IMPROVEMENTS IN CASTING STEEL, IRON AND OTHER METALS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, ERNEST WEBERS of 81 Princess Street, Manchester, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN CASTING STEEL, IRON
AND OTHER METALS to be as follows:-
These improvements consist in the application of proper means to prevent those
chemical combinations between the cast metal and the substance of the mould, for
which some oxydation of one or both these parts is required; by which means the
adhesion of the cast piece to the substance of the mould is prevented and the
production of clean, sharp and sound castings is ensured.
This is attained by removing from the substance and cavities of the mould all
oxygen, which may be present.
or:
1) in some combination liable to be decomposed by the liquid metal-as for
instance water;
2) in a free or diffused state;-as for instance in the atmospheric air.
As my improvements on the present general practice and with reference to the
cases specified just before I claim:
ad 1: A more effective and expeditious method of drying non-metallic moulds,
which I effect by forcing or drawing through the substance of the mould a
current of heated gaseous substances, which I obtain
a: by turning any solid, liquid or gaseous fuel within a chamber of suitable
design, connected with the mould, and by forcing or drawing the heated
products of combustion through the substance of the mould by the agency of a
blowing engine, fan, Roots blower, Exhaustor or similar machine.
b: by conducting a current of air generated by a blowing engine, fan, Roots
blower, Exhaustor or similar machine through a heated stove, similar to those
used in ironworks for heating the blast, and thence forcing or drawing it
through the substance of the mould.

page_text: d 2. The object specified sub 2 I attain :
a: by filling the cavities and impregnating the substance of the mould,
immediately before running in the metal, with pure or mixtures of non-
oxydizing or desoxydizing gases, as which I specify: nitrogen, hydrogen, the
oxydes of carbon, coal gas and all other hydrocarbons;
or, according to circumstances:
b: by brushing out and impregnating the interior surface of the mould―
which if non-metallic must have been carefully dryed before with some
liquid hydrocarbonaceous compound, as free as possible from oxygen and
water, which is to be ignited and vaporized by the contact with the hot metal,
thereby expelling or absorbing the oxygen which may be contained within
the mould. This preparation is applied to the mould as immediately before
running in the metal as possible, and in the interval the mould is not subjected
to any drying agency.

page_text: I, ERNEST WEBERS, of 81 Princess Street Cross Street Manchester, in the
County Palatine of Lancaster, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN CASTING STEEL, IRON AND OTHER METALS and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:—
These improvements consist in the application of proper means to prevent those
chemical combinations between the cast metal or alloy and the substance of the
mould, for which some oxydation of one or both these parts is required; by which
means the adhesion of the cast piece to the substance of the mould obviated and
the production of clean, sharp and sound castings is secured.
This is attained:
1) by expelling from the cavities, pores, crevices and the very substance of the
mould all oxygen, which there may be contained
a) in some combination liable to be decomposed by the liquid metal-as
for instance water; some hydrate forming part of the substance of the
mould; etc.
or b) in a free or diffused state-as for instance in the atmospheric air;
and 2) by filling the pores, cavities and crevices and percolating the substance of
the mould with some gas or mixture of gases not liable to enter into a com-
bination with the substance of the mould or with the liquid metal or alloy-
as which I specify: Nitrogen, hydrogen, the oxydes of carbon, coal gas and all
other hydrocarbons.
It depends from the shape and size of the mould, from the substances of which
t is composed, and from the metal or alloy to be cast, whether the means set forth
ub 1) and 2) are both to be applied-which may be done either simultaneously or
eparately or whether only one of them may be resorted to.
The following processes have been arranged for the above described purposes:
I) Some solid, liquid or gaseous fuel is burnt within a chamber of suitable
design, this chamber being either partially closed and encompassed by the
substance of the mould to be acted upon, or, whenever this is not possible,
communicating with the said mould by means of pipes or flues; the hot
gaseous products of combustion thus obtained being made to permeate the
mould by the drawing or forcing agency of a blowing engine, air pump, fan,
Roots blower, exhaustor or similar machine.
II) Other gases or mixtures of such, obtained by any process or taken from any
supply whatever, are, either heated or at the common temperature, conducted
to the mould by pipes or flues and drawn or forced through it by the means
described sub I) for the purpose of evaporating the water contained in the
substance of the mould. In the case of these gases or mixtures containing
some oxygen liable to combine with the substance of the mould or with the
liquid metal or alloy they are, immediately before casting, displaced by some
of the gases specified before sub 2.
:
III) The interior surface of the mould-which if non-metallic must be carefully
dried before is brushed out and impregnated with some liquid hydrocar-
bonaceous compound, as free as possible from oxygen in any shape, which is
to be ignited and vaporized by the contact with the hot metal or alloy, thereby
displacing or absorbing all oxygen which may be contained within the mould.
This preparation is applied to the mould as immediately as possible before
running in the metal, the mould not being subjected to any drying agency in
the interval.

page_text: An apparatus for carrying out the processes described before sub I) and II) is
illustrated on the annexed drawing. A is a canal constructed below the floor ab of
the foundry; B and C are two pipes laid in the canal and containing gaseous
substances under suitable pressures, which by a series of stop-valves D and taps E
may be discharged through openings F arranged at convenient distances in the cast
iron floor plates by which the canal is covered. Thus it is possible to drive these
gaseous substances, either together or separately, through the moulding boxes G,
which are placed tight over these openings. The pipe B may contain atmospheric
air delivered into it under pressure from a blowing engine or fan, either cold or
heated in a stove similar to those used in ironworks, which, if discharged through
the moulding box, will evaporate the water contained in the substance of the
mould. This being done, any of the non-oxydizing gases or mixtures specified
before sub 2 and contained in pipe C under pressure from a gasholder or some other
apparatus, may be discharged through the mould shortly before casting, thus
driving out all atmospheric air contained in it.
Or the pipe B may contain gaseous products of combustion generated in some
combustion chamber and delivered into the pipe under pressure-which if discharged
through the mould will be sufficient for the above stated purpose in case of not
containing any free oxygen, atmospheric air or steam; if this cannot be obtained,
recourse must be had to the non-oxydizing gases contained in pipe C, shortly before
casting, as described before.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
.
1) A new process of expelling all oxygen in a free or combined state from casting
moulds, and filling and impregnating these moulds with gases not liable to enter
into a combination with any of the substances of which the moulds are composed,
or with the metal or alloy to be cast in them-the process consisting in drawing or
forcing suitable gaseous substances during, before and after the casting through the
moulds.
2) An apparatus for carrying out this process, consisting of a system of pipes B
and C fitted with stop-valves, taps or similar contrivances, for the purpose of
discharging different gaseous substances, either together or separately, through the
moulds.
3) The expulsion of oxygen in a free or combined state from casting moulds, by
gases drawn or forced through the same, and the impregnation and filling of these
moulds with non-oxydizing gases as and for the purposes herein before described.
4) The process of brushing out and impregnating dried casting moulds imine-
diately before the casting with some liquid hydrocarbonaceous compound, which
is to be ignited and vaporized by the fluid metal or alloy.
12 001
COL100A