IMPROVEMENTS IN CASTING IRON GIRDERS AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR." IN CASTING IRON GIRDERS AND IN APPARATUS THEREPOR
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Goodwin, of Ardrossan, in the County of
Ayr, North Britain, Ironfounder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN CASTING IRON GIRDERS AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
IN CASTING IRON GIRDERS AND IN APPARATUS THEREPOR."
Sealed the 7th November 1865, and dated the 11th May 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Goodwin at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th May 1865.
I, JAMES GOODWIN, of Ardrossan, in the County of Ayr, North Britain,
Ironfounder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CASTING IRON GIRDERS AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR,' to be as follows,
that is to say:
This Invention relates to the casting of iron girders with their broad
flanges downwards in order to obtain increased strength and solidity. The
strength of the girder depends greatly on the broad horizontal flange which is
placed undermost when the girder is erected, but which has hitherto been
placed uppermost whilst casting the girder, and has in consequence been very
liable to imperfections from the tendency of the upper part of the molten
metal in casting to be porous, or lighter and less uniform than that at the
lower part of the mould.
In practising the present Invention a mould box is employed, consisting of
three parts or flasks, a lower, middle, and top flask. The pattern for the

page_text: beam is in two or three principal parts, the broad bottom flange forming one
part, whilst the other part or parts comprise the vertical feather and its
The bottom flask is rammed up
comparatively narrow top rib or flange.
on the broad bottom flange in an inverted position, and is then turned over
with the pattern still in its place. The middle flask is next placed on the
bottom one, and the vertical feather of the pattern being placed in position,
the sand is rammed into the middle flask, after which the top flask is applied,
and also rammed up. It is necessary to support the sand in the middle flask
by special arrangements, comprising two or more combs fixed to each side of
the flask. These combs consist each of a number of vertical plates or feathers
which are cast upon a side or back plate, and which are shaped to the
contour of the girder, and so as to approach within about half an inch of its
various surfaces. The combs are, by preference, arranged so as to rest upon
flanges fixed to the interior of the flask, and they are made adjustable both
laterally and longitudinally. These arrangements are of special importance
in the case of girders with brackets or flanges projecting from the vertical
feather, as the combs can be shifted by screws or otherwise whilst the casting
is setting or cooling, which will prevent it from breaking the mould box in
the act of contracting. To take the pattern out of the mould, the top flask
is first lifted, and the upper part of the pattern is withdrawn; after which the
top flask is again placed on the middle flask for the purpose, amongst others,
of keeping the top sides of the middle flask from opening or closing when the
middle flask is lifted. The pins connecting the middle and bottom flasks are
made of extra length, and the middle flask is first lifted a short distance,
but not clear of the pins, when clamps are inserted and fixed on the bottom
edges of the middle flask to keep these edges from opening or closing. The
middle flask is then lifted completely off, the bottom pattern is removed, and
the middle flask (with the top one on it) is replaced. The metal. is, by
preference, made to enter the mould at the bottom flange by means of two or
more gates made with basins or dams, giving a sufficient head to the metal
for it to rise in the mould quite up to the top. The basins or dams also
retain scoria and impurities from entering the mould.
It will be obvious that the details may be varied to suit particular cases.
Thus, for a very deep girder the mould box may be divided into more than
three flasks. For double girders, or girders with two vertical feathers, one
or more combs will have to be fixed along the middle to support the sand
between the feathers.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Goodwin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th November 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
GOODWIN, of Ardrossan, in the Count of Ayr, North Britain, Ironfounder,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Goodwin, Her special licence that I, the said James Goodwin,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Goodwin, 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 CASTING
IRON GIRDERS AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said James Goodwin, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 James Goodwin, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to the casting. of iron girders with their broad
flanges downwards in order to obtain increased strength and solidity. The
strength of the girder depends greatly on the broad horizontal flange, which is
placed undermost when the girder is erected, but which has hitherto been
placed uppermost (or on one side) whilst casting the girder, and has in con-
sequence been very liable to imperfections from the tendency of the upper
part of the molten metal in casting to be porous or lighter and less uniform
than that at the lower part of the mould.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the

page_text: same may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended a Sheet of
explanatory Drawings to be herein-after referred to, and representing a
modification of apparatus embodying my improvements, and suitable for a
girder forty feet long.
Figures 1 and 2 are a horizontal section and a side elevation of one half
of the compound mould box, which I employ with the pattern in position
inside it, being indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2. Figure 3 is a trans-
verse vertical section of the mould box, also with the pattern shown inside
it. The girder shown is of the kind of which two placed side by side, as
represented in Figure 4, are commonly employed for railway bridges, the
bottom flanges being in contact, and the space between the vertical ribs being
filled with timber with the rail on the top. It will, however, be obvious that
the improvements are equally applicable to various forms of cast-iron girder,
and the minor details, and the forms of the various parts which are shown
by way of example as specially adapted to the kind of girder indicated,
will of course require to be more or less modified to suit different forms of
girder.
.
In practising my Invention I use a mould box consisting of three parts or
flasks, 1, 2, 3, a lower, middle, and top flask. The pattern for the girder or
beam is in two or three principal parts, the broad bottom flange, 4, forming
one part, whilst the other part or parts comprise the vertical feather or rib, 5,
and its comparatively narrow top rib or flange, 6. The bottom flask, 1, is
rammed up on the broad bottom flange, 4, in an inverted position, and is
then turned over into the position in which it is represented in Figure 3 with
the pattern 4 still in its place. The middle flask 2 is next placed on the
bottom one 1, and the vertical feather 5 of the pattern being placed in
position the sand is rammed into the middle flask, after which the top flask 3
is applied and also rammed up. It is necessary to support the sand in the
middle flask by special arrangements, comprising two or more combs or
feathered plates 7, 8, fixed to each side of the flask. These combs consist
each of a number of vertical plates or feathers 8 cast on a side or back
plate 7, and which are shaped to the contour of the girder, and so as to
approach within about half an inch of its various surfaces. The edges of the
comb plates 8 are by preference serrated, as shown, so that the sand may
not be so liable to break away as with the edge in a continuous line. The
combs 7, 8, are by preference arranged so as to rest upon flanges 9 which
in this example are represented as formed on the bottom edges of the flask 2
but which may be made separate and adjustable. The combs 7, 8, are
adjusted and fixed in position before ramming the sand by means of T bolts 10

page_text: of which two are shown detached in Figure 5 in different positions.
These bolts 10 are entered from the outside through horizontal slots 11 in
the sides of the flask and of the comb plates 7 and are then turned to set
their heads vertically, and the nuts on them are screwed up. These
arrangements are of special importance in the case of girders with brackets
or flanges 12 projecting from the vertical feather, as they permit of the
combs being shifted whilst the casting is setting or cooling, which will prevent
it from breaking the mould box in the act of contracting. As soon as the
casting begins to cool the bolts 10 aro taken out, when the combs 7, 8,
will be free to move within the box, or, if. preferred, they may be, shifted by
screws or otherwise. To take the pattern out of the mould the top flask 3
is first lifted, and the upper parts 5, 6, of the pattern are withdrawn; after
which the flask 3 is again placed on the middle flask 2 for the purpose,
amongst others, of keeping the top sides of the middle flask from opening or
closing when the middle flask is lifted. The pins 13 connecting the middle
and bottom flasks 2, 1, are made of extra length, and the middle flask 2
(with the top flask 3 on it) is first lifted a short distance, as shown in
Figure 6, which is a transverse vertical section, but not clear of the pins 13
when a number of clamps 14 (also shown detached in Figure 7 in side and
end view) are inserted between the flasks, and, are fixed upon the bottom
edges of the middle flas to keep these edges from opening or closing. The
clamps 14 are made with latch pieces 15 which enter up through slots in
the external bottom flange of the flask 2 and then catch on the top of the
flange when the clamp is moved sideways. The clamps 14 have also
turned-up ends 16, which have screws 17 tapped through them; and holes
are tapped in the sides of the flask for these screws to be screwed into in order
to hold these sides from moving either inwards or outwards. The clamps 14
having been fixed, the middle and top flasks 2, 3, are lifted completely off,
the bottom pattern 4 is removed, and the middle flask 2 with the top
one 3 on it is replaced. In casting the girder I prefer to cause the molten
metal to enter the mould at or close to the bottom flange 4 by means of two
gates, one at each end, these gates being formed with basins or dams, giving
a sufficient head to the metal for it to rise in the mould quite up to the top.
The basins or dams also retain scoria and impurities from entering the
mould.
As already stated the details of my improved arrangements may be varied
to suit particular cases. Thus for a very deep girder the mould box may be
divided into more than three flasks; for double girders, or for girders with
two vertical feathers cast in one piece with the bottom flange, one or more

page_text: combs will have to be fixed along the middle to support the sand between the
feathers.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is or may be efficiently performed, I have to state that I
do not restrict myself to the precise details herein described or delineated;
but that what I believe to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the
casting of iron girders with their broad flanges downwards, and by means of
improved apparatus, substantially such as is herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Goodwin, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Eighth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
JAMES GOODWIN. (L.S.)