Low-pressure casting furnace system

Abstract

A casting system is provided with at least two low-pressure casting furnaces. Each of the at least two low-pressure casting furnaces is adapted to be connected in fluid communication with a mold. At least one controller is in cooperation with the at least two low-pressure casting furnaces to collectively operate the low-pressure casting furnaces to cast a material into the mold.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A casting system comprising:
 at least two low-pressure casting furnaces, each adapted to be connected in fluid communication with a mold; and   at least one controller in cooperation with the at least two low-pressure casting furnaces to collectively operate the low-pressure casting furnaces to cast a material into the mold.   
     
     
         2 . The casting system of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of stalk tubes, each stalk tube provided upon one of the at least two low-pressure casting furnaces to provide fluid communication from the one of the at least two low-pressure casting furnaces to the mold. 
     
     
         3 . The casting system of  claim 2  wherein only one stalk tube is provided for each of the at least two low-pressure casting furnaces. 
     
     
         4 . The casting system of  claim 1  further comprising a frame, wherein each of the at least two low-pressure casting furnaces is supported upon the frame. 
     
     
         5 . The casting system of  claim 4  further comprising a plurality of leveling devices supported upon the frame, wherein each of the at least two low-pressure casting furnaces is supported upon one of the plurality of leveling devices. 
     
     
         6 . The casting system of  claim 4  further comprising the mold supported upon the frame above the at least two low-pressure casting furnaces in fluid cooperation with each of the at least two low-pressure casting furnaces. 
     
     
         7 . The casting system of  claim 1  wherein the at least two low-pressure casting furnaces further comprise at least three low-pressure casting furnaces; and
 wherein one pair of the at least three low-pressure casting furnaces is spaced apart a greater distance than another pair of the at least three low-pressure casting furnaces. 
 
     
     
         8 . The casting system of  claim 1  wherein the at least two low-pressure casting furnaces further comprise at least three low-pressure casting furnaces that are arranged in a shape of a triangle with a center of each low-pressure casting furnace at a vertex of the triangle. 
     
     
         9 . The casting system of  claim 8  wherein the shape of the triangle is a right triangle. 
     
     
         10 . The casting system of  claim 9  wherein two sides of the triangle that are opposite and adjacent to an acute angle of the triangle are different lengths. 
     
     
         11 . The casting system of  claim 1  further comprising the mold oriented upon the at least two low-pressure casting furnaces in fluid cooperation with each of the at least two low-pressure casting furnaces. 
     
     
         12 . The casting system of  claim 11  wherein the mold further comprises a sand mold. 
     
     
         13 . A casting system comprising:
 a frame;   a plurality of leveling devices supported upon the frame; and   a plurality of low-pressure casting furnaces each supported upon one of the plurality of leveling devices, each adapted to be connected in fluid communication with a mold.   
     
     
         14 . A method for low-pressure casting comprising:
 providing two low-pressure casting furnaces in an adjacent series;   providing a mold upon the low-pressure casting furnaces in fluid communication with each of the two low-pressure casting furnaces; and   casting a single component in the mold from the two low-pressure casting furnaces.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising leveling the two low-pressure casting furnaces. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising casting the component from an aluminum material. 
     
     
         17 . The component formed from the method of  claim 14 . 
     
     
         18 . The component of  claim 17  wherein the component weighs up to three thousand pounds. 
     
     
         19 . The component of  claim 17  wherein the component occupies a volume of up to one thousand, one hundred and fifty-two cubic feet.