David Samuel Sheldon
Engineering at Pawnee Ave, Birmingham, AL

6179171, Jan 30, 2001

Jun 4, 1999

9/326369

Gregory L. Ferguson - Cottondale AL
David S. Sheldon - Homewood AL

Vulcan Engineering Company - Helena AL

B22C 1510

222502

An apparatus for promoting uniform sand distribution into a mold flask in a foundry process, comprising a fixed distribution plate mounted subjacent a hopper and a slide distribution plate slidably mounted subjacent the fixed plate, wherein the slide plate has a repeating series of apertures therethrough with each aperture series corresponding to one aperture through the fixed plate. Each aperture series comprises a plurality of apertures having different diameters wherein the largest aperture diameter is substantially equal to the uniform aperture diameter through the fixed plate. Accordingly, the slide plate is movable between a plurality of open positions such that as different flow rates are desired through the distribution plates, the appropriate sized apertures through the slide plate are fully aligned with the apertures through the fixed plate. In an alternate embodiment, the sand distribution apparatus comprises a fixed distribution plate mounted subjacent a hopper, a first slide distribution plate slidably mounted subjacent the fixed plate, and a second slide distribution plate slidably mounted subjacent the first slide plate, such that the apertures through the distribution plates can be aligned to form a plurality of zigzag channels through which sand can flow at a reduced flow rate from the hopper into the mold flask. The present invention substantially reduces or eliminates skewed sand flow and substantially eliminates offset sand flow encountered in the prior art sand distribution apparatus having only a single slide plate when the apertures through the fixed and slide plates are partially overlapped for reduced sand flow.

6302158, Oct 16, 2001

Jun 14, 2000

9/593331

David Samuel Sheldon - Homewood AL

Vulcan Engineering Company, Inc. - Helena AL

B65B 104

141 1

A sand level sensing and distribution apparatus for monitoring and controlling the quantity of sand distributed from a batch hopper into a mold flask includes a sensor assembly connected to a level actuating assembly via a carriage assembly. A window is mounted within one wall of the batch hopper such that the sensor assembly may be used to monitor the level of sand within the batch hopper. The level actuating assembly is proximate the batch hopper, and the sensor assembly is therefore proximately positioned by said window. A control unit is included to receive the monitored signal from the sensor assembly, and, using such information, to control the operation of the level actuating assembly in positioning the sensor assembly to distribute the desired amount of sand into the mold flask. Moreover, a sand gate assembly is mounted subjacent the batch hopper, and the control unit also operates to control when the sand gate assembly is in an open position to distribute sand from the batch hopper into the mold flask.