Casting stereotype plates

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS FOR THE AUTOMATIC PRODUCTION OF STEROTYPE PLATES AND THE LIKE BY INJECTING MOLTEN METAL THROUGH A METAL OUTLET FROM A MOLTEN METAL RESERVOIR INTO A PLATE MOLD FOR INTERMITTENT CASTING OF PLATES IN SAID PLATE MOLD, THE COMBINATION WHICH COMPRISES A HEADER SPACED FROM SAID METAL OUTLET, MEANS FOR CIRCULATING METAL FROM SAID METAL RESERVOIR THROUGH SAID HEADER IN A CLOSED SYSTEM AND SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE ABSENCE OF EXPOSURE TO AIR DURING AND BETWEEN SAID INTERMITTENT CASTING OPERATIONS, A PLURALITY OF CHANNELS MEANS IN FLOW COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID HEADER AND SAID METAL OUTLET FOR CONDUCTING MOLTEN METAL FROM SAID HEADER TO SAID METAL OUTLET DURING SAID INTERMITTENT CASTING OPERATIONS, CUTOFF VALVE MEANS AT SAID METAL OUTLET FOR SELECTIVELY CONTROLLING AND INTERRUPTING FLOW OF MOLTEN METAL FROM SAID CHANNELS THROUGH SAID OUTLET INTO SAID PLATE MOLD FOR SAID INTERMITTENT CASTING OPERATIONS, AND BYPASS MEANS ADJACENT SAID CUTOFF VALVE AT SAID METAL OUTLET ESTABLISHING A RECIRCULATION PATH FOR MOLTEN METAL WHEN SAID CUTOFF VALVE IS CLOSED AND BETWEEN SAID VALVE SAID HEADER AND THROUGH SAID CHANNEL MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SUFFICIENT PARTIAL CIRCULATION OF METAL IN SAID CHANNELS BETWEEN SAID INTERMITTENT CASTING OPERATIONS SAID CHANNELS BETWEEN SAID INTERMITTENT CASTING OPERATIONS TO AVOID ACCUMULATION OF OXIDE ENCRUSTANTS THEREIN.