Improvements in the Construction of Ingot Moulds.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left. 22nd Oct., 1892-Accepted, 7th Jan., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Ingot Moulds.
JOHN HILL, Ironmaster, Norton, near Stockton on Tees & CHARLES HODGSON,
Pattern Maker, 2 Welford Street, Middlesbro, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
By means of the arrangement hereinafter described the inventors claim to produce
a perfectly parallel ingot.
The mould will be opened by means of hooks on the one side and on the other
side by three or more eccentric-cams fixed by two or more brackets to open and
close the same and hold the same in a firm position where required.
The joints of the mould will be close-fitted by means of a dovetail strip on each
side of the flange to prevent the hot steel or other metal escaping.
The method of opening and closing the mould is very simple. The eccentrics
above referred to are worked by the half turn of a square vertical shaft fixed.in
position by means of the before named brackets by a screw key or handle.
When the mould is opened there will be a wedge shaped strip of iron or other
suitable material which slides down the slot between the flanges to keep the mould
open until it is lifted off the ingot.
Dated this 17th day of February 1892.
JOHN HILL.
CHARLES HODGSON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Ingot Moulds.
We, JOHN HILL Ironmaster of Norton, Stockton-on-Tees, and CHARLES
HODGSON Pattern-maker of 2 Welford Street, Middlesbrough, both in the County
of York, 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 :-
Many attempts have heretofore been made to cast ingots of iron and steel with
parallel sides in order to reduce the amount of rolling or working necessary, as
compared with tapered ingots, to reduce them into finished rails, bars or plates.
For this purpose it has been proposed to employ parallel moulds of cast iron each
made in two parts adapted to be fixed together in various ways. Thus according
to one construction, the two parts of the mould were hinged together at the top or
In other construc-
at one side, and held together by a single cam or eccentric.
tions, the adjacent flanges or faces of the two parts of the mould have been united
by a rabbet joint and held firmly together by bolts and cotters or nuts. In each
case however, the construction has been such that it could not be used with practical
success.
Although the constructing and uniting of the parts of the mould in such a manner
as to allow of their proper expansion, appears to have been in some cases aimed at,
none of the constructions of ingot moulds heretofore proposed, so far as we are
aware, properly provide for such expansion consequently when such moulds have
been tried they have not been successful.
Now this invention has reference to a construction of ingot mould of the kind
referred to that fully provides for expansion, and obviates all the difficulties
heretofore experienced with such moulds. And in order that the nature of our

page_text: f
invention may be fully understood we will proceed to explain the same by aid of
the accompanying drawings in which,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation; and
Fig. 2 a plan of an ingot mould with parallel sides constructed according to this
invention.
Fig. 3 is an elevation of the inner side; and
Fig. 4 a plan, of one of the two halves of such mould.
Figs. 5 to 11 inclusive are detail views hereinafter referred to.
Fig. 12 is a plan showing a slightly modified form of joint between the two parts
of the mould.
Figs. 1 and 3 are drawn to a smaller scale than the remaining figures.
Referring to Figs. 1 to 10 inclusive-1 and 2 are the two halves of the parallel
mould, each formed with two flanges 3 and 4. The joint between each adjacent
pair of flanges 3 and 4 is formed by means of longitudinal strips or projections 3º 4ª
(hereinafter called dovetail strips) which may in effect be regarded as bevel edge
projections the abutting faces 3° 4° of which are bevelled or inclined as shown so
that the strips as seen in cross section are approximately dovetail in form. These:
strips 3" and 4" are formed one on each flange 3 and 4 respectively at opposite
sides of the joint as shown so as to prevent molten metal escaping between them,
and so as to leave an opening or space 5 between the outer portions of the flanges.
The dovetail strips 3* are arranged at the inner side of the dovetail strips 4*, each
of these latter strips being of such a thickness that a space 6 is left between it and
the adjacent flange 3. As will be seen the relative position of the strips 3* 4* at
one side of the mould is the reverse of that at the other side, so that the two
parts 1 and 2 thereof are not held together laterally but can slide past each other
in the direction of the arrows a. The two halves of the mould should be connected
by hooks. 7, 7 are hooks one of which is shown separately in Figs. 5 and 6 which
are elevations at right angles to each other. 7ª, 7ª are brackets in the form of eye
bolts, one of which is shown separately in Figs. 7 and 8 which are also elevations
at right angles to each other. 8, 8" are shafts passing through the hooks 7 and
brackets 7 respectively and able to be rotated therein. 9, 9" are eccentrics or
cams (hereinafter called cams) that are fixed on the shafts 8 and 8" respectively as
shown separately in elevation in Fig. 9, and each adapted to bear against one of
the flanges 3 as clearly shown in Fig. 2. One of these cams is shown separately
in Figs. 10 and 11 which are elevations at right angles to each other. The shank 7*
of each of the hooks 7 and brackets 7" is secured to its corresponding flange 4 by a
nut 10 and extends through a slot 11 in the adjacent flange 3. The width 12
. (Fig. 2) of these slots 11 is such that the shanks 7* passing therethrough will not
prevent the flange in which such slots are formed, moving in the direction of the
arrows a. The shafts 8, 8 may advantageously be square, except where they fit
the hooks 7 and brackets 7", and one of them may be extended upward as shown
at 8b (Figs. 1 and 9) to receive a screw key or handle by which it can be turned in
order to rotate the cams 9 or 9* fixed to it, away from the flange 3 against which
they normally bear and thus allow the corresponding pair of flanges 3 and 4 to be
moved apart, it may be by the insertion of a piece of metal into the space 5 between
them, should an ingot from any cause, become fixed within the mould.
It is advantageous to form the cams 9, 9 of steel and to so arrange them that
when they are pressed tightly against their respective flanges 3, the centre of each
of them is at a short distance from the line joining the centre of the shaft on which
the cam is fixed, and the point of contact of the cam with the flange 3, as shown in
Fig. 2.
By the construction described and shown, when molten metal is poured into the
mould, the outer portions of the flanges 3 and 4 of each pair can move towards
each other in the direction of the arrows bc and the two halves of the mould can
move laterally in relation to each other in the directions of the arrows a, the
friction between the flanges 3 and the cams 9, 9a owing to the small extent of
bearing surface between these parts, not being sufficiently great to prevent this

page_text: latter movement. This is a matter of great importance. Thus it will be seen that.
full provision is made for the expansion of the mould, and such moulds have in
consequence been found very durable.
Fig. 12 shows in plan a slightly modified form of joint between the flanges 3 and 4
according to which each strip 4 extends to the outer edge of the flange 4, the
space 5 between such strip and the adjacent flange 3 being of sufficient width as.
shown to allow of the outer portions of the flanges moving towards each other as
before when the mould expands.
As will be obvious the cross sectional form of the mould may be varied to suit
the cross sectional form of ingot desired. The upper portion of the mould may
also be slightly contracted by making the upper ends of the two parts 1 and 2:
slightly thicker than the remaining parts, as shown at 13.
The number of cams 9, 9* employed, should be made to depend upon the height.
of the mould to which they are applied but the number should be such as to prevent
the parts of the mould between them opening by expansion and allowing molten
metal to escape. For a mould five feet in height we have found three cams at
each side of the mould sufficient. It will be obvious that hooks such as 7 or
brackets such as 7" may be used at each side, but when the rotary shafts 8, 8ª are
Bquare except at the points of support, it will usually be necessary to employ one.
or more hooks like those shown to support the intermediate portion or portions
of each shaft. We do not recommend hinges to be used as they are objectionable.
in practice.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is-
1. An ingot mould composed of flanged parts such as 1 and 2 held together by
means of hooks and brackets such as 77° (or hooks or brackets) and eccentrics or
cams 99 fixed upon shafts 8, 8* mounted within said hooks or brackets, each half
of said mould being constructed with two flanges 3 and 4 one of which is made with
a dovetail strip 3ª and the other with a dovetail strip 4ª and these parts being so
arranged that when the halves of the mould are fastened together by the means.
referred to spaces are formed at 5 and 6 that allow the outer portions of adjacent
flanges to approach each other and the two parts of the mould can move laterally
in relation to each other so as to allow of expansion of the mould whilst in use as.
set forth.
2. The improved ingot mould hereinbefore described with reference to and
shown in Figs. 1 to 11 inclusive or modified according to Fig. 12 of the accom-
panying drawings.
1900
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.