apparatus for feeding molten metal to a plurality of moulds

Abstract

An apparatus for feeding molten metal to a plurality of moulds, the apparatus comprising a plurality of reservoirs for supplying molten metal to the plurality of moulds under gravity and at least one channel for supplying molten metal to the plurality of reservoirs through an entry port in each reservoir, each channel having an inlet through which molten metal may enter the channel and an opposing end wall, wherein at least one of the channels reduces in width from its inlet to its end wall.

1 . An apparatus for feeding molten metal to a plurality of moulds, the apparatus comprising a plurality of reservoirs for supplying molten metal to the plurality of moulds under gravity and at least one channel for supplying molten metal to the plurality of reservoirs through an entry port in each reservoir, each channel having an inlet through which molten metal may enter the channel and an opposing end wall, wherein at least one of the channels reduces in width from its inlet to its end wall. 
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the width of the entry port to the width of its respective reservoir for at least one of the reservoirs is from 1:1-1:10. 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal extent of at least one of the entry ports is tangential to the perimeter of its reservoir. 
     
     
         6 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one reservoir is circular in cross-section and the longitudinal extent of its respective entry port is tangential to that reservoir's circumference. 
     
     
         7 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the width of at least one of the channels reduces continuously from its inlet to its end wall. 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the width of at least one of the channels reduces stepwise from its inlet to its end wall. 
     
     
         9 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one channel comprises a first channel portion and a second channel portion, the first channel portion being wider than the second channel portion, and wherein the at least one channel also comprises a third channel portion, wherein in the second channel portion is wider than the third channel portion. 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the first channel portion is shorter in length than the second channel portion, and the third channel portion is shorter than the first and second channel portion. 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the first channel portion is longer in length than the second channel portion. 
     
     
         14 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each entry port has an opening in one of the channels for molten metal to enter the entry port from that channel. 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each channel has an inlet through which molten metal may enter the channel and an opposing end wall, and wherein the end wall comprises an angular portion for reducing back flow of molten metal from the end wall. 
     
     
         19 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 18  wherein the angular portion extends towards the channel inlet. 
     
     
         20 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the angular portion is triangular shaped and the apex of the triangular shaped angular portion projects into the channel. 
     
     
         21 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein sides of the angular portion are formed by entry ports of an opposing pair of reservoirs. 
     
     
         22 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each channel has an inlet through which molten metal may enter the channel at an opposing end wall, the reservoirs located on one or both longitudinal sides of one of the channels, and wherein the entry ports of the reservoirs which are closer to the inlet of their respective channel are narrower than entry ports of reservoirs further from the inlet of that channel. 
     
     
         23 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each channel has an inlet through which molten metal may enter the channel and an opposing end wall, the reservoirs located on one or both longitudinal sides of one of the channels, and wherein the entry ports of the reservoirs which are closer to the inlet of their respective channel have a longitudinal extent which is closer to the perpendicular with respect to the longitudinal extent of that channel, than entry ports to reservoirs further from the inlet of that channel. 
     
     
         24 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each reservoir is in fluid communication with their respective mould through a feed tube, and wherein at least a portion of at least one of the reservoirs has a cross-sectional area which is 20-80% of the cross-sectional area of its respective feed tube. 
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one reservoir is non-concentric with its respective mould below. 
     
     
         29 . An apparatus as claimed in claims  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus also comprises a primary trough for supplying molten metal to the at least one channel through each channel's inlet, the primary trough having at least one molten metal feed position at which molten metal is fed into the primary trough and wherein the width of the channel inlets closer to the at least one molten metal feed position are narrower than those channel inlets which are further from the at least one molten feed position. 
     
     
         30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . An apparatus for feeding molten metal to a plurality of moulds, the apparatus comprising a plurality of reservoirs for supplying molten metal to the plurality of moulds under gravity and at least one channel for supplying molten metal to the plurality of reservoirs through an entry port in each reservoir, wherein the longitudinal extent of at least one of the entry ports is tangential to the perimeter of its reservoir. 
     
     
         33 . An apparatus for feeding molten metal to a plurality of moulds, the apparatus comprising a plurality of reservoirs for supplying molten metal to the plurality of moulds under gravity and at least one channel for supplying molten metal to the plurality of reservoirs through an entry port in each reservoir, wherein the ratio of the width of the entry port to the width of its respective reservoir for at least one of the reservoirs is less than 1:1. 
     
     
         34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . (canceled)