Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The present invention relates to a line for the
production of castings, particularly by counter-pressure
casting which can find application in foundry production.
A known machine for low-pressure casting comprises
a turntable, to which there a mounted die sections with
casting mounds. Each die section is provided with a device
for sealing the casting mound, a metal conduit and a metering
device for molten metal. To the rotating turntable, under-
neat each die section there is mounted a sealed chamber for
preparing charges of molten metal. Each sealed chamber is
mounted with a possibility for horizontal displacement.
A known machine for gas counter-pressure casting
comprises a turntable, on which there are disposed casting
mounds, with mechanisms for their opening and closing. Each
casting mound is provided with a furnace, in which there is
disposed a crucible with molten metal and a mechanism for
closing the tap hole is mounted to it. The furnaces are
connected to a source of pressurized gas.
A drawback of these machines lies in that, not all
operations related to the process of casting are mechanized
and automated. Moreover, there are no devised for checking
the level of the molten metal in the sealed chambers and for
the removal of the ready castings. All this reduces the out-
put of the machine and its reliability in operation.
It is, therefore, a general object of this invent
lion to provide a line for the production of castings, par-
titularly by counter-pressure casting with a higher degree
of automation and mechanization of the casting process, this
resulting in an increase of its output.
According to the present invention, there is pro-
voided a line for the production of castings, comprising
a turntable provided with counter-pressure casting units,
each unit comprising sealed chambers with casting mounds and
crucibles with molten metal, each casting mound being
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provided with a device for the displacement and closing
thereof, metering devices with pouring spouts being provided
outside said turntable, said line further comprising:
- a device provided between said pouring spouts
or adjacent to one pouring spout for checking the level of
the molten metal in the respective sealed chamber, and
- in the position of the turntable for removal
of a casting, a device for such removal of the casting.
Preferably, each unit for counter-pressure casting,
which comprises a movable sealed chamber for molten metal,
consists of a top and a bottom sealed chambers. In the
bottom sealed chamber there is disposed a crucible with
molten metal and in the top one - the casting mound. The
crucible with molten metal and the casting mounds are connected
by a metal conduit, which is mounted to an intermediate platen.
This intermediate platen itself is installed on guiding
columns, to which a movable platen is mounted. The guiding
columns are two and they are fastened to the upper face of
the intermediate platen, while to its bottom face there are
mounted a locking mechanism and a mechanism for simultaneous
vertical and horizontal displacement of the bottom sealed
chamber. Two transfer cylinders are mounted to the inter-
mediate platen.
Preferably, the device for checking the level of
the molten metal in the respective sealed chamber, comprises
a support, provided with a vertical power cylinder, connected
to a rotating drum. To the rotating drum there is fastened
a level detector.
Preferably, the device for the removal of the ready
casting comprises, a body and a reception platform, which is
hingedly connected to flanges. The flanges are rigidly fasten-
Ed to horizontal guides, installed in sleeves in the body.
The flanges are connected to a link gear and a lever, which
rotates the reception platform and is connected to a horizontal
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power cylinder, rigidly fastened to the body. The body is
provided with stops, and to the reception platform there are
mounted cams, which are connected to the mechanism for sepal
ration of the casting.
Preferably, the mechanism for separation of the
casting comprises, stop bars connected to spring-loaded paws
by means of elastic elements and fastened rigidly to levers.
These levers are hingedly connected to the reception platform.
The advantages of the line for the production of
castings, particularly by counter-pressure casting, lie in
that it provides an automatic operation of each unit for
counter-pressure casting successively in the cycle of opera-
lion of the line. Each unit is autonomous for itself, and
this provides a possibility in case of damage of one of them,
to exclude it and the line continues its operation with the
remaining units. All this results in an increase of the yield
of the casting process.
For a better understanding of the invention, refer-
once should be made to the accompanying drawings in which there
is illustrated and described as example, without limitative
manner, a preferred embodiment of the invention. In the
drawings:
Fig. 1 is a general view of the line;
Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view along A-A in
Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the
unit mounted on the turntable;
Fig. 4 is a view in direction B in Fig. I of the
device for checking the level of the molten metal;
Fig. 5 is a view in direction C in Fig. 1 of the
device for removal of the ready casting;
Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view along D-D in
Fig. 4.
The production line comprises a turntable 1, seated
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on a central column 35 and connected to a pulsating trays-
mission 49. Along the periphery of the turntable 1 there are
installed units for counter-pressure casting 2. Each unit
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and a top 4 sealed chambers. In the bottom sealed chamber 3
there is disposed a crucible 5 with molten metal, and in the
top sealed chamber 4 - the casting mound consisting of a mow
viable 36 and a fixed 37 mound halves. The casting mound and
the crucible 5 for molten metal are connected by means of a
metal conduit 6, mounted to an intermediate platen 7, to which
there are installed two immovable guiding columns 8.
To the guiding columns 8 there is mounted by means
of sleeves a movable platen 9. The guiding columns 8 are
attached to the upper face of the intermediate platen 7 by
means of sleeves 38, nuts 39 and semi-rings 40. To the both
Tom face of the intermediate platen 7 there are mounted a
locking mechanism 11 and a mechanism for simultaneous vertical
and horizontal displacement 12 of the bottom sealed chamber
3. To the upper face of the movable platen 9 there are mounted
a locking wedge-type mechanism 41 and a knock-out mechanism
42. To the bottom face of the movable platen 9 there are
attached the movable mound half 36 and the top semi-hood 43.
To the intermediate platen 7 there are mounted the fixed mound
half 37 and the bottom semi-hood 44. To the intermediate
platen 7 there are mounted rigidly two transfer power Solon-
dons 13, to the piston rods of which there is attached the
movable platen 9.
Outside the turntable machine there are installed two
successively operating metering devices 10. To the bodies of
the metering devices 10 there are fastened hingedly the pour-
in spouts 14. Between the pouring spouts 14 or closely to
one of the spouts 14 of the metering devices 10, there is
mounted a device 15 for checking the level of the molten metal
in the respective sealed chamber 3.
The device 15 for checking the level of the molten
metal in the crucibles 5 comprises a support 13, to which
there is mounted a vertical power cylinder 19. Its piston
rod 50 is connected to a rotating drum 20, to which there is
or
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fastened a detector for the level 21.
The line is provided with a device 16 for the removal
of the ready casting 17 from the counter-pressure casting unit
2 and its conveying to the reception device 46, such as a con-
voyeur. The device 46 is mounted in the position of the turn-
table machine for removal of the ready casting 17. The device
for the removal 16 of the ready casting 17 comprises a body
22 and a reception platform 23, which is hingedly connected to
flanges, which are rigidly fastened to horizontal guides 25.
The horizontal guides 25 are installed in sleeves in the body
22. The flanges 24 are connected to a link mechanism 26 and
a lever 27, which rotates the reception platform 23 and is
connected to a horizontal power cylinder 28. The horizontal
power cylinder 28 is rigidly fastened to the body 22. To the
body 22 there are mounted stops 29 and to the reception
platform 23 - cams 30, connected to mechanisms 31 for separate
in the ready casting 17. The flanges are provided with stops
45, intended for retaining the reception platform 23 in horn-
zontal position.
The mechanism for separating 31 the ready casting 17
comprises stop bars 32, which are fastened by means of elastic
elements 33 to spring-loaded paws 47. On the reception
platform 23 there are mounted spring-loaded paws 47 by means
of levers 34, which are hingedly fastened to it. The levers
34 are connected to a power cylinder 48, which is fastened
to the reception platform 23.
The line is provided with a control desk 48, which
is installed close to the zone of attendance of the turntable
machine.
The line operates as follows:
In the case of automatic operation of the line, the
turntable 1 is rotated by the control desk 48 so, that each
unit 2 takes in succession a position for charging with molten
metal from the metering device 10, and the respective sealed
chamber 3 has been in advance moved underneath the pouring
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spout 14.
After the setting and fixing of the turntable 1, in
the interior of the crucible 5 there is introduced the elect
trove 21 of the detector 15 for the level by means of the
rotating drum 20 and the vertical power cylinder 19. In this
position, a charge of molten metal is poured from the respect
live metering device 10 via the heated pouring spout 14 to the
crucible 5. When a preset level in the crucible 5 is reached,
the molten metal comes into contact with the electrode 21 of
the detector 15 for the level and closes the circuit for its
control. As a result, the electrode 21 is removed from the
mirror of the molten metal and, at that, it moves the rotate
in drum 20 by means of the vertical power cylinder 19 and
the turntable 1 can rotate. Simultaneously, there is fed a
command for interrupting the supply of molten metal from the
metering device 10 and the turntable 1 is rotated at one step
for charging with molten metal the next following unit 2, which
comes into the zone of the pouring spout 14 of the metering
device lo. In the unit 2 charged with molten metal, there is
introduced, by means of the mechanism 12 for vertical and
horizontal motion, the bottom sealed chamber 3 into the zone
of the unit 2 underneath the intermediate platen 7. The lock-
in mechanism 11 is actuated, thus pressing the bottom sealed
chamber 3 against the bottom face of the intermediate platen
7, thereby effecting its sealing. The movable platen 9 is
lowered in end bottom position by the two transfer power
cylinders 13 and it is locked by the locking wedge-type mocha-
nisms 41 to the bottom recesses of the guiding columns 8. Thus,
the top semi-hood 43 is pressed against the bottom semi-hood
44 and its sealing from the atmosphere is effected. The
movable mound half 36 and the fixed mound half 37 are also
closed. A pressure difference is produced between the bottom
3 and the top sealed chambers, and the metal is transferred
via the metal conduit 6 from the crucible 5 to the casting
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mound. After the solidification of the metal, the locking
wedge-type mechanisms 41 are unlocked and the two transfer
cylinders 13 are actuated. Thus the movable 36 and the fixed
mound halves are separated. The movable platen 9 is again
locked with the locking wedge-type mechanism 41 to the top
recesses of both guiding columns 8. When the turntable,
and the respective unit 2, are moved to the position of rem-
vet of the ready casting 17, in the zonk of the opened casting
mound there introduced the reception platform 23 of the device
16 for the removal of the ready casting 17, and the casting
17 is automatically removed from the top half of the casting
mound 36 by means of the knockout mechanism 42. The ready
casting is taken on the reception platform 23. After the
removal of the ready casting 17, the stop bars 32 are moved
downwards by means of the levers 34 and the power cylinder 48,
and in the case when the casting 17 is seized by the ejectors
of the mound, the stop bars 32 get between the casting 17
and the top part of the casting mound 36. When the ejectors
return in initial position, the stop bars 32 supported by the
spring-loaded paws 47 are entrained upwards by the ready
casting 17 seized by the ejectors and when coming in contact
with the upper part of the casting mound, separate the ready
casting 17 from the ejectors. The ready casting 17 falls
onto the reception platform 23, while the stop bars 32 return
under the action of the spring-loaded paws 47 in their
initial position. For the reliable simultaneous knockout of
two or more castings 17, seized to the top half 36 of the
casting mound in the case of a multi cavity mound, the stop
bars 32 are fixed on the spring-loaded paws 47 by means of
the elastic elements 33.
After the return of the ejectors in initial position,
the stop bars 32 are separated from the levers 34, which are
rotated around the horizontal axis of the power cylinder 48
and the reception platform 23 with the ready casting 17 is
removed from the space of the casting mound.
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The removal of the reception platform 23 is effected
by the horizontal power cylinder 28 by means of the lever 27,
with the hingedly fastened to it link gear 26, which acts on
the flanges 24. As a result, the horizontal guides 25 are
moved along the sleeves of the body 22, and the hingedly
fastened reception platform 23 to the flanges 24 is displaced.
At the end of the displacement of the cams 30, the
reception platform 23 is sloped by the stops 29 of the body
22, and it is rotated and transfers the casting 17 to the
reception device 46.
When the turntable 1 is rotated and the subsequent
open unit 2 with the ready casting 17 is positioned, the
reception platform 23 is again introduced in the space of
the casting mound. At that, separating itself from the
stops 29, the reception platform 23 is turned and takes up
a horizontal position, being in contact with the cams 30 in
the stops 45 of the flanges 24.
Simultaneously with the rotation of the turntable 1,
the sealed chamber 3 is taken out in front of the respective
unit 2
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which has terminated the casting. In this situation, this
unit 2 is transferred to the zone of attendance where it is
inspected visually, the oxides in the sealed chamber 3 are
cleaned and the surfaces of the cavity walls of the casting
mound are coated.
The device for checking the level 15 provides for
a reliable operation of the line in automatic operation,
regardless of the quantity of molten metal remaining in the
crucible 5 after each cycle.
