GB1342691A - Moulding machine - Google Patents

Abstract

1342691 Foundry moulding machines, guiding turning and supporting flasks A S MASI, 1 April 1971 8414/71 Heading B3F A foundry moulding machine for making "flaskless" moulds comprises a moulding station and a mould assembly and stripping station 20. A cope flask 13 is carried on a trolley 23 for reciprocation between a retracted station (at the right of the machine in Fig. 2), the moulding station and the mould assembly/stripping station 20. A drag flask 12 is carried on a trolley 22 for reciprocation between the moulding station and the mould assembly/stripping station 20. In operation, the drag flask 12 is first located at the moulding station, a matchplate pattern 160a lifted to engage the drag flask 12 and both pattern 160a and drag flask raised to meet a filling (upset) frame 150. The gates 116 of a sand storage hopper 14 are opened to fill a measuring hopper 120. The gates 116 are closed and a slide plate 124 closing the base of measuring hopper 120 is retracted to fill the filling frame 150 and drag flask 12. The slide plate 124 carries a rake (not shown) to break up sand lumps. The pattern 160a is vibrated to settle the sand and a press head 106 brought over the drag flask. The sand in the drag flask 12 is compressed against the press head 106 by a fluid motor 174 and the moulded drag lowered in its flask 12 on to trolley 22. The matchplate pattern is retracted into a pattern well. The trolley 22 carrying the mould drag moves to the mould assembly/stripping station 20 and the matchplate pattern 106a is turned over for cope moulding. The cope is moulded in the same manner as the drag using cope flask 13 on a trolley 23. A projection 228 presses a pouring cup into the cope mould. The trolley 23 with a finished cope mould is moved above the drag trolley 22 in the mould assembly/stripping station. Guiding, turning and supporting flasks.- After removal from the moulding station, the drag flask 12 is turned over on its trolley 22 by the engagement of shanks 44 (see Fig. 4) of trunnions 46 within guide members 48, 49 and the rotation of the shanks 44 by a fluid motor 56. After turning, slotted flask supporting brackets 38 originally resting on pins 60, engage pins 62 for centring. A core (not shown) may then be set in the drag. At the stripper station a pressure plate 254 (Fig. 2) is pivoted into a horizontal position. An inflatable bottom board support device 276 is inflated to lift a bottom board 274 against a drag mould 16 in a drag flask 12 and to abut the drag mould 16 against a cope mould 17 arranged above (see Fig. 10). Dowels 42 (Fig. 4) on each flask 12, 13 co-operate with holed lugs 40 for accurate assembly of cope and drag moulds. The device 276 expands until the cope mould 17 presses against pressure plate 254. Air is released from the device 276 as a stripper plate 260 is moved upwardly to remove both flasks 12, 13 from the assembled mould 16, 17 by pins 284. The mould 16, 17 is lowered from the flasks 12, 13 and pushed on to a conveyer where it is poured (not shown).