US3200454A

US3200454A - Hinge mechanism for flask for use in metal molding

Info

Publication number: US3200454A
Application number: US257011A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank V Gramenzi
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-02-07
Filing date: 1963-02-07
Publication date: 1965-08-17
Anticipated expiration: 1982-08-17

Description

' Aug. 17, 1965 F. v. GRAMENZI 3,200,454

HINGE MECHANISM FOR FLASK FOR USE IN METAL MOLDING Filed Feb. 7, 1965 l NVENTOR F/P/W/f K 6/PAMM Z/ B United States Patent 3,200,454 HINGE MECHANISM FOR FLASK FOR USE IN METAL MOLDING Frank V. Gramenzi, 322 Line St., Camden, NJ. Filed Feb. 7, 1963, Ser. No. 257,011 1 Claim. (Cl. 22-107) The present invention relates to hinges and more particularly to hinges used on molding flasks.

A purpose of the invention is to provide a hinge which will allow the drag to remain parallel to the cope when the flask is in closed position when plates of varying thickness are placed between the cope and drag.

A further purpose is to provide a hinge which compensates for any thickness of plate automatically by spring adjustment in the hinges.

A further purpose is to spring bias the cope toward the drag in a direction normal to the parting line between the cope and the drag.

A further purpose is to provide a stop so that the post upon which the cope slides is fixed in a position normal to the parting line of the flask.

Further purposes appear in the specification and in the claim.

In the drawings I have chosen to illustrate one only of the numerous embodiments in which the invention may appear, selecting the form shown from the standpoints of convenience in illustration, satisfactory operation, and clear demonstration of the principles involved.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the hinge of the invention applied to a typical molding flask using a match plate.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational section taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 showing the hinge of the invention acting on a flask with a plate of smaller thickness than the plate of FIGURE 2.

In casting metals with a sand mold, the sand is packed around the pattern which is surrounded by a container or flask of suitable size. The flask is separated into two halves referred to as the cope and the drag. The sand is rammed in place in these halves, as is well known, along the pattern and the two halves, the cope and the drag, are then closed to pour the casting.

In many instances in a two or more part flask, the parts are hinged together and it is necessary for the molders to make a parting line so that the cope and the drag can be separated to open the mold. In modern molding, it is common to insert a plate between the cope and the drag which covers the entire area of the flask. The plate has the pattern framed on its two sides and it has the gates and the risers attached to it. It therefore automatically establishes the parting line.

In the prior art practice, hinges have been used to pivotally connect the drag and cope together wherein the hinges and drag and cope rotate about a pivot as in ordinary hinges. When a plate is used in molding, the plate is not gripped flat by the cope and the drag, but rather the cope and drag diverge radially from the pivot point of the hinge. Thus, the cope and drag do not lie parallel to one another about the plate and a true casting corresponding to the pattern is not obtained.

In the present invention, the hinges automatically by spring adjustment provide for any thickness of plate so that the drag and cope while pivoting at the hinge nevertheless lie in parallel relationship about the plate when the flask is closed and ready for molding.

In accordance with the invention, the drag is provided with an arm projecting horizontally from the drag and pivots thereon a second arm which mounts a post which slidably supports an arm horizontally mounted on the cope. The cope, cope arm, post, and second arm rotate 3,200,454 Patented Aug. 17, 1965 together about the fixed pivot on the drag arm. A spring biases the cope arm longitudinally along the post toward the drag arm so that the flask when closed about any thickness plate positions the drag and cope in a parallel relationship.

Referring to the drawings, a flask 20 has a drag portion 21 and a cope portion 22 which are arranged in a matching relationship as is well known. Sand 23 is packed around the pattern on a match plate 25 which extends between the drag 21 and the cope 22. The plate 25 has longitudinally overlapping edges 26 and transverse overlapping edges 27. The thickness of the plates 27 may vary, as for instance, of thickness 28 in FIGURE 2 and of thickness 30 in FIGURE 3. These plates are well known in the art and form no part of the present invention, but rather the present invention is concerned with compensating for the variance in thickness of these plates, as for instance from thickness 30 to thickness 28.

The drag 21 and cope 22 are connected together by means of hinges 40 as shown in FIGURES 1 through 3. It should be understood that any number of the hinges of the invention may be used on a flask. A horizontal arm 41 has a base 42 which is mounted to the drag 21 by any suitable means such as screws or the like. The horizontal arm 41 has integrally erected thereon spaced lugs 42 which support therefrom a pin 43. A stud 44 is threaded into tapped hole 45 in arm 41, the stud being provided with a flat head 46.

Pin 43 pivotally supports arm 47. A post 48, suitably a threaded stud having threads 50 and a head 51, is fixed into tapped hole 52 and extends in a direction normal to the pivoted arm 47. A cope arm 60 having a base 61 suitably connected to the cope 22 by bolts or the like has bracket 62 extending from the base 61 in a direction parallel with the plane of the cope. Bracket 62 has a circular opening 63 which surrounds post 48 in a slidable relationship and which is preferably of circular cross section as is the post 48 but may be suitably of any cross section.

A helical compression spring 64 surrounds the post 48 and abuts at one end against head 51 of post 48 and at the other end abuts against bracket 62 of cope arm 60.

In operation, the flask is opened by lifting cope 22 with respect to drag 21. In so opening, cope 22, cope arm 60, post 48, and arm 47 rotate about pin 43. The cope 22 and drag 21 are prepared with sand for the molding operation and a plate 25, of for instance thickness 28 as seen in FIGURE 2, placed over the drag 21. The cope is then rotated into a closed position as shown in FIGURE 2. The stud 44 has been previously set with respect to arm 41 so that the top of head 45 of stud 44 is at such level so as to form a stop for arm 47 so that arm 47 supports post 48 in a position perpendicular to the parting line between the drag 21 and the cope 22.

When the flask 20 is closed, post 48 will thus extend in a position normal or perpendicular to the plane of the plate 25. The cope 22 will rest against the upper surface of plate 25 at 70 completely around the perimeter of the cope since the cope arm 60 is free to move along post 48 in a direction normal to plate 25 against the bias of spring 64.

The cope 22 will be held against the plate 25 and to the drag 21 at the side opposite from the hinges 40 by any suitable clasp mechanism, not shown. The side of the cope at 71 will be held against the plate and against the flask by the action of the helical compression spring 64 acting against bracket 62 projecting from base 61 attached to the cope. Hence, there will exist a parallel relationship between the drag 21 and cope 22 as seen in FIGURE 2.

Where the plate 25 is of a different thickness 38 as seen in FIGURE 3 from the thickness 28 of plate 25 as seen in FIGURE 2, the hinge of the invention will automatically compensate for this variance in thickness by longitudinally forcing the bracket 62 along the post 48 toward the plate so that the cope at 72 rests against the plate 25. Again, the side of the cope 22 opposite the hinge is held by any suitable clasp so that again in this instance the cope and drag of the invention are held parallel to one another and in abutting relationship to the plate 25.

It will be seen of course that when the cope 22 is opened with respect to drag 21, the spring 64 will force bracket 62 toward arm 47 until bracket 62 bears against arm 47. The bracket 62 and arm 47 will remain in this relationship while the flask is open and free of any contact between the cope 22 and the plate 25.

In view of my invention and disclosure, variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art I to obtain all or part of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claim all such insofar as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my claim.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

An adjustable hinge for keeping the cope and drag portions of a molding flask in parallel relationship comprising a first arm mounted on the drag, a second arm pivotally connected to said first arm and having a pin secured perpendicular thereto, said pin being disposed between the drag and the pivot when the flask is closed, means for keeping the second arm horizontal when the flask is closed, a third arm mounted on the cope having an aperture therein, said pin being slidably mounted in the aperture, a fitting attached to an end of the pin opposite that end secured to the second arm, a helical compression spring surrounding said pin between the fitting and the third arm, said spring thereby urging the cope toward the second arm to maintain a positive relation between them while the slidable pin allows the cope to maintain a plurality of parallel relationships with the drag when the flask is closed.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 703,626 7/02 Upson 16-191 1,699,839 1/29 Gohmann 22-110 1,744,339 1/30 Smith 1843 XR 2,618,130 11/52 Leichtman et al 1832 XR 2,620,509 12/52 Keating 16--179 XR 2,644,989 7/53 Parkes l6179 XR 2,714,743 8/55 Lochner 16l79 FOREIGN PATENTS 385,252 11/2 Germany.

WILLIAM J. STEPHENSON, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT F. WHITE, Examiner.