating carriage 133 is provided to support the crucible, said carriage having a hub or vertical bearing portion 134, by which it is pivoted or journaled upon the upper reduced portion of the stud-axle 130. Preferably the stud-axle terminates in a tapered bearing rounded or blunt rather than sharply conical, and the hub of the crucible-carriage has its hearing about which is pivoted on the stud-axle in the form of a socket, the upper end or bottom of which seats on said terminal of the stud-axle, constitutingthusathrust-bearing. The platform 133 of the carriage is sectoral in form, corresponding generally to the shape of tho crucible. It overhangs the master-wheel, extendingsubstantially toapointabovethe sprocketrim of the latter. In order to carry the overhanging weight of the platform, and especially of the crucible thereon and its contents, I provide the master-wheel with an annular web 136, the upper and lower surfaces of which constitute tracks for antifrictionrollers or other form of antifriction-bearing. Underneath the master-wheel, projecting upward from the base-frame 10, isa bracket 77, in the upper end of which are suitably journaled with ball-bearings about their axles two or more antifrict-ion-rollers 78 78 on which the downwardly-facing track of the annular web 76 rests. From the end of said platform 133 brackets 79 project downward, having similarly journaled in them antifriction-rollers 80, which travelupon the upwardly-facing track in the annular Web 136. This construction, it will be noticed, permits the crucible to be oscillated about the center of the master-wheel to any extent. The platform has a handle 81 projecting from its forward side from which it may be oscillated for any purpose for which it may be desirable or convenient to move the crucible in that manner. The oscillating movement is desirable for the purpose of permitting the operator to fill all three of the molds, which may be at one timeclamped ready for filling from one spout of the crucible, notwithstanding the latter has three spouts corresponding in position to the three molds whichmay be filled at once, the necessity for using one spout only and. filling all the molds, which are ready to fill from such single spout may arise from the clogging of one or more of the spouts to such an ex tent as either to prevent the flow or render the filling through the diiferent spouts so unequal as to embarrass the operator by reason of the fact that one mold will fill before another. In such case it may be very convenient and facilitate rapid work to use only the spout from which the metal flows most freely and swing it to the three molds in succession. In order to permit this to be done without closing the spout while passing from one mold to the next, I provide a fixed triple-mouthed funnel 82, supported bystandards extending down to the base-frame adjacent to theposts which hold the clamping devices, said funnel being grooved to correspond to the curvature of the masterwheel, having its dischargemouths 83 83 83 spaced and located so as to correspond accurately with the upper receiving-mouths of the three molds at the positions at which they are clamped. From these three mouths three funnel-shaped cavities 84 84 84 extend upward, becoming merged at their proximate sides and upper ends, so that as a discharge-spout of the crucible is swung over the entire upper end of the triplemouthed funnel the metal will flow into one or another of the three funnel-cavities and be discharged from the the three months into the three molds, respectively.

For the purpose of closing the cruciblespouts 5 5 5 I provide each with a stopper 85, of graphite, which is removably clamped by the annular cap-nut 85 in the end ofa lever 86. The lever 86 is pivoted above the'spout to the side of the crucible and extends above its pivot, terminating in a stem 87, and from the forward side of the crucible two brackets 88 88 project forward and afford journal-bearings for a horizontal shaft 89. On this shaft are loosely mounted three eccentric-cams 9O 90 90, peripherally grooved at their more eccentric portion and adapted to bear against and also engage in their grooves,respectivel y, the stems 87 of the stoppercarrying levers 86. Each of the cams 90 has projecting from its least eccentric portion a handle 90, by which it may be operated. The cams are held in position longitudinally with respect to the shaft by being lodged thereon between two stops, both stops being fast on the shaft, or at least being restrained against longitudinal movement thereon, and one of them (a collar 91) being fast, so as to rotate or rock with the shaft and having in its periphery a notch 92,

extending for a distance-circumferentially with respect to the shaft, corresponding to the angular movement of the cam, which may be necessary to move the stopper from closed to open position, a spring 93 being provided, operating upon each of the stopper-carrying levers to hold the stopper in closed position that is, thrust into the mouth of the spout.

From the side of the cam 90 a stud 94 projects and takes into the peripheral notch of the collar 91. The horizontal rock-shaft 89 has at any convenient position a handle 95, by which it may be rocked. An inspection of this construction will makeit apparent that if the operator desires to open all the spouts at once he may do so by rocking the shaft, since the studs projecting from the cams in the notches of the collars 91 will at the limit of said notches be engaged by the collars, and the cams will thus be rocked with the shaft. If, however, he desires to open only oneof the spouts, he may do so by using the handle of the cam which draws the stopper for that spout, and in this movement the stud projecting from the cam will travel freely in the- 'to be opened.

notch of the collar adjacent to it,the cam rocking on the shaft without carrying the latter, andtherefore without causing anyother spout If after having opened all the spouts one which flows more freely than the remainder requires to be closed before the 'others, the operator may do this by using the handle of the cam which operates the stop per for that spout and rock it backward without carrying the shaft or closing the other spouts. Later he may in like manner close the second spout, leaving the third still running,-and finally he may close the third spout either by rocking the shaft or by using the handle of the cam-which controls the stopper for that spout. As soon as the molds are filled and pass away from the clamps by the next step movement of the chain and masterwheels they are free to open and discharge the castings, which will be cooled to solidity almost instantly and will be ready to be delivered by the time the molds have been carried the distance of a one-step movement away from the clamps. In some forms of casting the expansion of the metal in-cooling will throw the molds open and the casting will relieve itself of its own weight from the mold. In other forms it will be necessary to open the mold by a positive action and sometimes to dislodge the casting from the fixed half of the mold by some positive action.. For the purpose of opening the molds at the proper time, whether or not they are opened automatically by the action of the casting, I provide a cam or switch bar 96, which is a spring secured to an arm 96 of a post 96", said spring depending edgewise from its point of fastening to said arm, as seen in detail in Fig. 3, and upon the upper end of each of the hinged mold-sections I form a projection 97, as the mold travels away from the position at which it has been filled, and by the engagement of the projection outside of said cam the mold is opened to some extent. Obviously in the absence of provisions to prevent it the extent of opening which may be caused by the wedging action of the cam would be limited if the cam were rigid, because the angle of draftof the projection against the cam would soon become such that the drag of the mold might even tend to close rather than open it, and the result would be a tearing off of the projection or .wrenching the mold apart or breaking the cam. Said cam, however, being a spring yielding elastically by flexure as soon as the drag upon the mold becomes sufficient to cause such flexure, avoids the danger of projection reaches this point, the reaction of the spring'cam from the fiexure to which it has been subjected readily throws it out, so-

as to make the curved terminal beyond-9S crowd the projection onward in the direction of travel of the chain, which is the direction necessary to open the mold, and the mold is thereby fully opened as the projection runs 01f the curved end of the cam.

I do not limit myself to opening the molds precisely in the manner illustrated--that is, by the swinging of one mold part about a vertical hinge upon the other. Obviously for some forms of castings a different position of the hinge and even a different number of parts for the mold might be preferable, and the device for opening the molds and to some extent the form of the clamps for closing them may be modified to correspond to the changes which might be made in the mold in respect to the position of the hinge or hinges. In order that the casting may in any event be dislodged from the fixed member of the mold, there may be secured to a standard erected upon the base-frame 10 a spring-arm 100, carrying at the free end a ham mer-head 101, projecting and adapted to react back and forth in position to strike the molds as they pass it after they have been opened by the camtrip device described, the spring-arm of said hammer-head having a ratchet-tooth or projection in position to be encountered by each mold as it passes, so that such encounter will cause the arm to be forced back a short distance and to react forward when the mold runs off the shoulder of the tooth, such shoulder being situated so that a following mold will be struck by the hammer when the reaction of the spring-arm occurs, thus giving the mold a smart rap to free the casting from it. The castings thus dropped from the mold must of course be immediately carried away to prevent them from accumulating in a heap and blockading the path of the molds, and for this purpose I provide an endless carrier 102, traveling in any convenient direction to take the castings away from under the path of the molds and deliver them at any desired point. Means for operating this carrier are not shown, any convenient mechanism beingintended to be used, since its action may be continuous notwithstanding the intermittent action of the casting-machine.

I prefer to employ crucibles which may be kept hot by oil or gas burners 103103, which emit their flames between the brick lining 10 i and the carbon inner crucible proper, 105, the fluid metal being delivered from said inner crucible by way of the duct 106, leading to the spout 5, overhanging the triple-mouthed funnel above described. The burners 103 .are illustrated as of a form comprising air surrounding the jet of oil which is ejected through the center of the discharge-mouth of the air-tubes from oil-tubes 109, which are arranged in any suitable manner and of wellunderstood structure, so as to terminate within the air-tubes respectively. In order that these burners, which are necessarily mounted in fixed relation to the crucible so that they may discharge into the apertures provided leading to the interspace between crucible in the manner described, their several air and oil tubes must have flexible or swiveled connections located,substantially,in the axis produced of the oscillating movement of the cruciblethat is to say, in the line of the axis of the master-wheel. For this purpose I provide swivel-joint connections, (which maybe made in one fitting,) supported, preferably, by a beam 110 c0- axially with the master-wheel and above the crucible. The fixed element 111 of said swivel-joint connections admits the oil from the main source of supply through a duct 112 at its upper end and the air through a duct 112 at its lower end, and the exterior elements 113 and 113of the swivel-joint connections are connected, respectively, with the air and oil supply pipes 114 and 115. Below the swivel-joints, respectively, these main oil and air pipes branch to form independent supply-d nets to the several burners, and these several pipes are suitably secured with respect to the crucible preferably by having supports extending up from the platform on which the crucible is carried, so that as the platform and crucible are swung about the axis of the master-wheel the connections of the air and oil pipes remain undisturbed, the pipes swiveling at the joints described.

In order to supply both the crucibles from time to time with molten metal, (for it may be understood that it is not expected to afford sufficient heat by the oil-burners to actually reduce the metal in the crucibles, but only to maintain it fluid after it is reduced,) I erect at the middle point between the two masterwheels a melting-furnace 146, which is indicated only in outline and without regard to details. This furnace has discharge-spouts at the opposite sides toward the crucibles, respectively, and suitable conduits (not shown) may be temporarily provided by which the molten metal may be run into the crucibles, and the latter may for that purpose be swung around one hundred and eighty degrees from their working position, respectively, to the side of the master-wheels toward the central melting-furnace.

A very important feature in the construction of this machine is the relation of the entire distance of travel of the molds, respectively, from the point at which they are clamped and filled atone of the master-wheels to the point at which they are similarly clamped and filled at the other wheel. If every link carried a mold and if only one mold were filled at each halt, so that thestep movement of the chain would be one link length only, no special calculation would be necessary in constructing the machine to make the distance between the master-wheels or the total extent of the chain bear the necessary relation to the step length, because IIO this would result inevitably from the construction,-the step length being a link and the chain being made'up of links and being, therefore, multiples of the step length; but if the articles to be cast were of such size as to require in some instances a space of two or three links, so that only every second or third link would carry a mold, it will be evident that in order that the molds should come to registration with the crucible-spouts at both ends at each halt not only must the step length be the distance between the molds, (or the distance between corresponding molds of a group when they are arranged and filled in groups,) but, furthermore, the distance between the point of filling at one masterwheel and the point of filling at the other must be a multiple of the step length, since otherwise if, for example, only each third link carried a mold and the step length was therefore the length of three links, if the distance between the filling-points along the path of travel of the molds should be a multiple of three links plus one--as, for example, thirtyone links lengththe tenth from one fillingv point would bring a mold one link short of the filling-point of the other master-wheel and the eleventh step would carry it two lengths beyond and atno time would it register. This consideration is not so vital when every link carries a mold and the step length is as many link lengths as the number of molds which are filled in a group at each halting, as in the structure shown in the drawings; but even in this case there is a material advantagein observing the rule that the distance between the corresponding filling-points shallbea multiple of the step length, because it may often be desirable to carry through a number of orders of different articles at the same running, and for that purpose to mount on a portion of the links one form of mold and on another portion a second form and on a third portion still a third form of mold. The number of molds of each form will be preferably arranged in two groups at opposite parts of the chain (if both metal-pots are to used) and the number in each group will be a multiple of three, (when three spouts are to be used,) because it is important that all the molds filled at one time should require the same length of time for filling, and there should be, therefore, at both pots at any halt a group of three'molds all equal. This point having been attended to in arranging the molds on the chain, if the distance between the corresponding filling-points although a multiple of one link length are not a multiple of three link lengths it would happen that although the first time around the groups of threes made up as above described, so as to require the same length of time for filling, would come to the filling-points in the manner designed the next time around they would be out of time, so that, for example,

two molds of one group of small size and one mold of an adjacent group of larger size would make up the group of three registering with the three spouts at the halting-point, and the operator would have to hold the entire group while the largest mold would be filled and would have to shut off the metal from the other two, thus requiring double care as well as extra time and making the entire process in which there might be only a few large molds require as much time as if the whole chain were loaded with such large molds.

' I claim 1. In a metal-casting machine, in combination with the master-wheels and endless chain encompassing them, and a plurality of molds secured to the links of the chain respectively;

mechanism independent of the chain for actuating both master-wheels to give them interrupted or step-by-step rotation; and metal crucibles overhanging-the path of the molds, the actuating mechanism comprising automatic devices for disengaging the driving means timed to eifect such disengagement at proper point to halt the molds successively at the discharge-spout of the crucible.

2. In a metal-casting machine, in combination with the master-wheels rotating in a horizontal plane, the endless chain encompassing them; a plurality of molds substantially equally spaced on the chain and secured to the links thereof respectively; mechanism independent of the mold-carrying chain for actuating each of the master-wheels adapted to rotate such wheels in steps or stages equal to the distance from center to center of the consecutive molds on the chain with intervals of rest between such steps or stages; crucibles overhanging the path of the molds adjacent to the master-wheels respectively, the distance in the path of travelof the chain between the corresponding discharge-spoutsof the two crucibles being a multiple of the length of the step movement of the chain; the actuating devices comprising automatic disengaging means timed to halt the molds successively at the discharge-spouts of the crucibles.

3. In a metal-casting machine, in combination with the master-wheels; an endless moldcarrying chain which encompasses them; antomatic mechanism which actuates the master-wheels adapted to give them automatically-interrupted rotation, whereby the molds are alternately actuated and halted in their endless path of travel; a clamp located opposite a master-wheel in such position that the molds travel between the clamp and the wheel, said clamp being adapted to be actuated to clamp the molds against the wheel to hold them closed; acontinuously-operatingrotaryelement from which the master-wheels derive their intermittent rotation; devices actuated by said continuously-operated element during the halts of the master-wheel and molds to operate the clamp, whereby the molds are forcibly closed by being clamped upon the master-wheel while said molds and wheel are halted.

4. In a metal-casting machine, in combination with two master-wheels; an endless moldcarrying chain which encompasses them; a continuously-operating rotary element and mechanism actuated thereby independent of the chain to communicate equal rotary motion positively to both master-wheels, said mechanism being adapted to give said wheels automatic-a1ly-interrnpted rotation, whereby the molds are alternately actuated and halted in their endless path of travel; clamps located opposite each of the master-wheels adapted to act upon the molds to hold them closed, the distance in the path of travel of the chain between the corresponding clamps which are located opposite the master-wheels respectively being a multiple of the length of the step movement of the chain; devices actuated by the continuously-operating rotary element during the halting intervals of the master-wheels and chain adapted to act simultaneously upon the clamps opposite both master-wheels; whereby the molds at both master-wheels are clamped on the latter respectively, and thereby forcibly held closed when the wheels and molds are halted.

5. In a metal-casting machine, in combination with the master-wheels rotating in a horizontal plane; an endless chain which travels horizontally encompassing the wheels; molds on said chain attached to links thereon respectively parted vertically and adapted to open horizontally to discharge the casting; mechanism independent of the chain for comm unicating equal rotary movement positively to both masterwheels, said mechanism being adapted to give said wheels automaticallyinterrupted orstep by-step rotation, whereby the molds are alternately actuated and halted in their endless path of travel; a continuously-operating rotary element from which such step toy-step movement is derived; a metal crucible overhanging the path of the molds adjacent to each master-wheel, the distance in said path of travel between the corresponding discharge-spouts of the crucibles respectively at the discharge-mouths of the crucibles; clamps located opposite said halting positions of the molds, and mechanism actuated by the continuously-operating rotary element during the halts of the masterwheels and molds to cause the clamps to act upon the molds, whereby the latter are halted simultaneouslyin position to receive metal from both crucibles and are simultaneously clamped against the masterwheels respectively when the latter are halted.

6. In a metal-casting machine, in combination with master-wheels and an endless moldcarrying chain which encompasses them; antomatic mechanism foractuating the masterwheels adapted to give the same automatically-interrupted or step-by-step rotation to cause the molds to be alternately actuated and halted in their endless path of travel; a clamp located opposite one of the halting positions of the molds; a spring which acts upon the clamp tending to force it against the molds to hold the latter closed; and means operating on the springs to compress them and cause them to transmit pressure to the clamps, whereby the molds are held forcibly but yieldingly closed while they are halted.

7. In a metal-castingmachine, the com bination of the master-wheels; an endless moldcarrying chain which encompasses them; antomatic mechanism for actuating the masterwheels adapted to give the same automatically-interrupted or step bystep rotation whereby the molds are alternately actuated and halted in their endless path of travel; a continuously-operating rotary element from which the interrupted motion of the wheels and molds is derived; a clamp located opposite one of the halting positions of the molds; a spring Which acts upon said clamp tending to force it against the molds to hold the latter closed; devices actuated by the continuously-operating element during the halting of the master-wheels and molds to compress the springs and cause them to transmit yielding pressure to the clamps, whereby the molds are held forcibly but yieldingly closed while halting.

8. In a metal-casting machine, in combination with the master-wheels; an endless chain encompassing them; a plurality of molds secured to the links of the chain respectively; automatic mechanism for rotating the master-wheels adapted to give automatically-interrupted orstep-by-step rotation,wherebythe molds are alternately actuated and halted in their endless path of travel; a continuouslyoperatiug rotary element from which such motion is derived; a metal crucible overhanging the path of the molds, the automatic operating devices being timed to halt the molds successively at the discharge-spouts of the crucible; a clamp located opposite said halting positions of the molds; and devices actuated by the continuously-operatiug element to cause the clamp during the halting intervals to operate on the molds which are halted at the crucible.

9. In a castingmachine, in combination with the master wheels, an endless chain which encompasses them; a plurality of molds carried by the chain attached to the links thereof respectively; automatic mechanism which gives the master-wheels and thereby to the chain automatically-interrupted orstepby-step motion and which holds the wheels and the chain at rest in the intervals of such movement; clamps for forcibly holding the molds closed in equal groups as such groups successively arrive at a predetermined point in their endless path of travel, the automatic step-by-step movement being adapted to move the chain at each stage or stepa distance equal to the extent along the chain of one such group, the clamps being located in position in the path of travel of the molds corresponding to that of one of the halts of a full group of molds; a continuously-operating rotary element from which the step-bystep travel of the wheels and molds is derived; and mechanism actuated by such continuously-operating element to cause the clamps to act upon the molds during the halting intervals of the latter.

10. In a casting-machine, in combination with the master-wheels, an endless chain which encompasses them; a plurality of molds carried by said chain attached to the links thereof respectively; a continuously-opcrating rotary element, and mechanism operated thereby which gives to the masterwheels interrupted orstep-by-step rotation whereby the molds are alternately actuated and halted in their endless path of travel; clamps located adjacent to the path of the molds and opposite the halting position of the latter for closing the same when they are opposite thereto; devices actuated by the continuously-operating rotary element during the halts of the chain and molds for operating the clamps, such clampsbeing adapted to operate simultaneously upon the plurality of consecutive molds constituting a group, the step-by-step actuating devices being adapted to move the chain at each step a distance corresponding to the number of molds constituting such group.

11. In a casting-machine, in combination with the master-wheels and chain which encompasses the same; a plurality of molds carried by the chain and mounted on the links thereof respectively; a continuously-operating rotary element and mechanism actuated thereby which gives to the chain and molds an interrupted or step-by-step movement with halting intervals; clamps adjacent to the path of the molds opposite one of the master-wheels, adapted to operate simultaneously upon a plurality of consecutive molds constituting a group, the automatic step-bystep actuating devices being adapted to move the chain at each step a distance corresponding to the number of molds constituting such group.

12. In a, casting-machine, in combination with the endless chain and plurality of molds carried thereby; master-wheels which support and carry such chain; means for closing the molds as they pass around one of the master-wheels; devices for exerting pressure to hold the molds firmly closed while they are on the wheel; a continuously-operating rotary element and devices through which it communicates step-by-step motion with halting intervals to the chain-carrying wheels, and thereby to the chain and molds; and devices operated by said continuously-operating rotary element which relieves the pressure upon the mold-closing devices during the intervals of travel of the chain and cause said pressure to operate during the halting intervals of the same. V

13. In a casting-machine, in combination with an endless chain and molds thereon; a continuously-operating rotary element and mechanism by which it gives the chain stepby-step travel with halting intervals; shoes adapted to press against the molds to hold them closed when halted; springs which yieldingly force the shoes against the molds; and meansactuated by the continuously-operating element for relieving the molds from the pressure of said springs during the intervals of travel of the chain.

14. In a casting-machine, in combination with the master-wheels rotated in horizontal planes; an endless chain encompassing said wheels and deriving horizontal travel therefrom; a plurality of molds carried by such chain attached to the-links thereof respectively, said molds being parted vertically and adapted to be opened horizontally and toreceive metal at their upper ends; a crucible for metal having its discharge-spout overhanging the path of said upper ends of the molds; a continuously-operated rotary element and mechanism actuated thereby for giving to the master-wheels interrupted or step-by-step movement,whereby the molds are alternately actuated and halted in their endless path of travel, said mechanism being adapted automatically to halt the molds successively with their receiving-mouths in position to receive metal from the spout; devices for clamping the molds located in position to act upon the latter when they are thus halted imposition to receive the metal; and devices actuated by the continuously-operating element timed to actuate the mold-closing devices when the latter are thus halted.

15. In a casting-machine, in combination with the horizontally-traveling chain; the wheels which support and carry it; two-part hinged molds having one part mounted on the links of the chain and traveling hinge foremost; a pot for metal overhanging the path of the molds, and means for closing the molds as they approach the discharge of such pot; an abutment on the hinged member of each mold;'a spring-cam supported in the path of said abutment beyond the pot in the direction of travel adapted to be encountered by said abutment and to be flexed inward as the mold travels, such cam having its unattached end curved inward,whereby itis adapted to react to open the mold when the'abutment reaches the curve.

16. In a casting-machine, in combination with the endless chain and molds carried thereby; wheels which support and carry such chain; pulleys at the upper ends of the molds respectively; and a broad rail adapted at its upper edge to afford a track for the pulleys and extending down to afford lateral support for the links to prevent them from being tilted by the one-sided support at the upper ends. 4 y

17. In a casting-machine, in combination I with the master-wheels and endless chain encompassing them; molds carried by the chain; a continuously-operating rotary element; a train of mechanism actuated thereby for driving the master-wheels; means for connecting said continuously-operating element with the master-wheels-driving train at will; mechanism for disengaging the continuously-operating wheel from the master-wheel-driving mechanism; a wheel outside the master-wheeldriving train actuated thereby provided with means operating the disengaging means at selected points in the rotation of said wheel, whereby the rotation of the master-wheels is terminated by the disengagement therefrom of the continuously-operating element after periods of rotation determined by the construction of said outside wheel.

18. In a casting-machine, in combination with the master-Wheels and chain encompassing them; molds carried by the chain; a continuously-operating element; a train adapted to be engaged therewith for driving the master-wheels; means for engaging the said train with said continuously-operating element at will; mechanism for disengaging the same; an element operated in an endless path by the master-wheel-driving train provided with means following such endless path for operating the disengaging means when a certain point in said path is reached, whereby the master-wheels are disengaged from the driving power automatically after giving the chain a certain length of step of travel.

19. In a casting-machine in combination with master-wheels and the endless mold-carrying chain encompassing the same; wormwheels rigid with the master-wheels respectively; a shaft having two similar worms engaging the worm-wheels respectively; means for rotating the shaft and for automatically interrupting its rotation, said shaft having a thrust-bearing at the end toward which the continued rotation of the master-wheels under acquired momentum tends to thrust the shaft.

20. In a casting-machine in combination with the master-wheels and a mold-carrying chain encompassing them, a shaft which communicates equal rotation to both masterwheels, a continuously-operated wheel loose on the shaft; a clutch feathered on the shaft and means for shifting it longitudinally at will to effect engagement with the drivingwheel; a spring reacting between the clutch and the driving-wheel to disengage them; a wheel driven positively by the shaft adapted to act on the clutch-shifting mechanism to hold the clutch in engagement except at one position in the rotation of said wheel, Whereby the rotation of the shaft when initiated by engagement of the clutch continues until said wheel reaches said position.

21. In a casting-machine, in combination with the master-wheels and a mold-carrying chain encompassing them, a shaft which communicates equal rotation to both masterwheels, a driving-wheel loose thereon; the

clutch continuous on the shaft, and a shipping-lever moved into engagement with the driving-wheel; a spring to resist such movement and disengage said parts; a wheel rotated by the shaft and having a flange which bears against the shipping-lever when the clutch is engaged with the driving-wheel, whereby it looks the clutch in such engagement, said flange having a notch adapted to receive the lever when it moves in direction to disengage the clutch, the lever being positively stopped against movement in the direction of rotation of the flange, whereby said flanged wheel is locked and locks the shaft against rotation when the clutch is disengaged from the driving-wheel.

22. In a casting-machine in combination with the master-wheels and a mold-carrying chain encompassing them; a shaft which communicates equal rotation to both masterwheels, a driving wheel loose thereon; a clutch feathered on the shaft and adapted to engage the driving-wheel; a spring to resist such engagement; a shipping-lever to actuate the clutch; two push-bars pivotally connected to the shipping-lever extending in opposite directions therefrom, the pivotal connection of one of said'bars to the lever being adapted to permit play at such connection equal to the amount of movement necessary to engage or disengage the clutch; and springs which tend toactuate said push-bars respectively in directions in which they respectively move to disengage the clutch.

23. In the casting-machine, in combination with the master-wheels and a mold-carrying chain encompassing them, a shaft which com municates equal rotation to both masterwheels, the driving-wheel loose thereon; a clutch feathered on the shaft and adapted to engage the driving-wheel to rotate the shaft; a spring which tends to resist such engagement and to disengage the clutch from the driving-wheel; a shipping-lever to shift the clutch into and out of engagement with the wheel; two push-bars pivotally connected to the shipping-levenone of said connections being adapted to permit play equal to the movement necessary to engage or disengage the clutch; springs which tend to actuate said push-bars in the directions in which they respectively move to disengage the clutch; s pring-actuated catches to lock the push-bars at the limits of their respective movements which cause the clutch to become engaged; and a wheel actuated by the driving-shaft having an abutment which operates to release the dogs.

24. In the casting-machine, in combination with the master-wheels and a mold-carrying chain encompassing them, a shaft which communicates equal rotation to both masterwheels, the driving-wheel loose thereon; the clutch feathered on the shaft and adapted to engage the driving-wheel to rotate the shaft; a spring which tends to resist such engagement and to disengage the clutch from the driving-wheel; a shipping-lever to shift the clutch into and out of engagement with the driving-wheel; two push-bars pivotally connected to the shipping-lever, one of said connections being adapted to permit play equal to the movement necessary to engage or disengage the clutch; springs which tend to actuate said push-barsin the directions in which they respectively move to disengage the clutch-spring; spring-actuated catches to lock the push-bars at the limits of their respective movements which cause the engagement of the clutch; a wheel adapted to hold the clutch in engagement with the driving-wheel, and having a recess to permit the disengagement of the clutch at one point in the rotation of the wheel, and having also an abutment adapted to move the dogs into locking position at the same point in its rotation at which it permits the disengagement of the clutch.

25. In combination with the master-wheels and the mold-carrying chain encompassing them; a shaft which communicates equal rotation to both master-wheels; means for giving such shaft step-by-step or interrupted rotary motion to cause the wheels carrying the molds to metal-receiving position to halt with the molds at such position; clamps adapted to operate upon the molds to hold them closed at said position; a thrust-bar which operates said clamps; a clutch cooperating with the driving-wheel on the shaft adapted to be engaged therewith when the shaft is disengaged from the driving-wheel; a link pivoted to said thrust-bar; and a thrust-rod guided, in a direction at right angles to the thrust-bar pivoted to said links substantially at their pivotal connection; a cam on said clutch adapted to actuate the thrust-rod endwise to carry the pivot to the link past the line of thrust of the thrusts-bar; whereby the clamping of the mold is effected during therest interval of the master-Wheels, and the force which operates to hold the molds closed is prevented from reacting upon the cam.

26. In combination with the master-wheels, the mold-carrying chain and molds thereon and clamps to hold the molds closed the driving-shaft and means whereby it rotates the master-wheels; the driving-wheel loose on the shaft; two clutch members, one rotating with the shaft and the other free as respects such rotation adapted respectively to engage with the driving-wheel by movements longitudinal with respect to the shaft in opposite directions, said clutch members being connected so that they move together longitudinally but are adapted to rotate independently; mechanism for engaging with the drive-wheel the clutch member which is not engaged with the shaft; and clamp-operating devices which are operated bythe rotation of said clutch member. v

27. In combination with the drive-wheel, the clutch member adapted to be engaged therewith so as to be driven thereby comprising an eccentric cam; the mold-clamps and the thrust-bars which actuate them; links connecting said thrust-bars together, and a thrust-rod connected to the links and guided in a plane transverse to the driving-shaft, said thrust-rod being extended and connected so as to be actuated by the eccentric cam as the latter rotates.

28. In combination with the driving-shaft, the driving-wheel loose thereon; a clutch member adapted to be engaged with such driving-wheel by longitudinal movement, said clutch member comprising an eccentric cam; the clamp-operatin g devices operated by such cam; a disk connected with said cam so as to be rotated therewith having a short range of movement relatively to the cam and longitudinally with respect to the shaft, said disk having a notch adapted to engage the clamp operating thrust-rod when the clutch member is disengaged from the driving-wheel.

29. In a casting-machine, an endless carrier for the molds; a train of mechanism for operating such carrier; a continuously-operating rotary element; a clutch for engaging it with the carrienoperating train; means for operating such clutch at will to engage the train; and automatic devices for engaging the clutch after a limited period of movement.

30. In a casting-machine, an endless carrier for the molds; a train of mechanism for operating such carrier; a continuously-operating rotary element; a clutch for engaging it with the carrier-operating train; two elements adapted to be operated at will at sepa rated positions along the path of the carrier, and means by which their concurrent operation operates theclutch to effect engagement; and automatic devices for disengaging the clutch after a limited period of movement.

31. In a casting-machine, in combination with a carrier for molds, and the molds thereon; a source of molten metal, and means for discharging the same at plurality of spouts corresponding to the position of a like plurality of molds on the carrier; mechanism for operating the carrier and for holding it with the molds in position to receive discharge from the spouts respectively; stoppers for thespouts having levers by which they may be operated; a shaft and cams thereon adapted to operate the levers to open the spouts, said cams havinglimited range of rotation uponthe shaft, and adapted to be rotated by the shaft regardless of such limit; whereby. the shaft is adapted to rotate all the cams at once to open or close all the spouts, and each camis adapted to be independently rotated on the shaft to open or close the spout which it controls.

Witness my hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 10th day of February, A. D. 1902-.

FRED N. OLINE.

Witnesses:

CHAS. S. BURTON, A. S. THOMPSON.

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