Abstract

A portable casting apparatus is described comprising a base and a column towards the rear thereof and extending upwardly therefrom, said apparatus further comprising a frame comprising at least upper and lower flange portions which together define an opening, and an interconnecting web portion disposed behind the opening and by means of which said upper and lower flange portions are connected. The interconnecting web portion of the frame is pivotally mounted to the column of the base of the apparatus, ideally at the mid-point, so that a clearance exists between said base and said frame lower flange portions when the frame is in a first position, and also between the base and the upper flange portions when the frame is rotated through 180°. The apparatus additionally includes jacking means that are mounted to one of said frame upper and lower flange portions such that the direction of travel of a ram of said jacking means is directly towards the opposing flange portion of the frame so that, in use, a workpiece may be both clampingly retained within said frame between a free end of said ram and the opposing frame flange portion, and rotated as a result of the rotation of the frame within which it is clamped. In a most preferred embodiment, the workpiece comprises two separable generally cylindrical parts, one being a slip cup into which a slurry, slip or other castable liquid suspension may be poured, and the other being a mould including a mould cavity into which that castable liquid may fall from the slip cup when the workpiece is in assembled condition and clampingly retained within the frame of the apparatus as it is rotated from a first position in which the mould is disposed above the slip cup to a second position in which the mould is disposed beneath the slip cup.

IPC Classes  ?

• G01N 33/38 - ConcreteLimeMortarGypsumBricksCeramicsGlass
• B21B 1/26 - Metal rolling methods or mills for making semi-finished products of solid or profiled cross-sectionSequence of operations in milling trainsLayout of rolling-mill plant, e.g. grouping of standsSuccession of passes or of sectional pass alternations for rolling bands or sheets of indefinite length in a continuous process by hot-rolling
• B28B 7/08 - Moulds provided with means for tilting or inverting
• B29C 33/20 - Opening, closing or clamping
• B28B 7/00 - MouldsCoresMandrels

Abstract

The invention comprises a ceramic pressure casting machine, said machine comprising an elongate support (4), a mould (8), an attachment (6), and a mould transport (10), wherein the mould (8) comprises at least two portions (12,14) and wherein in use, slip is introduced to the mould (8) in a first, casting position, in which position the attachment (6) overlies the mould (8) and wherein the mould (8) is compressed by the pressing of the attachment (6) onto the mould (8) for a given casting period and wherein, subsequent to the casting period, the mould (8) is moved along the support (4) by the mould transport (10), such that the attachment (6) no longer overlies the mould (8), to a second, position, wherein the mould (8) may be opened whereby demoulding may be undertaken and wherein the mould (8) may subsequently be moved back along the support (4) by the mould transport (10) to the first position. The invention also comprises a method of pressure casting using a mould (8) comprising at least two portions (12,14) and an elongate support (4) comprising the steps, in this order, of casting in a first position, moving the mould (8) along a linear path along the elongate support (4) to a second position, in use, above the first position, opening the mould (8) in the second position; and demolding in the second position, using a portion of the mould (8) as a demoulder head.

IPC Classes  ?

• B28B 1/26 - Producing shaped articles from the material by slip-casting, i.e. by casting a suspension or dispersion of the material in a liquid-absorbent or porous mould, the liquid being allowed to soak into or pass through the walls of the mouldMoulds therefor
• B28B 13/06 - Removing the shaped articles from moulds

Abstract

The invention comprises a pressure casting machine (2) comprising a support (4) and a casting cell (6), wherein the casting cell (6) is attached to the support (4) such that the casting cell (6) can, in use, be rotated, while at least a portion of the support (4) remains stationary, the machine (2) further comprising a releasable retainer to retain the casting cell (6) at a user-desired rotated position. The invention also comprises a method of pressure casting comprising the steps, in this order, of filling a mould (6), with slip for the purpose of producing a casting when the mould (6) is orientated at a first angle, rotating the mould (6) so that it is orientated at a second angle; and draining the mould (6).

IPC Classes  ?

• B28B 1/28 - Producing shaped articles from the material by slip-casting, i.e. by casting a suspension or dispersion of the material in a liquid-absorbent or porous mould, the liquid being allowed to soak into or pass through the walls of the mouldMoulds therefor involving rotation of the mould

Abstract

A mould press apparatus adapted for pressurised slip casting of a ceramic article, the apparatus comprising a supporting framework module within which a mould housing (5) comprising at least one mould member is located, said member (s) formed to be capable of pressurised moulding of said ceramic article within said housing, clamping means (8) adapted to at least partially clamp the mould member (s) to form said housing, ceramic slip introducing means adapted to introduce said slip into the mould housing, pressurising means adapted to apply pressure to the slip within said mould housing, wherein said framework module is configured to restrict movement therein of the mould housing in a generally vertical direction to prevent generally vertical demoulding of the moulded article whilst within said framework module but arranged to permit withdrawal of the at least partially clamped mould housing in a generally horizontal direction away from said framework so as to permit generally vertical demoulding of the moulded article in a location spaced away from the said framework module.

IPC Classes  ?

• B28B 1/26 - Producing shaped articles from the material by slip-casting, i.e. by casting a suspension or dispersion of the material in a liquid-absorbent or porous mould, the liquid being allowed to soak into or pass through the walls of the mouldMoulds therefor
• B25J 9/00 - Programme-controlled manipulators