Improvements in or relating to Casting Moulds.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 27th June, 1899
Complete Specification loft 27th Mar 1900 Accented 12th May 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Casting Moulds.
1, EDWARD A. UEILING, of 831, Carnegie Building, Pittsburgh, State of
Pennsylvania, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows-
This invention relates to moulds intended to receive metals and other materials
which are cast at a very high temperature; they are particularly designed to
receive the metal from the blast furnace to form it into pigs, but they may be
used for many other purposes.
Hitherto, particularly in mechanical devices employed for receiving the metal
run from an ordinary blast furnace, cast iron moulds have been employed, and
considerable difficulty has been experienced in preventing the metal run in
from adhering to the mould, and various devices such as spraying or otherwise
applying a refractory material such as lime, clay etc. have been employed. By
my present invention I obviate these difficulties, and I may carry it out in the
following manner:
The mould which is to receive the- metal I make of any suitable refractory
material such as fire-clay or the like; this I melt or form in any convenient
manner to the required proportions and I then bake or fire it so that it will be
adapted to receive the melted metal etc. without damage.
In some cases I may use the moulds thus prepared without external support,
but to withstand the weight of pig metal I prefer to provide some form of outer
casing to support the mould. This casing may be made in many different ways,
the following being suitable for my purpose. If it be desired to make the casing
of cast-iron, I prefer to place the fire-clay mould in its completed condition into
a suitable sand or other mould of larger size so as to leave a sufficient space
between the fire-clay mould and the other, into which I run cast iron thus form-
ing a casing of cast iron outside the fire-clay mould. As the cast iron casing
will shrink upon cooling some means may be provided to prevent it from crack-
ing itself or damaging the fire-clay mould in this process; a suitable way of accom-
plishing this is to place a dividing strip of say for example sheet iron about
the centre of the mould to divide the cast iron casing into two parts and prevent
them from adhering, and thus allow of any required contraction.
These parts
may according to circumstances be connected together or left loose but generally
speaking I prefer to connect them which may be effected by lugs formed upon
them with bolts passing through or spring steel or the like may be formed with
a projecting bow, the ends being cast into the metal. The dividing strips may be
made in cruciform or other shape if desired.
The cast casing may be provided with trunnions lugs or the like according
to what may be required for the apparatus to which it is to be applied.
I prefer the method above described because the fire-clay moulds are as is well
known apt to become distorted during the process of firing them and it is con-
venient to adapt the shape of the casing accurately to the mould by casting it
Price 8d

page_text: upon it.
Nevertheless I may if preferred make the casing of stamped metal
trusting to their being sufficiently near in shape and size to the mould, or the
latter may be ground or otherwise trimmed to fit if necessary and may be pro-
vided with fitting strips for that purpose if desired. Or the space between the
mould and the casing may be filled with soft clay or the like. Stamped casings
may be made in parts as before and may be joined up in any convenient manner,
or they may be complete in one piece and edges flanges or other means provided
to secure the mould inside it.
In some cases and particularly where the temperature of the material to bo
cast will permit of it I may make the moulds of hydraulic cement or other
equivalent material and as this does not require to be fired I can embed in its
substance strips or other forms-net-work for example of metal or other suitable
material which will so strengthen the mould that an outside casing can be dis-
pensed with. Should trunnions or the like be required for such a mould they
can be formed or connected with the strengthening body, This supporting
device may be made of metal-basket-work or the like and a similar basket may
be employed for the moulds which have to be fired, they being subsequently
placed in the basket the formation of which will allow of its being easily bent
or altered in shape to suit the mould. This basket can be made of cast metal
say cast steel for example if desired.
Dated this 27th day of June 1899.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
I, EDWARD A. UEHLING, of 831, Carnegie Building, Pittsburgh, State of
Pennsylvania, United States of America, Mechanical 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:-
This invention relates to moulds intended to receive metals and other materials
which are cast at a very high temperature, and has special reference to moulds
which receive the metal from the blast furnace to form it into pigs. Moulds used
for this purpose generally form part of an apparatus which causes them to travel
to and from the reservoir or furnace from which they receive the metal, the
apparatus comprising, for example, an endless chain carrying a series of moulds
which are supported on the chain by means of trunnions.
Hitherto these travelling moulds have been made of cast iron and I overcome
the difficulty experienced in preventing the metal run in from adhering to the
moulds by spraying or otherwise applying a refractory material, such as lime,
clay etc., to the inner surface of the moulds. By my present invention, I obviate
the necessity of preparing the moulds with a fresh coating of refractory material,
after each filling, and in addition prevent the chilling effect which in a greater
or less degree changes the granular structure of the pig or ingot cast in the mould.
In carrying out this invention the mould which is to receive the metal I make of
any suitable refractory material, such as fire-clay or the like; this I mould or
form in any convenient manner to the required proportions and I then bake or
fire it so that it will be adapted to receive the melted metal etc. without damage.
In some cases I may use the moulds thus prepared without external support, but
to withstand the weight of pig-metal I prefer to provide some form of outer

page_text: casing, to support the mould. This casing may be made in many different ways,
the following being suitable for my purpose.
If it be desired to make the casing of cast-iron, I prefer to place the fire-clay
mould in its completed condition into a suitable sand or other mould of larger
size so as to leave a sufficient space between the fire-clay mould and the other,
into which I run cast iron thus forming a casing of cast iron outside the fire-clay
mould. As the cast iron casing will shrink upon cooling some means may be pro-
vided to prevent it from cracking itself or damaging the fire-clay mould in this
process; a suitable way of accomplishing this is to place a dividing strip of say
for example sheet iron about the centre of the mould to divide the cast iron casing
into two parts and prevent them from adhering and thus allow of any required
contraction. These parts may according to circumstances be connected together
or left loose but generally speaking I prefer to connect them, which may be
effected by lugs formed upon them with bolts passing through or spring steel or
the like may be formed with a projecting bow, the ends being cast into the metal.
The dividing strips may be made in cruciform or other shape if desired.
The cast casing may be provided with trunnions, lugs or the like according
to what may be required for the apparatus to which it is to be applied.
I prefer the method above described because the fire-clay moulds are as is well
known apt to become distorted during the process of firing them, and it is con-
venient to adapt the shape of the casing accurately to the mould by casting it
upon it.
Nevertheless I may if preferred make the casing of stamped metal
trusting to its being sufficiently near in shape and size to the mould, or the
latter may be ground or otherwise trimmed to fit if necessary and may be pro-
vided with fitting strips for that purpose if desired. Or the space between the
mould and the casing may be filled with soft clay or the like. Stamped casings
may be made in parts as before and may be joined up in any convenient manner,
or they may be complete in one piece and edges flanges or other means provided
to secure the mould inside them.
:
}
In some cases and particularly where the temperature of the material to be
cast will permit of it I may make the moulds of hydraulic cement or other
equivalent material, and as this does not require to be fired I can embed in its
substance strips or other forms-net-work for example of metal or other suitable
material which will so strengthen the mould that an outside casing can be dis-
pensed with. Should trunnions or the like be required for such a mould they
can be formed or connected with the strengthening body.
This supporting
device may be made of metal-basket-work or the like and a similar basket may
be employed for the moulds which have to be fired, they being subsequently
placed in the basket the formation of which will allow of its being easily bent
or altered in shape to suit the mould. This basket can be made of cast metal
say cast steel for example if desired.
It will be seen that whereas travelling moulds have hitherto been made of metal
with a temporary inside coating of refractory material which has to be renewed
for each casting, moulds, made according to this invention, are formed entirely
or substantially of refractory material, the metal support or casing when used
being chiefly for the purpose of strengthening the mould.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a plan of one construction of mould and casing according to this
invention.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.
Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of a similar mould having a casing. the parts of
which are fastened in a somewhat different way, and
Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a basket casing.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
With reference first to Figures 1, 2 and 3, A is a mould formed of refractory
material and provided with a casing B cast round it. The casing B is formed in

page_text: two parts and these portions are joined together with bows of spring metal B
the ends of which are cast one in each of the parts of the casing. The bows B¹
allow the casing B to contract when it is cast without damaging itself or the
mould A, and, moreover, they permit of any slight contraction and expansion
which may occur when the mould is in use. Lugs B2 are formed upon the
casing B.
The mould shown in Figure 4 is similar to that illustrated in Figures 1, 2
and 3, but the parts of its casing B are provided with lugs B³ through which a
bolt B* passes, thus holding the two portions together.
Figure 5 illustrates a casing made from sheet metal and in the form of a basket.
The mould of refractory material is placed within this casing which may if neces-
sary be slightly bent to accommodate itself to small irregularities in the shape of
the mould.
When the mould is made of refractory material which does not need to be fired,
hydraulic cement for example it is preferred to embed a strengthening support in
the material forming the mould, and thus obviate the necessity for the use of a
separate external casing. A framework or basket such as is illustrated in Figure 5
forms a very suitable strengthening support when thus embedded in a mould.
It is to be understood that the moulds illustrated are merely given by way of
example, and many modifications may be made in the moulds and casings with-
out departing from the spirit of this invention, for instance, the parts forming
the casing may be connected by lugs and bolts in addition to one or more springs,
and when springs are used they may be of any shape and in any convenient
position on the casing:
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:—
1. In the casting of metal the employment of travelling moulds made entirely
or substantially of refractory material.
2. In the casting of metal the combination with a travelling mould formed of
refractory material of a support or casing for the purpose of strengthening the
mould.
3. In the casting of metal the combination with a travelling mould formed of
refractory material of a support or casing made in two or more parts.
4. In the casting of metal the combination with a travelling mould formed of
refractory material of a support or casing in two or more parts connected so as
to allow for contraction or for contraction and expansion.
5. In the casting of metal the combination with a travelling mould formed of
refractory material of a basket-like support or casing.
6. In the casting of metal the combination with a travelling mould formed of
refractory material of a support or casing in two or more parts connected by a
spring such as B¹.
·וווב
1
el 1000
EDWARD A. UEHLING.
Boult, Wade & Kilburn,
Agents for the Applicant.