Method of changing a match plate in a flaskless molding apparatus for an upper mold and a lower mold

A method for changing a match plate used for an apparatus for molding an flaskless upper mold and a lower mold that are in a stacked relationship,

• wherein the apparatus is comprised of:
• a squeezing mechanism to squeeze molding sand by an upper and a lower squeeze means, which mechanism supports a pair of a cope flask and a drag flask holding the match plate therebetween, which mechanism can clockwise or counterclockwise rotate the pair of the cope and the drag flask in a perpendicular plane about a supporting shaft so that the pair can be positioned perpendicularly or horizontally, wherein the upper and the lower squeeze means are insertable into the openings of the cope flask and the drag flask, which openings are opposed to the match plate, and wherein the upper and the lower squeeze means are comprised of an upper and a lower squeeze plate or upper and lower squeeze feet;
• a stripping mechanism to strip an upper mold and a lower mold from a pair of the cope flask and drag flask containing a mold which are in a stacked relationship and are horizontal;
• and
• a rotating mechanism to alternately and intermittently rotate the two pairs of the cope flask and the drag flask and the drag flask which are horizontal, between the squeezing mechanism, wherein the cope flask and the drag flask are horizontal, and the stripping mechanism, and to lift and lower the cope flask,
• wherein the method using the rotating mechanism having the two pairs of the cope flask and the drag flask, comprises:
• a process to lift two cope flasks of two pairs of the cope and the drag flask;
• a process to transfer the existing match plate to the cope flask positioned at the squeezing mechanism by a carrier plate;
• a process to carry the new match plate to the cope flask positioned at the stripping mechanism by a carrier plate;
• a process to move the match plate positioned within the squeezing mechanism to the stripping mechanism, and to move the match plate positioned within the stripping mechanism to the squeezing mechanism by means of the rotating mechanism;
• and
• a process to carry out two match plates that are rotated and moved between the squeezing mechanism and the stripping mechanism.

A method for changing a match plate in a molding apparatus for a flaskless upper mold and a lower mold,

• wherein the apparatus is comprised of a squeezing mechanism that can alternately move each of two sets of a cope flask and a drag flask between a perpendicular position and a horizontal position, and a rotating mechanism that can rotate the two sets of the cope flask and the drag flask,
• wherein each set of the cope flask and the drag flask defines main parts of an upper and a lower molding space by holding a match plate between the cope flask and the drag flask at the perpendicular position, and
• wherein the molds in the upper and the lower molding space can be stripped at the horizontal position,
• the method comprising:
• a first step for moving a match plate placed in the apparatus to a place between a cope and a drag flask of one set of flasks disposed at the rotating mechanism, and for holding a new match plate between a cope flask and a drag flask of another set of flasks disposed horizontally at the rotating mechanism,
• a second step for moving the set of the cope flask and the drag flask holding said match plate from within the squeezing mechanism to the outside of the squeezing mechanism, and simultaneously the other set of the cope flask and the drag flask holding said new match plate from outside the squeezing mechanism to within the squeezing mechanism, by the rotation of the rotating mechanism, and
• a third step for passing the other set of the cope flask and the drag flask holding said new match plate to the squeezing mechanism, and for removing said match plate between the cope flask and the drag flask of the set disposed at the rotating mechanism.