Year: 1899

page_text: what
I, CLEMENT BUSH, of Quincy, in the County of Adams, and State of Illinois,
U.S.A., Gentleman, do declare the
nature of this invention and [11
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement: —
This invention relates to improvenients in apparatus for casting metallic wheels
of that type wherein the spokes of the wheel or article to be cast are inserted
in the mold in such manner as to be united at their inner ends with the metal
which forms the hub of the wheel, while at their other ends they are confined by
a rim of any approved pattern, usually, however, of metal. The objects of the
invention are to provide an apparatus whereby the manufacture of such wheels
may be simplified, the certainty and accuracy of the results increased and the
cost of manufacture reduced to a minimum. With such objects in view the
invention may be said to employ a flask in which the cast portion of the wheel
is given form embodying or having combined with it a pattern of peculiar con-
struction for giving shape to the mold in which the cast is made within the
flask and for giving access to said mold for the introduction of the spokes for
uniting the hub and rim of the completed wheel.
Further than this the invention consists in certain novel details of construction
and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will be now described and
pointed out particularly in the appended claims.
Referring to the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my apparatus prepared for the reception of
the sand or loam in which the mold cavity is formed.
Figure 2 is a similar view with the chill retaining cylinder and some of the
temporary spokes or mold positioners removed, and with the rim and core
retaining arms or spiders in position.
Figure 3 is a vertical cross section of the apparatus illustrated in Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the chills of the preferred
form, with its two halves separated to show interlocking portions.
Figure 5 is a similar view of one of the stubs for giving shape to the cavity
in which the metal around the inner ends of the spokes is formed.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of sectional chill with the
two sections separated.
.

page_text: Figure 7 is a vertical cross section of the apparatus with the patterns removed
and the core inserted ready for the pouring operation.
Like letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.
In carrying this invention into practice, I provide a casing, preferably cylin-
drical and lettered A in the accompanying drawings, which casing might be
and will for convenience herein be termed a flask within which the hub portion
of the wheel is cast and through the walls of which the spokes, during the casting
operation, are adapted to project radially into engagement with the rim of the
wheel. For the purpose of accommodating the spokes and permitting the
removal of the wheel after the hub has been cast around the inner ends of the
spokes, the wall of the flask A has vertical slits a therein, corresponding in
position to the positions of the spokes in the completed wheel and the upper ends
of these slits are widened out to form openings through which, parts, which I
shall herein term chills, are adapted to project and through which in turn the
inner ends of the spokes are inserted into the mold cavity. These chills and the
openings for their reception are preferably staggered to approximate the staggered
arrangement of the spokes on the hub of the wheel and in the drawings it will be
noted that this is shown in Figure 2 where proximate openings are in different
horizontal planes.
The chills preferably made in interlocking halves B, are inserted through the
openings at the upper ends of the slits a in the flask A and project inwardly to a
point where the ends of the cavities for the stubs on the hub of the wheel ter-
iminate and at their inner ends they have openings approximately the size of
the spokes to be used in the wheel. These openings flare outwardly or are larger
at the outer ends of the chills than at the inner ends, thus the spokes may be
inserted at quite a sharp angle if found necessary and without disturbing the mold
material contained within the flask, as will be presently explained. The sections
of the chills are held together by the walls of the openings in the flask through
which they project and they are held inwardly by a removable casing C which may
be slipped over the flask and is provided with slits & through which the temporary
spokes may be inserted and which will permit the casing to be removed at will.
Centrally of the flask I locate a pattern I approximating the shape of the hub
of the wheel, which pattern may have its upper end separable as at d and in the
walls of this pattern there are formed a series of recesses corresponding to the
positions of the inner ends of the spokes. Between the hub pattern D and the
ends of the chills before described there are located a series of stub patterns. E,
each one of which is centrally perforated the central perforation registering with
the opening in the end of the chill and the opening in the hub pattern corre-
sponding thereto, thus in assembling the parts a temporary spoke or retainer such
as F is passed inwardly through each of the chills and through one of the stub
patterns and into the central hub pattern. It will be noticed that when thus
assembled the enclosing casing forces all of the chills inwardly and the stub
patterns being located between the ends of the chills and the central hub
pattern will center the latter and hold it firmly in position.
With the parts in this position, sand, loam or mold material is rammed in
around the parts and the flask filled all in the ordinary way. After this has been
accomplished, the outer casing is removed, the upper or flanged end of the hub
pattern also removed and then the temporary spokes or retainers withdrawn.
The central hub pattern may then be removed by raising the flask if the taper is
upwardly as shown, or by lifting the pattern if the taper is downwardly, after
which the stub patterns may be each removed by reaching in through the central
cavity with a convenient hook or other appliances leaving the mold intact and
when mounted upon a suitable base is ready for the reception of the spokes and
metal fluid.
During the pouring of the fluid metal and after the casing is removed, the chills
are held in place by the loam packed around them.
Before the spokes and rim are applied and before the fluid metal is poured.

page_text: a series of hangers or spiders G are hung upon, the edge of the flask in position
for their outwardly extending arms y to receive and support the rim of the
wheel. The rim having been placed upon the spiders G, it is centered with
respect to the mold by means of pins H which may be inserted in any one of the
series of holes h in the arms and it is centered vertically in accordance with the
width of the rim by means of the blocks or wedges I, which may be placed
beneath the rim at each of the points of support, thus a narrow rim, where no
dish" is given to the wheel, should be raised by the wedge somewhat higher
than a wide rim in order that the spokes may project properly from the hub.
The spokes now have their inner ends passed into the mold cavity through the
flaring openings in the chills until their outer ends will pass inside of the rim
when said outer ends are inserted into the openings provided therefor in the rim
and the spokes drawn outwardly until the usual shoulders on the spokes engage
the rim. When in this position, each spoke will have its inner end projecting
into one of the stub cavities (see Figure 7) and in position to have the metal cast
about it, and it will be particularly observed that in inserting the spokes no
danger of injuring the mold is incurred inasmuch as the mold material holds
the chill firmly in position and the openings in the inner ends of the latter
effectually guide and support the inner ends of the spokes out of contact with the
sand, loam or mold material.
The inner ends gof the spiders G project over the top of the flask and are adapted
to hold the core or core pieces S for the axle opening in place. Such core piece
or pieces are of the usual construction and are illustrated in Figure 7 as being
held down by the overlying ends of the spider and if desired wedges T or other
means may be used to properly position it.
To prevent any possible escape of the molten metal through the apertures in
the ends of the chills and around the spokes held thereby it is found desirable
to throw a handful of sand or loam into the said chills from the outside after
the spokes are properly positioned, thus effectually closing the cracks around the
spokes which advantage it will be seen follows from the formation of the chills
with flaring openings.
In the preferred construction as before stated, the chills are divided in half and
as shown in Figure 4, the two halves are preferably provided with interlocking
portions such as k for holding them in their correct relative positions, but it is
obvious that this is not essential inasmuch as other means may be resorted to for
retaining the two sections of the chill in proper relative position, such for
instance, as the wall of the opening through which the chills pass in the flask
and in fact such chills may be of any approved shape and I have shown in
Figure 6 a modified form where the chill M is substantially circular in cross
section and has within it a conical cavity, but in each instance the chill must
be sectional in order to permit the removal of the completed wheel after the hub
has been cast around the inner ends of the spokes.
When the casting has been done, it will be found that the chills may be
drawn out and taken off of the spokes and flask slipped off, the spokes during
such movement of the flask passing through the slots and out.
Rims of different diameters may be properly centered as well as rims of
different width and so too by using different sizes of hub and stub patterns the
size of the hubs may be correspondingly varied adapting the apparatus for use in
making many different sizes of wheels. So too, in manipulating a number of
flasks it is only essential to have one casing inasmuch as when one flask has been
set up ready for casting the casing is no longer in use there and may be taken
to the next flask and put into communication for holding the chills in that
flask and so on.
Having thus fully described 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 an annaratus for forming metallic mhooto
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page_text: having slits extending inwardly from the edge for the insertion and removal of
the wheel spokes, of a series of radially arranged chills mounted in said slits and
having openings at their inner ends for the wheel spokes; substantially as
described.
2. In an apparatus for forming metallic wheels, the combination with a flask
having a series of openings in its side wall, and slits extending from said openings
to the edge of the Hask, of a series of tapering chills mounted in said openings
and converging towards the center of the flask; substantially as described.
3. In an apparatus for forming metallic wheels, the combination with a flask
having openings in its side wall, and slits extending from said openings to the
edge of the flask, of a series of sectional chills mounted in said openings and
having apertures at their inner ends for the passage of the spokes; substantially
as described.
4. In an apparatus for forming metallic wheels, the combination with a flask
baving a series of slits therein extending to the edge for the admission and
escape of the wheel spokes, of a series of sectional converging chills having
apertures at the inner ends for the admission of the spokes; substantially as
described.
5. In an apparatus for forming metallic wheels the combination with a flask
having a series of apertures in its side walls and slits extending from said aper-
tures to the edge of the flask, of a series of sectional converging chills mounted in
said apertures, the sections of said chills having interlocking projections; sub-
stantially as described.
6. In an apparatus for forming metallic wheels, the combination with a flask
having apertures and slits connecting said apertures with one edge of the flask and
converging chills mounted in said apertures and in turn having apertures for the
admission of the spokes, of a series of spiders having outwardly extending arms
for supporting the wheel rim with which the spokes cooperate; substantially as
described.
7. In an apparatus for forming metallic wheels, the combination with a flask
having openings in its wall, of a series of chills converging inwardly from said
openings and having outwardly flaring openings within them for the admission
of the spokes; substantially as described.
8. In an apparatus for forming metallic wheels the combination with a flask
having a series of slots extending out to the edge for the escape of the wheel spokes a
series of inwardly converging chills having apertures for the passage of the
spokes, a central hub pattern and a series of independent stub patterns for bridging
spaces between the hub pattern and inner ends of the chills; substantially as
described.
•
9. In an apparatus for forming metallic wheels, the combination with a flask,
of a central hub pattern, a series of converging chills and stub patterns bridging
the spaces between the hub pattern and inner ends of the chills, said chill, stub
patterns and hub pattern having apertures in alignment with each other and tem-
porary spokes or retainers for holding said parts in their adjusted positions;
substantially as described.
10. In an apparatus for forming metallic wheels, the combination with a
Hask having slits in its wall extending out to one edge for the escape of the spokes,
of spiders mounted on said flask and having outwardly extending arms for sup-
porting the wheel rim and inwardly extending arms for retaining the central core;
substantially as described.
Dated this 23rd day of October 1899
BOULT, WADE & KILBURN,
Agents for the Applicant.