Vacuum casting method of multiple ingot casting

Claim 1

IN A METHOD OF SEQUENCE CASTING OF METAL INGOTS UNDER VACUUM IN WHICH VACUUM PUMP APPARATUS IS CONNECTED THROUGH A SERIES OF DEGASSING CHAMBERS CONNECTED IN SEALED RELATION TO A SERIES OF INGOT MOLDS IN PREDETERMINED SUCCESSIVE TIME INTERVALS AND PORTIONS OF MOLTEN METAL ARE PERIODICALLY RELEASED FROM A REMOVABL POURING LADLE, HAVING A NOZZLE AND AN ADJUSTABLE LADLE STOPPER FOR OPENING AND CLOSING THE NOZZLE, INTO A LOWER STATIONARY POURING LADLE WHICH IS CONNECTED TO THE DEGASSING CHAMBER, THE STEPS WHICH INCLUDE APPLYING A VACUUM IN ONE OF THE DEGASSING CHAMBERS AND ITS INGOT MOLD, OPENING THE LADLE STOPPER AFTER THE MOVABLE LADLE IS POSITIONED OVER THE STATIONARY LADLE CONNECTED TO THE DEGASSING CHAMBER, POURING MOLTEN METAL FROM THE MOVABLE LADLE INTO THE STATIONARY LADLE AND THROUGH THE DEGASSING CHAMBER INTO THE INGOT MOLD UNITL THE MOLD AND THE STATIONARY LADLE ARE SUBSTANTIALLY FULL, CLOSING THE LADLE STOPPER, CONTINUING THE APPLICATION OF VACUUM, CONTINUING THE POURING OF MOLTEN METAL FROM THE STATIONARY LADLE THROUGH THE DEGASSING CHAMBER AND INTO THE MOLD TO SUBSTANTIALLY FILL THE MOLD AND AS THE POURING FROM STATIONARY LADLE INTO THE DEGASSING CHAMBER SUBSTANTIALLY CEASES, DISCONTINUING THE APPLICATION OF VACUUM AND VENTING THE DEGASSING CHAMBER TO ATMOSPHERE, AND THEREAFTER SEQUENTIALLY REPEATING THE ABOVE STEPS IN CONNECTION WITH ANOTHER DEGASSING CHAMBER AND IT INGOT MOLD IN TIMED RELATION TO THE TEMPERATURE OF THE MOLTEN METAL ADJACENT THE LADLE STOPPER SO THAT THE STOPPER IS AGAIN OPENED TO POUR MOLTEN METAL FROM THE MOVABLE LADLE TO ANOTHER STATIONARY LADLE BEFORE THE MOLTEN METAL ADJACENT THE STOPPER HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO FREEZE, THE TIME LAPSED BETWEEN EACH OF THE SEQUENTIAL OPENINGS OF THE LADLE STOPPER BEING IN THE RANGE OF 10 TO 300 SECONDS.