Casting mold with multi-functional chill

Abstract

A casting mold with a multi-functional chill, a multi-functional chill, and a casting process facilitated by the multi-functional chill are disclosed herein. In addition to affecting the cooling rate of a casting inside the mold, the multi-functional chill may support and/or index the mold during handling and/or conveyance. The present invention allows for conveyance and/or handling of the mold or casting, with or without the mold, and allows for easy indexing and easy interaction with conveying and handling devices during and after heat treatment.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A casting mold for use in the forming of metal castings, the mold comprising:
 a mold wall segment at least partially defining and at least partially surrounding a cavity and a cavity opening in the wall segment;   a metal chill spanning the opening and abutting the wall segment at two opposing locations, the chill comprising an inner facing surface and outer facing surface, the inner facing surface being exposed to the cavity and the outer facing surface being exposed to the environment outside the mold, the outer facing surface comprising a conveyor engaging segment.   
     
     
         2 . The casting mold according to  claim 1 , wherein the chill is formed with pin-channels projecting into the chill and accessible from the outer facing surface. 
     
     
         3 . The casting mold of  claim 1 , wherein the wall segment defines a rim portion encircling the opening, and wherein, the entire rim of the opening engages the inner facing surface of the chill, whereby the chill seals the opening at the interface of the rim portion and the chill inner surface. 
     
     
         4 . The casting mold of  claim 3 , wherein the cavity is occupied by molten or solidifying metal and the mold is positioned with the chill oriented at the bottom and the wall supported on and above chill interfacing surface 
     
     
         5 . The casting mold of  claim 4  in combination with a conveyor, said conveyor engaging the chill at the conveyor engaging portion, the casting mold being supported on the conveyor by the chill. 
     
     
         6 . The casting mold of  claim 5 , wherein the conveyor is a conveyor selected from the group consisting of a roller hearth conveyor, a walking beam conveyor, and a chain conveyor. 
     
     
         7 . The casting mold of  claim 5 , wherein the conveyor is a roller hearth conveyor comprising a plurality of spaced apart, parallel rollers and wherein the chill is of a length sufficient to span at least three sequential rolls. 
     
     
         8 . The casting mold of  claim 5 , wherein the conveyor is a chain conveyor comprising at least two parallel elongated chains and the conveyor engaging portion of the chill comprises chain engaging grooves engaging the chains, the chill being of sufficient length to engage at least two parallel chains of the chain conveyor. 
     
     
         9 . The casting mold of  claim 5 , wherein the conveyor is a walking beam conveyor and the conveyor engaging portion of the chill comprises features for engaging a walking beam conveyor. 
     
     
         10 . A casting mold for use in forming a metal casting, the mold comprising:
 A first wall segment formed of a first material and a metal chill integrated with the first wall segment, the chill comprising mold handling features formed therein and further comprising conveyance engaging features formed therein, said handling features and conveyance features being so positioned as to be accessed by and engaged by handling and conveyance devices external to the mold.   
     
     
         11 . A multi-functional chill for use with a casting mold, the chill comprising:
 a first side and a second side, the first side comprising casting-matching features and the second side comprising one or more of conveyance features, handling features, and indexing features.   
     
     
         12 . The chill of  claim 11 , wherein the conveyance features comprise one or more recessed segments formed in the second side of the chill. 
     
     
         13 . The chill of  claim 11 , wherein the handling features comprise one or more pinholes formed in the second side of the chill. 
     
     
         14 . The chill of  claim 11 , wherein the indexing features comprise one or more notches formed in the second side of the chill.