Patent ID: 7934627

Claim:
A molten metal supply system comprising: (a) a molten metal supply source; and (b) a plurality of molten metal injectors comprising at least a first molten metal injector, and at least a second molten metal injector, wherein the first molten metal injector is configured to alternate between being: in a first instance, in fluid communication with the molten metal supply source, and in a second instance, in fluid communication with the second molten metal injector and a downstream process, wherein the second molten metal injector is configured to alternate between being: in a first instance, in fluid communication with the first molten metal injector and the downstream process and in a second instance, in fluid communication with the downstream process, wherein each of the injectors comprises: an injector housing configured to contain molten metal and a piston that is reciprocally operable within the injector housing; wherein the piston of each injector housing is moveable through a return stroke and a forward stroke, wherein the return stroke allows the molten metal to be received into the injector housing; and wherein the forward stroke displaces the molten metal from the injector housing: wherein the system is configured such that the forward stroke of the first molten metal injector simultaneously feeds the molten metal to both ( 1 ) the housing of the second molten metal injector and (ii) the downstream process, and wherein the system is configured such that the forward stroke of the second molten metal injector feeds the molten metal into the downstream process; and (c) a process control cylinder having: a process control cylinder housing in gaseous communication with the second molten metal injector, the process control cylinder housing configured to contain a gas, and a process control cylinder piston, wherein the process control cylinder piston is reciprocally operable within the process control cylinder housing, wherein the process control cylinder piston is movable through a forward stroke and a return stroke, wherein the system is configured to control the exit speed of a product of the downstream process via the process control cylinder piston; wherein the return stroke of the process control cylinder piston decreases the amount of pressure applied to the gas in the process control cylinder housing, which decreases the velocity of the forward stroke of the second molten metal injector, which decreases the exit speed of the product of the downstream process, wherein the forward stroke of the process control cylinder piston increases the amount of pressure applied to the gas in the second housing, which increases the exit speed of the product of the downstream process.