Melt pumping apparatus and casting apparatus
First Claim
1. Melt pumping apparatus, comprising pump casing means including a melt pumping chamber submersible in the melt and having a melt inlet and melt outlet communicated to said chamber and a piston-receiving bore communicated to said chamber, piston means disposed in said bore and having a piston pumping portion submersible in the melt and movable relative to said chamber in a suction stroke to draw the melt into said chamber through said melt inlet and in a pumping stroke to discharge the melt from said chamber through said melt outlet, actuator means for moving said piston means to move said piston pumping portion relative to said chamber, melt inlet valve means having a valve portion submersible in the melt and movable relative to said melt inlet to open/close said melt inlet when said piston pumping portion is moved in the respective suction/pumping stroke, actuator means for moving said melt inlet valve means relative to said melt inlet in synchronism with said piston pumping portion to open/close said melt inlet when said piston pumping portion is moved in the respective suction/pumping stroke, melt outlet valve means having a valve portion submersible in the melt and movable relative to said melt outlet to close/open said melt outlet when said piston pumping portion is moved in the respective suction/pumping stroke, and actuator means for moving said melt outlet valve means relative to said melt outlet in synchronism with said piston pumping portion to close/open said melt outlet when said piston pumping portion is moved in the respective suction/pumping stroke.
14 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for supplying melt from a melt-holding vessel to a casting machine comprises a ceramic melt pump casing or housing submersible in the melt. The casing includes a melt-pumping chamber with a melt inlet and melt outlet and a piston-receiving bore communicated to the chamber. A piston having a ceramic pumping portion is movable in the bore relative to the chamber in a suction stroke to draw the melt into the chamber through the melt inlet and in a pumping stroke to discharge the melt from the chamber through the melt outlet to, for example, a melt casting machine. A melt inlet valve having a ceramic valve portion submersible in the melt is movable relative to the melt inlet to open/close the melt inlet when the piston pumping portion is moved in the respective suction/pumping stroke. A melt outlet valve having a ceramic valve portion submersible in the melt is movable relative to the melt outlet to close/open the melt outlet when the piston pumping portion is moved in the respective suction/pumping stroke. The casing, piston pumping portion, and melt inlet and outlet valve portions are supported from the support member so as to be submerged in the melt of the melt-holding vessel. Actuators provided for the piston and melt inlet and outlet valves are mounted on the support member above the melt.
136 Citations
17 Claims
- 1. Melt pumping apparatus, comprising pump casing means including a melt pumping chamber submersible in the melt and having a melt inlet and melt outlet communicated to said chamber and a piston-receiving bore communicated to said chamber, piston means disposed in said bore and having a piston pumping portion submersible in the melt and movable relative to said chamber in a suction stroke to draw the melt into said chamber through said melt inlet and in a pumping stroke to discharge the melt from said chamber through said melt outlet, actuator means for moving said piston means to move said piston pumping portion relative to said chamber, melt inlet valve means having a valve portion submersible in the melt and movable relative to said melt inlet to open/close said melt inlet when said piston pumping portion is moved in the respective suction/pumping stroke, actuator means for moving said melt inlet valve means relative to said melt inlet in synchronism with said piston pumping portion to open/close said melt inlet when said piston pumping portion is moved in the respective suction/pumping stroke, melt outlet valve means having a valve portion submersible in the melt and movable relative to said melt outlet to close/open said melt outlet when said piston pumping portion is moved in the respective suction/pumping stroke, and actuator means for moving said melt outlet valve means relative to said melt outlet in synchronism with said piston pumping portion to close/open said melt outlet when said piston pumping portion is moved in the respective suction/pumping stroke.
- 9. Apparatus for pumping melt from a melt-holding vessel, comprising support means for positioning on the melt-holding vessel, pump casing means including a melt pumping chamber having a melt inlet and melt outlet communicated to said chamber and a piston-receiving bore communicated to said chamber, said casing means being supported on said support means in a manner that said melt-pumping chamber is submerged in the melt, piston means disposed in said bore, said piston means having a piston pumping portion submerged in the melt and movable relative to said chamber in a suction stroke to draw the melt into said chamber through said melt inlet and in a pumping stroke to discharge the melt from said chamber through said melt outlet, actuator means disposed on said support means for moving said piston means to move said piston pumping portion relative to said chamber, melt inlet valve means having a valve portion submersible in the melt and movable relative to said melt inlet to open/close said melt inlet when said piston pumping portion is moved in the respective suction/pumping stroke, actuator means disposed on said support means above the melt for moving said melt inlet valve means relative to said melt inlet in synchronism with said piston pumping portion to open/close said melt inlet when said piston pumping portion is moved in the respective suction/pumping stroke, melt outlet valve means having a valve portion submersible in the melt and movable relative to said melt outlet to close/open said melt outlet when said piston pumping portion is moved in the respective suction/pumping stroke, and actuator means disposed on said support means above the melt for moving said melt outlet valve means relative to said melt outlet in synchronism with said piston pumping portion to close/open said melt oulet when said piston pumping portion is moved in the respective suction/pumping stroke.
- 13. Apparatus for supplying an aluminum melt from a melt-holding vessel to a melt casting machine, comprising support means for positioning on the melt-holding vessel, pump casing means including a ceramic melt pumping chamber with a melt inlet and melt outlet communicated to said chamber and having a piston-receiving bore communicated to said chamber, said casing means being supported on said support means in a manner that said pumping chamber is submerged in the melt, piston means disposed in said bore, said piston means having a ceramic piston pumping portion submerged in the melt and movable relative to said chamber in a suction stroke to draw the melt into said chamber through said melt inlet and in a pumping stroke to discharge the melt from said chamber through said melt outlet, actuator means disposed on said support means for moving said piston means to move said piston pumping portion relative to said chamber, a melt inlet valve means having a ceramic valve portion submerged in the melt and movable relative to said melt inlet to open/close said melt inlet when said piston pumping portion is moved in the respective suction/pumping stroke, actuator means disposed on said support means above the melt for moving said melt inlet valve means relative to said melt inlet, a melt outlet valve means having a ceramic valve portion submerged in the melt and movable relative to said melt outlet to close/open said melt outlet when said piston pumping portion is moved in the respective suction/pumping stroke, and actuator means disposed on said support member above the melt for moving said melt outlet valve means relative to said melt inlet.
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17. Melt pumping apparatus, comprising pump casing means including a melt pumping chamber submersible in the melt and having a melt inlet and melt outlet communicated to said chamber and a piston-receiving bore communicated to said chamber, piston means disposed in said bore and having a piston pumping portion submersible in the melt and movable relative to said chamber in a suction stroke to draw the melt into said chamber through said melt inlet and in a pumping stroke to discharge the melt from said chamber through said melt outlet, piston actuator means for moving said piston means to move said piston pumping portion relative to said chamber in the respective suction/pumping stroke, melt inlet valve means having a valve portion submersible in the melt and movable relative to said melt inlet to open/close said melt inlet when said piston pumping portion is moved in the respective suction/pumping stroke, melt inlet valve actuator means for moving said melt inlet valve means relative to said melt inlet, melt outlet valve means having a valve portion submersible in the melt and movable relative to said melt outlet to close/open said melt outlet when said piston pumping portion is moved in the respective suction/pumping stroke, and actuator means for moving said melt outlet valve means relative to said melt outlet, and computer control means for controlling said piston actuator means, said melt inlet valve actuator means, and said melt outlet valve actuator means to synchronize opening and closing of said melt inlet and said melt outlet in dependence on movement of said piston pumping portion to pump successive charges of melt from said chamber.
Specification