Method and apparatus for making a flexible casting

Claim 1

IN THE METHOD OF CASTING A RELATIVE FLEXIBLE GATE VALVE CLOSURE MEMBER OR THE LIKE HAVING INTEGRALLY CONNECTED AND OPPOSITELY DISPOSED SEATING MEMBERS, THE STEPS INCLUDING THE MOLDING INITIALLY OF EACH OF THE SAID SEATING MEMBERS IN A SEPARABLE FLASK COMPRISING A COPE AND DRAG, FORMING AN INTEGRAL CONNECTION THEREBETWEEN BY INTERPOSING A PLATE-LIKE PORTED GAS-IMPERVIOUS NON-COMBUSTIBLE DAM BETWEEN AND SUBSTANTIALLY COVERING THE MOLDED PORTIONS OF THE SAID COPE AND DRAG MEMBERS, SAID DAM HAVING A LARGE CENTRAL OPENING AND SMALLER OPENINGS SURROUNDING THE CENTRAL OPENING, ASSEMBLING THE SAID COPE AND DRAG, POURING THE MOLTEN METAL TO FILL THE MOLDED PORTIONS OF THE COPE AND DRAG AND THE PORTED PORTIONS OF SAID DAM TO FORM A LARGE CENTRAL STRUT AND SURROUNDING SMALLER STRUTS BETWEEN SAID SEATING MEMBERS, ALLOWING THE POURED METAL TO SOLIDIFY, DISASSEMBLING THE FLASK TO SEPARATE THE COPE FROM THE DRAG AND REMOVING THE SAID DAM FROM BETWEEN THE SEATING MEMBERS FORMING THE SAID CLOSURE MEMBER, CUTTING TRANSVERSELY THROUGH AT LEAST CERTAIN OF SAID SMALLER STRUTS WHILE LEAVING THE LARGE CENTRAL STRUT UNSEVERED WHEREBY TO PROVIDE FLEXIBILITY IN SAID VALVE CLOSURE MEMBER.