IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO MACHINERY FOR MAKING SAND MOULDS FOR METALLIC CASTINGS
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Phillips Thompson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st February 1880.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of Tranmere, in the County of Chester, Civil
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO MACHINERY FOR MAKING
SAND MOULDS FOR METALLIC CASTINGS."
This Invention is for the same class of machines as that for which Letters
Patent were granted to me, and dated the Twenty-eighth day of October 1878,
No. 4321.
First. I fix the plate surrounding the pattern, hereafter called the "filling" plate,
rigidly to the stationary or reversing table, and fasten the pattern or pattern plate
to a block moving in vertical guides or their equivalent in the table, but whose
height in the table is regulated by a cam or cams, double wedges, or other simple
mechanism for raising it up level with the filling plate, or lowering it so as to
withdraw the pattern from the sand through the filling plate.
Second. Round the filling and pattern plates I place a frame hereafter called tho
"flask frame," whose inner surface has the same contour as the box to be moulded
from. This frame is supported on springs or counterweights, and free to rise to a
height where it is stopped by easily regulated stops. These stops can be composed of
washers round a bolt or pin passing through brackets on the standard framework
of the machine and through holes in the flask frame. By altering the thickness of
these washers between the bracket and the flask frame the exact height at which
the flask frame stands is regulated. Screws, wedges, and other mechanical means
can be used, or sliding pins in the case of reversing machines. If it be a reversing
machine the same eccentric actuates both pattern plates, the same springs or
weights actuate both flask plates and bear against both. On the flask frame I
place the flask or box, the piu fitting into a socket, or the socket onto a pin on flask
frame, as the case may be, or loose pins can be inserted into or pass up into the
sockets of flask frame when required.
Third. The sand drawer when used is formed of a series of drawers, both sido
ways and vertically, so that the amount of sand can be regulated exactly according
as I pull out one drawer or several. The lower or middle part of the bopper is
preferably of leather, or otherwise telescopic, and the drawers are supported on a
frame adjusted vertically, so that different heights of flasks can be used. The
bridge between the 'drawer and flask, if any, can be of plate or cast iron supported
on springs below the bottom drawer, or is attached to the adjustable frame of the

page_text: drawers, and is hinged. The drawers can be worked by hand, casily pulling out
one or more at a time, or by means of a piston-rod-head of a hydraulic or steam
cylinder, or by a rack and pinion or other mechanical device as most convenient;
or I do without a drawer altogether and make my table to slide on a gantry
alternately under a hopper, having a riddle and shaker above and the plunger
hereafter mentioned. When filled with sand a vertical plunger or flat plate
descends slowly on it, and by power, weight, or springs is forced down onto the
filled flask, the flask is forced down and the flask plate with it until the bottom of
the flask is level with the filling plate; the loose sand is thus pressed tightly round
the pattern projecting through the filling plate, the amount of weight or force in
the case of a bydraulic or steam cylinder being adjustable at pleasure. If not on
a gantry the table is vertically under the plunger. The plunger then rises the
pattern if made removable, withdrawn by a turn of the eccentric, and the
completed mould lifted off the "flat filling" plate surrounding the pattern. I
sometimes add projecting pieces to the plunger to press into the sand, and condense
it at certain points. Sometimes when a shaft and cam are used to press down the
pressing plate onto the flask or box, I arrange that while the pressure plate is firmly
down, two or more hammers shall be let fall by the cam and strike the plate or
sides of the flask. I sometimes support the entire table on springs so as to give
way if an accidental excess of strain occurs, or place a chamber of confined fluid
with heavily weighted valve in place of spring. When a foundry is specially
arranged for my Invention I use the gantry variation, and arrange a series of
machines with their cams all driven from the same slowly revolving line shaft.
Cams or other mechanism on the same shaft also shake the riddles if used, and
Jacob's ladders," elevators, or screws, worked from same shaft feed the hoppers.
In such case the cams are arranged with clutches so that they can be thrown out of
gear independently, and the plunger cains kept at their highest point of stroke by
catch when desired. Sometimes I supply the sand to an archimedian screw trough
above, and do away with hoppers altogether, their place being supplied with
hanging spouts or sleeves from the archimedian screw trough furnished with a
slide or valve both at top or bottom, worked at will by the operator by means of
handles.
"