Floating wedge lock for slide on movable die

This disclosure concerns dies for die casting machines having a stationary or cover die and a movable or ejector die which has a movable slide mounted thereon. A tapered trough is provided across the slide and into opposite sides of the movable die, and the cover die is provided with a floating wedge that fits into the full length of this trough for positioning and locking the slide with respect to the movable die on which this slide is mounted. The floating wedge may be held in the cover die by flanges on the wedge which loosely fit in grooves in the cover die. The tapers on the wedge and the sides of the trough are complimentary for locking the movable die parts together when all the die parts are closed for filling the cavity formed by the die parts with molten metal.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
It is well known that die parts may be locked into position by wedges 
and/or hook means as shown, for example, in Gaddi U.S. Pat. No. 4,492,264 
issued Jan. 8, 1985 and Allen U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,405 issued June 3, 1986, 
and even having a floating wedge means as disclosed in Bauer U.S. Pat. No. 
3,324,936 issued June 13, 1967. Cooperating tapered slides for holding 
movable dies in position when the dies are closed are also well known as 
shown by the above mentioned patents. However, there is no known means in 
which a floating wedge is employed to position and lock a slide mounted in 
and to a movable die in the positive manner disclosed herein. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Generally speaking, this invention relates to a die casting die having a 
stationary or cover die and a cooperating movable or ejector die, which 
movable or ejector die is provided with one or more slides mounted 
thereon. The improvement of this invention involves a floating wedge means 
mounted on the stationary or cover die for positioning and locking the 
slide or slides on the movable die to the movable die when the dies are in 
their closed positions. Thus there is provided a trough across or 
transverse to the movement of the slide in the slide, which trough extends 
into the movable die on both sides of the slide. This trough has tapered 
sides that cooperate with the tapered sides of the wedge floatingly 
mounted on the stationary or cover die. This mounting for the wedge means 
may comprise outwardly extending flanges at the base of the wedge means, 
which flanges fit loosely into grooves provided therefor in the cover or 
stationary die. The tapered sides of the wedge means compliment and fit 
the tapered sides for the full length of the trough. A plurality of such 
slides may be mounted on a single ejector or movable die, with each slide 
having a transverse trough and separate cooperating floating wedges 
mounted on the stationary or cover die. Thus, the interfitting of the 
floating wedge or wedges into the trough or troughs across the movable 
slides, not only position, but also lock the slides in position relative 
to the movable die on which they are mounted. 
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES 
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to produce an efficient, 
simple, effective, economic, and durable die casting die with movable 
slides mounted on the movable die that are independently positioned and 
aligned. 
Another object is to produce such a die in which the movable parts thereof 
are locked into position, thereby reducing the accumulation of contact die 
surface variances, eliminating conflicting forces of different die contact 
surfaces, and eliminating galling between the die parts. 
Another object is to produce such a die with movable die parts which 
improves the dimensional control capability of the parts formed in the 
die. 
A further object is to produce such a die with movable die parts that 
substantially reduce casting pressure and thermal growth effect to die 
alignment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2 for comparison between the prior art and 
the present invention, respectively, there is shown in FIG. 1 a stationary 
or cover die C closed against a pair of opposite slides A and B mounted on 
a movable or ejector die E for forming a part P. There are also shown 
cooperating tapers TA and TB between the cover die C and the slides A and 
B for urging the slides into position relative to the stationary die C. 
Since there is often different forces applied to a slide A than to slide 
B, alignment difficulties can readily occur between the movable and 
stationary die parts A, B, C and E. 
In order to eliminate these undesirable factors, there is shown in FIG. 2 a 
partial disclosure of applicant's invention in which the movable slides A' 
and B' are provided not only with single taper, but a double taper or 
trough TWA and TWB into which floating wedges WA and WB, respectively, 
mounted in the cover die C', lockingly fit when the dies are in their 
closed position as shown in FIG. 2. Furthermore, the wedges and troughs 
shown herein extend completely across the slides A' and B' and into 
corresponding trough parts in the movable die E as is better shown in 
FIGS. 3 and 4 of the description of this invention. Thus the cooperating 
wedges WA and WB in troughs TWA and TWB shown in FIG. 2 not only position 
the slides A' and B' with respect to the movable die E, but also lock the 
movable slides A' and B' in their corresponding positions independently of 
the pressure stresses that may be unequally applied to the separate 
slides. 
Referring now more specifically to FIGS. 3 and 4, there is disclosed a 
movable die 10 having mounted therein a slide 20 transversely across which 
is a trough 22, which trough, when the slide 20 is in its closed position, 
extends into the movable die 10 trough portions 12 and 12' to form a 
continuous trough 12, 22 and 12' as shown in FIG. 4 when the slide 20 is 
in its closed position. Above the movable die 10 in FIG. 4 is shown a 
portion of the stationary or cover die 30 which floatingly or loosely 
carries the wedge 40 that fits into the full length of the trough 12, 22, 
12'. The cooperating tapered sides of the trough 12, 22, 12' and the 
tapered sides of the wedge 40 may have wear plates 14, 24, 14' in the 
trough 12, 22, 12' and wear plates 44 on the wedge 40. If desired, these 
wear plates may be coated with a silicone or other suitable lubricant to 
facilitate their positioning and locking functions when the die parts are 
being closed. 
The arrows shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 on the die parts 10 and 20 indicate the 
direction of movements of the movable die 10 and its slide 20 in a trough 
16 in the movable die part 10. 
FIGS. 5 and 6, which are enlarged sections taken along lines 5--5 and 6--6, 
respectively, of FIG. 4, show one construction of the wedge means 40 
comprising a larger-area top plate 46 bolted to the base of the wedge 40 
and forming overhanging side flanges which are held loosely in grooves 36 
in the cover die 30. These grooves 36 are deeper than the flanges overhang 
the edge base of the wedges 40, which permits the wedge 40 to float in 
both directions in a plane parallel to the parting plane between the 
movable die 10 and cover die 30. As shown in FIG. 6, the wedge 40 and its 
top plate 46 may be held in the stationary die 30 by a cover plate 48 
bolted to a side of the cover die 30 and overlapping an edge of the wedge 
40 and its top plate 46. This cover plate 48 permits easy replacement of 
the wedge means 40 if and when such becomes necessary. 
It is to be understood that the floating wedge means and cooperating 
troughs shown in the drawings and described above are made only by way of 
example in that different shape and size troughs and cooperating wedge 
means may be provided on other shaped dies for performing the same 
function, without departing from the scope of this invention. Furthermore, 
one or more or all of the slides on a movable die part may be provided 
with the floating wedge means and trough positioning and locking means of 
this invention. Although this particular die has been adapted and shown 
for a high pressure die casting machine for producing transmission 
housings, the inside form of which is shown in the movable slide 20 in 
FIGS. 3 and 4, it is to be understood that this principle is applicable to 
other type product dies and with additional slides. 
While there is described above the principles of this invention in 
connection with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood that 
this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation to 
the scope of this invention.