Improved Means for the Production of Metal Castings.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Nov., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 11th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 14th Nov., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by LOUIS J. CRECELIUS, of St. Louis, Mo., U.S.A.,
Engineer.]
Improved Means for the Production of Metal Castings.
I, ARTHUR GEORGE BROWN, of 38 Victoria Buildings, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to make metal castings of all shapes that are
sound, strong, and homogeneous.
It is well known that certain shapes and forms of castings especially light
skeleton frames are difficult to make in a satisfactory manner, and sometimes it is
impossible by the ordinary methods to cast such frames sufficiently sound to be of
any practical use.
I overcome the difficulties incidental to the making of such castings, and for this
purpose I employ moulds, preferably of metal, the fusing point of which is higher
These moulds are thicker at
than the temperature of the melted metal to be cast.
the top than at the bottom, and are provided with large pouring gates or risers,
which will contain a quantity of metal to allow for the shrinkage of the casting
when cooling. These moulds are heated in a suitable muffle or furnace to about
the same or in some cases as when making castings of aluminium or aluminium
alloys, preferably to a higher temperature than the melted metal to be cast; then
the melted metal is poured in, aud afterwards, the mould with the metal therein is
subjected to a cooling influence, preferably to a blast of air, with which a jet or
spray of water may be combined, which cooling influence is first applied at the
bottom of the mould, and at a point farthest from the pouring gate, and gradually
progressing upwards towards the pouring gate until the whole mould with the
casting is suitably cooled or chilled.
Dated this 20th day of November 1895.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agente.
Improved Means for the Production of Metal Castings.
I, ARTHUR GEORGE BROWN of No. 38 Victoria Buildings, Manchester in the
County of Lancaster Engineer, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in metal castings. It consists of an
improved process which is particularly applicable to the production of sound,
strong and homogeneous castings in spite of the lightness of the latter.
The difficulty of producing light castings which shall be also sound, strong and
homogeneous, is well known. It is, doubtless, attributable to the very large
cooling surface of mould and casting in proportion to transverse sectional area of the

page_text: latter. This difficulty is, in respect of certain castings, so considerable, that it
absolutely prevents their manufacture as sound and reliable productions of the
founder's art. Such castings are typified by light skeleton frames, the members
of which are long in proportion to their section and, in some cases, tubular also.
The object of the present invention is to obviate the difficulty above mentioned
and to bring the production of these castings within the founder's art.
In carrying it into effect, 1 use moulds made only of a material which has a
fusing point above the temperature of the molten metal to be cast. This material
is, preferably, metal, but not exclusively so, for the material of the mould is not
essential to the invention, whilst the relatively high fusing point is. A mould
suitable for the purposes of the present invention, is, preferably, thicker at the top
than at the bottom. It is provided with larger pouring gates or risers, than it is
the common practice to make use of. One function of such enlarged gates or
risers is to contain a sufficient quantity of metal in a molten condition, to
compensate for the shrinkage of the casting which it undergoes during the act of
cooling.
The mould is heated in a suitable muffle or furnace. The temperature to which
it is raised depends upon the fusing point of the metal to be cast, and upon the rate
at which such metal cools. In no case may it be much less than that of the metal
to be cast, and in the case of such metals as aluminium and aluminium alloys, I
prefer that it should be higher.
After the metal has been poured, the mould still holding its molten contents, is
subjected to a cooling agent. I prefer that this latter should be a blast of air.
There may be combined with this blast, a jet or spray of water. The cooling
agent is applied first to the bottom of the mould, and to that part thereof which is
the furthest from the pouring gate or riser. The jet is directed over the remainder
of the mould gradually, treating the several parts of its surface in order, according
to their distance from the gate or riser, until the casting has been cooled down to a
suitable temperature.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. The hereinbefore described process of heating a mould to a temperature
higher than that of the molten metal to be cast and pouring the said metal into
the heated mould.
2. The improved casting process hereinbefore set forth and consisting of,
(a) a mould of a material having a fusing point higher than the temperature of
the molten metal to be cast; (b) raising the temperature of the mould to at least
that of the metal to be cast, (c) pouring the metal; and (d) cooling the mould still
holding its molten contents, by a jet or spray directed against it in the way
specified.
3. The herein before described process of cooling a mould and its molten
contents.
Dated this 11th day of March 1896
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.