US 6,318,445 B1 · Riser topping gathering system and method

Abstract

A riser topping gathering system and method are disclosed. The system and method are used in gathering riser topping material from the riser cavities of the cope portion of a mold. A capture hood includes high-pressure air outlets and is connected to a duct system, collector and air moving mechanism. The capture hood is moved into contact with the top of the cope mold portion. The air moving mechanism pulls a stream of ambient air over the top of the cope mold portion while high pressure air is pulsed into the riser cavities through the high air pressure outlets. The pulses of high-pressure air activate the riser topping materials and raise them out of the riser cavities and into the path of the ambient air in the capture hood. The moving ambient air carries the riser topping material out of the capture hood and into the duct system. The air and riser topping material is moved to the collector where the riser topping material is separated from the air. The riser topping material may then be gathered from the collector and disposed of or recycled. The cope mold portion may then be moved to another workstation for removal of the risers from the riser cavities.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A gathering system comprising:

a cope mold portion having a top with an opening, a riser cavity aligned with the opening in the top and extending down from the top, a solid metal riser in the riser cavity and riser topping in the riser cavity between the solid metal riser and the top of the cope mold portion;
a high-pressure air system;
a capture hood for gathering material from the cope mold portion, the capture hood overlying at least part of the cope mold portion and including an ambient air entry, an ambient air exit, an ambient air flow path over the top of the cope mold portion, and a high pressure air outlet connected to the high pressure air system and positioned to deliver high pressure air into the riser cavity of the cope mold portion, the high pressure air outlet being separate from the ambient air exit;
a collector;
a duct system extending from the ambient air exit of the capture hood to the collector;
and
an air moving mechanism connected to at least one of the duct system and the collector for moving an ambient air stream into the ambient air entry of the capture hood, through the ambient air flow path over the top of the cope mold portion, through the ambient air exit of the capture hood, into the duct system and to the collector.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Riser topping gathering system and method

Life of this patent

Riser topping gathering system and method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20