Patent ID: 7896060

Claim:
A casting furnace comprising a controlled environment melt chamber and a mold lock chamber for transport of a mold to the controlled environment melt chamber for pouring of a liquid metal into the mold, the improvement comprising: a rotary screw drive located externally from and adjacent to a side of the casting furnace, the rotary screw drive comprising a rotary screw, a linear motion driven shaft element connected to the rotary screw, and a drive means, the linear motion driven shaft element moving linearly along the longitudinal axis of the rotary screw when the rotary screw is rotated by the drive means; a lift shaft disposed within a lift shaft housing on a side of the mold lock chamber, the first end of the lift shaft attached to the linear motion driven shaft element, the lift shaft penetrating through a seal in the lift shaft housing; a support arm attached near to the second end of the lift shaft, the support arm protruding into the mold lock chamber; and a mold support structure attached to the support arm, the mold support structure providing means for seating of the mold, whereby moving the linear motion driven shaft element linearly along the longitudinal axis of the rotary screw causes the mold seated on the mold support structure in the mold lock chamber to be raised to the controlled environment melt chamber or lowered from the controlled environment melt chamber.