Linear permanent mould casting system

Claim 2

A process of producing castings in a linear permanent mould casting system comprising the steps of: coating each of a plurality of moulds at a coating station with a suitable coating, forwarding each of said moulds to a core setting station, and closing said moulds, indexing each of said moulds to a time reading station and recording solidification time on said moulds and registering said time into a memory system, moving each of said moulds to a clamping station and clamping said moulds in a closed position, indexing said moulds to a pour station and filling said moulds with molten metal and starting said solidification timing, moving said moulds into solidification stations; unlatching and opening said moulds in accordance with the solidification time registered in the memory system and ejecting said castings onto a conveyor.

Claim 3

A process according to claim 1 including the further steps of: moving a plurality of insulated containers to a heating system and preheating said containers for receiving said castings, conveying said castings into said insulated containers placed at the discharge end of said conveyor, control-cooling said castings in a cooling tunnel, and dumping said castings from the insulated containers into cooling containers and at the other end of said tunnel dumping said castings from the cooling containers.

Claim 4

A process according to claim 2 including the further step of: separating said castings from core sand and sprue.

Claim 5

A linear, permanent mould casting system having means for indexing and moving each of a plurality of moulds linearly through a plurality of stations and comprising in series: (a) a coating station for coating each of said moulds; (b) a core setting station for setting cores when required; (c) a time reading station reading a solidification time from each of the moulds and registering said solidification time into a memory system so as to control the opening of said moulds; (d) a clamping station for securing each of said moulds in a closed position; (e) a pouring station with means for filling said moulds; (f) a plurality of cooling and unclamping stations controlled in accordance with the solidification time registered in the memory system for opening said moulds and for releasing castings therefrom; and (g) a shuttle for transferring each of said moulds to one end of a return track, means for conveying each of said moulds along the return track, and a second shuttle for transferring each of said moulds from the other end of the return track to the coating station.

Claim 6

A linear, permanent mould casting system having means for indexing and moving each of a plurality of moulds linearly through a plurality of stations and comprising in series: (a) a coating station for coating each of said moulds; (b) a core setting station for setting cores when required; (c) a time reading station reading a solidification time from each of the moulds and registering said solidification time into a memory system so as to control the opening of said moulds; (d) a clamping station for securing each of said moulds in a closed position; (e) a pouring station with means for filling said moulds; (f) a plurality of cooling and unclamping stations controlled in accordance with the solidification time registered in the memory system for opening said moulds and for releasing castings therefrom; and (g) a shuttle for transferring each of said moulds to one end of a return track, means for conveying each of said moulds along the return track, and a second shuttle for transferring each of said moulds from the other end of the return track to the coating station.

Claim 7

A casting system according to claim 4 and further comprising: a closed loop transport system with means for indexing a plurality of containers for receiving castings which require controlled cooling, said containers being insulated and refractory lined and having a firing lid, a heating system with means for preheating the containers of the closed loop transport system, means for receiving the castings from the moulds and delivering them into the said containers, and a cooling tunnel adjacent said transport system having doors at each end for entrance and exit of castings, a first dumping frame for transferring castings from the said containers into cooling containers for transport through the cooling tunnel, and a second dumping frame to transfer cooled castings from the exit end of the tunnel into a separation device for separating sand and castings.