IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR THE PREPARATION OF MOULDS FOR CASTING
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Canham, of Clerkenwell, in the County of
Middlesex, Foundry Manager, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINES FOR THE PREPARATION OF MOULDS FOR CASTING."
Sealed the 9th February 1864, and dated the 12th August 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Canham at tho
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th August 1868.
I, RICHARD CANHAM, of Clerkenwell, in the County of Middlesex, Foundry.
Manager, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINES FOR THE PREPARATION OF MOULDS FOR CASTING," to be as
follows:-
The object of this machine is to facilitate the preparation of moulds used
in casting metals. The machine consists of a frame which supports a circular
table, capable of being rotated about a shaft or axis, the framing is furnished
with rollers on which the table rotates. The lower part of the shaft has a
toothed rack in gear with a pinion on a cross shaft, the cross shaft is caused
to revolve by means of a worm and worm wheel in connection with a hand
wheel worked by an attendant for the purpose of raising and lowering the
table. Above the table is a circular plate having guides which serve to steady
the plate when raised, as hereafter explained. The circular plate has also
two pins upon it supporting two handle arms which the attendant can move
to one side or the other, the upper part of each of the two pins carries a

page_text: toothed wheel in gear one with the other, these wheels can be locked to
prevent their turning by means of a small hand wheel and screw. Each
handle arm may be fitted when required with a rod having universal joints, to
allow of the rods being turned up to admit of the pattern plate being brushed
and cleaned. Upon raising the central shaft by means of the rack, the circular
plate is caused to rise and is steadied in its upward movement by the guides
sliding up vertical rods, which are fixed upon the rotating table. This raising
of the circular plate with the two wheels and handle arms, fitted with rods
lifts the pattern plate and upper half of the mould box clear of the lower half
without disturbing the loam or sand. The handle arms can be extended or
brought close together to allow of different sized mould boxes being used. The
jointed rods are furnished with quadrants at their inner ends to admit of their being
moved parallel with each other, whatever the width of the mould box may be.
The rotating table can be locked by a spring bolt in connection with a lever
in front of the machine. The operation is as follows:-The attendant places
the pattern plate upon the frame of the machine, over this he puts a half
mould box and fills the same with loam or sand and presses it down in the
usual manner, the half box with the pattern plate is then reversed, and the
other half box placed upon the reverse side of the pattern plate, the loam or
sand being placed in and pressed down as before. The attendant now brings
the two jointed rods and handle arms under the edges of the pattern plate,
and secures it to the rods by means of screw clips when required; he then
turns the hand wheel, which by means of the worm wheel and pinion raises
the rack and central shaft together with the handle arms, rods, and circular
plate, thus lifting the upper half of the mould box clear of the pattern plate.
The upper half of the mould box is then moved to one side, blacked and
returned on to the pattern plate, and "printing" takes place in the ordinary
manner. The upper half is again lifted clear of the pattern plate and removed
in a finished state. The pattern plate is next removed from the lower half of
the mould and turned up to be cleaned, the lower half of the mould is then
blacked, and the pattern plate returned and lowered thereon to effect the
"printing." The pattern plate is again removed, and the two halves of the
mould box are brought together ready of casting. If necessary a weight and
chain can be attached to assist the raising of the rack and parts connected
with it. Instead of the handle arms and rods being connected, as before
described, they may be arranged to allow of their being extended outwards
from the machine and forward towards the attendant to admit of mould boxes
of large size being used. The table with the pattern and half mould box can
be moved to either side of the framing to facilitate the operation. Instead of

page_text: the machine being fixed, as in the arrangement before described, it may be
arranged to run on or be supported by a rail or tramway, and in that case I
prefer to lift the mould boxes and pattern plate by any suitable appliances
above the machine. In some cases I raise the mould boxes and pattern
plates by screws and nuts (by preference four) underneath the corners of the
mould boxes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Canham in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th February 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, RICHARD
CANHAM, of Clerkenwell, in the County of Middlesex, Foundry Manager,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Richard Canham, Her special licence that I, the said
Richard Canham, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Richard Canham, 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR THE PREPARATION OF MOULDS FOR
CASTING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard Can-
ham, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands 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 Richard Canham, 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 statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say :-

page_text: Figure 1 shews a side elevation, Figure 2 an end view, and Figure 3 a
sectional elevation of a machine to facilitate the preparation of moulds used
in casting metals constructed according to my Invention.
The machine consists of a frame A, which supports a circular table B,
capable of being rotated about or together with a shaft or axis C, the framing
is furnished with rollers a, a, carried by a cross bearer a', and the table B
rotates on the rollers. The lower part of the shaft has a toothed rack D, in
gear with a pinion E, on a cross shaft b; the cross shaft is caused to revolve by
means of a worm c, and worin wheel d, in connection with a hand wheel F,
worked by an attendant for the purpose of raising and lowering the table.
Above the table is a circular plate G, having guides H, HI, which serve to
steady the plate G when raised, as hereafter explained. The circular plate G
as also two pins e, e, upon it, supporting two handle arms I, I, which tho
attendant can move round to one side or the other; the upper part of each of
the two pins e, e, carries a toothed wheel K in gear one with the other ; these
wheels can be locked to prevent their turning by means of a small hand wheel
and screw f. Each handle arm may be fitted when required with a rod L,
having universal joints g, to allow of the rods being turned up to admit of the
pattern plate being brushed and cleaned. Upon raising the central shaft C,
by means of the rack D, the circular plate G is caused to rise, and is
steadied in its upward movement by the guides H, H, sliding up vertical
rods M, M, which are fixed upon the rotating table B. This raising
of the circular plate with the two wheels and handle arms fitted with rods lifts
the pattern plate and upper half of the mould box or either of them clear of
the lower half without disturbing the loam or sand. The handle arms can be
extended or 'brought close together to allow of different sized mould boxes
being used. The jointed rods are furnished with quadrants at their inner ends
to adnrit of their being moved parallel with each other whatever the width of
the mould box may be. The rotating table can be locked when required by
a spring bolt, in connection with a lever h in front of the machine. The
operation is as follows:-The attendant places the pattern plate upon the
frame of the machine, over this he puts a half mould box, and fills the same
with loam or sand, and rams it down in the usual manner; the half box with
the pattern plate is then reversed, and the other half box placed upon the
reverse side of the pattern plate, the loan or sand being placed in and rammed
down as before. The attendant now brings the two jointed rods and handle
arms under the bandles or projection of the upper part of the box, and secures
the upper part of the box to the rods by means of screw clips i, when required.
He then turns the hand wheel, which by means of the worm wheel and pinion

page_text: raises the rack and central shaft together with the handle arms, rods, and
circular plate, thus lifting the upper half of the mould box clear of the pattern
plate. The upper half of the mould box is then moved to one side, turned up
on the jointed arms, blacked and returned on to the pattern plate, when
"printing" takes place in the ordinary manner. The upper half is again
lifted clear of the pattern plate and removed in a finished state. The pattern
plate is next removed from the lower half of the mould and turned up to be
cleaned, the lower half of the mould is then blacked, and the pattern plate
returned and lowered thereon to effect the "printing." The pattern plate is
again removed, and the two halves of the mould box are brought together
ready for casting.
The foregoing description applies to such castings as have a face on both
sides, as for instance fender standards, balcony panels, and others. For such
castings as have a face on one side only, such as stove fronts for instance,
printing on one side only is necessary, the other side being treated in the
ordinary manner. Again, for plain and ordinary castings, the printing is
entirely dispensed with. If necessary a weight and chain k can be attached
to assist the raising of the rack and parts connected with it. Instead of the
handle arms and rods being connected as before described, they may be
arranged to allow of their being extended outwards from the machine and
forward towards the attendant to admit of mould boxes of large size being
used. Instead of the machine being fixed, as in the arrangement before
described, it may be arranged to run on or be supported by a rail or tramway,
and in that case I prefer to lift the mould boxes and pattern plate by any
suitable appliances above the machine.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manuer the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim constructing
machines for the preparation of moulds for casting substantially in manner
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Canham, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of February, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-four.