US 4,416,603 AGranted

Low pressure hot molding machine

OwnerMichael I. Peltsman, Israel D. Peltsmaninventors

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Abstract

A ceramic molding machine is used for hot molding ceramic parts under low pressures for small part production molding and includes a heated tank that is generally conical in shape and has an internal mixer that is driven from the exterior of the tank through a slip clutch arrangement to avoid overloading of the drive motor. The conical tank insures that the ceramic slurry will flow toward the bottom outlet from the tank and also permit use of small amounts of slurry for small runs of parts if the material is expensive. The mixer blade or paddle is driven from the bottom and removable from the top and thus the tank can easily be serviced. Additionally, air pressure is utilized for holding the molds in position over the feeder pipe and also for transferring the slurry to the mold in a timed sequence that can be controlled to provide the desired time for filling of the mold.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A low pressure ceramic molding machine comprising:

support including a table surface;
a molding tank mounted on said support and positioned below the table surface;
said tank including means to provide heat to the tank for heating materials in the tank and to cause ceramic materials to be heated to a level sufficient to maintain a slurry state;
means to provide fluid under a low pressure to the interior said tank to pressurize the interior of said tank and to cause ceramic material in a slurry state to be under pressure;
said tank having an outlet for permitting said ceramic material in a slurry state to be moved outwardly under such low fluid pressure in a molding cycle;
a conduit positioned exteriorly of the tank connected to said tank outlet and extending laterally from the tank to open to the table surface;
means to mount a die on said table surface, such die having a surface with an opening alignable with said conduit, whereby when the surface of such die and the table surface are held in contact ceramic material in a slurry state will be forced into such die when the tank is under pressure;
said means to mount a die including a die holder for holding such die comprising column means mounted on said support and positioned above said table surface adjacent such die and laterally offset from said tank;
a cross member mounted on said column means in position to overlie such die in place on the table surface and being spaced upwardly therefrom;
and
a fluid pressure cylinder mounted on said cross member and having an extendable and retractable rod and being adapted to exert a force to hold such die with a force toward said table surface to insure communication between the die opening and the conduit during the molding cycle.

8 more elements

In a low pressure ceramic molding machine, a tank, means to provide gaseous fluid under pressure to said tank, an outlet from said tank, means for connecting said outlet to a molding die, means for heating said tank to a level sufficient to maintain a ceramic material in a slurry state whereby ceramic material will be urged by the fluid pressure in the tank through said outlet and the means for connecting, the improvement comprising means to permit using substantially all the material in the tank without waste, the tank being formed to have a generally conical shaped interior surface along substantially its entire axial working length and having the outlet provided at a location to permit discharge of material from said tank, the means for connecting the outlet to the die offset from the central axis of the tank, means to support such a die at a position offset from the central axis of the tank, the means to connect comprising a conduit that has an end directed to be coupled to a die on the means to support, and the means to selectively provide gaseous fluid under pressure to the tank selectively providing pressure at a pressure level acting on the surface of the ceramic material therein sufficient to force such ceramic material through the outlet and the means to connect without movement of the material by a mechanical element.

A low pressure ceramic molding machine comprising:

support including a table surface;
a molding tank mounted on said support and positioned below the table surface;
said tank including means to provide heat to the tank for heating materials in the tank and to cause ceramic materials to be heated to a level sufficient to maintain a slurry state;
means to provide fluid under a low pressure to the interior said tank to pressurize the interior of said tank and to cause ceramic material in a slurry state to be under pressure;
said tank having an outlet for permitting said ceramic material in a slurry state to be moved outwardly under such low fluid pressure in a molding cycle;
a conduit positioned exteriorly of the tank connected to said tank outlet and extending laterally from the tank to open to the table surface;
means to mount a die on said table surface, such die having a surface with an opening alignable with said conduit, whereby when the surface of such die and the table surface are held in contact ceramic material in a slurry state will be forced into such die when the tank is under pressure;
said means to mount a die including a die holder for holding such die comprising a pair of upright columns mounted on said support and positioned above said table surface on opposite sides of such die and laterally offset from said tank;
a cross member mounted on said columns overlying such die in place on the table surface and being spaced upwardly therefrom;
and
a fluid pressure cylinder mounted on said cross member and having an extendable and retractable rod extending downwardly toward such die and adapted to exert a force to hold such die with a downward force relative to said table surface to insure communication between the die opening and the conduit during the molding cycle.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.