IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CASTING ARTICLES IN TIN, LEAD, OR OTHER SIMILAR METALS OR ALLOYS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Philip Henry Ashberry, of Sheffield, in the
County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR CASTING ARTICLES IN TIN, LEAD, OR OTHER SIMILAR
METALS OR ALLOYS."
Sealed the 9th July 1872, and dated the 18th January 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Philip Henry Ashberry
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 18th January 1872.
I, PHILIP HENRY ASHBERRY, of Sheffield, in the County of York,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CASTING ARTICLES IN TIN, LEAD, OR OTHER
SIMILAR METALS OR ALLOYS," to be as follows :-
This Invention relates to improvements on the machinery for which
Letters Patent were granted to me dated March 10th, 1866, No. 740.)
The moulds to be used in this machine are by preference made either of
cast iron or steel, and with the exception of having the necessary means

page_text: A
of securing them to the machine are made in the ordinary manner.
framework of cast metal carries the whole of the machinery, and part of
it forms a table on which the moulds are placed at an angle of about
45 degrees. The mould is made in two parts, the bottom half being
fastened to the table, and the top half to the end of a sliding shaft,
which slides up and down through guides at an angle of about 45 degrees
from the table. The top end of this sliding shaft is formed into an oblong
loop (or link or slide) in which the crank pin of the driving shaft works;
one revolution of the crank shaft raises and lowers the sliding shaft,
thus opening and closing the moulds. On the other end of the crank
shaft (or driving shaft) is the driving wheel, which when out of gear
revolves loose on the shaft, and receives motion from any suitable power.
To the boss or hub of the driving wheel is fixed one-half of a clutch box,
the corresponding half of which slides on a key let into the shaft, and
through which, when thrown in gear, motion is transmitted to the
machinery. The sliding half of the clutch box is moved by suitable
levers and rods, so that it may be thrown in and out of gear by hand;
there is also a self-acting arrangement by which the clutch can be thrown
out of gear both at the top and also at the bottom of the stroke, thereby
stopping the machine when the moulds are open and when closed. This
is effected by a cam wheel keyed fast on the driving shaft; this cam has
two steps or drops formed on its circumference on which a lever rests,
and it is so arranged that the lever falls when the sliding shaft reaches
the top and bottom of the stroke. At the end of this lever there is a
rod with a slot swinging loose over the end of the lever which is used for
working the clutch by hand. To the lower end of this rod there is
fastened a weight of sufficient power to work the hand lever and dis-
engage the clutch. Each time it drops a sliding block on the end of the
hand lever receives the blow of the falling weight, and in order to put
the machine in motion this sliding block is moved backwards, whereupon
it allows the hand lever to engage the clutches.
Working in bearings fastened to the table of the machine are two
small rocking shafts, keyed on to which are four upright rods, one at
each end of each shaft; they are jointed at the top to and carry the pan
containing the molten metal along with the force pumps and other
fittings for working the same, and form a parallel motion, carrying the
pan to and from the moulds, and keeping the pan level and in a
horizontal position with the table of the machine. This backward and

page_text: forward motion is obtained by means of levers and rods connected with
the crank pin of the driving shaft. The force pump is fixed in and forms
part of the pan containing the molten metal; its lever is raised by the
crank pin, and when at its highest point of elevation it is caught by a
catch. At an angle of about 45 degrees a rod passes from the top of the
pan through a cavity below the pump, and this cavity has three open-
ings, one to the pump, one to the pan containing the molten metal, and
one at the lower end to fill the moulds. This rod is fitted with a metal
block so shaped that by a movement of the rod either the entrance to the
pan or the exit to the moulds can be closed at will. On each corner of
the
pan is an upright pillar; but the two at the pump end incline and
are fastened to those at the other end, on the top of which are bearings
forming the fulcrum of the force pump lever. Half-way up the pillars
are bearings carrying a rocking shaft on which are keyed fast three
levers, one of which works and is worked by a rod arranged to knock
away the catch that retains the force pump lever at its highest point, as
before mentioned. This rod is actuated one way by a spiral spring
giving a sharp blow to the catch, and at the same time opening the
entrance to the moulds, and closing the opening to the pan by moving
the rod and valve block which is arranged to effect the same, as before
mentioned. The two pillars at the pump end of the pan carry a small
shaft and cam wheel (or snail) of one step. A revolution of this cam
raises one of the three levers keyed on the rocking shaft, and con-
sequently moves the other two levers at the same time. When the
cam has raised its lever to the highest point the valve rod and block is
pressed tightly down, closing the exit to the moulds, and opening the
entrance to the molten metal in the pan. By the same movement the
spiral spring is brought to its full tension, the lever at this point falls
over the step of the cam, releases the spring, which forces the rod sharply
against the catch, releasing the force pump lever and bringing it into
action, at the same time raising the valve rod and block, closing the
entrance to the pan, and opening the exit to the mould, and the molten
metal is at once forced into the mould.
Between the mould and the exit for the metal from the pump there is
placed a small "bit" or conductor with a circular passage for the metal
bored through it. The pump end of this "bit" is convex, and fits
exactly into a concave recess at the exit from the pump; the other end
is flat and fits against the flat end of the moulds.

page_text: The lever of the force pump is actuated by a weight simply attached
to it, or to another double-ended lever connected with it, so that the
power of the weight may be multiplied to any extent. The other end of
this second lever is used as a stop by coming in contact with an adjust-
able pin.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Philip Henry Ashberry in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 11th July 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PHILIP
HENRY ASHBERRY, of Sheffield, in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-two, in the
35th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Philip Henry Ashberry, Her special license
that I, the said Philip Henry Ashberry, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Philip Henry Ashberry,
my executors, administrators, or 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,
usc, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CASTING ARTICLES IN TIN,
LEAD, OR OTHER SIMILAR METALS OR ALLOYS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Philip Henry Ashberry, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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

page_text: are either open or closed by means of a weight which is raised by a cam
on the driving shaft, and is allowed to fall at the proper time on a lever
which throws the clutch box out of gear.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings,
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the
Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a side clevation of my said
improved machine; Figure 2 is a corresponding clevation of the driving
end of the machine; Figure 3 is a similar and corresponding view of the
opposite end of the machine; Figure 4 is a plan corresponding to
Figure 1; Figure 5 is a separate detail of the disengaging mechanism;
and Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional detail of the pan, force pump, valve,
and "bit," herein-after fully described.
A is a suitable framework of cast metal arranged to carry the following
machinery. Upon the table of the machine is the holder B1 for the
bottom half of the mould, the top half being held by the holder B2,
which is fastened to the shaft C, sliding up and down through the
guides A1 and A2. The upper end of the sliding shaft C is formed into an
oblong loop in which works the pin of the crank on the driving shaft D.
By the revolution of the crank or driving shaft D the sliding shaft C is
raised and lowered, thus opening and closing the moulds attached to the
machine. At the other end of the driving shaft D is the driving
wheel E running loose upon the shaft, which receives motion from any
suitable power. Fastened to the boss of the driving wheel E is half the
clutch box Fl working into its reverse half F2, which is keyed loose on
the shaft, and by moving which the machine may be put in or out of
motion. The sliding part of the clutch box F2 is worked by the lever G1,
and may be put either in or out of gear by hand, or it is put out of
gear by self-acting mechanism at the top and at the bottom of the stroke,
that is when the moulds are open and when closed. This is effected by
the revolution of the cam E, which is keyed fast on the driving shaft D,
the cam having two steps so arranged that the levers Il and 12, which
are keyed to the shaft I, are raised and let fall, and consequently the
hammer 13 strikes the sliding block G2 with force in proportion to the
impetus given by the weight 14, and thus puts the clutch box F2' out of

page_text: gear with F1. To put the machine in motion the sliding block G2 is
moved backwards from under the hammer 13 by the lever G3 to allow
the lever G1 to be raised, putting the clutch box F2 into gear with F1 on
the driving wheel.
Working in bearings fastened on the table of the machine are the two
shafts J, J, keyed to the ends of which are the rods or bearers J1, J2, J3, J4,
carrying the pan K, in which is the force pump Kl. These rods are so
arranged as to allow the pan to be moved to and from the moulds, at the
same time keeping the pan in an horizontal position. This motion is
effected by the upper end of the rods J1 and J3 being connected by the
links a, a, and rod L1 to the short end of the bell-crank lever L, the other
end of which is connected to the rod M, which fits on the end of the pin
of the crank shaft and is carried round by the revolution of the shaft,
thus moving the long arm of the lever L up and down, giving motion to
the rod Ll and links a, a, and moving the pan K to and from the moulds.
The other end of the rod M. as it is carried round lifts the lever N of the
forco pump Kl, and at the highest point it is caught by the catch N1,
engaging with the teeth of the rack O. The rod J₁ where it passes part
of the pan K is represented as broken away to show the interior arrange-
ment of the pump and valves which are represented by the dotted lines,
but which are shown more clearly in Figure 6.
The rod K2 passes
through a cavity below the force pump K1; this cavity has threc open-
ings, one from the pump, one from the pan containing the molten metal,
and one outwards to fill the moulds. The projection K3 on the rod K2 is
so arranged that by its movement upwards it closes the entrance to the
pan, at the same time opening the entrance outwards to fill the moulds;
by its movement downwards it has the reverse effect; the opening to
the 'pump always remains open. From the corners of the pan K arise the
pillars P1, P2, P3, P4. P1 and P3 are inclined, and at their upper end
fastened to the pillars P2 and P4. At the upper end of the latter is the
fulcrum of the lever N, lower down they also carry the shaft Q, to which
are keyed the levers Q1, Q2, and Q3. At the end of the lever Q1 is a stud
resting upon the cam V, which is arranged to force the lever Q1 up, at
the same time forcing the end of the short lever Q2 down, pressing down
the rod K2, at the upper end of which it is connected, thus closing the
entrance to the moulds; the long upright lever Q3 at the same time
pulls the rod R, releasing the small lever N2, and allows the catch N1 to
engage with the rack O by the force of the spring N3. N4 is the rod
connecting the lever N with the plunger of the force
pump Ki.

page_text: Fourthly. The peculiar arrangement and manner of working the valves
in connection with the force pump.
Fifthly. The application and use of the "bit" or conductor S, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose herein-before described and illustrated
by my Drawings.
Sixthly. The peculiar combination and arrangement of mechanism for
raising the lever of the force pump, as herein-before described.
Seventhly. The peculiar arrangement of catch for retaining the lever
of the force pump, and the manner of releasing the said catch, as herein-
before described.
Eighthly. The peculiar combination and arrangement of self-acting
mechanism for stopping the machine when the moulds are open and
closed, as herein-before described.
In witness whercof, I, the said Philip Henry Ashberry, have to
this my Specification set my hand and seal, the Ninth day of
July One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
PHILIP HENRY ASHBERRY. (L.S.)