US 5,181,551 AGranted

Double acting cylinder for filling dies with molten metal

AssigneeElectrovert Ltd.

InventorsThomas F. Kidd, Stephen A. Thompson

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Abstract

A melting casting process produces meltable metal cores for subsequent molding of components made of plastic material and encapsulated components such as turbine blades so they may be held for machining. The process utilizes a double acting piston in a cylinder to permit unlimited dispensing capacity without having to pause between piston strokes. The apparatus comprises a tank for containing molten metal, a double acting cylinder having both ends closed and an injection piston therein and an operating mechanism for reciprocating the piston in the cylinder. Valve mechanisms are provided so that when the piston is moved in either direction in the cylinder, a flow of molten metal passes through an injection passageway into a die, and molten metal from the tank fills the space behind the moving piston thus the cylinder always remains full of molten metal.

Claims26

Dependent claims

An apparatus for filling a die with molten metal comprising:

a tank adapted to contain molten metal;
a double acting cylinder having both ends closed and an injection piston therein;
means to reciprocate the piston in the cylinder;
first passage means from one end of the cylinder to a first valve having a first opening to the tank and a second opening to an injection passageway leading to a die;
the first valve having a first position wherein the first opening to the tank is open and the second opening to the injection passageway is closed, and a second position wherein the first opening to the tank is closed and the second opening to the injection passageway is open;
first valve operating means to transfer between the first position and the second position of the first valve;
second passage means from the other end of the cylinder to a second valve having a first opening to the tank and a second opening to the injection passageway;
the second valve having a first position wherein the first opening to the tank is open and the second opening to the injection passageway is closed, and a second position wherein the first opening to the tank is closed and the second opening to the injection passageway is open;
second valve operating means to transfer between the first position and the second position of the second valve, and
control means for the means to reciprocate the piston in the cylinder, and for the first valve operating means and the second valve operating means to fill the die with molten metal.

7 more elements

A method of producing a casting or encapsulation from molten metal or the like, including:

a double acting cylinder located within a tank containing molten metal, the cylinder having both ends closed and an injection piston therein, means to reciprocate the piston in the cylinder,
first passage means from one end of the cylinder to a first valve means with a first opening to the tank and a second opening to an injection passageway leading to a die,
second passage means from the other end of the cylinder to a second valve means with a first opening to the tank and a second opening to the injection passageway leading to the die,
the method comprising the steps of:
closing the first opening to the tank in the first valve means and opening the second opening from the first passage means to the injection passageway;
opening the first opening to the tank in the second valve means and closing the second opening from the second passage means to the injection passageway;
moving the piston towards the one end of the cylinder having the first passage means therein to draw molten metal into the cylinder through the second passage means and inject molten metal into the die through the first passage means and the injection passageway.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.