Method for casting

A casting method for filling of a mold having two mold half sections, the mold having an uptake, comprising the steps of:

• positioning the mold half sections onto a casting container while vertically aligning the uptake with a feed tube of the casting container to provide a direct path for casting mass from the casting container to a mold cavity in the mold;
• applying a feed pressure (p) to the casting container through a connection;
• in response to the feed pressure, force feeding the casting mass from the casting container through the feed tube and into the mold cavity through the uptake;
• stopping application of the feed pressure immediately after feeding of the casting mass into the mold cavity when the mold cavity is substantially full of the mass to form a cast piece;
• applying a substantially horizontal force into a die channel in a lower part of the mold, the die channel being substantially perpendicular to the length of the uptake and ending at a location near the uptake to interrupt feeding of the casting mass into the mold cavity and close the uptake at a closing position adjacent to and closer to a lower end of the mold cavity than to an upper end of the feed tube;
• removing the mold from the casting container;
• and
• securing another mold having first and second mold sections to the casting container,
• wherein the closing of the uptake defines an upper uptake portion above the closing position having casting mass within and a lower uptake portion below the closing position, casting mass in the upper intake portion being fixed as a waste piece to a casting piece in the mold cavity and the lower uptake portion returning casting mass to the casting container through a vertically aligned feed tube so that, other than the cast piece and waste piece, all remaining casting mass returns to the casting container except for any casting mass in the lower uptake portion that solidifies before returning to the casting container.

A casting method for filling of a mold having two mold half sections, one of the mold half sections having a straight linear uptake therethrough, comprising the steps of:

• positioning the mold half sections onto a casting container while vertically aligning the uptake with a feed tube of the casting container to provide a direct path for casting mass from the casting container to a mold cavity in the mold;
• applying a feed pressure (p) to the casting container through a connection;
• in response to the feed pressure, force feeding the casting mass from the casting container through the feed tube and into the mold cavity through the uptake;
• stopping application of the feed pressure immediately after feeding of the casting mass into the mold cavity when the mold cavity is substantially full of the mass to form a cast piece;
• applying a substantially horizontal force into a die channel in a lower part of the mold, the die channel being substantially parallel to the length of the uptake and adjacent the uptake, the horizontal force being applied by a rod movable in the horizontal direction and a pressure piece secured at one end to the rod and projecting upwardly into the die channel, and a contact piece secured to the other end of the pressure piece and aligned horizontally and projecting toward the uptake at a closed top end of the die channel for horizontal movement during movement of the rod to interrupt feeding of the casting mass into the mold cavity and close the uptake at a closing position adjacent to and closer to a lower end of the mold cavity than to an upper end of the feed tube;
• removing the mold from the casting container and advancing the mold along a transport track;
• and
• securing another mold on the transport track to the casting container,
• wherein the closing of the uptake defines an upper uptake portion above the closing position having casting mass within and a lower uptake portion below the closing position, casting mass in the upper intake portion being fixed as a waste piece to a casting piece in the mold cavity and the lower uptake portion returning casting mass to the casting container through a vertically aligned feed tube so that, other than the cast piece and waste piece, all remaining casting mass returns to the casting container except for any casting mass in the lower uptake portion that solidifies before returning to the casting container.