IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING THE MOULDS IN WHICH METALS ARE TO BE CAST
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Heydon, of Foleshill Foundry, Coventry,
in the County of Warwick, Iron and Brassfounder, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING THE MOULDS
IN WHICH METALS ARE TO BE CAST."
Sealed the 24th January 1865, and dated the 5th August 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Heydon at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th August 1864..
I, JOSEPH HEYDON, of Foleshill Foundry, Coventry, in the County of
Warwick, Iron and Brassfounder, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING
THE MOULDS IN WHICH METALS ARE TO BE CAST," to be as follows:-
My improvements in apparatus for making moulds in the production of
castings relate to apparatus whereby the pattern is compressed in the sand, and
moulded by pressure exerted by a steam or air piston, or it may be hydraulic
power, or even by racks and pinions or other mechanical equivalents.
The apparatus is principally applicable to moulding patterns of small wheels,
pulleys, riggers, and other articles, that are readily drawn from the sand and
which are required in great numbers. It consists of a steam cylinder, the upper
flange of which is fixed in a bed or table suitably supported at the required
elevation, the cylinder, as indicated, being below. From the bed or table uprights.
are erected carrying a cross beam at a suitable elevation above; from the middle.

page_text: of this beam, and immediately above the centre of the steam cylinder depends a
disc surface supported by a strong stem; this surface is for the purpose of
pressing the sand pattern in the mould. The mould box is supported on a plate
disposed between the pressing disc above, and a table surface below mounted
on the piston rod of the steam cylinder. The plate so disposed is mounted in
trunnions supported in two slotted arms (one on either side), which arms are
fixed in and depend from a central shaft, parallel with and immediately under the
cross beam; this shaft turns in bearings to a certain extent, stops being pro-
vided to limit its motion to that which is required; it is furnished with an arm
and counterbalance weight at the one end, and a hand lever at the other.
When the mould is in position for pressing the pattern in the sand, the
slotted arms above-mentioned are in a vertical position, the mould plate being
supported by its trunnions at the lower end and extreme limit of the slots; when
the pressure comes, on by the rise of the piston and table below, the plate and
mould are free to rise, the trunnions at the time rising up in the slots.
In moulding with this machine, supposing it be a single flange wheel that
it is desired to mould, a trunnion plate is used, having a recess to receive the
side of the wheel up to the middle of the flange, at which point the mould
would part, the pattern of the wheel being laid on its flange side. A mould
box is then placed on this plate encompassing the pattern; this box is
secured to the plate by a cross lever under the plate, which is pivotted in the
centre thereof, and furnished with snugs projecting upwards, which, on the
cross lever being moved, take hold of projections on the mould box and fix it
to the bottom plate. An upper ring is now placed above the mould box and
the whole filled with sand. I now let steam into the lower part of the steam
cylinder, which forces the mould upwards against the presser above, which
resists and compresses the sand around the pattern and presses the sand down
and level with the mould box; after so pressing the sand in the mould, the
steam is allowed to escape from the cylinder, so that the piston and pressing
table descend and with them the mould until it again rests by its trunnions in
the slotted arms. The upper ring placed on the mould which was the measure
for and held the sand above is then removed.. I now rotate the mould and
mould plate on its trunnions so as to invert it, and again bring up the piston
table so as to bear on the new inverted mould. box; I then disconnect the
trunnion mould plate by releasing the hold of its cross lever, leaving the mould
board entirely on the piston table. The oscillating shaft above is next moved
so as to swing the slotted arms and trunnion mould plate out of position, and
so as to permit the free rise of the piston table with the mould box; but
before raising it I apply the upper half of the mould box, and above it the

page_text: additional ring to contain and measure the sand. Having supplied the sand,
the mould boxes are forced up by admitting steam below the piston, which
forces the mould up against the stationary pressing plate above, when the
moulding will be complete; the piston table is then lowered and the mould
boxes removed, which are then separated and the pattern drawn as usual.
The mould boxes are of course furnished with registering pins so that they
can be applied again accurately as usual. Before applying the second half of
the mould box I fix a peg in the pattern, which rises up through the sand in
order to leave the port or hole for pouring the metal; this peg in the act of
pressing the sand rises up a hole in the pressing plate before-mentioned. I
make the piston table with a deep curtain or ring underneath, so as to encircle
and cover in the stuffing box of the steam cylinder when the piston is down
which prevents sand getting into the stuffing box. The balance weight before
mentioned, when thrown on one side of the centre of its shaft, keeps the slot
levers in correct position as described, and when thrown on the opposite side
for the purpose of carrying the trunnion plate out of its central position, it
counterbalances that plate and keeps it out of the central position from
which it has been removed as desired. Suitable stops are provided for the hand
lever, or it may be the weight lever, to come against and so determine the
exact positions.
:
For the ingress and escape of steam to the cylinder I provide two stop taps,
and couple them together so as to work by one handle, the one being open
while the other is closed.
I also provide an air escape and outlet tap to the top of the steam cylinder,
whereby the ingress or escape of the air to or from the cylinder above the
piston can be regulated; by this means the piston may be allowed to rise or fall
at a quick or slow rate as may be desired, or even suspended altogether. I
mount the mould box on the trunnion mould plate so that it nearly balances
in any position, and therefore may be readily and steadily rotated thereon in
inverting the mould; and in order to fix it in position while pressing the sand
in the mould, I fix an arm on one of the trunnions and provide it with a
movable pin, by withdrawing or inserting which in the slotted arm the trunnion
plate is fixed or released. Instead of steam being used, as before described,
air might be admitted to the cylinder with like effect in its application to
moulding; or an hydraulic cylinder may be used and water pumped in or sup-
plied from a head of water at a sufficient elevation. Racks and pinions may
also be adopted to obtain the rising and falling motion in the table giving the
pressure, and such gear driven by steam or other power, or the vertical pressing
motion may be transmitted by means of levers or other mechanical equivalents.

page_text: This apparatus may also be used for more difficult castings, and when the
patterns bave to be drawn in two or more parts and with the mould boxes in
three or more parts.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Heydon in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th February 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPII
HEYDON, of Folesbill Foundry, Coventry, in the County of Warwick, Iron and
Brassfounder, send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Joseph Heydon, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph Heydon,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Joseph Heydon, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING THE MOULDS IN WHICH METALS ARE
TO BE CAST," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph
Heydon, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their bands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Heydon, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
:
My improvements in apparatus for making moulds in the production of
castings relate to apparatus whereby the pattern is pressed into the sand and
moulded by pressure exerted by a steam piston, or it may be hydraulic power
or even by a rack and pinion or other mechanical equivalent.

page_text: This apparatus is principally applicable to moulding patterns of small wheels,
pulleys, riggers, and other articles that are readily drawn from the sand, and
which are required in great numbers; it consists of a steam cylinder, the
upper flange of which is fixed in a bed or table suitably supported at the
required elevation, the cylinder, as indicated, being below. From the bed or
table uprights are erected, carrying a cross beam at a suitable elevation above;
from the middle of this beam, and immediately above the centre of the steam
cylinder, depends a disc surface, supported by a strong stem; this surface is
for the purpose of pressing the sand and pattern in the mould. The mould
box is supported on a plate disposed between the pressing disc above and a
table surface below, mounted on the piston rod of the steam cylinder. The
plate so disposed is mounted on trunnions supported in two slotted arnis (one
on either side), which arms are fixed on and depend from a central shaft.
parallel with and immediately under the cross beam; this shaft turns in
bearings to a certain extent, stops being provided to limit its motion to that
which is required; it is furnished with an arm and counterbalance weight at
the one end, and a hand lever at the other. When the mould is in position
for pressing the pattern in the sand, the slotted arms above mentioned are in
a vertical position, the mould plate being supported by its trunnions at the
lower end and extreme limit of the slots; when the pressure takes place by
the rise of the piston and table below, the plate and mould are free to rise,
the trunnions at the time rising up in the guiding slots.
In moulding with this machine, supposing the article to be a moulded
single-flanged wheel, such as a truck or railway wheel, a trunnion plate is.
used having a recess to receive the side of the wheel up to the middle of the
flange, at which point the mould would "part, the pattern of the wheel being
laid on its flange side. A mould box is then placed on this plate encompassing
the pattern; this box is secured to the plate by a cross lever under the plate,
which is pivotted in the centre thereof, and furnished with snugs projecting
upwards, which, on the cross lever being moved, take hold of projections on
the mould box, and fix it to the bottom plate. An upper ring is now placed
above the mould box and the whole filled with sand. I then let steam into
the lower part of the steam cylinder, which forces the mould upwards against
the presser above the mould, which resists the pressure and compresses
sand around the pattern, also pressing the sand down and level with the mould
box; after so pressing the sand in the mould the steam is allowed to escape
from the cylinder, when the piston and pressing table will descend, and with
them the mould until it again rests by its trunnions in the slotted arms. The
upper ring placed on the mould, which was the measure for and held the
the

page_text: sand above is now removed; I then rotate the mould and mould plate on its
trunnions so as to invert it, and again bring up the piston table so as to bear
on the now inverted mould box. The trunnion mould plate is then discon-
nected by releasing the hold of its cross lever leaving the mould box resting
on the piston table. The oscillating shaft above is next moved so as to swing
the slotted arms and trunnion mould plates out of position, and so as to
permit the free rise of the piston table with the mould box; but before
raising it again I apply the upper half of the mould box, and above it the
additional ring to contain and measure the sand. Having supplied the sand,
the mould boxes are forced up by admitting steam below the piston, which
forces the mould up against the stationary pressing plate above, when the
moulding will be complete; the piston table is now lowered and the mould
boxes removed, which are then separated and the pattern drawn as usual:
The mould boxes are of course furnished with registering pins, so that they
can be connected again accurately. Before applying the second half of the
mould box I fix a peg in the pattern, which rises up through the sand in
order to leave the port or hole for pouring the metal; this peg, at the act of
pressing the sand, rises up through a hole in the pressing plate before
mentioned. I make the piston table with a deep curtain or ring underneath,
so as to encircle and cover in the stuffing box of the steam cylinder when the
piston is down, which prevents sand getting into the stuffing box. The
balance weight before mentioned, when thrown on one side of the centre of its
shaft, keeps the slot levers in correct vertical position as described, and when
thrown in the opposite side for the purpose of carrying the trunnion plate out
of its central position, it counterbalances that plate and keeps it wide of the
central position from which it has been removed as desired. Suitable
stops are provided for the hand lever, or it may be the weighted lever, to
come against, and so determine the exact positions.
For the ingress and escape of steam to the cylinder I provide two stop taps,
and couple them so as to work together by one handle, the one being open,
while the other is closed.
+
presents
moulds according to my Invention, while Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the
same.
A, A, is the bed of the machine, which may be placed on a foundation level
with or raised from the ground; B is the steam cylinder, fitted with a piston
and piston rod, as in a steam engine. The rod C carries a table D, having a

page_text: hollow strengthening ring a, which when down encloses the cylinder glands,
and prevents sand getting into the packing. E are uprights from A, which
support the cross tie or beam F, to which the upper stationary sand presser H
is fixed; bearings 6 are also fixed to F, which bearings support a shaft I; on
this shaft I the arms d, d, are fixed, by which the mould plate e and mould
box or boxes fare suspended; 9, 9, are the trunnions supporting their mould
plate. On the under side of this plate e is a cross lever, pivotted at the centre
of the plate, on which the lever turns; it is furnished with hooks h (one at
either side), which hook on to projections i on the mould box, and secure it
to the plate. is an arm fixed on one of the trunnions g, furnished with a
pin k, which, when pushed, enters the slot of one of the arms d and prevents
the plate, and with it the mould box f, from rotating on the trunnions g till
such time as it may be desired, when the pin k is withdrawn.
The mould plate e is formed so as to receive half of the pattern, that
is to say, to the division of the mould when moulding the first half, or the
pattern itself may divide, and half only used, which is laid on the mould
plate e.
.
Supposing a single flanged wheel, such as a truck wheel, to be the article
required to be moulded, the pattern is placed on the plate e, as seen in section
& under side plan in Figs. 5 and 6 the plates being recessed so as to let
in or receive half of the bead or flange up to the dividing point of the mould;
the 'mould box f is then filled with sand, an upper ring m is further super-
posed and filled with sand; 'this is used as a measure of capacity, and holds as
much sand as can be compressed into the mould; steam is now let in under
the piston of cylinder B, when the table D rises, carries with it the plate.e and
box f, and forcing it up against the presser H, which presses the sand down
around the pattern, and rams it with sufficient hardness to form the mould:
The top of the sand will now be level with the lower part of the ring m. The
table D is now lowered, leaving the plate e and mould box f suspended.in.the
slings d, d, as before. The ring m is now removed, and the pink from the
slot in d. The mould plate e, with the mould box f and partially formed
mould upon it, is now rotated on the trunnions g, g, and so that the mould
box f will hang underneath; the table D is again brought up by the steam
pressure and the box f lifted. The plate e, which is now uppermost, is
detached, and lifted from the box f at the same time the arms d, d, are swung
on one side, and with them plate e, by moving the shaft I on its axis. This
is effected by the lever handle p; a counterbalance weighted. lever is
mounted on shaft I, which being moved to the opposite side of the shaft keeps
the arms & and plate e in the desired position (seen in dotted lines) out of the

page_text: way of further operations. The other and upper half of the mould box is now
placed above the lower halff, and filled with sand, and a measuring ring m
placed above it in like manner, and also filled as before explained. An
upright peg or pin is also placed in the sand, the lower end being fitted in the
pattern, but to be withdrawn to form the port or runner; the table D is then
raised, and the sand in the upper mould compressed between the table D and
the presser H, ramming the sand hard in the upper half of the mould box,
and pressing all the sand in the measuring ring down into the upper half of
the mould. A hole is provided in the presser H for the pin introduced to
form the port, which passes through such hole during the pressure. The
moulding operation will now be complete, and the mould boxes and table D
are then lowered, removed, and separated for the removal of the pattern, and
touching up of the mould if necessary. Parting sand is of course applied
between the surfaces of the two halves of the mould, as usual, and the boxes
are provided with registering pins to admit of being parted and put accurately
together again, as well understood. The same operation is repeated with the
pattern in other mould boxes, and so on according to the number of castings,
as required, which, with the facilities afforded by this apparatus, can be moulded
in rapid succession. P is the steam pipe by which steam under pressure is
admitted below and allowed to escape from below the piston in the cylinder B.
s is the pipe to the generator, and the escape or waste pipe; both of these
communicate with P, but have each a stop cock u, v, with hand levers w, w,
coupled by rod x, and so arranged that when the one stop cock is open the
other is closed, as indicated by the marks on the plugs. When hand lever w
is horizontal the passages and cock w is open, admitting steam from the
boiler to the cylinder, raising the piston and table D, as before explained,
while, when the lever handle w is depressed the stop cock u is closed and v
opened, allowing the steam to escape from cylinder B, and the piston and
table D to descend for the purposes before described. Instead of stop taps a
slide valve may be used, and steam may be admitted both above and below
the piston if desired.
The top of the cylinder B may be open to the atmosphere, or it may be
closed, in which case the air will be compressed above the piston, and induce
a quicker action in the descent, if desired. y is the stop cock, for allowing
the escape of the condensed water from the cylinder B from time to time.
A regulator may be placed on the steam pipe s, to regulate the supply of
steam from the boiler before it reaches stop tap u. V is a stop cock for
escape of condensed water or steam from above piston from time to time if
necessary.

page_text: Fig. 3 represents a side view, and Fig. 4 an end view, of a modification of
the foregoing apparatus, in which parts are applied for producing the self-
acting rotation of the trunnion plate e at the proper times. On the trunnions
9, 9, are fixed ratchet wheels n, n, while toothed racks o, o, suspended from
slotted arms d, d, by pins p, take into the ratchet wheels n. Slight springs q, q,
press on the backs of the racks o, o, and keep them in gear with the ratchet
wheels n, n.
In rising the plate e maintains its horizontal position by reason
of pin k passing through wheel n into the slot of d, as before explained, the
teeth of the ratchet slipping over the teeth of the racks o; on the plate e
descending, the pin k is withdrawn, when the racks o, o, will hold the ratchet
teeth, and turn the plate a half revolution on the axis (the trunnions).
It will be observed the trunnions 9, 9, are bent to bring the axis near the
centre of the weight of the plate and mould box. Instead of steam_being
employed, it may be compressed air, or a pressure of water in the cylinder B;
but I prefer the arrangement represented and means before described as being
the most convenient. Mechanical appliances, such as a rack and pinion, may
also be substituted for the pressure cylinder to produce the rise and fall of the
table; or friction apparatus may be employed instead of a rack and pinion,
friction rollers being caused to bite or release the stem supporting the table D;
or lever apparatus may be employed for operating it (causing its ascent and
descent) as and for the purposes described.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the application of
pressure produced by steam, or other fluid, or by mechanical means, in the
manner and for purposes herein-before described.
I also claim the apparatus herein-before described, and represented in the
Drawing annexed, applied in the manner and for the purposes before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Heydon, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
JOSEPH HEYDON. (L.S.)