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US 2018/0345363 A1Published application
Interlocking refractory gating system for steel casting
AssigneeSchaefer Industries, Inc.
InventorsRichard E. Kilgore, Nicholas Schaefer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A customizable gating system for metal casting that includes a duct assembly formed from refractory conduit components is disclosed. The gating system is configured to deliver molten metal to a gateway for a mold. The duct assembly is formed from refractory conduit components that can withstand the high temperatures of molten metal and include advantageous features for forming the components, for adjusting the length of conduit components as needed to provide a customized duct assembly, and for interconnecting components to form a duct assembly.
Claims23
A conduit connector comprising:
- a first connector component and a second connector component, each of the first connector component and the second connector component comprising:
- a base made from a refractory material, said base having a first wall, a second wall opposite said first wall, a third wall extending between said first and second walls, a fourth wall extending between said first and second walls and opposite said third wall, and a mating surface adjacent to said first, second, third, and fourth walls;
- a conduit channel extending from said mating surface into said base and defining a conduit channel surface that extends between a first channel rim and a second channel rim;
- a tube-fitting recess formed in said base that is coaxially aligned with said conduit channel, said tube fitting recess extending laterally from said first wall to said first channel rim and radially from said mating surface into said base, thereby defining a tube-fitting surface;
- and
- a locking channel formed in said base that is coaxially aligned with said tube-fitting recess, said locking channel extending radially from said tube-fitting surface into said base and defining a locking channel surface, said locking channel being sized and shaped to receive a locking tab from a tube for securing the tube in said tube-fitting recess;
- wherein said mating surface of the first connector component is sized and shaped to interface with the mating surface of the second connector component such that when said mating surface of the first connector component is attached to the mating surface of the second conduit connector component, the conduit connector is formed.
4 more elements
A tube comprising:
- a first tube component and a second tube component, each of the first tube component and the second tube component comprising:
- an elongated semi-cylindrical tube base made from a refractory material, said tube base having a first end, a second end, an outer surface, and an inner surface, said outer surface and inner surface extending between said first end and said second end, said outer surface and said inner surface defining a first mating surface extending between said outer surface and said inner surface on one side of said tube base and a second mating surface extending between said outer surface and said inner surface on an opposing side of said tube base;
- and
- a first locking tab and a second locking tab disposed on said outer surface, said first locking tab being located proximate to said first end and said second locking tab being located proximate to said second end, each of said first and second locking tabs being sized and shaped to interface and engage with a locking channel of a tube-fitting recess of a conduit connector;
- wherein said first mating surface and said second mating surface of the first tube component are sized and shaped to interface with the second mating surface and the first mating surface, respectively, of the second tube component such that when said first and second mating surfaces of the first tube component are attached to the second and first mating surfaces of the second tube component, the tube is formed.
2 more elements
A gating system for metal casting comprising:
- at least one tube formed from two interfacing refractory tube components, said at least one tube having a first end, a second end, and outer surface and an inner surface, said at least one tube including a tab disposed on said outer surface and located proximate to said first end;
- and at least one conduit connector formed from two interfacing refractory conduit connector components, said at least one conduit connector having a base with a first wall and a second wall, a conduit channel that extends through said base from said first wall to said second wall, a tube-fitting recess extending into said base from said first wall to an annular rim, a locking channel formed in said base that is coaxially aligned with said tube-fitting recess and extends radially into said base and defining a locking channel surface, and a slot formed in said base that extends laterally from said first wall to said locking channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.