Low-pressure casting apparatus

Claim 1

In low-pressure casting apparatus which comprises holding furnace means for a molten metal bath, said furnace means having cover means and sidewalls and being adapted to be closed gas tight and supplied with gas under pressure; ingot mold means positioned on top of said furnace means and including base plate means carried by the cover means of said furnace means and core cover plate means having attached to the underside thereof core means; riser pipe means adapted to be immersed in said metal bath and communicating with the base plate means of the ingot mold means; a plurality of upright tension rods adapted to vertically move the core cover plate means of said ingot mold; two opposite, upright flat members positioned to the rear of the sidewalls of said furnace means; horizontal bridge means mounted between said upright flat members; said bridge means having a U-shaped slot in which is horizontally slidably mounted tension means, and said bridge means having means to horizontally move said tension means; the improvement which comprises bracket means vertically adjustably mounted on said upright flat members, horizontal pivot pin means mounted on the forward portions of the bracket means, the bridge means being pivotally mounted on the pivot pin means for pivotal movement thereabout, a cross-beam connecting the bracket means and carrying a bearing bracket, a hydraulic actuator for the pivoting movement and pivoted in said bearing bracket, and means on said cross-beam for locking said bridge means in operative position.