Improvements in Apparatus for Making Moulds for Casting.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Applicat on, 16.h Jan., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 15th Oct., 1890-Accepted, 15th Nov., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Making Moulds for Casting.
I, JOHN ALEXANDER MACLELLAN, of the Sentinel Works, Polmadie, in the County
of Renfrew, North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows, that is to say :-
My said invention has for its object to construct and arrange apparatus for making
moulds for casting in an improved manner and so as to save labor and tinie, especially
in cases in which large quantities of castings are required off the same pattern.
In carrying out my invention I employ an hydraulic press to compress the sand or
mould material. The ram of the press works upwards, and has upon its platen an
opentopped sand holder, which is by preference cylindrical, but which may have any
other suitable simple form. Each mould flask is made to fit within the sand holder
but so as to move easily up and down in it. The pattern is an inverted position on
the underside of a plate which is fixed in a suitable position above the sand holder.
The flask is provided with handles, and in one position rests with these bandles
upon the top edge of the sand holder. With the flask in this position the hydraulic
ram and the sand holder being in their lowest positions, the sand or mould material
is filled into the sand holder and within the flask the bottom of which is open. The
quantity of sand or mould material is gauged by the depth of the sand holder, within
the bottom of which plates may be put to reduce the depth if required. When the
sand or mould material has been filled in the flask is turned partly round to bring its
handles to vertical slots in the sides of the sand holder, and then the hydraulic ram is
raised and compresses the sand or mould material up against the pattern. In this
operation the sand or mould material that was below the bottom edge of the flask is
forced up into the flask the slots in the sides of the sand holder allowing the holder to
rise further after the flask has reached the pattern plate. When the hydraulic ram
and sand holder descend again the flask is arrested in a suitable position by its
handles encountering fixed stops, and the sand holder descending further leaves the
compressed sand in the flask which can then be lifted away and conveyed to the
casting place.
In order to mould rapidly, ordinary railway chairs and other articles having parts
like the jaws of a railway chair which have overhanging parts, the pattern is made
with movable pieces which are fixed to holding pieces at the upper side or back of the
pattern plate; and the holding pieces are fitted upon centres chosen to suit the shapes
of the chair jaws, and the openings in the pattern and the parts of the movable pieces
fitting those openings are shaped so that the movable pieces can be put into close
fitting positions or be withdrawn by turning about those centres. Springs are
connected to the movable pieces or their holders for withdrawing them and one or
more eccentrics on a rocking shaft moved by means of a hand lever are provided for
moving the pieces and holding them in position whilst a mould is being formed. Then
when the sand or mould material has been compressed as hereinbefore described, but
before the hydraulic ram descends again, the hand lever is movel so as to allow the
springs to withdraw the movable parts of the pattern.
Dated this Fifteenth day of January 1890.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Making Moulds for Casting.
I, JOHN ALEXANDER MACLELLAN, of the Sentinel Works, Polmadie, in the County
of Renfrew, North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to say:-
My said invention has for its object to construct and arrange apparatus for making
moulds for casting in an improved manner and so as to save labor and time, especially
in cases in which large quantities of castings are required off the same pattern.
My improved apparatus is shown on two accompanying sheets of explanatory
drawings which are hereinafter referred to,
Figure, 1,.on Sheet, 1, being a vertical section of the moulding machine.
Figure, 2, a sectional elevation with parts shown as at right angles to Figure, 1.
Figure, 3, Sheet, 2, an enlarged elevation of special pattern mechanism for railway
chairs.
Figure, 4, an inverted plan corresponding to Figure, 3, and
Figure, 5, an elevation like Figure, 3, but with parts in different positions.
In these drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark the same or like
parts wherever they are repeated.
In carrying out my invention I employ an hydraulic press, 6, to compress the sand
or mould material. The ram, 7, of the press works upwards, and has on its platen, 8,
an opentopped sandholder, 9, which is by preference cylindrical, but which may have
any other suitable simple form. Each mould flask, 10, is made to fit within the sand
holder, 9, but so as to move easily up and down in it. The pattern, 11, is in an
inverted position on the underside of a plate, 12, which is fixed in a suitable position
above the sand holder, 9, being connected by rods, 13, to the bed frame, 14, in which
the hydraulic press, 6, is set. The flask, 1, is provided with handles, 15, and in one
position rests with these handles upon the top edge of the sand holder, 9, or upon
the upper ends of supports, 16, fixed to a sheet iron casing, 17. which encloses the
lower part of the apparatus. With the flask, 10, and the hydraulic ram, 7, and sand
holder, 9, in the positions in which they are shown the sand or mould materia! is
filled into the sand holder and within the flask the bottom of which is open. The
quantity of sand or mould material is gauged by the depth of the sand helder, 9,
within the bottom of which plates may be put to reduce the depth if required. When
the sand or mould material has been filled in, the flask, 10, is turned partly round to
bring its handles, 15, to vertical slots, 18, in the sides of the sand holder, 9, and then
the bydraulic ram, 7, is raised and compresses the sand or mould material up against
the pattern, 11. In this operation the sand or mould material that was below the
bottom edge of the flask, 10, is forced up into the flask, the slots, 18, in the sides of
the sand holder, 9, allowing the holder to rise further after the flask has reached the
pattern plate, 12.
When the hydraulic ram, 7, and sand holder, 9, descend again, the flask, 10, is
arrested in a suitable position by its handles, 15, encountering the fixed stops or
supports, 16, and the sand holder descending further leaves the compressed sand in
the flask, 10, which can then be moved away and conveyed to the casting place. To
allow the sand holder, 9, to be lowered below the flask, 10, so that the latter can be
removed without appreciable lifting, a support, 30, is by means of a lever handle, 31,
turned out of the way of legs, 32, fixed to the platen, 8. This support, 30, is a plate
pivoted on a standard, 33, at one side, and provided with adjustable legs, 34, which
rest on a fixed part below.
In order to mould rapidly, ordinary railway chairs, and other articles having parts,
like the jaws, 20, 21, of a railway chair which have overhanging parts, the pattern is
made with movable pieces, 20, 21, which are fixed to holding pieces, 22, 23, at the
upper side or back of the pattern plate, 12; and the holding pieces, 22, 23, are fitted
upon centres, 24, 25, chosen to suit the shapes of the chair jaws; and the openings

page_text: in the pattern, 11, and pattern plate, 12, and the parts of the movable pieces, 20, 21,
fitting those openings are shaped so that the movable pieces can be put into close
fitting positions or be withdrawn by turning about the axes through those centres, 24,
25. Springs, 26, 27, or counterweights are connected to the holding pieces, 22, 23,
for withdrawing them, and an eccentric, 28 (or it might be more than one) on a
rocking shaft, 29, movable by means of a hand lever, is provided for moving the
pieces, 20, 21, and holding them in position whilst the mould is being formed. Then,
when the sand or mould material has been compressed as hereinbefore described, but
before the hydraulic ram, 7, descends again, the rocking shaft, 29, is moved so as to
allow the springs, 26, 27, to withdraw the movable parts, 20, 21, of the pattern.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The combination of parts constituting as a whole my improved moulding machine
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures, 1, and 2, of the
accompanying drawings.
2. The combination in a moulding machine of a holder for the sand or mould
material fitted to receive an open-bottomed flask and arranged to compress the sand
or mould material up into the flask and up to an inverted pattern above the flask,
substantially as herein before described.
3. In apparatus for making moulds for casting, making overhanging parts of a
pattern movable about axes so as to be withdrawn without disturbing the mould,
pieces carrying the movable parts being fitted upon external centres such as to have
the axes in convenient positions, substantially as herein before described.
Dated this Fourteenth day of October 1890.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.