Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
EJB:cd 4/24/78
~ ~3S~7~
Back~ound of the Invention
The present invention relates to metal founding and
more particularly to the physical arrangement and method
_ of opera~ing of a foundry.
The present invention represents certain improvements
( 5 and refinements over the "Apparatus for Making Castings"
disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 2,999,281, assigned to the
assignee of the present invention.
The apparatus disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 2,999,281
makes use of a single pouring tank. When empty, the ladle
is required to be removed and refilled. As a res~lt~ the
pouring operation must be stopped during the removal and
refilling of the ladle.
Further, the conveyor system for the transport of the
castings disclosed throughout the prior patent makes use
of horizontally placed roller conveyors. This type of con-
veyor system presents certain difficulties in the transport
of castings of varyin~ diameters.
Finally, the casting processing system shown in the
prior patent discloses a single conveyor system where the
, . -- .
~ 20 castings are passed through a single inspection station.
:
This can lead to delays and backlogs in the casting
inspection operation.
It there~ore is a primary object of the present in~en-
tion to provide an arrangement for the production of metal
eastings.
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Yf~
It is a particular object of the present invention to
provide a casting arrangement with a very short delay upon
the emptying of one pouring tank and the substitution of
_ a filled pouring tank.
It is a further object of the present invention to
( ` provide a casting arrangement capable of producing and
handling castings of varying diameters easily and safely.
It is another object of the present invention to
provide a casting arrangement wherein the processing of
the completed castings is more efficiently accomplished
due to the presence of a plurality of grinding apparatus
and multiple inspection stations.
Summary of the Il~vention
The present invention pruvides an arrangement for the
production of metal castings by forcing molten metal in~o
permanent molds each comprising cope and drag sections.
The arrangement includes a pouring station for producing
the castings, ~he pouring station being adapted for ~he
alternate acceptance of either of two pouring tanks. A
conveyor circuit is provided for transporting the castings
through several processing stations. Another col~veyor is
provided or transporting the drag sections through several
processing stations. Another conveyor is provided ~or
transporting the cope sections through a plurality of
processing stations. The pouring station is so disposed
as to form a common part of all three conveyors.
~L~ ~3 S ~
Brief Description of the Drawin~s
Figure la is a diagrammatic plan view of a portion of
a foundry plant embodying features of the present inven-
tion, approximately one-third of the plant being shown in
this view, and Figures lb and lc are views similar to
Figure la, but show other portions of the plant not shown
in Figure la; Figures la, lb and lc are intended to be
read as a single combined figure along the lines X-X and
Y-Y of the respective figures.
Detailed Descriptlon _f a Preferred Embodiment
Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that a
foundry plant embodying the features of the present inven-
tion comprises three contiguous sections or divisions: the
melting furnace room, the molding room, and the finishing
room, which are illustrated in Figures la, lb and lc,
respectively.
l~ Although the details of the pouring structure and
molds are not shown, s they do not form a part of this
invention, it should be understood that the foundry plant
to which this invention pertains is one adapted for pressure
-f casting operations o the type disclosed in U.S. Patent
No. 2,847,739, granted August l9, 1958 and assigned to
the assignee of the present,invention. In this type of
casting operation, molten steel is forced upwardly against
the force of gravity by the application of fluid pressure
EJ~:cd 6/1
~3 ~ ~
thereagainst from a ladle~ disposed within a pressure
tank or container, through a ceramic pouring tube mounted
within the cover of the container into a bottom ingate
of a mold disposed above the container and comprising cope
and drag sections preferably formed of graphite. The cope
section is provided with separately baked riser liners and
also with a stopper assembly operable to close the ingate
at the end of each pouring operation.
The essential features o~ this invention are the pro-
visions for the pouring process and the arrangement of
processing stations for the separate mold sections and
for the molded castings.
As the casting process begins with the melting of
scrap metal ~or the heat, the melting furnace room as
seen in Figure la will be ~escribed irst.
The primary consideration with the location of the
melting furnace room and its facilities is that the melting
furnaces lO, preferably three in number, are located
adjacent and in alignment, longitudinally of the plant,
with the area of pouring, referred to as the pouring
_ station 20. Each furnace has a spout 12. Furnaces 10
are preferably mounted so that the furnace doors are
accessible from ground level 11 and so that the foundation
o the furnaces are accessible from ~he foundation level
13 itself.
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~ ~3 5~
Although the melting furnace room of the plant
includes numerous subdivisions such as the laboratory
and other subsections (not shown on the drawings), the
subsection shown on the Drawing la is the scrap bin
` 5 area indieated generally at ~, which is disposed on the
; opposite side of the melting furnaces from the pouring
station 20 and in longitudinal alignment with the melting
furnaces lO so as to afford accessibility for a pair of
traveling bridge cranes 4 and 14 on a common track 6
to all three stations or subsections of the plant,
namely, the furnace area 8 and the pouring area 34 to
a point sli~htly past the tube holding furnaces ~6.
The charge is transported fxom the scrap storage
bins 2 to charging scale 5, and then to ~he melting
furnaces 10 by crane 4.
: The furnaces 10, preferably three in number, are
each preferably of twen~y-five ton (2~.5 metric ton)
capacity and will supply a heat sufficient to pour
approximately 40 castings of at least 815 pounds (370 kg.)
each. In this example, the castings to be poured are
`........... railway car wheels and the plant is designed to produce
approximately 335 wheels per eight hour shift, or 1,005
- castings per twenty-four hour wor~in~ day. As the
melting tLme of each furnace is approximately one And
on -half hours and the cycle of operation of the mold
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EJB:cd 6/12/78
proces~ing operation, hereinafter described in detail, is
approximately 40 complete molds at the rate of one per
minute, by alternating the heats from the three furnaces,
_ it will be seen that in less than one hour one of the
furnaces will produce a heat sufficient to form 40 castings
~' or one complete cycle with respe~t to the processing of
complete molds,
Referring now to Figure lb of the drawings, it will
be seen that a tube processing area 25 is located immedi-
ately adjacent and to the left of pouring station ~0. This
area includes tube processing area 25, which includes tube
repairing area 27 and tube preheating area 29. Preheating
area 29 contains three'tube preheating urnaces 28~ each
capable of holding three tubes. Area 29 also contains two
tube holding furnaces 26, each capable of holding one
cover-tube assembly. Tube preheating furnaces 28 are
used in heating the ceramic pouring tubes used in the
pouring operation. This insures the availability of
hot t,ubes for insertion into pouring covers and also for
-- 20 use at the pouring station tank 22 in event of a failure
~- of the tube in use. The tube holding furnaces 26 are
used to maintain temperature of the pouring tube. This
insures the availability of a pouring cover for use
on a pouring tank 22 to be brought onto the turntable
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at pouring station 20. The location of the tube processing
area affords accessibility for two cranes 23 and 24
traveling longitudinally on a common track 21.
Crane 23, ~s seen in Figure lb, is known as the tube
handling crane, and is used to transfer the pouring tubes
f and covers from the tube processing and repair area to
nd from preheaters 28. Crane 24 is known as the pouring
crane and is used to transfer the pouring tubes to the
pouring tank 22 in the pouring station 20. Crane 24 is
also provided with a subcrane or transversely traveling
mechanism (not shown) which is operable to transfer molds
to and from the pouring station 20 from conveyors 30 and
32 in a manner hereinafter described.
Disposed adjacent opposite sides of pouring station
` 20 are a pair of aligned reciprocating pusher conveyors
extending generally transversely of the oundry plant.
The re~iprocating pushing conveyor 30 on the lower side
of the drawing is employed in the pre-pour operation~ and
the reciprocating L shaped pusher conveyor 32 on the upper
side of the drawing is employed in the post-pouring
`~ operation.
; Each reciprocating pushing con~eyor (not shown in
detail) is of the con~entional type comprising a plurality
o rollers for supporting the mold sections and a hydrauli
cally actuated reciprocating beam disposed below the
~3 ~
rollers and having a plurality of dogs for connection to
~he mold sections on the rollers. The beam ls moved in
one dlrection a predetermined distance, in the case of
conveyors 30 and 32 the distance is about S feet (1.5 m.).
In operation, this beam moves 1~5 m., thereby advancing
each mold section to which it is connected a distance of
1.5 m. or one station. After moving forward 1.5 m. or one
increment, the beam returns to its original position, with-
out moving the mold sections, and repeats the original
movement. Thus it will be apparent that once a mold section
is placed on position (e) of c:onveyor 30 or positior. (a')
of conveyor 32, it passes through all of the intermediate
stations on the co~eyor.
Inasmuch as the disposition of the facilities and
equipment of the molding and finishing room sections or
the foundry plant, like those of the melting room section,
are interwoven in their operation, it is believed that the
invention can best be described by explaining the various
operations of a co~plete cycle in the casting process at
the same time, in order to avoid unnecess~ry repetition~
- ~ To return irst briefly to the operation of the
melting room racilities, it will be understood that the
charge is transported from the scrap storage bins 2 to
the melting furnaces 10 by crane 4.
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S'~'~
The casting operation is initiated by tapping a heat
from one of the furnaces 10 through spout 12 to a ladle
(not shown) hanging on crane 14 above pit 15, which is
just slightly below ground floor le~el, and the ladle is
transported by crane 14 to slagging station 17 where slag
is removed and then lowered into one of two below floor
pouring tanks locations 16 or 18.
- T.he now empty pouring tank 22 previously in use is
~hen rolled to the empty location 16 or 18. Filled
pouring tank 22 then is rolled over tracks 17 or 19 to
pouring station 20,
A pouring tube and tank cover assembly (not shown) are
~ransported by crane 24 to the pouring tank location 22
where the recently filled tank awaits. The tube and
: 15 cover assembly are lowered into the tank 22 with the tube
disposed to ex~end down into the filled ladle and with the
cover closing the top of the tank around the tube,
A drag assembly comprising a mold drag section and
retainer (not shown, but hereinafter refèrred to as a
drag) is transported by conveyor 30 from position (e)
~ i~. thereon to close down position (c) or (e) therein, whereat
; ~~ either one of a pair of longitudinally traveling mold
close doT~n cranes 36 pick up a cope assembly comprising of
a mold cope sec~ion and retainer (not shown, but hereinafter
referred to as a eope) from position 38 of cope conveyor
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~ ~ 3 ~7~
146 or position 40 of cope conveyor 148 and places it on
the adjacent drag to close down the mold. The assembled
mold is then transported by conveyor 30 to position (a)
thereon where it is picked up by crane 24 and placed on
" 5 the tank cover in position over pouring tan~ 22. After
the mold is checked and miscellaneous steps~ not essential
parts of this invention, are completed, the mold is filled
and is then transported by pouring crane 24 to position
(a') of conveyor 32 as a new mold is placed over tank ~2.
During pouring of successive molds, the crane 24 remains
over the tank 22 with the mold sections being carried by
the subcrane (not shown) of crane 24.
The complete mold containing the casting (not shown)
is then moved by conveyor 32 :Erom position (a') to position
(1') thereon. At position (1') the copé is picked up by a
trans~ersely t~a~eling mold splitting crane 42 and trans-
ported to the a~jacent end of a roller type cope conveyor
44 which ~oves the cope along to an automatic feed control
device or stop 90. Conveyor 44, like the other con~eyors
herein~fter referred to, is a power driven roller type
conveyor. Stop 90, like other stops or feed control
devices hereinafter referred to, co~prises either a
mechanism including arms movable into a position to
engage and bloc~ further movement of an article traveling
along the conveyor or a mechanism to stop a segment of
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the conveyor itself. The stops can be released auto-
matically or manually, as necessary, so as to release
one article at a time.
After the cope has been removed and placed on cope
conveyor 44, the drag containing the casting is mo~ed by
conveyor 32 to position (n') thereon at which point the
casting is picked up from the drag by a transversely
traveling hot wheel transfer crane 46 and placed on the
end of one o~ three chain driven wheel kiln slot type
conveyors 48.
A~ter the wheel has been removed, the drag is moved
fr~m conveyor 32 at position (o') thereof by conveyor 50,
at the end of conveyor 32 Conveyor 50 moves the drag to
the powered lifting turn~able 52, which in turn lifts the
drag free of the conveyor, ro~ates the drag 90 counter-
cloc~wise and deposits the drag back on turntable 52 for
travel to conveyor 54.
In order to describe the remainder o the plant
~ facilities and their operations 3 the processing routes of
the drags, copes and castings, respectively, will be dis-
cussed in that order.
Conveyor 54 3 a roller flight chain driven type con-
veyor, transports the drags along to stop 56, behind which
drags on conveyor 54 can accumulate to be released one at
a time by s~op 56 to sandblasting station 58. The drag
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then proceeds to drag inspection station 60 where the
drag is automatically tipped up at an angle to permit
the removal of any foreign material and general inspection
of the drag. The drag is then returned to the horizontal
position with the mold cavity facing upwardly.
After the cleaning operation, the drag is moved to
stop 62, where it is released to turntable 64, Turntable
64 (not shown in,detail) like all of the other turntables,
hereinafter described, comprises a base and table rotatable
thereon provided wi~h powered rollers which receive an
article to be moved, stop ~ moving while the table
rotates, and then move the article o~f the table to another
set of powered rollers which move the article on to the
next conveyor. The turntables can be set to operate auto-
matically or by manual push button so as to move only one
article at a ~ime as it is released by a feed control
device. Here the drag is rotated 90 counterclockwise
and then passed on to conveyor 65. Conveyor 65 moves
the drag to stop 66, whereupon the drag is released to
turntable 68. Here the drag is rotated 90 counterclock-
' wise and then passed on to conveyor 69. Conveyor 69
advances the drag to stop 70. Stop 70 releases the drags
one at a time to drag spraying station 72, which can
accommodate two drags at a time. At spraying station 72,
the drag cavity surface is sprayed with a mold coating.
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Although the details are not shown, it will be under-
stood that the drag spraying station or boo~h (as well
as the hereinafter described cope spraying station~ is
_ equipped with automatic means to lift and rotate the drag
as the mold coating is applied.
( After the drag spraying operation is completed, the
drag is moved to transfer car 73, which is movable on
tracks 74 to permit the drag to move onto one of conveyors
76 or 78. The drag is then moved by conveyor 76 or 78 to
stop 80 or 8h, respectively. Conveyors 76 and 78 (like-
wise cope conveyors 146 and 148) are completely covered
with a mold holding oven capable of heating or cooling as
necessary. From there one drag at~a time can be released
and placed onto one of ~urntables 82 or 86. The drag is
rotated 90 counterclockwise and move~ to position (e) of
conveyor 30, thus ending the cycle for p.ocessing of the
drag.
After the cope has been picked up by crane 42 from
position (1') of conveyor 32, it is moved along by con-
veyor 44 to stop 90. From stop 90 each cope can be
- released one at a timP to enter riser knockout stations
92 and 94. There the metal rîsers are automatically
removed along with the spent sand core liners and the
cope is then moved onto roller flight chain type conveyor
96. The cope is moved along by conveyor 96 to stop 98,
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EJB:cd 6/1~/78
~ ~ ~ 3 ~`7~
from which it enters turntable 100 After being turned
90 counterclockwise on turntable 100~ the cope is moved
onto conveyor 102 which contains a temperature sensor
(not shown). The cope is moved to stop 104, and onto
turntable 106. After being turned 90 clockwise, the
cope is moved onto conveyor 108. As the cope is moved
along ~onveyor 108, the cope pauses benea~h dispensers
107 and 109, which have facility to fill the cope dome
lining as required with sand and bake the cope dome.
The cope then passes to one of the corebakers 110 or 112.
After baking, the cope continues along conveyor 108 to
roll over station 114, where tne cope is automatically
tipped over to a cavity up position so .that excess sand
is dumped from the riser holes. The cope then moves onto
conveyor 116. Conveyor 116 moves the cope to stop 118,
from which it is released onto turntable 120. After
being rotated 90 clock~ise on turntable 120, the cope
moves to cope cleaning station 122. After the cleaning
operation, the cope is moved onto turntable 124 where
it is rotated 90 cloc~wise. The cope then moves onto
conveyor 126 and is moved to ~top 128. The cope is
, ~ `
~_ released from stop 128 to enter rollover clean out station
130~ where the cope is once again tipped over to remove
sand in the cavity left from the cope cleaner. It then
exits from 130 with its cavity side up. ~:.
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1: J b . I_ (i t) / 1' 1 ~ ~
3L~235 ~
The cope then enters onto conveyor 132 which moves
the cope along to stop 133. The cope is released onto
turntable 134 where it is turned 90 counterclockwise
and then enters ont~ con~eyor 136. ~rom conveyor 136 3
the cope enters turntable 138 on which it is rota~ed 90
counterclockwise~ From turntable 138, the cope enters
cope spraying station 140 which can accommodate two copes
in a manner similar to the drag spraying station 72.
Here the mold coating is applied. From cope spraying
station 140, the cope is moved into stopper setting
station 142, where the stopper assembly is inserted.
The cope exits from station 142 with the cavity side down
and enters transfer car 144, which is movable on tracks 145
to permit the cope to move onto one of two conveyors 146
or 148 covered by mold holding ovens similar to drag
holding ovens over conveyors 76 and 78. The cope is then
ved by conveyor 146 or 148 to stop 150 or 152, respectively,
or until contacting cope immediately ahead. From there one
cope at a time can be released to positions 38 or 40 Lor
pickup by one of the closedown cranes 36. This ends the
cycle for processing of the cope.
Thus it will be seen that there are provided generally
parallel cope and drag pr~cessing assembly line type routes
compactly and efficiently arranged and disposed in two
generally rectilinear closed circuits with the drag circuit
being circumjacent the cope circuit.
- ~J~ cd 6/l~i iG
The purpose of enclosure 160 in Figure lc is to pre-
heat new or remachined molds. Three con~eyors 162 are
provided to move new and remachined molds through the pre
heat furnace. Monorail 165 is the means whereby molds are
f 5 placed in and removed from the process cycle.
: Generally indicated at 166 on Figure lc is mold
repair shop where old and new molds are remachined and
assembled in a known manner.
Figures lb and lc show the processing of the casting,
which in this example is a steel railway car wheel, after
it leaves the pouring station 20, The wheels are poured
and then they are placed on one of three power slat type
conveyors 48 of the wheel kiln 170 by hot wheel transfer
crane 46~
; 15 The wheel kiln, although enclosed to retain some
heat therein, is not pro~ided with any heating means and
its sole purpose is to permit the still hot wheels placed
therein to cool gradually. As the wheels leave the wheel
kiln 170 on one of the power slat conveyors '8, they enter
a transfer car 172 which travels on tracks 173. From
transfer car 172, the wheels enter a dumping station 174.
This is the first of several s~ations for processing and
finishing the wheels.
After passing through dumping station 174 where the
wheel is tipped to a vertical position to dispose of
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~J L~ u ~ / 1 , / C)
~ ~35 7~
debris therein, the wheels enter pipe cut off sta~ion 176.
Next, the wheels enter sprue removal stations 178 and 180.
It will be understood that although the wheel must pass
through both sprue removal stations 178 and 180, the actual
sprue removal for one wheel ls accomplished at one of these
stations. Each wheel then enters chipping station 182
where the residual riser material left from the sprue
removal is chipped off.
The wheels then travel vertically to down ender
station 184, where the wheels are set on their horizontal
sides once again with flange up. The wheels then progress
to stamping press 186 where they are hot stamped with the
necessary markings such as date, serial number and wheel
size. Next the wheels progress along conveyor 190 to
one of three hub cutter stations 188. Each wheel stops
at one of the three hub cutter stations 188 where a bore
is cut through the cen~er of the wheel hub. From there
the wheels continue down conveyor 190 to a lift 191.
There the height of the con~eyor is raised to continue
2~ to lowerator 192, where the conveyor height is lowered.
Fro~ lowerator lg2, the wheels continue to station
194 where they are rolled over back to the original
flange down positi.on. The wheels then pass to conveyor
196 and to stop 198 The wheels are released from stop
~5 198 one at a time ~o roll ~orward and to be picked up
automatically by a manipulator, indicated generally at
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EJB.cd 6/12/78
202, and transferred to rotating heat treatment furnace
200. The furnace is provided with a plurality of indexed
stops so that each time one wheel is rotated from one
position to the next, another wheel is automatically
'~ 5 added by the manipulator 202 and another wheel is auto-
matically removed from the furnace by a second manipuLator
204 and placed on a conveyor 205 to roll by gravity
beneath transer conveyor 206.
The castings remain in the rotating furnace 200 for
a heat treatment that lasts approximately 1-lt2 hours,
which represents the time for one complete revolution of
the furnace hearth.
As the wheels are carried by transfer conveyor 206,
they can be directed to an opt:ional rim treatment process
by en~ering horizontal conveyor 208. As the wheels are
moved along conveyor 208, they enter roLlover 209 where
the wheel is turned to a flange side up position. Fro~
rollo~er 209 the wheels enter conveyor 214 and are passed
to one of a series of quenching stations 212. The wheels
then enter turntable 216 which rotates and then exit onto
~_ conveyor 218, From there, wheels en~er onto turntab`Le 220
and then are passed to collveyor 222. At the end of con :-
veyor 222, the wheels are up ended to a vertical position
for entry into draw furnace 224. The rim treated wheels
in passing through draw furnace 224 are tempered for
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EJB:cd 6/12/i8
~ 3~'7~
about two hours. Upon exiting draw furnace 224, the rim
treated wheels enter horizontal conveyor 226 and pass a
series of hub cooling stations 228. The hubs of the wheels
are cooled by the application of a fine spray of water for
a short period o~ time. All the time that the wheels are
on coIlveyor 226 the entire surface of each wheel is, of
course, air cooled by the atmosphere surrounding the con
veyor which is at ambient temperature~ The wheels move
along conveyor 226 to upender 230.
: 10 As an alternative to the rim treatment process, the
wheels on transfer conveyor 2()6 can be allowed to pass
conveyor 208 and instead move onto slat conveyor 240.
When on conveyor 240, the wheels do not receive any rim
treatment and move along to upender 242,
As the wheels reach upending devices 230 and 242, the
wheels are removed by a lift truck or similar means device
(not shown) and moved to a storage and cooling area
indicated generally at 250. There ~he wheels are placed
vertically on edge to cool. The storage area is capable
of holding all the wheels cast in ~hree eight-hour shifts,
or approximately 1,005 wheels.
From the storage area, the wheels are moved by a lift
tr~ck or similar means to a checker plate station 260. The
wheels then pass to a lift station 261. From lift station
261, the wheels pass via a vertical conveyor 262. Vertical
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l ~ v i~ Ll
~ 23 ~
conveyor 262 is similar to other vertical conveyors
hereinafter referred to 9 and comprises a rail and side
supports which permlt the wheel to roll downward thereon.
The vertical conveyor itself does not move. From vertical
conveyor 262, the wheels move downward to an apex grinding
station 264, where the initial apex grinding is performed.
The wheels then pass through a vertical turntable 266 to
a cleaning machine 268 where scale is removed ro~ the
wheels.
From cleaning machine 268, the wheels pass via ver~ical
conveyor 270 to an elevator 272 where they are raised for
entry into the magnetic particle testing station 274 where
the wheels are tested and marked under ultra-violet
lighting for surface discontinuities. The wheels ~hen
pass to an ultrasonic testing station 276 to scan for
subsurface discontinuities. At this station, the wheels
are selected to pass to one of three processing lines.
Prior to the processing lines, the wheels pass through
an automatic Brinell testing station 278. Wheels that
must be scrapped are passed through turntables 280 and
312 to turntable 314, then to turntable 316 and on to
. .
scrap escapement lift 318. Wheels that are essentially
devoid of discontinuities are passed through turntable
280 to turntable 312 and on to turntable 310 as further
described below. The wheels entering vertical turntable
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EJ i~ d
3S''~'3L
280 that need further grinding are sent through turntable
280 ~o turntable 282 as further described below.
Specîfically~ the wheels needing further grinding pass
via turntable 280 to turntable 282 and onto one of four
( 5 turntables 284. Lift 308 is provided between the second
and third turntables. The wheels are directed by one of
the turntables 284 to one of four vertical conveyors 286.
Passing via one of conveyors 286, the wheels pass through
additional grinding stations 288 and 290. Fro~ there,
the whee:Ls are directed by one o the turntables 292 to a
turntable 294 and on to lift 300. The wheels pass from
lift 300 to magnetic particle testing station 302 and
ultrasonic testing station 304 for tests similar to those
described previously. From the testing stations 302 and
304, the wheels that must be scrapped are selected to
~: pass through turntables 282 and 310 and onto turntable
316. From there the scrapped wheels pass to scrap
escapement lift 318.
If the wheels need extensive àdditional grinding,
they can again pass through turntables 284 and onto
: : grinding machines 288 and 290 But if the wheels are
.; acceptable, they pass to turntable 310 where they join
the acceptable wheels ~ro~ turntable 312 in inal
processing.
~3 ~ 7~
From turntable 310, the acceptable wheels pass to a
downending station 320 where the wheel is lowered to a
horizontal position. The wheels are passed one at a time
to automatic warpage testing station 322. Acceptable
wheels pass on to upending station 324 where they are
returned to a vertical position. The wheels then pass
into a superficial grinding station 326, turntable 328
and superficial grinding station 330. At grinding
stations 326 and 330, any minor grinding is performed
as required to complete the grinding of the wheel.
Turntable 328 rotates the wheel 180 between the ~wo
grinding stations. From grinding station 330, the wheels
pass to turntable 332. From here, wheels can be passed
directly via vertical conveyo-r 342 to turntable 344, and
onto vertical conveyor 348 and turntable 3S0~ From here,
the wheels pass through the peening and boring operations
described below. If a delay in peening and boring is
desired, the wheels can be passed from turntable 332 onto
vertical conveyor 334 to elevator 335. From there, the
wheels pass to ver~ical txansfer car 336 and into one of
the vertical storage conveyors 338. From vertical storage
conveyors 338, the wheels pass to vertical transfer car
340 and onto vertical conveyor 341. Fro~ vertical conveyor
341~ the ~heels pass onto turntable 351 and onto turntable
350.
22
Ej~:cd 6/1
3~'7~
Next the wheels enter peening st~tion 352 where the
wheels are subjected to a shot blasting. From peening
station 352 the wheels pass to turntable 360 from which
the wheels pass alternatively to one of downenders 361 or
( 5 362. If passing to downender 361, the wheel is placed
horizontal and then moved to transfer car 372. From
transfer car 372, the wheel is moved into boring mill
370 where the hub is bored. Boring mill 370 is powered
by hydraulic equipment 371. The wheel then passes to
transfer car 364 and onto conveyor 366. Before entering
upender 375, the wheel is rol:Led over to dispose of
boring chips. The wheel then passes to upender 375 and
onto turntable 376. The next wheel will alternately come
from downender 362. This wheel will be moved to trans
fer car 364 and through boring mill 370. The wheel then
moves to transfer car 372 and via conveyor 373 to upender
374. Similarly"as above, the wheel is rolled over to
dispose of boring chips before entering upender 374O Here
the whe~l is again placed vertically on its edge and moved
to turntable 376.
From turntable 376, the wheels pass through hub
chamfer station 378. The wheels then pass to final
inspection station and scale 380. Here the wheels are
taped, further inspected and stamped to indicate wheel
diameter and bore size. From here, the whePls are
~iB:cd 6/12/78
~5~ 35~
removed to a storage area indicated generally at 381. If
desired, certain wheels requiring special boring can be
moved ~o special wheel rest area 383 and then placed
individually in special boring machine 379. The wheels
~ are then placed in storage area 381 and are ready for
( loading on railway cars, etc. (not shown).
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