Molding machine for producing casting molds

Molding machine for producing casting molds and having several stations angularly spaced apart from one another and including a first station, a compressing unit located at said first station, a pattern carrier for replaceable pattern plates aligned with said compressing unit in said first station, said compressing unit including a compressing member movable toward said pattern carrier for compressing molding material located therebetween, and a device for feeding molding material located at said first station laterally from said compressing unit for supplying the molding material to a position between said compressing member and said pattern carrier, a swivel unit having a plurality of swivel arms connected thereto, a first box frame attached to one said swivel arm and a second box frame attached to another said swivel arm, each said first and second box frame arranged to form one-half of a casting mold, said swivel unit having an axis and being rotatable about the axis for moving said swivel arms into successive stations so that said first and second box frames can, in turn be positioned in said first station between said compressing unit and said pattern carrier for receiving molding material from said device for feeding molding material and then compressing the molding material within said box frames by the movement of said compressing unit toward said pattern carrier, at least one said first and second box frames being rotatable through 180.degree. by said swivel arm to which it is attached for inverting one of said first and second box frames, said swivel arms being positionable so that said first and second box frames are alignable one opposite the other for forming a complete casting mold, a conveyor device spaced laterally from said stations, and means for removing a complete casting mold from one of said stations and for delivering it to said conveyor device, wherein the improvement comprises that said swivel unit includes a main column having an axis located centrally of said stations, means connected to said main column for rotating said main column about the axis thereof, the one said swivel arm mounted on and extending outwardly from said main column transversely of the column axis thereof, and a turning mechanism included in said swivel arm with said first box frame connected to said swivel arm for inverting said box frame connected thereto, at least one swivel column mounted within and extending in the axial direction of said main column, said swivel column having an axis disposed in parallel relation with the axis of said main column, means connected to said main column for rotating said swivel column about the column axis thereof relative to said main column, the another said swivel arm mounted on and extending outwardly from said swivel column transversely of the column axis thereof, and means connected to said main column for moving said swivel column in the axial direction thereof.