Improvements relating to the Casting of Ingots and to Machines or Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION. ·
Improvements relating to the Casting of Ingots and to Machines or
Apparatus therefor.
I, JOHN ILLINGWORTH, residing at 58 Park Place, in the City of Newark,
County of Essex and State of New Jersey United States of America, Steel
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
The object of this invention is to facilitate the operation of casting metal ingots;
to avoid the formation of cold shuts or faults in the ingot at which the same is
rendered imperfect and weak; to prevent the surface of the ingot from becoming
unduly oxidized and flaking while cooling, and to protect the men attending the
machine from heat radiating from the ingot, when the latter is first allowed
to gravitate from the mold, and to obtain other advantages and results in
the operation of casting, and in the ingot, some of which will be hereinafter
indicated.
The invention consists in the improved ingot-forming machine and in the
arrangements and combinations of parts of said machine, substantially as will
be hereinafter set forth and finally embodied in the clauses of the claim.
Referring to the accompanying drawing in which like letters indicate corre-
sponding parts in each of the several figures,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved machine,
Figure 2 is a plan of the same, and
Figures 3 and 4 are sectional views taken through lines and y, respectively.
Figure illustrates a series of dummy ingots used in the beginning of the
process.
Figure 6 is a vertical transverse section taken centrally through the ingot-
forming chambers and the cooling chamber beneath the same.
In said drawing, a indicates a suitable foundation ground-work or wall of
masonry-work and b, a vertical bed-plate permanently bolted or otherwise fixed
thereto, so as to provide a substantial and otherwise suitable support for the mold
and parts co-operating therewith.
To the upper part of the bed-plate b, a section, c, of the mold is secured by bolts
or other means adapted to allow the said section to be readily removed, when word
The
or otherwise imperfect, and be replaced by a new or more perfect one.
co-operating section, e, which, with the section, e, comprises the complete mold
or matrix, is arranged vertically parallel with said section, c, and is movable
horizontally to and from the same.
The movement of the movable section towards and into co-operating engagement
with the fixed section is secured by means of a hydraulic piston, d, and cylinder, e,
operated in any ordinary manner, the said piston being provided with a vertical
bearing plate, e', which presses against the side of the mold section c¹, as shown in
Figure 1, and forces it into close relation with the fixed section whereby the mold
chamber is rendered capable of retaining the liquid metal.
The mold chamber c, formed by the sections c, c¹ is open at the top and bottom
to allow of the filling of the mold and the subsequent lowering or gravitation of the
ingot.
Water chambers g, g, are formed in the mold sections to keep the same cool and
thus the liquid metal is quickly solidified. Suitable inlet and outlet pipes, h, h
for supplying cold water and carrying away the warm water are provided in any
manner desirable.

page_text: Below the mold, vertically in line with the mold-chamber, is arranged a cooling
chamber, i, which is considerably longer than the mold and is larger than the mold
chamber in its horizontal dimensions, as shown in Figure 1 & 6 so that the ingot in
gravitating will not be retarded because of resistance by friction, but will have a
free and open passage downward.
The metallic casing c³, c, forming the cooling chamber, i, is preferably in sections,
for convenience in opening the chamber and is bolted or otherwise secured to the
bed-plate and is provided with a water jacket chamber, i, outside of the ingot
cooling chamber, by means of which a body of cold water may be made to surround
the ingot-cooling chamber and the latter be kept cool.
Thus the ingot may be rapidly cooled in its passage downward without coming,
to any material extent, into contact with the oxygen of the air and scaling on
account of oxidation. And, furthermore, the chamber or working space around the
cooling chamber is kept cool so that there will be no inconvenience experienced by
the workmen in attending to the machine.
The top of the cooling chamber provides a guide way or bearing, co, on which
the horizontally or laterally movable mold section, c', slides when releasing the
ingot hardened in the mold.
Just below the cooling chamber, is arranged a die or fulcrum j, through which
the ingot passes as it moves toward the ground. This serves as a suitable bearing
for holding the upper part of the ingot firm and steady during the severing
operation. The breaking of the ingot which is the preferred method of severing,
although other methods may be employed, is accomplished in the severing chamber
or space, 1, and at the bottom of this is a stop or flooring, m, against which the
descending ingot falls when the movable mold section releases its hold on the
hardened metal. A reciprocating hydraulic piston, n, having fingers o, for holding
the ingot, may be employed as the breaker.
The distance from the bottom of the mold to the top of the flooring is about
equal to three times the depth of the mold chamber so that two ingot portions may
remain in the cooling chamber and a third extend into the severing chamber where
it may be removed from those above. The distance from the die to the stop is
about equal to the depth of the mold chamber, and thus when the ingot portion is
broken off at the die, the mold released from the ingot and the latter allowed to drop
to the flooring or stop, the top of the ingot will be at the bottom of the mold
chamber filling the same, or serving as a bottom thereof, so that the mold may be
again filled with liquid metal.
In operating the ingot-forming machine thus described, and in carrying out
the process of cooling and forming ingots depending on said machine, the
bottom of the mold is first closed by a dummy ingot, which may be in two or
three parts or sections corresponding in length to the ingot portions to be
made, when in three parts, the dummy extends from the bottom of the mold to the
flooring.
The dummy being in position, the liquid metal is poured into the mold, filling the
same, and then allowed to cool and harden sufficiently to sustain its own weight or
remain in proper form when released from the mold.
Sufficient time for hardening being allowed, the hydraulic piston is moved back
to open the mold or force the movable section from the fixed section. At the
same time, or just prior to this operation, the lowest dummy ingot is disconnected
from the oue next above, so that when the mold is open and it releases its hold on
the ingot, the next dummy falls to the stop or floor, the parts still retaining the
upright positions so that the lowered first casting fills the lower opening in the
mald. The movable mold section is immediately severed after lowering and a
second casting is made and, when sufficiently hard, a second dummy is removed,
the mold opened and the ingots are again lowered. A third repetition of the above
operations brings the first casting, which has remained in the cooling chamber a
sufficient time to be comparatively cool, below the fulcrum or die and now the

page_text: hydraulic severing machine is brought into operation to remove the first casting:
from the ingot.
This may be by simple breaking, or by shearing, or by any other of the means
commonly employed for separating one portion of metal from another. The first
casting being removed from the ingot and another casting being made at the top..:
the mold is again opened the ingots lowered, and the processes repeated until all
the metal of a "heat" is consumed or worked up into ingots.
Having to operate but the single mold-section to release the ingot and then close..
the mold, but little power is needed and the operation is done with great facility.
When the ingot gravitates from the vertical mold, it enters the cooling chamber,
which is enlarged to allow a free entrance, yet is small enough to exclude any
considerable amount of atmospheric air, or oxygen, and thus the surface of the
ingot is prevented from scaling and, at the same time, the workmen are protected
froin heat radiating from the ingot. The walls of the cooling chamber, being away.
from the ingot, as heretofore described there is no interference with the free
gravitation of the ingot from the mold and thus all drawing down mechanisms are
dispensed with, thus reducing the cost of the machine, dispensing with operations.
which consume valuable time and require the employment of additional labor and
avoiding the use of mechanisms which occupy space where space is valuable.
The mold and cooling chamber being vertically stationary, there is no handling.
of heavy iron sections or adjusting of the same by hand, as in certain other
processes, wherein time and labour are expended to disadvantage.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said iuven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed. I declare that what I.
claim is:-
1. The improved ingot mold herein described combining with an elevated mold'
section immovably secured to a suitable fixture, a mold section movable to and
from the same, the said section being open top and bottom, and means connected.
with the movable section for operating the same, a cooling chamber stationed
beneath the chamber formed by the mold sections, and means for supplying said
cooling chamber, with an abnormal cooling inedium, substantially as set forth.
2. In an ingot forming machine, the combination with separable mold sections.
open top and bottom and means for separating the same, of a cooling chamber
independent of the mold and arranged beneath the same in line with the mold-..
chamber to receive the ingot therefrom, means for supplying the cooling chamber
with a cooling medium and severing mechanisms arranged beneath the cooling
chamber, for severing the ingot sections, substantially as set forth.
3. In an ingot forming machine, the combination with mold sections one of which
is separable from the other and which together form a mold chamber open top and
bottom, of a cooling chamber, also open top and bottom and means for supplying.
the same with cooling medium other than normal atmospheric air, and severing
mechanisms disposed beneath said cooling chamber, all said parts being arranged
and adapted to operate substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
4. In an ingot forming machine substantially as described, a sectional mold open
top and bottom and permanently held in an elevated position, means for separating
the sections horizontally, a cooling chamber in line with said mold, beneath the
same, and means for supplying the cooling medium, and severing means, arranged
beneath the said cooling chamber, substantially as set forth.
5. In an ingot forming machine, the combination with a bottomless mold, a
cooling chamber beneath said mold and open top and bottom to allow the ingot to
pass therethrough and, also, larger horizontally in its interior dimensions than the
mold chamber to allow a free gravitation, therethrough and means for supplying
the cooling medium, substantially as set forth.
6. In an ingot machine, the combination with the horizontally separable mold
sections open top and bottom, and means for separating the same, of severing

page_text: mechanisms for severing the cooled or partly cooled ingot after being freed by the
horizontal separation of the mold sections, and gravitation, substantially as set
forth.
7. The combination with the bed-plate, of a mold open top and bottom and in
sections c, c', one of which is secured to said bed-plate and the other is horizontally
movable to open the mold and allow the gravitation of the ingot therefrom,
sections, e, fixed beneath the mold and having a mold chamber therein a little
larger in its horizontal dimensions than the mold chamber to allow a free gravitation
of the ingot, means for supplying the mold with a cooling medium and means for
severing the ingot beneath said sections c³, c, substantially as set forth.
8. The combination with the vertical bed-plate, b, mold sections, c, c', open top
and bottom and one of which is fixed to said bed plate and the other is movable
therefrom, a hydraulic piston for operating the movable sections, water jacket
sections fixed beneath said mold sections and forming a chamber, i, larger than the
mold section, and means for severing the ingot after gravitation from the mold
through the cooling chamber, substantially as set forth.
9. In combination with the bed-plate, mold sections e, c', enclosing a vertical mold
chamber, one of which sections is horizontally movable, a chamber beneath
said mold in line therewith, the sections 3, e, of which chamber provide a
guide way for the movable section and means for supplying a cooling medium, and
means beneath the cooling chamber for severing the ingot, substantially as set
forth.
10. The combination with the bed-plate, b, of mold sections, e, c', open top and
bottom, one of which is secured to said bed-plate and the other being horizontally
movable therefrom to allow the gravitation of the ingot from the mold and
sections c, c, fixed beneath the mold and having a chamber therein coinciding
with the mold chamber but a little larger in its horizontal dimensions to allow a
free gravitation of the ingot therethrough, and means for severing the ingot beneath
the said cooling chamber, substantially as set forth.
11. In combination with the vertical bed-plate b, of mold sections c, c', one of
which is fixed to said bed-plate and the other movable therefrom, a hydraulic
piston for operating the movable section, and water jacketed sections c³, c, fixed
beneath said mold sections and forming a chamber, larger than the mold chamber,
and means for severing the ingot after its gravitation through the cooling chamber,
substantially as set forth.
Dated this 10th day of March 1909
JOHN ILLINGWORTH.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.