LOW PRESSURE DIE CASTING APPARATUS

• US 3,804,152 A
• Filed: 07/03/1972
• Issued: 04/16/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jon Erik Marius Carlsen, William Joseph Cook
• Original Assignee: Jon Erik Marius Carlsen, William Joseph Cook
• Inventors: Cook, William Joseph, Carlsen, Jon Erik Marius
• Primary Examiner(s): Overholser, J. Spencer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Roethel, John E
• Application Number:
  US05/268,903
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 164/119,129,130,136,306,323
• US Class Current: 164/306
• CPC Class Codes: B22D 18/04 Low pressure casting, i.e. making use of pressures up to a few bars to fill the mould

Abstract

A low pressure die casting apparatus has one or more furnaces each with a feed duct through the cover, through which molten metal is forced by gas pressure. A die placed in co-operation with a feed duct thereby receives a charge of metal. The entire die mounting structure is arranged to be movable relative to the or each furnace in separate vertical and horizontal modes so that a die can be raised clear and to one side of an associated furnace. The die mounting structure and/or furnace may be movable and the horizontal motion is conveniently made by pivoting about a vertical axis.

Claims

1. A low pressure die casting apparatus comprising a furnace, a generally vertical feed duct from the cover thereof, and a die supporting structure for holding a die over the furnace in cooperation with said feed duct, wherein the improvement comprises a first mounting for the furnace and a second mounting for the die supporting structure laterally clear of and separate from the furnace, and means for moving at least one mounting for vertical engagement and disengagement of the die with the feed duct and, independently of such vertical movement, for lateral displacement between furnace and die supporting structure in an arc centred on one of said mountings.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first mounting maintains the furnace at a fixed level and the second mounting permits the die supporting structure to be vertically movable.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second mounting maintains the die supporting structure at a fixed level and the first mounting permits the furnace to be vertically movable.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first mounting maintains the furnace at a fixed horizontal location and the second mounting permits the die supporting structure to be laterally movable.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second mounting maintains the die supporting structure at a fixed horizontal location and the first mounting permits the furnace to be laterally movable.

6. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second mounting includes a vertical column whose axis is the pivot axis for the lateral displacement and which is vertically movable to raise and lower said structure.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, and comprising at least one further furnace carried by the first mounting and co-operable with and disengageable from the die supporting structure, similarly as the first mentioned furnace.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the die supporting structure includes a single platen unit.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the die supporting structure includes a plurality of laterally separate platen units.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said platen units are laterally stationary within the entire die supporting structure.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the platen units are arranged in the die supporting structure so that when one platen unit is co-operating with the furnace another platen unit is laterally clear of the furnace.

12. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the die supporting structure includes a single platen unit selectively co-operable with any of said furnaces, said platen unit having at least one intermediate position laterally clear of said furnaces.

13. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the die supporting structure includes a plurality of laterally separate platen units and there are the same number oF furnaces as there are platen units.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the furnaces are so disposed and the arrangement of the platen units is such that when any one platen unit is co-operating with an associated furnace another platen unit is laterally clear of its associated furnace.

15. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the furnaces are so disposed and the arrangement of the platen units is such that all the platen units co-operate simultaneously with associated furnaces and have intermediate positions clear of said furnaces.