IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MOULDING FOR CASTING SHOT. SHELLS. AND OTHER ARTICLES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Higgins, of Salford, in the County of Lan-
caster, Machine Maker, and Thomas Schofield Whitworth, of the same
Place, Manager, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
MOULDING FOR CASTING SHOT. SHELLS. AND OTHER ARTICLES."
Sealed the 11th May 1855, and dated the 17th November 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Higgins and
Thomas Schofield Whitworth at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 17th November 1854.
We, JAMES HIGGINS and THOMAS SCHOFIELD WHITWORTH, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MOULDING
FOR CASTING SHOT, SHELLS, AND OTHER ARTICLES," to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates, firstly, to the manufacture of mould boxes for
receiving the sand into which the molten metal is to be poured. Our
object being simplicity of construction and accuracy of adaptation, these
advantages we .secure by proceeding upon the principle of making the
junctions of the parts circular, so that the whole may be completed by
the process of turning. In carrying out this part of our Invention, we use a
plate or diaphragm, upon each side of which one-half of the pattern to be
moulded is affixed. In casting shot, shells, or other articles, the line of
division of which is a circle, we secure a coincidence of the peripherics
of the two parts-by-placing them within recesses turned from a cominou

page_text: centre. The mould boxes are formed circular, and are adapted to either
side of the plate or diaphragm by means of projecting parts and grooves,
and confined together by any suitable fastening, the sand having been
rammed in and the pattern plate removed. The mould boxes are brought
together and maintained in proper relative positions by circular projections
and recesses, concentric to those which previously adjusted their position.
Another method of using the circular form of boxes for securing the proper
relative positions. when "balls, &c. .are to be cast singly, consists in forming
them with interior. and.. exterior. screws-upon-their- peripheries, by which they
may be brought together and separated. Another part of our improvements
relates to a method of applying the sand. The mould boxes, having been
supplied with a certain quantity, are placed beneath a ram, moving on a
centre, or in parallel guides, and actuated by suitable mechanism, which
alternately raises it and allows it to fall, during which the sand is added as
required. The force imparted by the rammer we regulate by causing it to
descend from various 'heights, and we also propose using the direct action
of steam for raising and lowering the ramining apparatus. For the purpose of
securing an equal density of the sand, in all cases we apply a stop, so adapted
so as to prevent the ram from descending below a certain level, and this object
is further attained by using mould boxes of the same capacities, and applying
about the same quantity of sand for each moulding. The ramming of one
side having been completed, the mould boxes are caused to turn upon centre
pins, adapted for that purpose, so as to bring the other side into position for
being rammed. This turning over, inay.be effected by the following means:
The workman draws forward-the boxes on-to a table, which is kept upward by
weights or other means, at which time the centre pins of the boxes will be
situate above fixed supports. The table being then released by a treddle or
otherwise will descend, and leave the boxes suspended upon their centre pins,
on which they may be turned;, or, instead of this arrangement, the supports for
the said-pins-may_be_raised, so as to lift the boxes from the table.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said James Higgins and Thomas Schofield Whitworth, Her especial
license that we, the said James Higgins and Thomas Schofield Whitworth,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said James
Higgins and Thomas Schofield Whitworth, our 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 Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MOULDING FOR CASTING SHOT, SHELLS, AND
OTHER ARTICLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said James
Higgins and Thomas Schofield Whitworth, by an instrument in writing under
our 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 calendari
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said James Higgins and Thomas Schofield
Whitworth, do hereby declare the nature of our said 'Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be perforined, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement and accompanying Drawings, that is
to say:-
Our Invention relates to the mould boxes for receiving the sand into which
the molten metal is to be poured. Our object being simplicity of construction
and accuracy of adaptation, these advantages we secure by proceeding upon
the principle of making the junctions of the parts circular, so that the whole.
may be completed by the process of turning. In combination with this
arrangement, we also employ a plate or diaphragm, upon which the pattern or
one-half thereof is fixed, such plate being provided with circular recesses or
projections, corresponding to the diameters of the circular boxes. For the
purpose of fully explaining our improvements, we have appended to this our
Specification a Sheet of illustrative Drawings, which we will now proceed to
describe.
Fig. 1 represents, in vertical section, one of the mould boxes; Fig: 2 is a
similar view of the other box; Fig. 3 shews the two united; and-Fig: 4-
is a plan view.The-box-a-is formed with a recess b, corresponding in dia-
meter to the part ciof the other box d. The pattern having been applied;-

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and the sand rammed in the usual manner, the two are brought together, as
represented at Fig. 3, and secured by means of the cotter, shown by dots, or
in any other usual manner. In order to maintain at all times the same
relative positions of the two boxes, there is a pine attached to one of them,
taking into a notch f, formed in the other. If it be desired to introduce a
core for hollow shot, or other such articles, the pine may be removed, and an
aperture will then be formed for the core barrel, which may be secured in any
convenient manner. Figs. 5 and 6 shew, in sectional views, one method of
using a plate for supporting the pattern in combination with our circular
boxes, a shot being the article supposed to be moulded. To a plate is
secured one-half of the pattern, as shewn at h; the circumference thereof
being concentric with the circular box d. This box rests upon the "plate"]
within a projection i, and is on the outside part e turned 'to a definite diameter;
the other box is shewn at a, Fig. 6, resting upon a plate g*, to which is attached
the second half of the pattern h, but in this instance the box has a recessed
part b fitting over a projection of the plate. The two, having been rammed
with sand and renioved from the patterns, are brought together and secured
in a similar manner to that described in reference to Fig. 3, the circumference
c of the box d' fitting into the recess 6 of the box a In this instance the
registering pin is not absolutely necessary for the half patterns, and their boxes
being turned from a centre so as to obtain corresponding diameters, the circles
must coincide, however their peripheries may be moved. Such pin, however,
may be employed. This remark applies only to the casting of one spherical
or circular article in a box, but if more be moulded together, the registering
pin must of course be employed. Fig. 7 represents, in sectional view, an
arrangement by which a plate or diaphragm, having a half of the pattern on
each side, may be employed in conjunction with the circular boxes. The
plate is shewn at g, and the two halves of the pattern (supposed to be a shot)
ath, The-two-boxes a, d, having been rammed alternately with sand, are
removed from the plate and joined together, the part cof-the-one-fitting into
the recess 6 of the other. In this case, as in the former, the patterns and
junctions of the boxes are turned from the same centre, and may therefore be
moved round at pleasure without disturbing the proper relative positions.
We have in the foregoing description alluded principally to shot or shell,
but other articles may in like manner be moulded; using, as before observed,
a registering pin, if the periphery of the pattern or set of patterns be not
concentric with the junctions-of-the-boxes. We have also shewn in the
Drawings one pattern only for each box, but more may in like manner be
adapted, using the registering pin before mentioned. It will be observed, that

page_text: in moulding according to our improvements the guide pins ordinarily employed
are not required, the necessary steadiness in moving the boxes being obtained
by the fitting of one circular part on to another; such circular part, however,
need not extend throughout the entire circumference, but may be occasional,
if desired. In our Provisional Specification we contemplated a method of
supplying sand to the patterns and manipulating the mould boxes, but since
the filing thereof we have found that the method we proposed adopting is not
new, and lay no claim thereto.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be under-
stood that we claim, as secured to us under the above in part recited Letters
Pateut,
-
Firstly, the use of circular mould boxes, provided with similarly formed
or disposed recesses or projections on their peripheries, fitting each other.
Secondly, the employment of a plate or diaphragm, carrying the pattern,
or one-half thereof, in combination with a circular box or boxes, capable of
being adapted thereto by means of recesses or projections, coinciding with the
periphery or peripheries of the said box or boxes.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Higgins and Thomas Schofield
Whitworth, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Sixteenth
day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-five.