A feeder system for metal casting comprising a feeder sleeve mounted on a tubular body. The feeder sleeve has a first end and a second end and a longitudinal axis extending generally between said first and second ends. The feeder sleeve comprises a continuous sidewall that extends generally around the longitudinal axis that defines a cavity for receiving liquid metal during casting and the sidewall has a base at the first end of the feeder sleeve. The tubular body defines an open bore therethrough for connecting the cavity to the casting in use. The feeder sleeve comprises at least one cut-out that extends into the sidewall from the base to a first depth and the tubular body projects into the cut-out to a second depth, the tubular body having at least one abrading region in contact with a surface of the feeder sleeve within the cut-out. The second depth is equal to or less than the first depth so that upon application of a force in use the abrading region abrades the surface of the feeder sleeve with which it is in contact such that the tubular body is pushed towards the second end. The invention also resides in a feeder sleeve for use in the system and a process for preparing a casting mold employing the system.

The present invention relates to the use of closed-pore microspheres of expanded perlite as a filler for producing moldings for the foundry industry, to a composition for producing moldings for the foundry industry, comprising closed-pore microspheres of expanded perlite as a filler, and a binder, the binder being selected from the group consisting of water glass, phenol-formaldehyde resins, two-component systems comprising as reactants a polyisocyanate and a polyol component containing free hydroxyl groups (OH groups), and starch, and also to moldings for the foundry industry and to a process for producing a molding for the foundry industry.

A method for producing a feeder (10) that is intended for use in a casting mold used for the casting of metals and comprises a feeder body (11), which encloses an inner cavity (25) as a feeder volume, consists of an exothermic and/or insulating material, has at least one lateral wall region (12) and a bottom region (13) with a feeder opening (14) arranged therein for connecting the inner cavity (25) of the feeder body (11) to the mold cavity of the casting mold during the casting operation and has a mesh-like fabric consisting of a refractory material covering over the feeder opening (14) therein, is characterized in that, in the course of the production of the feeder in a core shooter, a piece of fabric (21) of the mesh-like fabric is positioned in a pattern device (17) forming the shape of the feeder (10) in a core box (30) of the core shooter, in such a way that the peripheral region (22) of the piece of fabric (21) positioned in the bottom region (13) of the later feeder (10) is at least partially bent up in the direction of the lateral wall region (13) of the feeder body (11) and, during the shooting of the feeder (10), the bent-up peripheral region (22) is surrounded by the material shot in and is anchored in the material of the finished shot feeder (10).

A side frame may include a bolster opening configured to receive an outbound portion of a bolster. A center core may be used during the manufacture of the side frame to form the bolster opening. The center core may include first and second side walls configured to form the first and second side frame columns of the bolster opening. Additionally, each of the first side wall and second side wall may include one or more pin core holes each of which is configured to receive a pin core used in forming the fastening holes of the first and second side frame columns.

An apparatus for low-pressure casting includes a furnace wall bounding a furnace chamber, a melting crucible unit located in the furnace chamber, a heating device for heating the melting crucible, and at least one pressurizing unit for applying overpressure to the melting crucible. The furnace chamber in a top view has a length which is greater than its width, so that the furnace chamber has an elongated shape in a longitudinal direction, wherein preferably several riser pipes extending vertically are distributed roughly evenly over around 60% to 95% of the length in the longitudinal direction of the melting crucible or crucibles.

A casting tool for a piston may include a casting mold for forming a piston part from a casting melt and a casting head including a feeder for feeding the casting melt into the casting mold. The casting head may include a ring-shaped groove, and the groove may include an inner groove flank for forming the casting melt into a circumferential, ring-shaped sealing rib such that an inner rib flank of the sealing rib rests with a sealing effect against the inner groove flank when the casting melt solidifies in the groove. Additionally or alternatively, the casting head may include a ring-shaped collar, and the collar may include an outer collar flank for forming the casting melt to provide a circumferential, ring-shaped sealing groove such that an outer groove flank of the sealing groove rests with a sealing effect against the outer collar flank when the casting melt solidifies.

The invention relates to a method of producing an article selected from the group consisting of casting mold, core, feeder and molding compound for production of part of a casting mold, core or feeder, comprising the following steps: (S1) producing or providing in the foundry: a first component (A), comprising a first binder component (b1) of a binder system and an amount of a first mold base material and, spatially separated therefrom, a second component (B), comprising a second binder component (b2) of the binder system and an amount of a second mold base material wherein the first binder component (b1) and the second binder component (b2) are suitable for chemical reaction with one another and for curing of a mixture of the first component (A) and the second component (B), (S2) mixing by contacting the first component (A) and the second component (B) in a particular mass ratio, so as to result in a self-curing molding compound.

A method for producing a feeder element is described. The method includes (a) producing composite particles having a particle size of less than 2 mm in a matrix encapsulation method with the following steps: (a1) producing droplets of a suspension from at least (i) one or more refractory substances, (ii) one or more of fillers having a bulk density in the range from 10 to 350 g/L, expandants, and pyrolysable fillers, (iii) as continuous phase, a solidifiable liquid, (a2) solidifying the droplets with the refractory substance(s) and density-reducing substance(s) are encapsulated therein, (a3) treating the hardened droplets to form composite particles, (b) mixing the composite particles with a binder and, optionally, further constituents to give a feeder composition, (c) shaping and curing the feeder composition to give a feeder element. Also described are a method for producing refractory composite particles and the use of the composite particles.

The invention describes a feeder insert (2, 2, 2, 2, 2.sup.IV) for use for the casting of metals in vertically separable casting molds, having a first shaped element (8, 8, 8, 8, 8.sup.IV) and a second shaped element (10) which (i) are moveable telescopically relative to one another, (ii) delimit a feeder cavity (30) for receiving liquid metal, and (iii) are designed for being position by means of a centring pin (20, 22) that can be positioned along a centring axis (28), wherein the first shaped element (8, 8, 8, 8, 8.sup.IV) has a passage opening (18) for the liquid metal, and wherein the feeder cavity (30) is designed such that, in the case of horizontal arrangement of the centring axis (28), a predominant volume fraction of the feeder cavity (30) can be positioned above the centring axis.

A method of manufacturing a side frame mold for casting a side frame of a railway car truck includes forming a drag and a cope portion of a mold from a casting material to define an exterior surface of a drag portion and cope portion, respectively, of the side frame. The mold includes a portion for casting the pedestal jaw of the side frame. The drag and the cop portions are then cured.