Method and apparatus for manufacturing strong thin-walled castings

Abstract

Method and apparatus for forming good quality strong webs having a minimum dimension of 3 mm or less between iron liners in aluminum engine blocks by utilizing pre-formed metallic inserts conjoined with the outer water jacket core, preferably having cooling liquid passages in such inserts bridging the outer water jacket and preferably shaped to fill the interliner gap and formed of the same alloy as the remainder of the block.

1 . A method of casting a cast product comprising pre-formed solid elements having at least one dimension thinner than about 3 mm and casting the rest of the product with liquid metal to form the final cast product.  
     
     
         2 . A method of manufacturing an engine block of aluminum alloys comprising cylinder liners comprising providing a mold for casting said engine block; inserting pre-formed solid elements between said cylinder liners and filling said mold with molten aluminum alloy to form said motor block.  
     
     
         3 . An engine block made of aluminum alloy comprising pre-formed relatively stress free solid elements between said cylinder liners and the rest of said engine block being cast from said aluminum alloy forming an integral block after solidification of said casting.  
     
     
         4 . A method according to claims  1  or  2  wherein the pre-formed element has at least one bridging passage therein.  
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 4 , wherein the bridging passage is formed by a bridging core through each interliner gap between each pair of cast iron liners and extending between opposing halves of a water jacket core forming part of the engine mold.