Die casting apparatus

Claim 1

A die casting apparatus for delivering molten metal to a nozzle communicating with an inlet of a mold, said apparatus comprising: (a) a housing; (b) a furnace assembly positioned in said housing adjacent one end thereof and including a crucible for holding molten metal to be cast having an outboard end wall disposed adjacent one end wall of said housing; (c) a gooseneck assembly positioned in said housing adjacent the other end thereof and defining a gooseneck passage opening at its upper outlet end adjacent another end wall of said housing opposite said one end wall for communication with the nozzle and opening upwardly at its lower inlet end at an intermediate location in said housing; (d) a shot barrel positioned in said housing in a generally vertical position intermediate said furnace assembly and said gooseneck assembly with a side wall of the barrel disposed adjacent the inboard end wall of said crucible and the vertical bore of the barrel communicating at its lower end with the upwardly opening inlet end of said gooseneck passage; and (e) a passage extending through said crucible inboard side wall and through said shot barrel side wall to provide molten metal communication between said crucible and said vertical bore of said shot chamber; (f) said gooseneck assembly comprising (1) a multi-piece holder, (2) means releasably joining the pieces of said holder together to define an elongated, inclined gooseneck chamber, and (3) refractory insert means removably positioned within said gooseneck chamber and having a central elongated passage constituting said gooseneck passage; (g) said refractory insert means comprising two insert halves having a parting line extending the length of said refractory insert means passing through said gooseneck passage; and (h) compressible means compressed between the joined pieces of said holder and said insert halves for accomodating the difference in thermal expansion between said holder pieces and said insert halves.