Patent ID: 8056607

Claim:
A method of casting metal articles, said method comprising the steps of providing a support structure having a plurality of interconnected support sections, positioning a plurality of article mold sections on the plurality of support sections with side portions of the article mold sections extending upward from the support sections, at least partially filling article mold cavities in the article mold sections with a first molten metal which is at a first temperature while the article mold sections are supported by the support sections, thereafter, moving the support sections and a body of a second molten metal relative to each other while the body of a second molten metal is at a second temperature which is less than the first temperature, and filling space extending between the support sections and between side portions of the article mold sections with the second molten metal which forms a portion of the body of molten metal during performance of said step of moving the support sections and the body of a second molten metal relative to each other, wherein each of the support sections extends outwardly from a central portion of the support structure so that a space extending between adjacent support sections increases in a direction extending outwardly from the central portion of the support structure.