Patent ID: 7213634

Claim:
A method of filing a mold assembly with molten metal as the mold assembly is conveyed along a first path, the mold assembly having a first mold component positioned above a bottom board, the bottom board having an entrance port extending horizontally and a feed system including at least one vertically extending runner, the method comprising the steps of a) moving one of the mold assembly and a nozzle laterally of said first path to position the horizontally extending feed port in contact with the nozzle which is supplied with molten metal by a pumping system; b) activating the pumping system causing molten metal to flow into and fill the horizontally extending entrance port, the vertically extending runner, and the mold with molten metal; c) interrupting the flow of molten metal at a particular point in the vertically extending runner trapping the molten metal in the mold; d) moving the mold assembly away from the nozzle; e) draining the molten metal in the vertically extending runner below the particular point and in the horizontally extending entrance port into a ladle for reuse.