IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS DAD CONSTRUCTING MOULDS FOR CASTING METALS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Michael Hawdon, of Blaydon, in the County of
Durham, Ironfounder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
DAD CONSTRUCTING MOULDS FOR CASTING METALS."
Sealed the 3rd December 1861, and dated the 10th June 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Michael Hawdon at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 10th
June 1861.
I, MICHAEL HAWDON, of Blaydon, in the County of Durham, Ironfounder,
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA-
RATUS FOR CONSTRUCTING MOULDS FOR CASTING METALS," to be as follows:—
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for constructing
moulds for casting metals. In order to produce sand moulds for casting articles
of small depth and which are not undercut, and also to produce in a mould box
either a flat surface of sand or a surface of sand having elevations or depressions
of small depth upon it to form a portion of the mould, I employ apparatus con-
structed in the following manner :-A metal plate of the length and breadth
of the mould to be produced is fixed horizontally on a suitable bed or frame.
This plate is made either flat, if a flat surface of sand is to be produced, or
with a pattern or part of a pattern fixed or formed upon it when a surface
of sand with elevations or depressions upon it is required. Around the edges

page_text: of this plate there is fitted a rim or frame which is capable of motion up and
down; when up it projects as a raised rim all around the edge of the plate
and when down its upper edge comes flush with the surface of the plate
The casting box, which is of the usual construction but rather shallower, fit
on to this frame, and when a mould is to be made is secured to it, the sides
and ends of the box resting on the sides and ends of the frame. The box
being so placed and fixed and the rim or frame being up, the box is filled
with sand. In order to ram the sand in the box a number of rammers
one to enter each of the spaces between the cross bars of the box, are cast
together into a frame, and this frame is mounted on an axis at one side
which allows of the rammers being brought to ram the sand and afterwards
of their being raised up out of the way. The frame or rim carrying the
casting box is so connected with the frame of rammers, that the bringing this
down on to the sand to ram it draws down the rim with the casting box
so as to draw the box down through the sand which assures its being sound
under the bars of the box. The box is thus drawn down until its edge
comes flush with the surface of the pattern plate; the rammers coming down
on the sand press it firmly into the parts of the box between the bars.
The connection between the rising and falling frame of the rammers is made
by means of levers connected together by pins working in slotted holes, in
such a manner that the frame carrying the casting box is not moved by
the first part of the upward motion of the rammer frame, so that the rammers
may be lifted sufficiently to allow of the finished mould being removed from
the apparatus before the frame or rim rises ready to receive an empty box
for another mould to be made. In order to form the gate or passage for
the metal into the mould, I form a pattern of the gate on the same frame
with the rammers, and this pattern being brought down with the rammers
penetrates the sand in the box so as to form the passage required. For casting
some descriptions of articles, I employ boxes in which the supporting bars
are in the centre of the box, and I form the rammer like the bottom or
pattern plate, that is to say, as a flat plate with a portion of a pattern upon
it. Thus I obtain a box with parts of moulds both on the upper and under side,
and I pile several such boxes one over the other, and cast a number of
articles at one time, the impression on the top of one box fitting in with that
on the bottom of the box above.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Michael Hawdon in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th
December 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MICHAEL.
HAWDON, of Blaydon, in the County of Durham, Ironfounder, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of June, in the year of our Lord Oue
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Michael Hawdon, Her special licence that I, the said Michael Hawdon, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Michael
Hawdon, 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 APPARATUS FOR
CONSTRUCTING MOULDS FOR CASTING METALS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Michael Hawdon, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Michael Hawdon, do hereby declare the
nature of the 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 thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for constructing
moulds for casting metals. In order to produce sand moulds for casting
articles of small depth, and which are not undercut, and also to produce in a
mould box either a flat surface of sand, or a surface of sand having elevations
or depressions of small depth upon it to form a portion of the mould, I employ
apparatus constructed in the following manner :-
A metal plate, of the length and breadth of the mould to be produced, is
fixed horizontally on a suitable bed or frame; this plate is made either flat,
if a flat surface of sand is to be produced, or with a pattern or part of a
pattern fixed or formed upon it when a surface of sand with elevations or

page_text: depressions upon it is required. Around the edges of this plate there is fitted
a rim or frame which is capable of motion up and down; when up it projects
as a raised rim all round the edge of the plate, and when down its upper
edge comes flush with the surface of the plate. The casting box, which is of
the usual construction, but rather shallower, fits on to this frame, and when
a mould is to be made, is secured to it, the sides and ends of the box resting
on the sides and ends of the frame. The box being so placed and fixed, and
the rim or frame being up, the box is filled with sand. In order to ram the
sand in the box a number of rammers, one to enter each of the spaces between
the cross bars of the box, are cast together into a frame, and this frame is
mounted on an axis at one side which allows of the rammers being brought to
ram the sand and afterwards of their being raised up out of the way. The
frame or rin carrying the casting box is so connected with the frame of
rammers that the bringing this down on to the sand to ram it draws down
the rim with the casting box so as to draw the box down through the sand,
which assures its being sound under the bars of the box; the box is thus
drawn down until its edge comes Bush with the surface of the pattern plate;
the raminers coming down on the sand press it firmly into the parts of the
box between the bars. The connection between the rising and falling framo of
the rammers is made by means of levers connected together by pins working
in slotted holes in such a manner that the frame carrying the casting box is
not moved by the first part of the upward motion of the rammer frame, so
that the rammers may be lifted sufficiently to allow of the finished mould
being removed from the apparatus before the frame or rim rises ready to
In order to form the
receive an empty box for another mould to be made.
gate or passage for the metal into the mould, I form a pattern of the gate on
the same frame with the rammers, and this pattern being brought down with
the rammers penetrates the sand in the box so as to form the passage required.
For casting some descriptions of articles I employ boxes in which the support-
ing bars are in the centre of the box, and I form the rammer like the bottom
or pattern plate, that is to say, as a flat plate with a portion of a pattern upon
it. Thus I obtain a box with parts of moulds both on the upper and under
side, and I pilo several such boxes one over the other and cast a number of
articles at one time, the impression on the top of one box fitting in with that
on the bottom of the box above.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
7
Figure 1 is an end elevation; Figure 2 a front elevation; Figure 3 a plan,
and Figure 4a vertical section of apparatus constructed according to my
Invention.
a is a bed or frame on which a plate b is fixed; this plate, as shewn in the
Drawing, is plain, and suitable for producing a flat surface of sand for the top
of a mould; but this plate is not necessarily plain, as it may have patterns of
small depth formed or fixed upon it; c is a rim or frame fitting closely around
the edges of the plate b; this rim or frame receives upon it the casting box d;
which is secured to it by the turn buttons c', carried by projections from the
rim or frame c; there are recesses in these projections into which lugs d' on
the casting box drop, and the turn buttons c¹ pass over and secure them; e is
a metal frame having a number of rammers e', e', formed on it; each of these
passes through one of the openings in the casting box, the casting box and
the frame of rammers corresponding the one to the other. The frame e also
carries a pattern e for the gate or passage for the metal into the mould; eis
the axis of the frame e; it is carried in bearings in the arms a', a', of the
bed a;e is a handle by which the frame e can be brought down on to the
casting box d and raised from it, turning on its axis. The rim or franíc ċ
is jointed to levers mounted on centres fi, f', fixed on the bed a; the other
extremities of the levers f are connected by links to the rammer frame e!
Hence it will be seen that by bringing down the rammer frame on the casting
box, by turning it on its axis, the rim or frame c, and the casting box thereon,
will be drawn down, and when the rammer frame is raised the rim and box
will also rise; the links 9, however, being slotted allow the first part of the
motion of the rammer frame to take place without moving the rim or
frame c. The process of making the portion of a mould which the box dis
to contain is now very simple; when the rammer frame is raised, as is slewi
in the transverse section, the box d (being suitably placed in the apparatus)
is filled with sand and the superfluous sand brushed off; the rammer frame
is then brought down. This operation draws down the ribs or divisions in the
box d through the sand, and so ensures its being solid beneath them, and the
rammers in descending properly consolidate the sand in the spaces between
the ribs of the box; this being done the rammer frame is again raised until
it is stopped by the shoulder h' of the latch h which is carried by the
standard i. Up to this time the slots in the links y have allowed the rammer
frame to move without raising the rim or frame c; the buttons care then
turned back, and the box d carrying its portion of the mould, which is now
り

page_text: complete, is removed. The frame e is afterwards thrown back to the full
extent, the latch h being raised to let it pass; another similar casting box d
is put on to the rim or frame c, and a portion of a mould is made in it as
before. The pattern plate b is not necessarily made flat, it may be concave
or convex, or may have projections of considerable height upon it, if the
casting box d and rammer frame e be varied in form to correspond with the
pattern plate.
Figure 5 shews a casting box such as I employ when I wish to obtain parts
of moulds on each side of the box, so that by piling a number of boxes one
over the other a number of moulds may be produced; Figure 6 shews
several such casting boxes as they appear with moulds in them when put
together for casting, and Figure 7 shews the description of rammer which I
employ when making moulds in this manner. It will be seen that in the use
of such a rammer plate the pattern descending into the sand produces the
mould, and then as the plate again rises, turning about its axis, the pattern is
withdrawn from the sand without requiring any care on the part of the work-
man, the axis to which it is secured ensuring that the pattern shall be truly
lifted, and I would here remark that the drawing a pattern in this manner,
by mounting it on an axis carried by a suitable fixed bearing at a convenient
distance from the pattern, is an important feature of my Invention, and may
be applied where the pattern and plate or frame which carries it is not
employed as a rammer. When the pattern is not suitable for producing the
mould by striking into the sand, I clamp a casting box to the face of the
pattern plate, which is mounted on an axis carried in bearings, and resembles
the rammer frame or plate, Figure 7. The casting box is open at the top,
and is through this opening rammed full of sand in any convenient manner;
then the pattern plate is turned over on its axis and the casting box is
deposited on a suitable table; the pattern plate being then at the top the
catches which secure it to the casting box are now released and the pattern
plate is lifted again, turning about its axis and leaving the mould complete.
In witness whereof, I, the said Michael Hawdon, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
MICHAEL HAWDON. (L.S.)