Method of forming zinc collar on insulator metal cap and mold therefor

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and a mold for forming a zinc collar on an insulator metal cap. The zinc collar forming mold (17) comprises a setting section (21,22) for setting the metal cap in position on the mold and an upwardly opening cavity defined around the periphery of the setting section. For molding a zinc collar, the metal cap (4) is immersed in molten zinc, and is then set upright on the setting section of the mold with the zinc on the lower half thereof being still in the molten state. Subsequently, molten zinc is poured from the upper opening of the mold, and upon solidification of the molten zinc, a zinc collar (6) is formed around the external circumference of the metal cap.

Description: This invention relates to a method of forming a zinc collar on an insulator metal cap and to use of a mold in this method. Suspension insulators are generally used in the form of an insulator string comprising a multiplicity of serially connected insulators interposed between transmission lines and the arms of steel towers for supporting the transmission lines in order to secure insulation to the earth. However, if the surfaces of these suspension insulators are polluted and wetted, leakage current flows over the ceramic surfaces of the suspension insulators, whereby the metal caps undergo electrolytic corrosion to cause thinning thereof. Accordingly. the metal caps come to have reduced strength and they may occasionally be damaged by the load of the transmission lines. With a view to overcoming the above problems, a suspension insulator, for example, of the structure shown in Fig. 4 has been proposed. This type of conventional suspension insulator has a pin 2 in the cavity of the head 1a of the insulator body 1 fixed by cement 3, and also has a metal cap 4 having a socket 4a with which a pin 2 of another insulator unit can be engaged. The cap 4 is fixed by cement 5 over the circumference of the head 1a of the insulator body 1, and a zinc collar 6 is integrally formed on the metal cap 4 from the lower external circumferential edge to the bottom for the purpose of preventing such electrolytic corrosion of the metal cap 4. In forming such zinc collar 6, the following method has conventionally been employed, wherein a metal cap 4 molded through casting of a metallic material such as iron is subjected to pretreatment (degreasing and acid washing) and then to galvanizing, followed by solidification of the thus deposited molten zinc with water cooling. The thus treated metal cap 4 is then dipped upright in a molten zinc 11 as shown in Fig. 5 so that approximately the lower half of the entire cap height may be immersed in the molten zinc 11, and removed therefrom to allow approximately the lower half of the metal cap 4 to be soaked with the molten zinc. Subsequently, as shown in Fig. 6, the metal cap 4 is set on a preheated mold 12 which can be separated into halves. A Molten zinc 13 is poured via a sprue 12b of the mold 12, passes through a gate 12c and flows into a zinc collar molding cavity 12a, followed by solidification of the molten zinc 13 to form a zinc collar 6 on the metal cap 4 from the lower external circumferential edge to the bottom. Nevertheless, in the above conventional zinc collar forming method, the mold requires a high-accuracy approaching/separating mechanism, since the zinc collar 6 is designed to be formed using a pair of separable die halves, so that the mold assembly comes to have an extremely complicated structure. Moreover, since when the metal cap is released from the mold, the solidified zinc is snatched off at the gate 12c, burrs are formed on the zinc collar surface along the gate 12c, requiring intricate procedures such as deburring and subsequent finish polishing. Further, the molten zinc 13 also stays in the sprue 12b and the gate 12c, so that extra amount of zinc must be used. For such reasons, production costs inevitably increase disadvantageously. In the conventional molding method, the zinc collar molding cavity 12a of the mold 12 has a closed structure, so that the solidification of the molten zinc 13 poured into the cavity 12a proceeds from the external and internal circumferential surfaces of the zinc collar 6 toward the internal portion thereof. Thus, voids (micro-pores) are liable to be formed in the internal portion of the zinc collar 6 and products can be formed in very low yield, disadvantageously. This invention has been accomplished in view of such problems inherent in the prior art. By the invention it is possible to provide a method of forming a zinc collar on the insulator metal cap which uses a simplified mold structure without requiring any high-accuracy approaching/ separating mechanism for the mold. By the invention, there can also be provided a method of forming a zinc collar, which can not only obviate intricate procedures of deburring and subsequent finish polishing, since no burring which may otherwise be caused due to the presence of a gate occurs on the surface of the zinc collar, but also can minimize the amount of molten zinc. The invention can furthermore provide a method of forming a zinc collar which assures prevention of void forming in the internal portion of the zinc collar by allowing the molten zinc to solidify from the lower portion of the mold upward. It is also possible to provide a mold having a simple structure suitable for forming a zinc collar on the insulator metal cap. According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of forming a zinc collar on an insulator metal cap as specified by claim 1. According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of forming a zinc collar on an insulator metal cap as specified by claim 3. According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mold for use in the method of claim 1 or claim 3, for forming a zinc collar on an insulator metal cap as specified by claim 5. The invention will be better understood with reference to the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments of the invention, taken together with the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 shows, in cross section, a metal cap set on a mold to be used according to a first embodiment of the present method of forming a zinc collar on an insulator metal cap; Fig. 2 shows, in partially enlarged cross section, a state where a zinc collar is formed on the metal cap; Fig. 3 shows, in cross section, cooling of the metal cap with water which will be used according to a second embodiment of the zinc collar forming method of this invention; Fig. 4 shows, in partially cutaway front view, an illustrative suspension insulator; Fig. 5 shows, in cross section, heating of a metal cap according to the conventional zinc collar forming method; and Fig. 6 shows, in cross section, a metal cap set on a mold which is used according to the conventional zinc collar forming method. This invention will be described below by way of embodiments. A first embodiment of the method of forming a zinc collar on an insulator metal cap and a mold to be used therefor of this invention will now be detailed referring to Figs. 1 and 2. In the first embodiment, a metal cap 4 having been formed by casting and subjected to pretreatment in the same manner as described in the prior art method before formation of a zinc collar 6 is first immersed in a molten zinc heated to about 440 to 500° C to effect galvanizing. Subsequently, the thus treated metal cap 4 is removed from the molten zinc and immersed in water at about 10 to 70 °C to cool and solidify the molten zinc formed on the metal cap surface. Next, the thus galvanized metal cap 4 is again immersed upright with the socket 4a facing upward in molten zinc 11 heated to about 450 to 650 °C substantially in the same manner as in the conventional method as shown in Fig. 5 so that approximately the half of the entire height of the cap may be immersed in the molten zinc 11 to heat the immersed portion approximately to the same temperature. Subsequently, the metal cap 4 is removed from the molten zinc 11 and then set on a top pouring type mold 16, with the molten zinc 11 substantially on the lower half of the metal cap 4 being still in the molten state, as shown in Fig. 1, followed by formation of the zinc collar 6 on the metal cap 4. Now, referring to the structure of the mold 16, the mold 16 has a block-shaped mold body 17, and a cylindrical protrusion 17a is defined at the center of the upper surface thereof with a step-form setting section 17b for fitting the metal cap 4 upright in position being defined around the periphery of the protrusion 17a. The setting section 17b has a horizontal supporting surface 21 for supporting the bottom of the metal cap 4 and a vertical control surface 22 which engages with the internal circumferential surface of the lower opening of the metal cap 4 and controls horizontal shifting of the metal cap 4. An annular zinc collar molding cavity 17c opening upward is also defined on the upper surface of the mold body 17 around the periphery of the setting section 17b. For forming the zinc collar 6, the mold 16 is heated to about 50 to 300 °C, and the metal cap 4 is set upright on the setting section 17b of the mold body 17, as shown in Fig. 1, wherein the bottom of the metal cap 4 is placed on the supporting surface 21 and the internal circumferential surface of the lower opening of the metal cap 4 engages with the control surface 22, and thus the entire metal cap 4 is placed in position. In this state, a predetermined amount of molten zinc 13 is poured via the upper opening of the mold 17 into the zinc collar molding cavity 17c. The process of molding the zinc collar 6 is completed simply by releasing the metal cap 4 from the mold 16 after the molten zinc 13 in the cavity 17c is solidified. Thus, the annular zinc collar 6 can integrally be formed on the metal cap 4 from the lower circumferential edge to the bottom thereof as shown in Fig. 2. In the first embodiment of forming the zinc collar 6, the zinc collar molding cavity 17c defined in the mold body 17 is open upwards, so that the molten zinc 13 poured into the cavity 17c starts to solidify from the portion on the bottom of the cavity 17c gradually upward and finally to the uppermost portion of the zinc collar 6. Accordingly, no voids will be formed in the internal portion of the zinc collar 6, and yield of products can be improved. Moreover, since the molten zinc 13 is poured onto the metal cap 4 when the molten zinc 11 layer formed on the external surface of the metal cap 4 is still in the molten state, the bond strength at the interface between the zinc collar 6 and the metal cap 4 can be improved. Further, since the metal cap 4 is heated to a temperature usually higher than that of the mold 16, the zinc collar 6 comes to have a smooth upper surface 6a corresponding to the temperature gradient therebetween. Besides, no burring occurs, unlike the conventional method using a mold having a gate, so that intricate procedures such as deburring and finish surface polishing are not necessary. Compared with the conventional method, the amount of the molten zinc 13 to be used for the molding can be reduced to greatly lower the production cost. Next, a second embodiment of the present method of forming a zinc collar on an insulator metal cap will be described referring to Figs. 1 and 3. In the second embodiment, a metal cap 4 having been formed by casting and subjected to pretreatment in the same manner as in the first embodiment is first immersed in a molten zinc heated to about 440 to 500 °C to effect galvanizing. Subsequently, the thus treated metal cap 4 is removed from the molten zinc, and thus the surface of the metal cap 4 is entirely soaked with the molten zinc. Next, unlike in the first embodiment, the thus treated metal cap 4 is inverted and put into water 18 at about 10 to 70°C 18 in such a way that substantially the upper half including the socket 4a of the metal cap 4 is immersed in the water 18, followed by cooling and solidification of the molten zinc substantially on the upper half surface. With the molten zinc substantially on the lower half of the metal cap 4 being still in the molten state, the metal cap 4 is removed from the water 18. Then, in the same manner as in the first embodiment, the top pouring type mold 16 as shown in Fig. 1 is preheated and the metal cap 4 is set upright at the setting section 17b defined on the mold 16. Molten zinc 13 is poured via the upper opening of the mold 16 into the zinc collar molding cavity 17c to integrally form a zinc collar 6 on the metal cap 4 from the lower external circumferential edge to the bottom. Accordingly, in the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, no voids will be formed in the internal portion of the zinc collar 6, and thus yield of products can be improved. Besides, intricate processing such as deburring and finish surface polishing are not necessary, unlike the conventional method using a mold having a gate, and the amount of the molten zinc 13 to be used for the molding can be reduced to greatly lower the production cost. Further, to summarize the second embodiment of forming a zinc collar, a metal cap 4 is first galvanized, and then the molten zinc substantially on the upper half of the metal cap 4 is solidified. With the molten zinc on the lower half of the metal cap 4 being still in the molten state, in this state a zinc collar 6 is formed on the lower circumferential portion of the metal cap 4. Accordingly, compared with the first embodiment of forming a zinc collar wherein a metal cap 4 is first galvanized; the molten zinc thus deposited on the entire surface is solidified by cooling; substantially the lower half of the thus treated metal cap 4 is again immersed in a molten zinc; and with the lower half being soaked with the molten zinc, a zinc collar 6 is formed along the lower circumferential edge of the metal cap 4, the second embodiment uses a simplified process for forming a zinc collar 6 and can further improve productivity. In the second embodiment, since the molten zinc is solidified using water, formation of an alloy layer at the interface between the material of the metal cap and zinc can be inhibited, whereby not only the bond strength between the metal cap 4 and the zinc collar forming molten zinc can be enhanced but also the metal cap 4 can be handled with ease. The mold 16 for forming a zinc collar used in the above embodiments have a very simple structure, since the setting section 17b for setting the metal cap 4 in position and the zinc collar molding cavity 17c are defined on the upper surface of the single mold 17, and the mold requires no high-accuracy approaching/separating mechanism unlike in the conventional method where a pair of die halves are used. Accordingly, the mold construction can be simplified.

Claims: A method of forming a zinc collar (6) on an external circumference of an insulator metal cap (4) comprising: (1) a first step, in which substantially half of the entire height of the insulator metal cap (4) having been subjected to galvanizing is immersed upright in molten zinc (11) so that a lower part of the metal cap is soaked with the molten zinc; (2) a second step, in which the partially soaked metal cap is set upright into a zinc collar molding cavity (17c) formed in a preheated mold (16); (3) a third step, in which molten zinc (13) is poured into the cavity (17c) and then solidified, to form the zinc collar, characterized in that said mold (17) is a top-pouring type mold having, when the metal insulator cap (4) is in place, an upper peripheral opening extending between the external circumference of the metal cap and an external wall of the cavity, and said molten zinc is poured into the cavity (17c) via said upper opening. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the zinc collar (6) is formed on the metal cap (4) from a lower external circumferential projection to the bottom. A method of forming a zinc collar (6) on an external circumference of an insulator metal cap (4), comprising: (1) a first step, in which the insulator metal cap (4) is immersed in molten zinc (11) and then removed to effect galvanizing, so as to allow the entire surface of the metal cap to be soaked with the molten zinc; (2) a second step, in which, with the thus treated metal cap in the inverted position, substantially the upper half of the entire height of the metal cap is immersed in water (18) and then removed therefrom to effect solidification of the molten zinc on said half of the metal cap surface with said zinc on the other half thereof being still in the molten state; (3) a third step, in which the resulting metal cap is set upright into a zinc collar molding cavity (17c) in a preheated mold (17); and (4) a fourth step, in which molten zinc (13) is poured into the zinc collar molding cavity (17c) and then solidified to form said zinc collar, wherein said mold (17) is a top-pouring type mold having, when the metal insulator cap (4) is in place, an upper peripheral opening extending between the external circumference of the metal cap and an external wall of the cavity, and said molten zinc is poured into the cavity (17c) via said upper opening. A method according to Claim 3, wherein the zinc collar (6) is formed on the metal cap (4) from a lower external circumferential projection to the bottom. Use of a mold (16) in the method according to claim 1 or claim 3 for forming a zinc collar (6) on a metal cap (4) around the external circumference thereof, said mold comprising: a mold body (17); a setting section (17a,17b) for fitting said metal cap (4) upright in said mold body; and a zinc collar molding cavity (17c) formed in the mold body around the periphery of said setting section (17b); said mold body having an upper opening defined by an upward extension of an external wall of said cavity (17c) to the upper surface of the mold body (17), said upper opening being of a size to allow said fitting of said metal cap (4) onto said setting section (17a,17b) and the pouring of molten zinc (13) into said cavity (17c). Use of a mold according to Claim 5, wherein the setting section of the mold comprises a supporting surface (17b) for supporting the bottom of the metal cap and a control surface (17a) which engages with the internal circumferential portion of a bottom opening of the metal cap to control the setting position of the metal cap (4).

Inventors: IMAKOMA TAKASHI, KAWAMOTO IWAJI, KONDO SEIICHI - AZA-KARAIKE, MATSUO HIROTO, IMAKOMA, TAKASHI, KAWAMOTO, IWAJI, KONDO, SEIICHI 462-77, AZA-KARAIKE, MATSUO, HIROTO
Applicants: NGK INSULATORS LTD, NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
Application year: 1990
Main classification: H01B19
IPC codes: H01B17, H01B19