Patent ID: 6892791

Claim:
A casting apparatus for pouring molten metal into a sprue cup of a mold, comprising: a vessel having a molten metal-receiving chamber generally extending between a filling end and a pouring end, said vessel including a nozzle disposed in a bottom surface of said chamber proximate to said pouring end; a stopper cooperating with said nozzle to control a downward gravity flow of molten metal through said nozzle; a first support for pivotably supporting said vessel to provide a horizontal tilt axis substantially coincident with said nozzle; a second support connected to said vessel at a point away from said tilt axis and having a tilt drive for controlling a pivot position of said vessel; a tilt angle controller detecting a level of molten metal within said chamber and engaging said tilt drive to maintain said level of said molten metal within said chamber at a generally constant head height defined between an upper surface of the molten metal and a nozzle exit of said nozzle; a horizontal support rail for slidably supporting said vessel to provide a horizontal movement perpendicular to said tilt axis; and a horizontal drive for controlling said horizontal movement in response to said pivot position so that a trajectory of said flow of molten metal is directed toward a substantially fixed point within said sprue cup.