IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPARATUS FOR CASTING COPPER AND OTHER METAL TUBES OR PIPES
Year: 1884

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I, HENRY STEPHENS of the Griffin Smelting Works, Maindee, in the County of
Monmouth, Smelter, do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPARATUS FOR CASTING COPPER AND OTHER METAL
TUBES OR PIPES," and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof
and the Drawing therein referred to:-
My said Invention, which relates to improvements in and apparatus for casting
metal tubes, is specially designed to produce such tubes or pipes free from blisters
and bubbles and devoid of metal of a "spongy" nature. It consists in supplying
the molten metal of which the tubes or pipes are constituted to the mould from
below instead of as hitherto from the mouth or top. As the molten metal rises in
the mould, the air previously contained therein is expelled, and a tube or pipe is
produced the metal of which is solid throughout.
The apparatus preferably employed consists of a combined feed tube and mould
which may be conveniently cast together.
The feed tube communicates with the mould at the base of the latter and also at
one or more points above the base. Thus, as the metal rises in the mould to form
the tube or pipe, the supply is maintained by the channels of communication.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I now proceed
more particularly to describe the same with reference to the accompanying Drawing
and the letters marked thereon.
The Figure shown in the accompanying Drawing represents a vertical section
of a combined feed tube and mould formed in accordance with my said Invention.
Into the feed tube a is poured the molten metal of which the tube or pipe to be
cast is to be composed.
As the metal, which passes into the mould b first by the channel of communi-
cation c, rises in the mould b around the core d, the air previously contained in the
vacant space is expelled upwards through the open top of the mould and is thereby
prevented from becoming incorporated with and producing blisters bubbles or
spongy" metal in the molten metal of the tube or pipe.
"
The apparatus illustrated is provided with a second channel of communication c¹
at which the molten metal enters when the mould is charged to that point from

page_text: below, and the formation of the tube or pipe is thereby continued from below
upwards. The number of channels of communication between the feed tube a and
the mould b may be increased as desired.
By this process of manufacture, which is specially applicable to. the production
of copper tubes or pipes, the disadvantages arising from the presence of air in the
mould and incorporation thereof with the metal are obviated, the metal of the tubes
or pipes so produced being of uniform solidity throughout.
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:-
t
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"
Supplying the mould, in which the tubes or pipes are cast, with molten metal
from below upwards, first from the base and thereafter at any desired points to
expel air, and to produce tubes or pipes free from blisters bubbles or "spongy
metal, substantially as hereinbefore described and by means of the apparatus
illustrated or its equivalent..