US278593A - Method of and mold for casting steel ingots having iron centers - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

J. PEDDER.

METHOD OF AND MOLD FOR CASTING STEEL INGOTS HAVING IRON CENTERS.

No. 2'78,593. Pateht ay 29,1883.

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NITED STATE PATENT OFFICE;

l Jon PEDDnR, or PITTSBUBG, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF AND MOLDFOR CASTING STEEL ING OT S HAVING IRON CENTERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters retentive. 278,593, dated May 29, 1883.

Application filed retinal- 27, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN PEDDER, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State or Pennsylvanimhave invented a new and use ful Improvement inMethods of and Molds for Forming Cast- Steel Ingots Having Iron Genters; andI do hereby declare the following to r to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanyingdrawings, forminga part of this specification, in which-,- i

Figure Lisa perspective view of an improved i got-mold illustrating iny inventioncrucibles, and to the ingot-moldsinwhich these ingots are cast, The'molds heretofore employed for this; purpose were provided with suitable lugs for holding the plate of iron or softsteel in theJcenter of the mold. After the insertion, of the, center plate the steel contained in one/crucible was ,then teemed by a melter on eachside" of the plate, there being I r V 4.0

inc opportunity forythe steel from these crucibles to interniingle, except around the small space atthe sides of. the center plate, which wouldbe quickly closed by the chilling of the steel against the surface of themold. As it is practically impossible to regulate exactly the amount or proportion of 1 carbon in steel formed in crucibles, it is generally foundthat the steel on one side of 'theplate difiers from fire one-hundredths to twenty-flue one-hundredths of one per cent. in carbon from that on the other side of the plate; and on account of the difference in ductility of the steel on either side of the centerplate the rolled plate formed from the'ingotwould generally be exoeedinglyragged or, broken at the. ends and sides, causing alarge-waste in the plate. k The plates formed from these iron or soft-steel-center ingots are. principally employed for the formation of agricultural implements- -suchas .50. mold-boards for plows, cultivator-shovels,

&c.-which-arebent to peculiar shapes and then tempered; and it has been found that on both sides of thecenter plate contains the same or practically the same proportion of carbon, even though the steel in the two crucibles employed in forming the ingot differ in carbomand thus to fully overcome the objections above referred to.

It'consists,'first, in forming these ingots by I teeming the steel from two or more crucibles on thesame side of the center plate in such manner that it will be thoroughly commingled while at a high heat and assume the same or about the sam'edegree ofcarbon throughout,

and the heated steel so commingledwill pass to the other side of the center plate and form the finished ingot; second, in amold for fOI'lD: ing these ingots in which. the center plate fits closely against or within the end of the mold, and which has an opening below the plate. to permit the melted and commingled steel to pass, from theside in which it is teemed tothe other side of the plate; third, in certain improvements in the means of securing together the two halves ofthe partible ingotmold p and, fourth, in certain improvements in the method of securingthe ingot-mold to overcome warpage. Y r

' To enableothers skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will describethe same more fully; g

In thedrawings referred to, A represents myimproved in got-mold, formed in two halves, a a, and having the base-plate l), The two halves of themold are joined by the rabbetjoints 0 to retain them against endwise motion, 7

of each lugd is grooved horizontally for its reception, as at g, or lugs extending horizontally along its top and bottom edges are formed for the same purpose. The inner face, 70, of each lug is inclined outwardly from the body of the mold, topresent a better face for knocking the mold. apart after the casting of the ingot. Extending down the center of each end of the mold is the groove 1 for the reception. of the center plate. This groove is generally made at the junction of the two halves, so that the plate will not interfere with the opening of themold after the casting of the ingot. This manner of centering theplate is preferred by me, though the only requisite is, that the plate fit close against the ends of the mold, and prevent the melted steel from passing around the sides of the plate, and the plate may be centered by a groove in the base-plate, instead of grooves in the ends, and between lugs at the top of each end of the mold. However the center plate is centered, the base plate?) of the mold has a concave recess, m,

formed across its upper surface, to permit the melted metal to pass from one side of the center plate under it'to the other side of the plate, andthus form'the ingot. This recessm is inadesufliciently large to permit the metal to flow readily under the platetand where the base-plate is grooved, as above I described, to centerthe center plate, the recess is formed correspondingly deeper than'the groove. 7 Insteadofrecessingthe base-plate,the groove forthe reception ot' the center plate may be made to extend nearly but not quite to the bottomof the mold proper, and 'so' support the plate suffioiently above the base-plate as top'ermit the melted steel to pass under it, or the center plate may be otherwise supported above the base-plate for the same purpose.

In carrying on my improved process the partible mold A, resting onthe base-plate b,i's fastened together, the links 0 being fitted over the-lugs d and the wedges f driven in to clamp the two halves a a of the partible mold together. The iron or soft-steel center plate, previously scaled by an acid bath or other means, is dropped into the longitudinal groove I, thus dividing the mold into two chambers,

11 with a connecting opening below the center plate. The melters then at the same time teem the melted steel from two or more crucibles, according to the size of the mold, into the chamber 19 on one side of the center plate,

and as the metal is at a white heat, and is thoroughly commingled by the pouring, the

. carbon from the more highly carbonized metal passes over to that having less carbon, so that the whole mass becomes the same or approximately the same in carbon, and after so commingling passes into the chamber 11 on the other side of the center plate, rising in that chamber, and thus forming an ingot the caststeel of which is the same or practically the same in carbon throughout. Instead of arranging the mold in such manner that the commingled steel passes below the plate into 2 erases cessity of battering up the top of the molds,

this beingthe previous method of opening the molds.

Practical experience has fully proven that ingots formed as above described roll more evenly, fo r ming square or almost square ends to the plate formed, and that the plates so rolled, being the same in carbon on each side, have no tendency to warp or draw out of. shape when tempered, so that they can be bent to whatever shape desired and tempered without losing that shape.

I find the lugs, links, and wedges a rapid and convenient means of securing together the partible mold, as the links can be easily placed around and are supported by the lugs; and vby meansot the wedges driven between thelinksahd lugs the two halves can be easily and quickly secured together, even where, on

account of the warping of the molds or from other cause, the lugs do not come exactly opposite each other. 1 am also enabled by their use to entirely do away. with the serious warpand wedges at the corners lei't unconnected at the last casting-as, for instance, the upper right-hand corner and the lower left-hand corner -and the warping at this casting will draw lid O the mold back to its original shape. By em ploying this method the mold may always be kept in proper shape for use, and need never be abandoned on account of warping, this being often the casewith other molds, because they give a greater thickness of steel at certain points on one side of the center plate than atthe other, and the plates formedfrom the ingot will warp on this account.

, Before my invention partible ingot-molds have been formed with ribs extending along theirjoining edges, the two halves being secured together by clips or double hooks fitting around and driven down these ribs, the outer sides of which were slightly inclined. Tn'ese double books were, however, difficult to use,

278,593 a t a 3 asit was necessary to employ different lengths wedges and clamp the half-molds together with the same-sized links and without supporting the links, and the half-molds canbe secured together even where the warping throws the lugs out of proper position. As

there is' no spring to the links, they also look the-half-molds so securely together as to prevent springing in case of the sudden expan sion of the mold, or, if pressure is applied, to compress the steel therein.

WhatI claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is;-

1. The method herein described of forming cast-steel ingots having iron or soft-steelcenters, consistinguin teeming the steel from two or more crucibles on one'side of the center i plate in such manner that it will commingle,

and then causing the commingled metal to flow to the other side of the center plate, substantial-ly as and forthe purposes set forth.

2. A mold for forming cast-steel ingots having iron or soft-steel centers,having the center plate fitting against or within the sides of the mold, and an opening below the plate, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. A mold for forming cast-steel ingots having iron or soft-steel centers, provideclwith a longitudinal groove at each end for the reception of the center plate, and a recess in the base-plate, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4.- In partible ingot-molds, the combination of the half-molds a a, having the lugs 11 extending horizontally beyond the ends thereof,

the links 6, adapted to fit around and be supported on the lugs, and the Wedges f, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. The method herein described of overcoming the warpage in ingot-molds, consisting in securing the mold at the corners diagonally opposite during the casting of one ingot, and securing itat the corners-diagonally opposite those corners during the casting of the next ingot, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. i

In testimony whereof I, the said JOHN PED- DER, have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN PEDDER.

Witnesses:

F. G. KAY, JAMES I. KAY.

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