IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING MOULDS FOR CASTING IN METALS.” APPARATUS FOR MAKING MOULDS FOR CASTING IN METALS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Hutchison, of the Oak Foundry
Company, of the City of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR MAKING MOULDS FOR CASTING IN METALS.”
APPARATUS FOR MAKING MOULDS FOR CASTING IN METALS,'
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Hutchison
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 13th May 1875.
I, ALEXANDER HUTCHISON, of the Oak Foundry Company, of the City
of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
Apparatus for MAKING MOULDS FOR CASTING IN METALS," to be as follows:-
This said Invention has reference to the arrangement and construction
of the parts of and mode of forming moulds or ramming the sand into
the mould boxes for forming the moulds for casting iron or other molten
metal in them where the mould boxes and articles to be formed are of
some regular or uniform shape, as for pipes, rhones, balusters, and other

page_text: articles; and which improvements will save much time and labour in
preparing or forming such moulds as compared with the modes and
means heretofore in use for that purpose.
The nature of the Invention consists as follows:-First, as to the
arrangement of the parts or construction of one modification of the
sand or mould ramming machine; this consists of two strong side frames
or standards, preferably of the form of ordinary single frame slotting
machines and steam hammers, with slotted guides formed or bolted on to
their inner sides over a recess formed at the lower part of each frame for
the easy reception of the plate, table, or carriago, on which the pattern
is laid and the mould box is rammed, and the setting and removal
of these when finished. These standards or side frames are broadened
out at the back and base, where they are secured by wide flanges to the
sole plate and secured together at the top by one, or it might be two
longitudinal frames or stays carrying two or more sets of guide rollers or
other equivalents at suitable distances apart to guide an equal number
of vertical rods attached to and carrying at their lower end a strong
central longitudinal bar, shaft, or spindle, reciprocating in the vertical'
guides by end blocks, within which and the lower ends of the rods it
would be free to turn to any desired position radially, and be set and
locked by a notched disc and spring catch, or hand lever carried on the
slide block at one or both ends to suit different sets of ramming spindles
keyed on it in different radial planes, with ramming heads fixed on their
lower or extreme ends of different shapes; the first set to approximately
suit the pattern and mould boxes between the bars to ram the sand
regularly into the moulds near the pattern; and the second or other sets
more flat and broad to flatten the sand and fill the mould box to the
top; or it might also be with a set of radial pattern gates fixed on the
last set of rods to be forced into the top parts of the moulds to finish
them, each in succession as laid over the pattern and mould table, and
the sand is filled in by hand or automatically from above, and then
lifted off the pattern by hand or assisted by guides or levers and lifting
gear for removal when heavy, as for large pipe moulds.
The longitudinal spindle with its sets of rammers may either be
reciprocated or worked by motive power or by hand, through a longi-
tudinal overhead revolving shaft (driven by pulleys and belts or by
winch handles) with a large lifting hollow or rimmed eccentric; or it
might be scroll cam for cach of the vertical rods having a lateral pin

page_text: and antifriction roller on each, work on the said eccentric or cam'
which would raise the whole each revolution, and allow it to fall by its
own weight from one uniform extreme height, as low only as the
compressed sand would allow it; the weight of the whole and quantity
of sand filled in at each stroke principally regulating the hardness to
which the sand or mould is thus rammed. While for this purpose the
weight of the whole is adjusted easily by adding weights to the rammers;
or by connecting the rods above the frame to one longitudinal rail, and
connecting it to one end of one or more lateral levers fulcrumed on
brackets projecting from the side standards with shifting counter-
balancing weights; which levers might also be made to lift or work the
whole by hand without a revolving shaft when desired. When is
shaft with eccentrics or cams is used however, the upper ends of the
lifting rods would be guided laterally; as by making them open slotted
or forked to work over the shaft itself when this is in the same
vertical plane; or any other equivalent guide arrangement might be used
for the tops of these rods.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Hutchison in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 12th November 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
HUTCHISON, of the Oak Foundry Company, of the City of Glasgow, in
the County of Lanark, North Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Hutchison, Her special
licence that I, the said Alexander Hutchison, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander
Hutchison, 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

page_text: Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,
an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING
MOULDS FOR CASTING IN METALS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Alexander Hutchison, 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 Alexander Hutchison, 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 in writing, reference being had to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention has reference to the arrangement and construction
of the parts of and mode of forming, moulds, or ramming the sand into
the mould boxes for forming the moulds for casting iron or other molten
metal in them, where the mould boxes and articles to be formed are of
some regular or uniform shape, as for pipes, rhones, ballusters, and other
articles, and which improvements will save much time and labour in
preparing or forming such moulds as compared with the modes and.
means hitherto used for that purpose.
And in order that the nature, novelty, and mode of performing my
said Invention may be properly understood I will now proceed to
describe the Figures on the Sheet of Drawings, which I have hereunto
appended for the purpose of showing the best modes and means I am at
present aware of for carrying the Invention into effect or practice, the
same reference letters and numerals indicating the same or like parts in
both Figures where shown.
Figures 1 and 2 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings are respec-
tively a front and an end elevation of a moulding machine or construction
and arrangement of mechanism for the ramming and making of sand
moulds, all constructed in accordance with and illustrative of one
modification of my said Invention as applied to the making of pipes or
other castings of such uniform shape.

page_text: Referring to these Figures 1 and 2, this modification or arrangement
of the machine or mechanism consists of two strong side frames or
standards A, preferably of the form of ordinary single frame slotting
machines and steam hammers, with slotted guides A¹ formed on or
bolted to their inner sides A over or above a recess A" formed at the
lower part of each frame A. for the easy reception of the plate, table, or
carriage B, on which the pattern Z and its retaining and mould ramming
frame Z' are carried for the ramming of the boxes z, and their removal
when finished. These standards or side frames A are broadened out at
the back and base A¹¹, where they are secured by wide flanges to a
suitable sole plate or foundation A¹, and secured together at the top by
one or it might be more longitudinal frames or stays A', carrying two or
more pairs of guide rollers a or other equivalents at suitable distances
apart to guide an equal number of vertical rods D attached to and
carrying at their lower end a strong central longitudinal bar or spindle E
reciprocating in the vertical guides A' by end blocks or slide bushes E¹,
within which and the lower ends of the rods D' it is free to turn to any
desired position radially, and to be set and locked by the notched disc F
and the hand lever F¹, or it might be a spring catch fulcrumed or
carried on the slide block E¹ at one or both ends to suit different sets of
ramming spindles 1, 2, 3, when in a vertical row below the spindle E,
on which they are keyed in different radial planes, with ramming
heads 1, 2, 3¹, of different shapes cottered or otherwise fixed on their
lower or extreme ends, the first set or series 12 being all made hollow to
3 approximately suit the pipe pattern Z and mould boxes z between
the bars a¹ to ram the first layer or portion of the sand regularly into
the moulds near and over the pattern Z, and the second or other set 2¹
made more flat and broad to flatten the sand subsequently fed in,
and fill up to the top the mould box z between the bars 2³, and it may
also be with a set of, say, two radial pattern grates 3' (shown in red
lines only in Figure 1) fixed on the last set of rods 3, to be forced into
the top parts or halves of the moulds, to finish these each in succession
as laid over the pattern Z, Z', and mould table B, the bar E being
turned round in its bushes E¹, and locked by the notched discs F and
catch levers F¹ successively with these respective rows of radial
rammers 1, 2, 3¹, over the open spaces of the mould box as the sand is
filled in by hand at the front X, or it might be automatically from
above the moulding box before each set of rammers 1ª, 2¹, is brought
down. After each half of the mould box is rammed and finished the
.

page_text: table B is turned back to X', where the finished mould box is lifted off
the pattern Z and ramming plate Z' by hand in a usual manner, assisted
by guide pins Zu, or it might be levers or other lifting gear for removal
when heavy, as for large pipe moulds.
The longitudinal spindle E, with its sets of rammers 1¹, 21, 3', is reci-
procated or worked by motive power through a longitudinal overhead
revolving shaft G, carried in suitable bush bearings or blocks A³ at the
top of the two side standards A, A, and driven by the fast and the loose
pulley G¹, G", and a belt G, from any adjacent motive power trans-
mitting shaft (or by winch handles when actuated by hand) through
the two large lifting hollow or rimmed eccentrics H (or it might be other
suitable scroll or equivalent lifting cams), one keyed on the shaft G at
H' near the top of each of the vertical rods D, which have a lateral pin
and antifriction roller D" on each, working on the inside of the rim H"
of each eccentric H, which would raise the spindle E and the whole of
the rammers keyed on it each revolution of the shaft G, and allow them
to fall and compress the same by their own weight, always from one
uniform extreme height, as low or as far only as the compressed sand
will allow them.
When a sudden drop is desired to be given to the spindle E and
rammers 1, 1', 2, 2, 3, 3¹, mounted on it the lowering half or segment
of the rims H" of the eccentrics H might be cut away, which would
allow the pulleys D" of the lifting rods D to fall off the eccentric rim
when at their highest position, while the lifting part or segment of the
eccentric rims H" as they come round would always take under the
rollers D" again and lift them and the rods D and rammer spindle or
bar E to their highest falling position each revolution of the shaft G.
When this shaft G, with eccentrics or cams, is used in the same vertical
plane as the rammers and rods, the upper ends of the lifting rods D may
very easily be guided laterally by making them slotted or forked at their
upper ends D³ as shown, so as to work over the shaft G as a guide, or
any other equivalent guide arrangement might be used for the tops of
these rods. The falling weight of the bar E and its rammers, and
quantity of sand filled in at each stroke, principally regulate the hardness
to which the sand or mould is rammed within the box z. Or to give
different degrees of ramming effect or hardness to the sand the weight of
the whole may be adjusted easily by making the rammers lighter or
heavier as desired; or by connecting the rods D above the frame A² to

page_text: one longitudinal rail and connecting it to one end of one or more lateral
levers fulcrumed on brackets, projecting from the side standards A, with
shifting counterbalancing weights, which levers might also be made to
lift or work the whole by hand without a revolving shaft G when
desired.
The traversing mould table B is shown as made in the form of a large
rectangular plate of cast iron, planed on the top and strengthened by
transverse feathers on the under side and nearly the whole width between
the main frames A, A, sufficient to have placed or fixed across it the
pattern Z, Z, of the longest moulds and mould boxes z, z¹, required to
be filled and rammed in the machine, and with two longitudinal planed
feathers b, one near each side, running on the top of two corresponding
grooved carrying pulleys &¹ keyed on the two shafts B¹ and B", revolving
in suitable end pillow blocks B secured to the sole plate A, placed in
such a position and with the plate B long enough to be traversed to its
two extreme positions, namely, that shown in Figure 2, with the mould
box in the position of being filled and rammed with the sand under the
rammers, and so that it can be traversed, with each rammed or finished
half mould and box z, z', back to X behind the lower part of the
frames A, A, so that they can be easily lifted off the pattern and placed
in position closed over each other in the usual manner all ready for
receiving the molten metal or forming the castings, and for having a
fresh mould box z, z¹, placed over the pattern Z, Z¹, ready for being
traversed under the rammers to have the sand mould rammed and formed
therein, all as before explained. This traversing of the table B is effected
through the two toothed racks 6' formed or fixed on its under side, working
into two corresponding toothed pinions 68 keyed on the back actuating
shaft B¹, which has the large spur wheel C keyed on its one end geared
into the corresponding toothed pinion C¹ keyed on the short spindle C"
carried in the bearing bracket C³, so as to be actuated by the hand crank
or winch handle O" by an attendant when the table B has to be traversed
as described.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and the manner
in which the same is or may be performed, I have to state that I do not
5 restrict myself to the precise details of moulding machines herein
described, nor do I desire to claim the construction of all the parts
thereof, separately or by themselves, as many of these may have been
used heretofore; but what I consider novel and original, and there-

page_text: fore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The general construction and arrangement or combination of
the parts of a machine or mechanism for the making or ramming of
sand moulds for the casting of pipes or other articles of a uniform shape
or size, all substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in
the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Second. The construction and use in mould ramming machines of sets
of radial rammers (as 1, 1', 2, 2, 3, 3¹,) on a revolving and reciprocating
spindle (as E), substantially as herein described in reference to and 1
shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification
thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Hutchison, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy- 1
five.
1..
Witness,
JOHN BROWN,
Patent Office,
ALEXANDER HUTCHISON. (L.B.)
96, Buchanan Street,
Glasgow.