Metal valve for battery grid casting machine

Claim 1

In a battery grid casting machine of the type wherein a mold is opened and closed with each cycle of the machine, a valve for dispensing molten metal to a mold filling ladle comprising, upper and lower tubular housings having their central axes extending generally vertically in generally coaxially aligned relation, the lower end of said upper housing and the upper end of said lower housing being in open communication with one another and telescopically engaged, one of said housings being supported in fixed position on the machine and the other being mounted on the machine for vertical movement, means for shifting said movable housing vertically, said upper housing having a bore therein which opens vertically downwardly, said bore terminating at its lower end in an annular valve seat which is generally co-axial with said upper housing, said valve seat being disposed below said upper end of said lower housing, an inlet conduit for molten metal connected with said bore, said lower housing having an upstanding pedestal therein, said pedestal having a generally flat upper end face lying in the plane perpendicular to the axis of said housing, a spherical ball resting on said upper end face of said pedestal and being free to roll laterally thereon to a limited extent so as to readily align itself concentrically and seal with said annular valve seat when said movable housing is shifted vertically in a direction which moves said ball and valve seat relatively toward each other, means forming a molten metal outlet in said lower housing at a level below said ball whereby, when said movable housing is shifted vertically to unseat said ball, the molten metal flows downwardly by gravity through said outlet means, and an open cage surrounding said ball and limiting the lateral excursion thereof on said pedestal to a distance less than the radius of said valve seat.