Certain Improvements in Apparatus for Making Molds and Cores of Sand.
Year: 1885

page_text: Certain Improvements in Apparatus for Making Molds and
Cores of Sand.
I RICHARD SAVAGE residing at 2410 Mission Street in the City and County of
San Francisco and State of California one of the United States of America
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MAKING MOLDS AND CORES OF SAND and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to certain improvements in apparatus for making molds
and cores from sand for casting purposes, and it consists, first, of a directing chute,
into which the sand is received from a hopper above, said chute being flexible or
jointed at some portion of the length, so that it may be deflected to direct the sand
into different parts of the peculiarly constructed flask beneath, vertical diaphragms
arranged at intervals in the chute to separate it into sections, so that different
flasks or molds may be filled beneath the different sections, and means for supplying
sand to the hopper, and regulating-gates, by which the supply may be cut off.
It consists, secondly, of a belt passing over drums or rollers at the upper and
lower ends, and provided with teeth, projections or corrugations so that when
caused to travel rapidly, it carries the sand downward and discharges it into the
mold or upon the core-bar.
This belt may have a cover or directing chute, into which the sand is received
from the hopper or receptacle above, a toothed or flanged roller, revolving in the
outlet of the receptacle or hopper, to regulate the flow of sand, together with a
means for clearing the teeth or flanges of the roller, and a regulating-gate by which
the supply may bo controlled.
Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanation of my
invention,
Figure 1 is a front view of an apparatus by which sand is discharged into flasks
to make molds or cores.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the same.
Figure 3 is a vertical section of the core-making apparatus.
Figure 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of the feed-rollers and clutch-mechanism.
Figure 5 is a view of the flask.

page_text: For the purpose of forming molds of sand, into which iron or other metal may
afterwards be cast, and also to form cores to be used in such casting, I employ a
column or sheet of sand, which is discharged from a considerable height into the
mold or upon the core-bar, so as to become sufficiently solid or compact for the
required purposes, without further tamping or manipulation, and in carrying out
my method, I employ certain apparatus, which I will now proceed to describe.
In the formation of molds, I employ a chute A, which is placed nearly or quite
vertical, and is of sufficient length so that sand falling through it will attain
momentum enough to impact itself and become solid in the flask where it falls.
The lower sections B B of the chute are jointed or hinged, as shown at C, so that
they may be turned to a small angle with the main portion of the chute, and thus
direct the sand to one side or the other of a vertical plane, without too greatly
impeding its momentum; or if it be necessary or desirable to move the jointed
portion of the chute in other directions, a universal joint might be applied, or the
chute might be formed of flexible tubing or material for the purpose.
D is a flask or frame-work, which is made in the usual manner, for containing
the pattern of the article to be cast, and it is preferably mounted upon a carriage or
truck E, so that it may be easily moved beneath the chute, or withdrawn from it
after the mold is finished.
In order to insure the sand being solid in every portion, the cross-bars F of the
flask, which are usually made of wood, are in this case made of thin cast-iron or
sheet-metal, with the edges standing vertically.
This construction does away with the necessity of tucking the sand under the
bars with the fingers.
These bars are either perforated with holes, or they may be corrugated, or have
projections, so that the sand will be united through and around them, and thus
become a solid mass after the flask is filled. By this construction of the chute with
jointed section, it is possible to direct the sand. to any part of a flask of reasonable
size, without moving the whole of the chute, which would be a difficult operation,
as it must have considerable height in order to deliver the sand with sufficient
momentum into the flask.
If, however, the flask be very long or very wide, the truck or carriage upon
which it is mounted, may be moved so that the sand will be delivered into every
part of it.
The sand is received in the upper end of the chute, which is diverging or hopper-
shaped for that purpose, from a hopper or receptacle G, situated above it. The
discharge-opening may be regulated by a hinged swinging gate H, operated by a
lever I; and I also employ a feed-roller J, having teeth or flanges K, and a series of
cleaning-arms L, which enter the spaces between the teeth or flanges of the roller,
and loosen the sand which may have accumulated therein. The hopper and chute
may have as great a length horizontally as may be desired, so that several flasks
can be placed beneath it at one time, and I make vertical portions or diaphragms M,
which extend downward transversely through the hopper and chute, and thus
separate the sand into sections so that two, three, or more flasks may be run under
the device at one time. Figures 1 and 4 show this construction of my apparatus,
in which the feed-rollers J, are loosely mounted in sections upon a shaft J³, which
extends the entire length of the apparatus.
Between the sections of the feed-rollers and the diaphragms M, are friction-
clutches. In the present case, I have shown these clutches formed of a hollow
conical portion n, fixed inside the roller J, and the shaft J¹, turning loosely within
it; the driving cone n¹ rotates with the shaft, and may be moved into or out of
contact with the part n, by sliding along a feather o³, fixed to the shaft.
A channel or groove is made in the part n³, and an arm of a clutch-lever p¹ enters
this channel.
A cross-arm r at the lower end of the lever is actuated by a screw or other
device, and ropes s depending from it, so as to be within easy reach, and by those
the cone n¹ may be moved into or out of contact with the nart n.

page_text: By this construction, any one or all of the sections may be supplied with sand,
or those which are not in use may be cut off until needed.
Sand is delivered by an elevator N, into a horizontal trough O, which extends
lengthwise above the hopper G, and has openings P, made in it, through which the
sand may fall into the hopper, being carried along the trough O, by lugs or
projections Q upon a belt S.
If either of the workmen desire to cut off the supply of sand from a particular
section in which he is at work, he can do so by means of valves T, which control
the openings P, and which are arranged to be moved from below. When this
apparatus is employed to form cores, the sand is discharged through the chute upon
a core-bar. This bar has journals at each end, and a means by which it may be
rotated, while the sand is discharged upon it, so that the sand will gradually pack
or accumulate around the bar until it reaches the proper diameter, when the
trimming-knife will trim and smooth it down, so as to make a perfect core of the
proper size.
In some cases, where the distance which the sand has to fall is subject to varia-
tion, the chute may have a telescoping portion at the lower end, which may bo
moved up or down so as to vary the length of the chute.
It may be desirable in some cases to cause the sand to move at a greater velocity
than it would acquire in its natural fall, and in such cases I employ a belt b having
a width equal to or exceeding the length of the core or mold to be made. This belt
passes over drums or rollers c, one situated just above and near the core-bar, and
the other at an angle above and back from the first one, as shown in Figure 3.
Above this belt may be a cover d, which lies parallel with it and a little distance
therefrom, so that the belt forms the bottom of a directing-chute or carrier, and the
cover & forms the top of it.
When this top or cover is employed, the device need not stand at any particular
angle, but may be approximately vertical; the belt is provided with projections,
corrugations, or teeth, as shown at e, and these serve to enter the sand, so that it
will move along with the same velocity that the belt moves, and the latter cannot
be driven so fast as to slip away from the sand without carrying it along.
The hopper into which the sand is received above the belt, has a discharge-
opening at the lower end, with the gate H forming a part of it.
This gate has an arm or lever I connecting with it, as before described, so that
by moving the lever, the gate may be allowed to swing open or be closed somewhat,
so as to regulate the amount of sand which passes out of the hopper; and within
the opening at the bottom of the hopper is a feed-roller, having teeth or flanges
similar to that heretofore described. These teeth are kept clear and prevented
from being clogged with the sand by means of hook-shaped cleaning-arms, operated
by means of springs, so that their ends or points will project between the teeth or
flanges, and rake out any sand which may have become fixed to the roller.
The superfluous sand falling on the core-bar or mold passes downward into the
hopper or receptacle below, and is carried upon a traveling-belt i to one end,
where it is delivered into a hopper j, and is carried upward from it by an elevator N,
which delivers it into the trough O, situated just above the hopper which supplies
the chute.
The bottom of this trough may have openings made in it, through which the
sand will fall into the hopper.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. A molding apparatus, consisting of a vertical flexible or adjustable chute, into
which sand is delivered from a hopper or receptacle above, a means for delivering
and discharging the sand into the vertical chute, partitions standing vertically at
intervals in the chute, and a feed-roller or rollers with clutches by which they may
be thrown into action or stopped, or other equivalent mechanism whereby sand

page_text: may be discharged through any or all portions of the chute, substantially as
described.
2. A molding apparatus, comprising an inclined directing chute, having a flexible
traveling bottom or belt with teeth or projections, a hopper from which the sand is
delivered upon the traveling bottom or belt, and a toothed or flanged drum or
feed-roller, to regulate the discharge of the sand, and a means for keeping said
roller from clogging, a gate and adjusting lever to regulate the flow of sand, a
horizontal trough baving a perforated bottom, through which sand is delivered by
a traveling belt into the supply-hopper above the chute, and an elevator or means
for delivering sand into the trough, substantially as herein described.