Stopper block

Claim 1

A combination stopper and valve assembly for a vessel carrying and dispensing molten metals, wherein the vessel is provided with an outlet adjacent its bottom and means for affixing the combination stopper and valve assembly over the vessel outlet, comprising: a. said stopper having a relatively thin metal housing and a ceramic interior both being divided into two sections along the same line and means for clamping the two sections together; b. said stopper having an opening extending therethrough parallel with the vertical axis of the vessel for conveying the molten metal through the said stopper; c. said stopper having a cavity within the ceramic material of substantially rectangular form, the cavity being in a plane perpendicular to the opening through the stopper intersecting the opening and dividing the same into a inner and outer section, the area adjacent the inner ends forming a valve seat; d. the opposite sides of the cavity having the valve seats being in a plane substantially along horizontal parallel surfaces and having the said side walls inclined to the one side of the cavity to form a converging surface substantially throughout the length of the cavity to form a tapered valve seat about the inner ends of the two sections of the stopper opening; e. a tapered slideable valve block being of the same taper as the tapered surfaces of the said cavity adapted to slide in close contact with the tapered valve seats; f. said valve slide block having at least one opening therethrough adapted to register with the two stopper sections openings when in one position for withdrawing the molten metal flow from the vessel and to block off the said metal flow from the stopper openings when in another position and means for operating said slideable block; g. means for keeping the tapered slideable block in contact with the tapered valve seats comprising a pressure plate adapted to contact the wider edge of the tapered valve block for urging the block toward the converging sides of the cavity and in contact with the valve seats, said pressure plate having means extending outwardly through the stopper outer casing for engaging a pressure means, said pressure means comprising a compression spring adapted to engage the outwardly extending means of the pressure plate; h. means secured to the outer casing for retaining the compressing spring and means for adjusting the pressure of the compressing spring on the plate extended means.