US3589431A

US3589431A - Mold making equipment utilizing vertical mold blowing and plural rammers

Info

Publication number: US3589431A
Application number: US790072A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harrison E Fellows
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1969-01-09
Filing date: 1969-01-09
Publication date: 1971-06-29
Anticipated expiration: 1988-06-29

Abstract

Bottomless cope and drag boxes mounted on a turntable are cleaned, assembled upon a pattern plate, turned on edge and clamped between closure platens and filled with molding sand. The platens are then advanced into the boxes to compress the sand against the patterns to form molds. Upon withdrawal of the platens, a sprue hole is made, the assembly is rotated to horizontal, and the boxes and contained molds are separated from the pattern plate, which is then withdrawn. After insertion of cores, if any, the boxes and molds are reclosed. An elevator rises through a withdrawal yoke into engagement with the mold whereupon a complementary platen opposing the elevator forces the sand mold downwardly from the boxes and into the plane of the yoke to the level of a withdrawal table onto which the yoke draws the mold, leaving the boxes empty for repetition of the process.

Description

United States Patent Harrison E. Fellows [72] Inventor 2,933,785 4/1960 Hansberg 164/200 X Clearwater Lake, Wis. 54518 3,030,675 4/1962 Chiabotti 164/200 [21] Appl. No. 790,072 3,229,336 1/1966 Hunter etal 164/182 X [22] Filed Jan. 9, 1969 3,303,535 2/1967 Rearwin et al 164/172 [45] Patented June 29, 1971 3,406,738 /1968 Hunter 164/183 X 3,433,285 3/1969 Fellows 164/193 [54] MOLD MAKNG EQUWMENT UTILIZING Primary Examiner-J. Spencer Overholser a MOLD BLOWING AND PLURAL Assistant Examiner-John E. Roethel RAMMERS Attorney-Wheeler, House 84 Clemency l 1 Claims, Drawing Figs.

U.S. Bottomless cope and drag boxes mounted on a 164/22. 4/37, 164/ 181 164/182, 1 turntable are cleaned, assembled upon a pattern plate, turned 164/201 on edge and clamped between closure platens and filled with [51] llll. Cl 8221C 15/28 molding and The platens are then advanced into the boxes to Field 0' Search 164/169, compress the and against the patterns to form molds, Upon 133, withdrawal of the platens, a sprue hole is made, the assembly 324, 325, is rotated to horiaontal, and the boxes and contained molds 326, 327 are separated from the pattern plate, which is then withdrawn. References Cited After insertion of cores, if any, the boxes and molds are reclosed. An elevator rises through a withdrawal yoke into en- UNITED STATES PATENTS gagement with the mold whereupon a complementary platen 2,049,967 8/1936 Luton 164/181 opposing the elevator forces the sand mold downwardly from 2,317,574 4/1943 Williams 164/181 the boxes and into the plane of the yoke to the level of a 2,791,012 5/1957 Miller 164/181 withdrawal table onto which the yoke draws the mold, leaving 2,882,565 4/1959 Selby 164/201 the boxes empty for repetition of the process.

STATION I la S'I'A'T'iON 11 sTAnoNm STATtON J2 PATENTED JUNE 9 I97;

SHEET 2 BF 7 ATTORNIE PATENTEI] JUN29 1971 3 5 9 ',43 .1

' sum u or 7 INVENTOR Hneeawv E. Flex 4 a w s ATTORNEY) MOLD MAIKG EQUIPMENT UTILIZING VERTICAL MOLD BLOWING AND PLIJRAL RAMMERS BACKGROUND OF INVENTION This application is a companion to my application Ser. No. 476,090, filed July 30, 1965 and now U.S. Pat. 3,433,285, issued March 18, 1969.

There are molding machines which produce a drag mold and then roll over to make a cope mold. The disadvantage of such devices lies in the fact that the drag mold is made against an unsupported pattern which will deflect under some conditions. It is also known to make both molds simultaneously by filling the form through the drag cavity from the side. In such devices of this character as I am acquainted with, the sand from an overhead magazine has to be forced through a bent pipe or conduit to enter the drag cavity in this manner and there is considerable friction and sometimes inadequate filling.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION The limited rotation of the mold boxes in the instant device presents the mold cavities simultaneously to separate filler spouts to receive sand directly from overhead magazine means of the type disclosed in my prior application above identified. The compression of the sand in the respective boxes also occurs simultaneously by platens operating equally and oppositely to give uniform mold density in the respective boxes.

The boxes within which the molds are formed are attached to operating rams and slidably mounted in guides having trunnions pivotally carried by arms cantilevered from the indexing table. This arrangement permits the parts to be in the desired position, whether it be vertical or horizontal, at the respective stations, hydromotors preferably being used to effect the required bodily rotation on the trunnions.

For withdrawing the finished molds, a yoke embracing the molds travels across a withdrawal table. The molds are I lowered to the level of the table on an elevator which rises BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. I is a diagrammatic plan view of parts of mold making equipment embodying the invention, the super structure being removed to expose most of the mechanism at the level indicated by the line 1-1 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view taken in section on the line 22 of FIG. I.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail view showing in side elevation the structure at Station II.

FIG. 4 is a view in vertical radial section through the mold filling structure in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 shows fragmentarily the parts of FIG. 4 when the platens are advanced to compress the sand in the boxes. 4

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary detail view on an enlarged scale taken in section through one of the vent fittings.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view in generally horizontal section through the parts of Station I.

FIG. 8 is a view in perspective fragmentarily illustrating diagrammatically and in mutually separated positions the mold boxes and associated parts.

FIG. 10 shows the pattern plate advanced to position between the separated mold boxes at Station I.

FIG. II shows the mold boxes closed upon the pattern plate at Station I.

FIG. 12 shows the open ended mold boxes and pattern plate assembly rotated to receive the sand through the ends of the boxes at Station II.

FIG. I3 shows the closure plates advancing to close the open ends of the mold boxes to provide closed chambers into which the sand can be blown at Station I].

FIG. 14 shows the boxes closed and the sand being delivered into them about the pattern as at Station II.

FIG. 15 shows the sand within the boxes being subjected to compression against the pattern as at Station II.

FIG. 16 shows the sprue hold formed in the sand of one of the boxes, the pressure plate having been withdrawn and the boxes remaining on edge.

FIG. 17 shows the boxes restored to horizontal positions as at Station III.

FIG. 18 shows the boxes separated to expose the pattern plate and patterns to the ram which is about to force the pattern plate back to stored position at Station III.

FIG. I9 shows the pattern plate in stored position to which it has been forced by the extended ram at Station III.

FIG. 20 shows placement of the cores in the sand mold at Station IV.

FIG. 21 shows the two sections of the sand mold closed upon the core at Station IV.

FIG. 22 shows the closed molds and boxes above the path of the discharge yoke at Station V.

FIG. 23 shows the elevator raised through the discharge yoke into engagement with the lower section of the sand mold, the completed mold being held against the elevator by the opposed pressure plate at Station V.

FIG. 24 shows the upper pressure plate acting on the sand mold to push it from the boxes and to lower it on the elevator elevated molding boxes empty for cleaning and reuse at Station I.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The number of working stations about the turntable 2 may be varied to suit the requirements. In the instant disclosure, there are five stations designated by roman numerals I to V.

The annular turntable 2 has rollers 3 guiding it for rotation about a fixed post 4, the turntable being supported on rollers 5 which are in annular series beneath it (FIG. 2). Carried by the turntable is an annular indexing plate 6 shown in dotted lines in FIG. I. This plate has shoulders at 7 corresponding in number to the number of stations and disposed to be engaged by the head 8 on ram 10 for the stepped indexing advance of the turntable through an angle equal to the angular spacing between stations. In accordance with conventional practice, stops 11 are desirably provided to assure accuracy of registration.

It is also desirable to 'provide an interlock to assure that the turntable will not be indexed until the operations at all of the several stations have been completed. If the indexing is controlled manually, this may involve no more than the provision of pushbuttons at the several stations which cause illumination of a succession of lights to tell the operator who controls ram 10 that all is in readiness for the indexing operation. If the operation is controlled mechanically, there can be signals given at the several stations which are connected in series in the circuit which energizes ram 10. Thus the relay circuit will be completed to energize ram It) only when all of the relays are energized.

The turntable 2 is provided with pattern plate racks 12 corresponding in number to the number of stations. Each rack is equipped with rollers 14 providing a way upon which the respective pattern plates 16 may roll between an advanced position for use and a retracted position for storage. In the retracted position, each pattern plate is on the turntable 2. In the advanced position, the pattern plate has left the turntable under thrust of a ram as shown at Station I in FIG. 1. The pattern plates carry appropriate patterns 18.

Projecting radially from the turntable 2 are pairs of arms 20 for supporting between them pairs of

mold boxes

22, 24 which can be rotated in unison for 90, and can be brought together and separated as best shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The arms 20 support bearings 26 for trunnions 28 which support guide channels 30, one of which is shown at the left in FIG. 8, it being understood that a similar arrangement is at the right. Reciprocable in each guide channel is a bearing block 32 which normally is in a position opposite the trunnion. This position is defined by impositive detents consisting of the springpressed balls 34 engaged in pockets 36 in the opposite faces of block 32. The block is elevated from this position by ram 80 at only one of the several stations and this ram controls its return movement.

Carried by each block 32 is a transverse angle bar 42 which supports rollers 44 providing a way along which one of the pattern plates 16 is reciprocable from the storage position of FIG. 9 to the position of use shown in FIG. 11.

The angle bar 42 also supports vertical guide rods 48 engaged by bearings at the ends of arms 50 which project from the sides of the

respective boxes

22 and 24 as shown in FIG. 8. A ram 52 connected with the box 24 has its plunger 54 engaged with block 32 for the raising and lowering of box 24. Similarly the ram 56 connected with box 22 has its plunger 58 connected with block 32 for the raising and lowering of box 22.

For bodily rotation of the mold box assembly, a motor 60, preferably a fluid pressure motor, has its output shaft 62 connected with trunnion 28 to turn the guide channel 30 through an arc of 90 to move the box assembly from the position shown at the left in FIG. 2 to the position shown at the right of FIG. 2 (and return). Flexible hose connections 64' are used as leads to the various rams and to the motor 60 and to the

vent chambers

66 and 68 provided in the ends of

boxes

22 and 24. Through certain of the hose connections, air escaping from the boxes while the boxes are being filled with sand is carried to a three-way valve 70 having an atmospheric exhaust port 72. Later, when it is desired to discharge the molds from these boxes, the valve 70 connects the

chambers

66 and 68 with fluid supply line 74.

At Station ll,

boxes

22 and 24 previously assembled on the pattern plate 16, are filled with sand. As already stated, these boxes are open ended. When assembled with the pattern plate 16, they are rotated to stand on edge as shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 and the whole assembly is then elevated by the ram 80 to engage the filling port 82 at the end of each box with the respective sand supply nozzle 84. Sand will be supplied through nozzles 84, preferably in accordance with the disclosure of the companion application above identified. However, before the sand can be admitted to the boxes, the open ends of the boxes must be closed. The opposing ram heads 88 have spring biased seal frames 90 which engage the margins of the boxes about their open ends before the surfaces 92 of the heads 88 close the boxes. Sand is then injected under pressure as indicated by the arrows 94 in FIG. 4, the air within the boxes escaping through the

chambers

66 and 68 and the hoses 64 to the three-way valve 70 and being discharged through the exhaust 72 to the atmosphere.

When the boxes are completely filled with sand about the pattern 18, the rams 88 are further advanced from the positions of FIG. 4 to the positions of FIG. 5. The seal frames 90 cannot partake of the advance, being engaged with the respec tive boxes. However, the ram faces 92 pass telescopically into the boxes as shown in FIG. 5 to compress the sand. When this has been accomplished, the rams 88 are retracted to the initial positions in which they are illustrated in FIG. 3 and the

sandfilled boxes

22 and 24 are lowered from the position of FIG. 3 to the position of FIG. 2. They are now free to rotate 90 so that they will be horizontal as in FIG. 8 instead of upright as in FIGS. 2 to 5.

The sequence of operation is illustrated diagrammatically in FIGS. 9 to 25.

At Station I, the boxes and patterns are cleaned of sand from the previous operation. This may be done by any convenient means such as the air jets 96. The pattern plates 16 and the pattern mounted thereon are then slid forwardly on the supporting rolls above described by a ram 15 which moves the pattern plate from the storage rack 12 on the turntable to the rollers 44 on the a rms 42 which are parallel to and intermediate the

boxes

22 and 24, as best shown in FIG. 8. The pattern plate is then in the position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 10.

The open ended

boxes

22 and 24 are now closed upon the pattern plate 16, as shown in FIG. 11.

Here the motor 60 is energized to rotate the box assembly from its initial horizontal position to the on-edge position shown in FIG. 12 so ports 82 for the filling of each box are disposed upwardly. The turntable then indexes to advance the closed assembly of FIG. 11 to Station II.

Operation of ram now lifts the assembly from the position of FIG. 13 to the position of FIG. 14 to engage the box sides about ports 82 with the filling nozzles 84 Immediately the closure rams 88 move in to engage the seal rings 90 with the margins of the boxes and to dispose the closure surfaces 92 across the initially open ends of the boxes. With the parts in the position of FIG. 4, sand is injected through the nozzles 84 and the air displaced from the boxes escapes to atmosphere through the valve 70 as above described.

The boxes being completely filled with sand as shown in FIG. 14, the rams 88 are advanced further as indicated in FIG. 15 to compact the sand around the respective patterns 18. Rams 88 are then retracted out of the boxes and the elevator ram 80 is lowered to restore the box assembly to its original height. It is preferably at this point, with the boxes still on edge, that the sprue basin or opening is formed in any desired manner (indicated diagrammatically by reamer 101). The motor 60 is then reversed to restore the boxes to their initial horizontal position as shown in FIG. 17. This occurs, desirably, at Station Ill.

Still at Station III, the

rams

52 and 56 are actuated to open the mold by raising box 24 and lowering box 22 as shown in FIG. 18. The ram 102 is then advanced to engage the pattern plate 16 to displace it from between the

boxes

22 and 24 and to restore it to the storage rack on the turntable )FIG. 19).

The turntable now indexes to move the boxes and molds to Station IV and the cores 103, if any, are positioned in the openings left by the patterns 18 (FIG. 20). This operation is usually manual. Still at Station IV, the box 24 is now ongaged with box 22 to close the mold (FIG. 21).

The assembly of boxes and mold is still supported on the turntable arms 20 at a level higher than that of the discharge table 112. When the turntable has rotated to bring the assembly to Station V, a normally retracted withdrawal yoke 114 which is U-shaped in plan is advanced from the position of FIG. 22 to that of FIG. 23 where it is positioned to receive the finished sand molds. At this point, the table 116 of elevator ram 118 is raised through the yoke into engagement with the sand mold 120 which is in box 22. At the same time, a complementary ejector plate 122 of ram 126 moves down into engagement with the sand mold 128 which is in box 24. The movement of the ejector plate 122 continues, forcing downwardly the

molds

128 and 120 and the elevator table 116 until the table registers with the withdrawal table 112 as shown in FIG. 24. The completed mold is now in the plane of yoke 114. The

boxes

24 and 22 are empty. The discharge of the finished molds from the boxes may be facilitated by the use of the three-way valve 70 to connect the pressure line 74 through hoses 64 with the respective vent chambers 66 and 68 (FIGS.7and 4).

Still at Station V, the yoke 114 is moved by its ram 130 toward the left as viewed in FIGS. 24 and 25, thereby withdrawing the mold from table 116 of elevator I18 beneath -the

boxes

22 and 24. Movement of the mold just finished in the direction of withdrawal across the table 112 propels in advance of its on said table the molds previously delivered to the table in the manner described (FIG. 25).

The next indexing movement of the turntable 2 restores the boxes which have been under discussion back to Station I in readiness for a repetition of of the sequence. It will be understood that in each of the five selected points on the turntable which registers with the five stations above described, there is a similar series of boxes and similar control mechanism so that with each periodical indexing movement another mold is completed and withdrawn for the pouring of metal into its sprue opening.

If desired, the method herein disclosed may be practiced by replacing permanent boxes for flaskless molds with frames to receive tight flasks which will produce tight flask molds.

The operation would still involve the 90 rotation of the flaslocarrying frames in exactly the manner in which the permanent boxes are rotated in the manufacture of flaskless molds. The operation will then be as follows:

At Station I tight flasks and pattern will be positioned, assembled and rotated 90. The operations at the other stations will be as described except at Station V the complete tight flask mold will be discharged instead of pushing out the flaskless mold as described.

If the core setting time exceeds the. machine cycle, the unit can be operated as follows:

At Station I the drag flask will be positioned and the pattern drawn at Station V will be placed on it. At Station I], the cope flask will be positioned and closed on the pattern and the assembly will then be rotated 90 as above-described to register its sand receiving ports with the supply nozzles. At Station III, sand will be injected thus making the mold exactly as above described. At Station IV, the assembly will be rotated back 90" and the cope mold will be drawn and pushed down a conveyor to a remote closing station. At Station V, the drag mold will be lowered from the pattern and pushed a conveyor to the closing station, the pattern thereupon being transferred back to Station I. There can be any desired number of core setting stations to accommodate additional core setters when the core setting time exceeds the machine cycle time.

Obviously, from a method standpoint, the significant 90 rotation is exactly the same as above described and it serves the same purpose.

I claim:

l. A device for making sand molds which comprises permanent form boxes having end filler openings, a turntable comprising at angularly spaced stations a plurality of pairs of means for supporting the form boxes for relative movement on predetermined paths to and from positions for cooperation as an assembly to make a complete mold, operating means for actuating the form boxes to said positions and for retracting them from said positions, means for storing pattern plates on the turntable adjacent the path of such movement, means providing a way on which a pattern plate is movable between a storage position and a position intervening between the form boxes as a part of said assembly when the latter are in the said positions for cooperation, means for advancing and retracting the pattern plate upon said way, means for filling the form boxes through respective openings with sand at opposite sides of the plate, opposing means movable toward the plate and into the form boxes for compressing the sand to make half molds in the respective form boxes, the said actuating means being adapted to separate the form boxes and half molds from the pattern plate and to retract the pattern plate from between the form boxes and the half molds, means for reassembling the form boxes and half molds, a mold receiving table adjacent the turntable, means for positioning the form boxes above it, and

means for ejecting the assembled half molds onto the receiving table from the form boxes.

2. Mold making apparatus according to claim in which the means for filling the form boxes includes means for pneumatically extruding sand from a magazine and means for venting air from the box, said apparatus further including means for supplying ejection fluid under compression through said venting means concurrently with the application of mechanical ejection pressure for displacing from the form boxes the molds formed therein.

3. Apparatus according to claim I in which the means for supporting the form boxes includes a means for rotating the assembly of form boxes and pattern plate from horizontal to vertical.

4. Apparatus according to claim I in which the means supporting the form boxes includes means for rotating the form boxes between generally horizontal and generally vertical positions, the form boxes having end filling ports and the apparatus including separate nozzles for the respective form boxes, and means for effecting relative movement in a direction to engage said nozzles with the form boxes.

5. Apparatus according to claim I in which the supporting means comprises a turntable having a plurality of pattern plate ways generally comprising radially projecting arms, the said supporting means further including individual form box supports mounted on said arms for movement to and from each other, said pattern plate storing means comprising a way carried in part by said turntable and in part by said arms, the said form boxes being presented by turntable rotation successively to said nozzles.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the form boxes have open faces and the opposing means for compressing the sand comprises a pair of platens and means supporting the platen between first fully retracted positions, second positions in which the platens are advanced from the retracted positions into substantial registry with the form boxes to close the faces thereof to confine the sand, and third positions in which the platens are advanced telescopically into the form boxes for compression of sand therein, together with means for times movement of said platens between the several positions: aforesaid, said means for filling the form boxes with sand and said platens having supporting means adjacent the turntable and with which successive assemblies of form boxes and pattern plates register in one position of the turntable.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 in which the respective platens are provided with edge seals yieldably carried thereby and engageable with the margins of respective form boxes as the respective platens are in the stated second and third positions.

8. Apparatus according to claim 6 in further combination with means of introducing sand forcibly into the respective form boxes and for venting air from the form boxes as the form boxes are filled with sand, and means for subsequently introducing pressure fluid through said venting means into the form boxes concurrently with mechanical displacement of molds from the form boxes.

9. Mold making apparatus comprising a turntable, pairs of open form boxes, supports for the form boxes projecting from the turntable, means for indexing the turntable to register the pairs of form boxes with successive stations, the said supports including means for effecting relative movement of the form boxes between retracting and assembled positions, means for rotating the form boxes in assembled position to expose their open faces laterally, platens mounted for movement to and from the open faces of the form boxes when the latter are exposed laterally, said platens being adapted to provide temporary closure for said open faces, sand supply means including nozzles above the form box assembly for injecting the sand into the respective form boxes when the open faces thereof have been temporarily closed by said platens, means for raising the assembly of the form boxes and platens into engagement with said nozzles, means for lowering the assembly of form boxes and platens from the nozzles after the form boxes have been filled with sand, means for advancing the platen telescopically into the form boxes for the compression of the sand therein, means for with drawing the platens from the form boxes, means for rotating the assembly of form boxes to initial horizontal position, a withdrawal table at one of the stations, an elevator imposed between the withdrawal table and the turntable in a position to underlie the assembly of form boxes, means for moving the elevator upwardly into engagement with a sand mold formed in the form boxes, an opposing platen mounted for vertical movement above the elevator, means for lowering the last platen to force the sand mold and the elevator downwardly for ejection of the mold from the form boxes, a withdrawal yoke movable along the table between an advanced position adjacent the turntable and a retracted position remote from the turntable, means for positioning said yoke in advanced position during upward and downward movement of the elevator and means for actuating said yoke toward retracted position when the mold ejected from the form box is at the level of the withdrawal table, whereby such mold is pulled across the elevator onto the withdrawal table.

10. A device for making sand molds which comprises complementary open-faced form boxes having air vents and having sand-receiving openings in corresponding ends, a pattern plate with opposite faces, means for introducing the pattern plate between such boxes and for closing the boxes upon the pattern plate to constitute a mold assembly, said sand-receiving openings being remote from the pattern plates, means mounting the assembly for rotation between a first position in which the pattern plate is substantially upright and a second position in which the plate is generally horizontal, means for introducing sand into the respective mold boxes downwardly through said openings when the assembly is in said first position, ram means mounted for operation oppositely through said boxes toward the pattern plate for compressing sand against the pattern plate and making molds in said boxes,

means for rotating the assembly to the second position, means for separating the said boxes and molds from the pattern plate, means for retracting the pattern plate from between the boxes and molds, means for reassembling the boxes and molds with each other, and means for withdrawing the assembled molds from the assembled boxes.

11. A device for making sand molds which comprises a turntable, pairs of open-faced form boxes with end filler openings at angularly spaced points upon the turntable, a pattern plate for assembly with a pair of form boxes at each such point, a way upon which the pattern plate is reciprocable generally radially with reference to the turntable to and from position between the form boxes of the respective pairs, means for advancing a pattern plate between its respective boxes and for closing the boxes upon such pattern plate to constitute an assembly, means at a predetermined station beside the turntable for introducing sand into the respective boxes of the assembly, means for rotating the assembly adjacent said station to present the respective filling openings of the said boxes upwardly to the sand introducing means, opposing rams at said station movable toward each other into engagement with the upright boxes preliminary to the filling thereof, means for further advancing said rams into the filled boxes for compression of sand filled into said boxes to form molds against the pattern plate, means for retracting said rams from the boxes, means for rotating the assembly to a generally horizontal position and moving it back onto the turntable, means for separating the boxes and for withdrawing the intervening pattern plate upon its way, means for rotating the remaining box and mold assembly outwardly of the turntable, a receiving table at another station adjacent the turntable with which said assembly registers when thus rotated outwardly, and means for ejecting from said boxes the molds formed therein.

Claims

1. A device for making sand molds which comprises permanent form boxes having end filler openings, a turntable comprising at angularly spaced stations a plurality of pairs of means for supporting the form boxes for relative movement on predetermined paths to and from positions for cooperation as an assembly to make a complete mold, operating means for actuating the form boxes to said positions and for retracting them from said positions, means for storing pattern plates on the turntable adjacent the path of such movement, means providing a way on which a pattern plate is movable between a storage position and a position intervening between the form boxes as a part of said assembly when the latter are in the said positions for cooperation, means for advancing and retracting the pattern plate upon said way, means for filling the form boxes through respective openings with sand at opposite sides of the plate, opposing means movable toward the plate and into the form boxes for compressing the sand to make half molds in the respective form boxes, the said actuating means being adapted to separate the form boxes and half molds from the pattern plate and to retract the pattern plate from between the form boxes and the half molds, means for reassembling the form boxes and half molds, a mold receiving table adjacent the turntable, means for positioning the form boxes above it, and means for ejecting the assembled half molds onto the receiving table from the form boxes.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the means for supporting the form boxes includes a means for rotating the assembly of form boxes and pattern plate from horizontal to vertical.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the means supporting the form boxes includes means for rotating the form boxes between generally horizontal and generally vertical positions, the form boxes having end filling ports and the apparatus including separate nozzles for the respective form boxes, and means for effecting relative movement in a direction to engage said nozzles with the form boxes.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the supporting means comprises a turntable having a plurality of pattern plate ways generally comprising radially projecting arms, the said supporting means further including individual form box supports mounted on said arms for movement to and from each other, said pattern plate storing means comprising a way carried in part by said turntable and in part by said arms, the said form boxes being presented by turntable rotation successively to said nozzles.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the form boxes have open faces and the opposing means for compressing the sand comprises a pair of platens and means supporting the platen between first fully retracted positions, second positions in which the platens are advanced from the retracted positions into substantial registry with the form boxes to close the faces thereof to confine the sand, and third positions in which the platens are advanced telescopically into the form boxes for comPression of sand therein, together with means for times movement of said platens between the several positions aforesaid, said means for filling the form boxes with sand and said platens having supporting means adjacent the turntable and with which successive assemblies of form boxes and pattern plates register in one position of the turntable.

10. A device for making sand molds which comprises complementary open-faced form boxes having air vents and having sand-receiving openings in corresponding ends, a pattern plate with opposite faces, means for introducing the pattern plate between such boxes and for closing the boxes upon the pattern plate to constitute a mold assembly, said sand-receiving openings being remote from the pattern plates, means mounting the assembly for rotation between a first position in which the pattern plate is substantially upright and a second position in which the plate is generally horizontal, means for introducing sand into the respective mold boxes downwardly through said openings when the assembly is in said first position, ram means mounted for operation oppositely through said boxes toward the pattern plate for compressing Sand against the pattern plate and making molds in said boxes, means for rotating the assembly to the second position, means for separating the said boxes and molds from the pattern plate, means for retracting the pattern plate from between the boxes and molds, means for reassembling the boxes and molds with each other, and means for withdrawing the assembled molds from the assembled boxes.