U.S. patent number 3,559,720 [Application Number 04/728,217] was granted by the patent office on 1971-02-02 for continuous casting apparatus having a two part separable mold.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Concast Incorporated. Invention is credited to Herbert Fastert, Eric T. Vogel.
United States Patent |
3,559,720 |
Vogel , et al. |
February 2, 1971 |
CONTINUOUS CASTING APPARATUS HAVING A TWO PART SEPARABLE MOLD
Abstract
A mold assembly for a continuous casting mold, which has an open
ended mold cavity therethrough, is in two parts that are separable
at a plane extending axially through the cavity. The parts are held
together, under pressure, by springs, or hydraulic or pneumatic
means, and they are separated by toggle levers, which are operable
to overcome the pressure normally holding the parts together. Guide
rolls adjacent the exit end of the mold cavity, for guiding a
strand out of the mold, hold the emerging strand in fixed axial
relation to the center line of the mold cavity. The mold assembly
is constructed and arranged for both parts of the mold to move back
from opposite sides of a strand in the mold, when the mold parts
are separated at the end of a casting run, and thereby assure
complete release of the strand from the mold.
Inventors: |
Vogel; Eric T. (Elmhurst,
NY), Fastert; Herbert (Wyckoff, NJ) |
Assignee: |
Concast Incorporated
(N/A)
|
Family
ID: |
24925905 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/728,217 |
Filed: |
May 10, 1968 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
164/436; 164/442;
164/418; 164/484 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B22D
11/0406 (20130101); B22D 11/04 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B22D
11/04 (20060101); B22d 011/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;164/82,83,137,273,280,283,339,341--343,282 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Overholser; J. Spencer
Assistant Examiner: Annear; R. Spencer
Claims
We claim:
1. An apparatus for continuous casting of metal having a mold with
a deeply indented open-ended cavity therethrough wherein molten
metal poured in one end of the cavity is peripherally solidified in
the mold and withdrawn as a cast strand from the other end, said
mold comprising two parts separable at a plane extending axially
through the cavity, pressure means for applying constant pressure
to urge the two mold parts together firmly, mold part separation
means for overcoming the pressure applied by the pressure means and
drawing back the two mold parts for releasing the tail end of a
cast strand from the mold at the end of a casting run and means for
holding said strand axially stationary during mold separation.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which each of said parts is
supported to move relatively toward and away from said plane, and
said pressure means are arranged at the two opposite sides of the
mold relative to said plane to enable each of the parts to be moved
back from the plane against pressure applied by the pressure
means.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 which includes in combination: guide
and support means mounted in fixed position relative to said plane
adjacent the end of the mold cavity, from which a cast strand
emerges, for supporting said strand in fixed axial relation to said
plane; and means for separating the two parts by moving each of
them back from said plane.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 in which the release means comprises at
least one toggle lever having two lever arms pivotally connected
end to end to form a knee joint, the outer ends of the lever arms
being pivotally connected respectively to the two parts of the mold
for its lever arms to be at an angle at the knee joint when the
parts of the mold are together, said toggle lever being mounted for
movement of the knee joint in a line at right angles to the
direction in which the mold parts move apart for separating the
parts by movement of the knee joint in one direction and then
bringing them back together by movement in the opposite direction,
and means for moving the knee joint in said directions.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 including means confining the knee
joint in a path of movement in a straight line parallel to the
direction of the axis of the mold cavity, and means supporting and
guiding the two parts of the mold for movement in a plane at right
angles to the direction of the axis of the mold cavity.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 including at least one of said toggle
levers at two opposite ends of the mold.
7. The apparatus of claim 5 including a pair of said toggle levers
connected to said parts at one end of the mold with their
respective knee joints aligned for separating the parts by movement
of the respective knee joints in the same direction, a link
pivotally connected to each of the knee joints, a lever having one
end pivotally connected to the link, said lever being pivotally
mounted for moving the link and knee joints in successively
opposite directions for separating the parts of the mold and
bringing them together again.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 including means for pivoting said lever
comprising a threaded shaft arranged at an angle to the lever and
parallel to the plane of movement thereof, a block threaded on the
shaft, said block being pivotally connected to the other end of the
lever, and means for rotating the shaft for moving the block
relatively along the shaft to thereby pivot the lever.
9. The apparatus of claim 7 including a second pair of said toggle
levers, mounted on the opposite end of the mold, and having a link
pivotally connected to each of the knee joints of said second pair,
a lever for each pair of toggle levers, said levers each having one
end pivotally connected respectively to one of said links and being
pivotally mounted for moving the links and knee joints in
successively opposite directions for separating the parts of the
mold and bringing them together again, a threaded shaft for each
lever, said threaded shafts being arranged respectively at an angle
to the levers and parallel to the planes of movement thereof, said
threaded shafts each having a block threaded thereon, with said
blocks pivotally connected respectively to said levers, a rotatable
drive shaft, and gear means operatively connecting the drive shaft
and said threaded shafts for rotating the latter shafts when the
drive shaft is rotated, thereby to move the blocks relatively along
the threaded shafts to pivot the levers for separating the parts of
the mold and then bringing them together.
Description
The present invention relates to a mold assembly for continuous
casting metal, such as steel, and particularly to a mold that is
separable in two parts for releasing the tail end of a cast strand
at the end of a casting run.
In continuous casting molten metal is poured into one end of an
open-end mold cavity through the mold. The mold is cooled and
solidifies the periphery of the metal in the cavity to form a cast
strand which is drawn out of the other end. Additional metal is
poured into the cavity to replace the metal drawn out as a
continuously cast strand. At the end of a casting run, the flow of
molten metal into the mold is stopped and the tail end of the cast
strand is left in the mold long enough for its upper end and sides
to solidify. This is referred to in the art as capping the strand.
When the tail end is solidified, or at least sufficiently
solidified to contain any metal which may still be molten in the
core of strand, it is withdrawn from the mold. Of course, as the
tail end of the strand solidifies, it shrinks, and if it is round,
rectangular, or some other cross-sectional shape which is not
indented or deeply concave, the shrinkage loosens it in the cavity
so that it is easily drawn out. If, however, the cross-sectional
shape of the strand is deeply indented-- as in the case of channel,
rail, I, or dog bone (bulbous ends with a slim section between)
shapes, for example-- the inner walls of the indentation or
indentations shrink against the corresponding wall surfaces of the
mold cavity and lock the tail end of the casting in the mold so
that it is difficult or impossible to withdraw. This problem is
customarily avoided by limiting the depth and the steepness and
sharpness of the indentations of cross-sectional shapes that are
cast with continuous casting apparatus and by tapering the molds.
The molds can only be tapered to a small extent, however, without
rendering them inoperable. Consequently, when it is desired to use
continuous casting methods to produce channels, rails, I beams or
other shapes having deep and/or sharply defined indentations, the
initial cast shape must be modified to reduce the depths and
sharpness of the indentations so that the casting must subsequently
be forged or rolled to a considerable extent to produce the desired
shape. This increases the cost and reduces the advantages-- namely,
increased production rates, reduced cost of equipment and greater
economy of operation-- of continuous casting as compared with
alternate forming methods consisting of casting ingots that are
first hammered and rolled into blooms and billets and subsequently
rolled or forged into the final shapes desired.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a continuous
casting mold assembly wherein the mold is separable in two parts
from around the tail end of the casting whereby the mold cavity may
be formed for casting strands having cross-sectional shapes with
relatively deep, sharply defined indentations without the tail end
of the casting sticking in the mold when it has been capped at the
end of a casting run. This makes it possible to cast strands having
more nearly the final indented shape desired than possible with
conventional continuous casting mold assemblies; consequently, the
number of forging or rolling operations to give the casting the
desired final shape, and hence the cost of producing the finished
article, is greatly reduced.
Molds separable in parts for releasing a casting are known in the
casting art in general, but up to the present there has not been a
practical separable mold for use in continuous casting. It is
believed this is due to the particular problems involved in
providing an effective and economic separable mold for continuous
casting. For example, a mold which is separable in two parts must
be adapted for the parts to be held firmly together in a manner to
withstand separation by the considerable ferrostatic pressure of
metal in the mold cavity, and yet be readily separable to release
the casting. Moreover, in order to ensure complete release, both
separable parts of the mold would have to be drawn back from the
casting while the casting is held stationary in one axial position;
otherwise, if only one part moves, the casting might still stick to
the other. Also, continuous casting molds are customarily cooled
continuously by circulating a liquid coolant-- customarily water--
through passages in the mold walls or through a jacket around the
liner, defining the mold cavity, and the connections to the source
of coolant and the passages or jacket structure would have to be
adapted for the separation and movement of both parts.
In accordance with the present invention, the mold assembly
includes a mold in two parts separable at a plane extending axially
through the mold cavity. The parts are firmly held together under
pressure-- by springs, or by pneumatic or hydraulic means-- and are
separated by an array of toggle levers adapted to overcome the
pressure under which the parts are normally held together. The two
parts and the toggle levers are mounted for both parts to be moved
back from a casting in the mold as the parts are separated. The
mold parts are mounted to be supported in correct axial alignment
as they move, and they are each provided with cooling means, which
move with them as they separate.
The mold assembly of this invention therefore makes it possible to
use continuous casting molds having deeper and sharper indentations
in their cross-sectional configurations, than heretofore
practicable. This permits the continuous casting of rails, I beam
shapes, channel shapes, and other deeply indented shapes and forms,
and reduces considerably the number of subsequent forging or
rolling operations necessary to produce the finished shapes and
dimensions desired, thereby reducing production expense and the
capital cost of the equipment needed to produce them.
Further objects, advantages and features of this invention will be
apparent from the following description of an illustrative
embodiment depicted in the accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vertical section through a
continuous casting mold and guide apron extending from the mold
illustrating the general structure and arrangement of a mold
assembly in accordance with this invention;
FIG. 2 is a top plan view, partly in section, of a mold assembly
embodying the invention and showing the mold in closed
position;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged end elevation, partly broken away and partly
in section, of the right-hand end of the mold assembly shown in
FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a side elevation, partly broken away and partly in
section, looking at the side of the mold assembly which is
lowermost in FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a section along the lines 5-5 of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a partial, enlarged top plan view, partly broken away in
section, of the upper right-hand portion of the mold shown in FIG.
2; and
FIG. 7 is a partial view of the right-hand end of the mold assembly
as seen in FIG. 3, but showing the mold in open position.
Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates schematically a
continuous casting mold assembly of this invention in use.
In continuous casting molten metal, such as steel, is poured from a
supply indicated by the outlet 10 of a tundish, into the upper end
of an open-ended mold cavity 11 of a mold 12. The walls of the mold
cavity 11 are cooled by suitable means, such as by circulating
water through channels in the mold or through a jacket around the
mold, to solidify the periphery of the metal in the mold to form a
strand 13 which is drawn from the bottom end of the mold
cavity.
At the start of casting, the lower end of the mold cavity is
stoppered with a plug (not shown) which is customarily provided
with a mushroom-shaped projection or undercut portion around which
the metal in the mold solidifies to fuze the plug to the lead end
of the strand 13 being formed in the mold. When sufficient molten
metal is backed up in the mold by the plug for a strand to form,
the plug is withdrawn to start the strand down, out of the lower
end of the mold cavity. Guide rolls 14, mounted to be at opposite
sides of the emerging strand 13, withdraw, support and guide the
strand into a support and guide apron 15, which conducts the strand
away from the mold. In the drawing the apron 15 is indicated as
being a curved chute; in practice the apron 15 may be provided by a
sequence of support rollers, support panels or other suitable
means. The strand 13 may be conducted straight down from the mold,
but in many conventional continuous casting machines the strand is
conducted along a curved path, as shown, to lead it into a
horizontal path which is more convenient for subsequent forming or
cutting operations.
When the strand emerges from the mold the core is still molten and
further cooling is applied, first to prevent the molten core from
remelting the solidified periphery or skin of the strand and then
to further solidify the strand. For this purpose cooling means,
such as water sprays, indicated at 16, are applied to the strand at
spaced intervals therealong.
The casting operation is continued by pouring molten metal into the
top of the mold cavity to replace metal comprising the strand
emerging from the bottom of the mold cavity. To end a casting run
the flow of molten metal to the mold is discontinued and the strand
is capped by halting the withdrawal of the strand until the tail
end of the strand in the mold solidifies completely. If the
cross-sectional shape of the strand formed by the shape of the mold
cavity is round, rectangular or some other shape which does not
have indented portions, the shrinkage of the solidifying metal
loosens the strand in the mold; but if the shape has deep
indentations or undercut portions-- as with the cross-sectional
shapes of rails, I-beams and channels, for example-- the shrinkage
of the metal locks the strand into the mold cavity. This locking-in
of a capped strand is avoided in a mold assembly in accordance with
the present invention wherein the mold 12 is in two halves 12a and
12b which separate along a vertical plane axially through the mold
cavity 11. During casting the mold halves 12a and 12b are held
together by pressure means-- such as springs, indicated
schematically at 17 in FIG. 1, or by pneumatic or hydraulic power
cylinders-- which are adapted to hold the halves firmly together
under sufficient pressure to resist separation by the ferrostatic
pressure of molten steel in the mold. At the end of a casting run,
when the tail end of the strand has solidified sufficiently in the
mold, the mold halves 12a and 12b are separated to release the
strand by the toggle mechanism which is adapted to overcome the
pressure normally applied by the pressure means and move the mold
halves apart. Illustrative structure and the mode of operation of
the toggle mechanism are described in detail below.
In the mold assembly shown in FIGS. 2--7 the two halves 12a and 12b
of the mold 12 are supported in a rectangular frame 19 formed by
two opposite vertical end panels 20 attached to two opposite
vertical side panels 21 by bolts 22. The frame 19 in turn is
supported in a central opening 23 of a mold table 24, which, as
indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3, is a rectangular structure, having a
generally flat upper surface, and which is a fixed part of a
conventional continuous casting machine. As best seen in FIGS. 2
and 4, the frame 19 is supported in the mold table openings 23 by
lugs 25 attached to, and projecting out from, the respective end
panels 20 of the frame 19 to project over the surface of the mold
table at opposite ends of the opening 23. The outward ends of the
lugs 25 are provided with holes 26 to receive upwardly projecting
pins 27, which are carried in laterally adjustable supports 28 on
the mold table 24, so that with the pins 27 received in the holes
26, the lugs are supported by the supports 28; the pins 27 serve to
locate the lateral position of the frame 19, and the mold 12
carried therein, relative to the tundish outlet 10 above the mold
and the guide rolls 14 below.
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the means for pressing the mold halves
12a and 12b together are provided by a plurality of opposed concave
disc springs 30 carried on rods 31 attached to pistons 32 which are
slidable in cylinders 33. The cylinders 33 are attached to, and
open through, the side panels 21 of frame 19 respectively at
opposite sides of the mold 12, with the face of the piston 32 in
each cylinder bearing against the outside of one or the other of
the mold halves 12a and 12b. In the assembly illustrated in the
drawings there are four cylinders-- each carrying disc springs 30--
for each mold half. As seen in FIG. 3, the outer end of each
cylinder is closed by a threaded plug 34 that has a central bore 35
for the outer end of the rod 31 to slide through; the disc springs
on the rod are compressed between the piston 32 and the plug 34 to
press the head of the piston against the side of the adjacent mold
half under spring pressure, which may be adjusted by screwing the
plug 34 inward or outward in the cylinder.
Pressure means, such as pneumatic or hydraulic power, could be used
instead of springs 30 as means for pressing the mold halves 12a and
12b together. In operation the toggle mechanism, which separates
the mold halves for opening the mold, operates by overcoming the
pressure normally applied by the pressure means for pressing the
mold halves together. If pneumatic power is used, an extra
reservoir of air may be connected in a conventional manner to
assure the degree of further compressibility of air necessary for
the toggle mechanism to overcome the pressure of air normally
applied to hold the mold halves together. If hydraulic power is
used, conventional pressure relief valves would be connected to
release the pressure at a predetermined value of overpressure
applied by the toggle mechanism for separating the mold halves.
As seen in FIG. 3, toggle mechanism for separating the mold halves
12a and 12b is provided at each end of the mold. It is the same at
each end and includes a pair of toggle levers 37 and 38
respectively at the upper and lower portions of the mold. Each
toggle lever has respectively two lever arms 37a and 37b and 38a
and 38b pivotally connected end to end by knee pivots 39 and 40 to
form knee joints. The outer end of the lever arms of each toggle
lever 37 and 38 are pivotally connected respectively to the mold
halves 12a and 12b by pivot pins 37c and 37d and 38c and 38d, which
are attached in the respective lever arms and pivotably received in
appropriate holes in blocks 41a and 42a and 41b and 42b that are
attached on the upper and lower outside corner portions of the mold
halves 12a and 12b by bolts 43.
As shown in FIG. 3, the blocks 41a and 42a on mold half 12a and
blocks 41b and 42b respectively on mold half 12b are spaced apart
to define a horizontal slide path between them for lugs 44a and 44b
connected to, and extending inward from, the respective opposite
side panels 21 of frame 19. The lugs 44a and 44b thus support and
guide the mold halves in proper mating alignment when the mold is
opened (FIG. 7) and closed (FIG. 3), the direction of movement
being indicated by arrows in FIG. 7.
Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3, the respective lever arms 37a and 37b
and 38a and 38b are connected and arranged so that they meet at an
angle at their knee pivots 39 and 40, when the mold is in closed
position. For opening the mold, the central parts of both toggle
levers 37 and 38, at their knee pivots 39 and 40, are pulled in the
same direction (down) so that the angle formed by arms of each
toggle lever flattens out (FIG. 7). For this purpose both toggle
levers 37 and 38 are moved in unison by a link 45 having its ends
connected respectively to the knee pivots 39 and 40.
The toggle levers 37 and 38 and link 45 at each end of the mold 12
are arranged in a space between the end of the mold and the
adjacent end plate 20 of the frame 19, and the link 45 has an
outwardly projecting vertical rib 45a which slides in a vertical
groove 20a in the end plate 20. Thus, the link 45 is confined to
move in a fixed vertical path so that its movement, which opens
(and closes) the mold by moving the centers of the toggle levers,
moves the knee pivots 39 and 40 in a fixed vertical path so that
the toggle lever arms move both mold halves 12a and 12b out (and
back) from the center line c-c of the mold.
When the shape of the mold cavity 11 is such that the
cross-sectional shape of the casting is sharply and/or deeply
indented, the mold 12 is constructed so that the two mold halves
12a and 12b separate at a vertical plane which extends through the
mold cavity at right angles to the plane of symmetry of the
cross-sectional configuration of the mold cavity, or to any other
appropriate plane, so that the mold halves are free to be drawn
apart without being locked in behind undercut portions of the
configuration of the mold cavity.
The link 45 is moved in its vertical path for opening and closing
the mold by a lever 46, which is pivotally mounted on frame 19 by a
pivot pin 47 which is through the central portion of the lever 46
and fixed between the adjacent end panel 20 and the lug 44b that is
attached to the left-hand side panel 21, as viewed in FIGS. 3 and
7. The ends of lever 46 are forked at 46a and 46b, and at one end
of the lever 46 forked end 46a embraces flattened side portions of
a pin 48 which is pivotally mounted on the link 45 to extend
outward therefrom. The forked end 46a embraces the pin 48 loosely
to enable the pin to slide back and forth within the fork for
relative vertical movement of link 45 and pivotal movement of the
lever 46, and to provide clearance to allow for heat expansion.
At the other end of lever 46 forked end 46b slidably embraces a
block 49 that is pivotally mounted on a nut 50 which is threaded on
a central screw-threaded portion 51 of a shaft 52. There is a
similar link 45 and shaft 52 at each opposite end of the mold 12 at
one side. Each shaft 52 is rotatably mounted to be parallel with
the vertical paths of movement of the respective links 45 and their
bottom ends rotatably supported in a suitable bearing assembly 53
attached to the outside of side panel 21. The upper portions of the
shafts 52 are supported through journals 54, which are mounted in a
shelf 55b of a pair of outward extending shelves 55a and 55b
attached to the side panels 21 of frame 19. Each shaft 52 has a
gear 56 attached on its upper end to mesh with a worm gear 57 which
is mounted on a drive shaft 58. As seen in FIG. 2, there is a worm
gear 57 for each of the two gears 56, and the drive shaft 58 is
adapted to be rotated by a suitable reversible motor (not shown)
through a conventional drive connection (not shown). When the drive
shaft 58 is rotated, it causes the cooperating gears 57 and 56 to
rotate screw-threaded shafts 52 which causes the nuts 50 threaded
thereon to move up or down-- depending on the direction of rotation
of the drive shaft 58-- and carry the blocks 50 up or down to pivot
the levers 46 and thereby open or close the mold 12. The movement
of lever 46 is limited by adjustable stop blocks 36.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, when the mold halves 12a and 12b move
toward each other to close the mold, they are guided into and
maintained in exact mating relation by riblike keys 60 projecting
from the face of one of the mold halves (12a in the drawings) to be
received in cooperating keyways 61 in the face of the other mold
half.
In continuous casting, the mold is customarily cooled by means
which is operative to continually carry heat away from the walls of
the mold cavity to enable the casting to be carried out on a
continuous basis. This cooling is ordinarily accomplished by
circulating a coolant, such as water, through the walls of the mold
or through a jacket around the mold. Means for cooling the
separable mold halves 12a and 12b of a mold in accordance with the
present invention comprise generally conduits for conducting water
from a suitable supply source (not shown) to and away from passages
through each of the mold halves 12a and 12b.
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, an inlet pipe 63 and an outlet chamber
64 are mounted on each of the shelves 55a and 55b at opposite sides
of the frame 19 and are connected at one end to conventional supply
and drain conduits by readily separable connections, illustrated by
the connection 65, which is shown in section at the right-hand end
of FIG. 3 connecting an outlet 64 to a drain 66, which is attached
to the mold table 24. This connection 65 is formed by a downwardly
projecting annular flange 67, attached on the underside of the
shelf 55a around, and spaced from the edge of, an opening 68
through the shelf into the outlet chamber 64, and a pair of
parallel annular flanges 69 projecting up from an adjusting ferrule
70 on drain 66. The flanges 69 are spaced apart and arranged to
receive the downwardly projecting flange 67 between them with the
end of the flange 67 resting on an annular soft rubber gasket 71
which is between the flanges 69 for making a leak tight seal. Thus,
the connections 65 between the inlet pipes 63 and outlet chambers
64 on the shelves 55a and 55b and supply and drain conduits which
are attached to the mold table 24 are completed, without having to
attach and tighten any screw or clamp-type connections, when the
frame 19, carrying the mold 12 and associated elements of the mold
assembly, is set down in place on the mold table 24.
The inlet pipes 63 and outlet chamber 64 at each side of the mold
are connected (by feeder pipes, hoses and connections subsequently
described in detail) to a system of passages consisting of
horizontal passages 72 and vertical passages 73, within the walls
of the mold halves 12a and 12b. As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 6,
the horizontal passages 72 are drilled into the mold halves 12a and
12b from the outward sides, near the tops and bottoms of the mold
halves, to intersect the upper and lower ends of vertical passages
73, which are shown as being partially filled by rods 74. The
vertical passages 73 are formed by drilling up into the mold halves
12a and 12b from the bottoms to intersect the horizontal passages
72; the bottom open ends of the passages 73 are then plugged. Due
to the length of the holes which must be drilled to form the
vertical passages 73, drills for drilling holes the exact,
relatively small, diameter desired are more apt to break than
larger diameter drills. Therefore, the passages 73 are drilled to a
larger diameter, which is less costly due to the reduced breakage
of drills; than, before plugging the bottom ends of passages 73,
rods 74 are inserted to reduce them to a size which will provide a
desired volume and velocity of fluid flow. As illustrated in FIG.
4, each rod 74 has a flattened side 75, which provides a vertical
fluid-flow passage along the length of each rod, and reduced
annular portions 76 at its end portions that are at the portions of
the passage 73 which are intersected by horizontal passages 72.
These annular portions 76 thus provide connections between the
horizontal passages 72 and the vertical passages formed by the
flattened sides 75 or rods 74.
The outer ends of the horizontal passages 72 at the top and bottom
portions, at two locations along the outward sides, of each of the
mold halves, 12a and 12b, are connected respectively to the outlet
chamber 64 and inlet pipe 63 by feeder pipes 77 at the top and by
feeder pipes 78 at the bottom that are connected respectively into
cuplike distributor elements 79 which are attached to the outer
sides of the mold halves over the outer, open ends of the passages
72 by bolts 80. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, each distributor element
79 covers the open ends of a group of passages 72 and has a
peripheral, inwardly directed flange 79a bearing against the side
of the mold half to form a chamber 79b through which fluid flows
between the passages 72 and the feeder pipe 77 (in FIG. 6) which is
connected through the backwall of the distributor element.
As previously described, the mold halves 12a and 12b move apart and
come together within the frame 19, and the inlet pipes 63 and
outlet chambers 64 are fixed on the shelves 55a and 55b, which are
attached to frame 19. The feeder pipes 77 and 78, connected between
these relatively movable elements, must therefore be adapted to
permit this movement without breaking connection. For this purpose
the upper feeder pipes 77 each include an expansion joint 81,
illustrated in FIG. 5, consisting of a short pipe 82, connected at
one end into the distributor element 79 with its other end slidably
received in a sleeve 83. A leaktight slidable connection between
the pipe 82 and sleeve 83 is provided by packing rings 84 around
the pipe 82 between a bushing 85 and the end of the sleeve 83 with
a retaining ring 86 slidable on the sleeve 83 and encircling the
bushing 85 and packing rings 84. The retaining ring 86 has a lip
86a engaging the exposed end of bushing 85, and a capscrew 87
through an annular raised portion of the sleeve 83 is threaded into
the end of the retaining ring 86 for drawing the retaining ring,
and bushing 85, toward the sleeve to compress the packing rings 84
against the pipe 82 for tightening the seal. A nipple 88 connects
the outer end of the sleeve 83 to a coupling 89 that is threaded
onto an elbow 90 which is connected into the outlet chambers 64. As
seen in FIG. 2, at each side of the mold two feeder pipes 77, with
expansion joints 81 therein, are connected between one of the mold
halves 12a and 12b and an outlet chamber 64.
Similar expansion joints 81 could also be utilized in the lower
feeder pipes 78, but in the embodiment shown a similar function is
provided by including a section of flexible pipe 91 (of rubber,
plastic, woven material or other suitable material) between a pipe
92 from each of the distributor elements 79 and the respective
inlet pipes 63 at each side of the mold. As indicated in FIG. 3,
the flexible pipes 91 are suitably connected to the pipes 92 and to
distributor elements 79 by hose clamps 93.
The mold 12 is cooled during casting by circulating water, or other
suitable cooling fluid, through the walls of the mold halves 12a
and 12b, from their bottom to their top portions, and then out to
be dumped, or to be cooled and recirculated. In the assembly
illustrated, cooling fluid from a suitable source (not shown) is
fed into the inlet pipes 63 at opposite sides of the mold 12 and
flows down through the feeder pipes 78 to the distributor elements
79 on the lower portions of the mold halves 12a and 12b, from which
it flows through the several groups of horizontal passages 72 in
the lower portions of the mold halves into the lower ends of the
vertical passages 73. At the upper ends of the vertical passages,
the groups of horizontal passages 72 in the upper portions of the
mold halves 12a and 12b carry the fluid out into the adjacent
distributor elements, which are on the upper portions of the mold
halves, and from which the fluid is conducted by the feeder pipes
77 into the outlet chambers 64. Drains 66 then carry the fluid away
from the mold to be dumped or recirculated.
It is to be understood that the embodiment of the invention shown
in the drawings and described in detail above is illustrative only
and that the structure and mode of operation may be varied without
departing from the scope of the invention defined by the following
claims.
* * * * *