Hollow article casting apparatus

Claim 2

Hollow article casting apparatus comprising: an inner mold part; an outer mold part positionable over said inner mold part to form with said inner mold part a mold cavity between the two; and releasable lock means carried by said outer mold part for locking any molded article in said mold cavity to the outer mold part, so that the outer mold part and the molded article can be separated as an assembly from the inner mold part, with said outer mold part being separable from the molded article upon release of said lock means, said releasable lock means comprising a lever pivotally connected to the outer shell part by pivot means, and including inner and outer portions on opposite sides of the pivot means, and holding means for holding the outer portion in a position placing the inner portion within the path of removal of the molded article from the outer mold part, so that it engages and holds the molded article relative to the outer mold part.

Claim 3

Hollow article casting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said releasable lock means includes a substantially vertical operator connected at its lower end to the outer portion of said lever, and said holding means is a fastener for securing the operator to the outer mold part for restraining it and the lever to which it is attached against movement.

Claim 4

Hollow article casting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said operator includes means at its upper end connectible to an overhead lifting mechanism, with lifting of said operator when said fastener is disconnected causing said operator to move upwardly, the outer portion of said lever to swing upwardly, and the inner portion of said lever to swing downwardly and out from the path of removal of the molded article from said outer mold part.

Claim 5

Hollow article casting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising force means carried by one of said mold parts for forcing the outer mold part, with the molded article locked to it, apart from said inner mold part.

Claim 6

Hollow article casting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said force means comprises a plurality of hydraulic rams carried by the inner mold part and each including a piston reactable against, and extensible towards, the outer mold part.

Claim 7

Hollow article casting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said force means comprises lever means pivotally attached intermediate its ends to the outer mold part and including a first end portion reactable against a portion of said inner mold part and a second, opposite end portion, an operator means connected to said second end portion, with a lifting force on said operator means causing said lever means to rock and its first end portion to exert a separating force on said inner mold part.

Claim 8

Hollow article casting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said operator means includes means at its upper end connectible to an overhead lifting means, so that an initial lift by said lifting means moves the operator means to rock said lever means, and an additional lift pulls the outer mold part, and the molded article locked thereto, upwardly and apart from said inner mold part.

Claim 9

Hollow article casting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said outer mold part has opposite side wall portions and lever and operator means at each of said sides, with the operator means for each side extending upwardly above the top of the outer mold part and including at its upper end connector means connectible to an overhead lifting means, with said overhead lifting means including a cross bar having connector means at its opposite ends for connection with the connector means at the upper ends of the operator means.

Claim 10

Hollow article casting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said outer mold part has opposite side walls, and said force means comprises a lever assembly associated with each side wall, and each comprising a pair of levers spaced apart near The lower edge of the side wall, pivot means pivotally connecting said levers, at points intermediate their ends, to the lower edge portion of the side wall, so as to divide the levers into inner and outer end portions, a substantially vertical operator guide means on the side wall at a location between and above said levers, an operator in said guide means having upper and lower end portions, said guide means permitting vertical movement of the operator, and tension means interconnected between the lower end portion of the operator and the inner edge portion of each lever, with a lifting force on said operator moving the operator, the tension means and the inner edge portions of the levers upwardly, causing the outer end portions of said levers to swing downwardly, and wherein said inner mold part includes means in position to be contacted by the outer end portions of the levers as they swing downwardly.

Claim 11

Septic tank casting apparatus comprising: an inner mold part including a peripheral base and a core part projecting upwardly from said base; an outer mold part positionable over said inner mold part to form with said inner mold part a mold cavity between the two, said outer mold part including a lower edge portion contactable with said base to be supported thereby, and said peripheral base serving as a forming wall for the lower edge of the molded article; and releasable lock means carried by said outer mold part for locking any molded article in said mold cavity to the outer mold part, so that the outer mold part and the molded article can be separated as an assembly from the inner mold part, with said outer mold part being separable from the molded article upon release of said lock means, and said core part tapering inwardly as it extends upwardly from said base, and said outer mold part also tapering inwardly as it extends upwardly, each said mold part side wall means terminating in a lower edge, with the side wall means of said inner mold part having a plurality of openings therein spaced about it a short distance above its lower edge; a plurality of generally horizontally oriented void forming elements supported inside the inner mold part, with each of said void forming elements being associated with a related one of said openings; and actuator means inside said inner mold part for extending said void forming elements through said openings and partially into said mold cavity, so as to form a plurality of voids in and spaced about the lower inner portion of an article being cast in the mold cavity, and for retracting said elements from said positions partially within said mold cavity back into the inner mold part, so that they are not in positions to interfere with removal of the article from the inner mold part.

Claim 12

Septic tank casting apparatus comprising: an inner mold part including a peripheral base and a core part projecting upwardly from said base; an outer mold part positionable over said inner mold part to form with said inner mold part a mold cavity between the two, said outer mold part including a lower edge portion contactable with said base to be supported thereby, and said peripheral base serving as a forming wall for the lower edge of the molded article; and releasable lock means carried by said outer mold part for locking any molded article in said mold cavity to the outer mold part, so that the outer mold part and the molded article can be separated as an assembly from the inner mold part, with said outer mold part being separable from the molded article upon release of said lock means, and said core part tapering inwardly as it extends upwardly from said base, and said outer mold part also tapering inwardly as it extends upwardly, each said mold part side wall means terminating in a lower edge, with the side wall means of said inner mold part having a plurality of openings therein spaced about it a short distance above its lower edge; a plurality of generally horizontally oriented void forming elements supported inside the inner mold part, with each of said void forming elements being associated with a related one of said openings; and actuator means inside said inner mold part for extending said void forming elements through said openings and partially into said mold cavity, so as to form a plurality of voids in and spaced about the lower inner portion of an article being cast in the mold cavity, and for retracting said elements from said positions partially within said mold cavity back into the inner mold part, so that they are not in positions to interfere with removal of the article from the inner mold part.

Claim 13

Septic tank casting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said actuator means includes hydraulic cylinder means inside the inner mold part connected with the void forming elements.