Apparatus for injection of molten metal in horizontal injection type die casting machine

An apparatus for the injection of molten metal in a horizontal injection type die casting machine, comprising:

• an injection sleeve formed of a ceramic material and including a pouring port formed in an upper surface thereof;
• a piston reciprocably slideable in said injection sleeve on opposite sides of said pouring port to inject molten metal poured through said pouring port into said sleeve, to a mold;
• a storage vessel formed of a ceramic material, fixedly attached with said upper surface of said sleeve, said storage vessel having a lower opening fluidly connected with said pouring port formed in the upper surface of said injection sleeve to pour said molten metal into said sleeve;
• and, said storage vessel connected to said upper surface of said sleeve in surrounding relation to said lower opening in said storage vessel and said pouring port in the upper surface of said injection sleeve to provide a hermetic seal thereat;
• an electrical heating wire embedded in an outer surface of said storage vessel;
• insulation means formed of a ceramic material formed along the outer surface of said storage vessel for absorbing shocks and vibrations along the outer surface of said storage vessel;
• a heat retaining furnace which supplies molten metal to said storage vessel;
• and
• a feed pipe for supplying molten metal from said heat retaining furnace to said storage vessel;
• wherein the ceramic material is a solid solution having the structure of .alpha.-Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 an being an .alpha.-sialonic sintered material of a dense phase of a composite structure which may be called a "partially stabilized" .alpha.-sialon region in which 60 vol % .alpha.-sialon granular crystals represented by the formula Mx(SI, Al).sub.12 (O, N).sub.16 (M being Mg, Ca, or Y) and 40 vol % .beta.-Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 columnar crystals are consistent.