Method and apparatus for registering flaskless sand cope and drag molds

A machine for forming and accurately registering the sand cope and drag of a flaskless casting mold, comprising:

• spaced apart, vertically arranged guide rails;
• a horizontal platen located between the rails and having guide means engaging the rails for guiding the platen for vertical movement relative to the rails;
• a drag flask arranged to be temporarily located upon the platen and to be supported thereby for vertical, guided movement with the platen;
• a cope flask located above the drag flask in vertical alignment therewith, so that the drag flask is vertically moved towards and away from the cope flask;
• support rest means for engaging and supporting the drag flask in vertical alignment beneath the cope flask and above the platen and independently of the platen;
• means for moving the drag flask laterally to a position located to the side of the cope flask and platen;
• lift means for lifting the platen upwardly for thereby lifting the drag flask supported thereon upwardly into substantial engagement and registry with the cope flask;
• separate, vertically extendable and retractable lift means mounted upon the plate for engaging and supporting the drag flask at predetermined times for holding the drag flask at a distance above the platen;
• with said lift means holding the drag flask upwardly against the cope frame, independently of the platen, while the platen is lowered relative to the drag flask, and thereafter, retracting towards the platen to lower the drag flask into position for support by said support rest means, while the platen continues lowering to a position considerably beneath the drag frame;
• whereby the drag flask may be raised substantially against the cope flask, and the drag flask and the cope flask may each contain a compressed sand mold formed therein, with corresponding open, casting cavities formed in each of their adjacent surfaces so as to form, together, an enclosed casting cavity within a complete, sand cope and drag flaskless mold, and thereafter, the sand drag mold, that was formed within the drag flask, may be lowered from the drag flask upon the platen, while the drag flask is held against the cope drag flask until the sand drag mold has moved downwardly a considerable distance, and then, the drag flask may be lowered by the lift means until it rests upon its support rests, while the lowering of the sand drag mold may be continued until the sand drag mold is well beneath the drag flask so that the drag flask can be laterally removed, and the drag mold may be vertically lifted, upon the platen, into vertical registry with the cope mold, still contained within the cope flask, to close the drag and cope sand molds together, so that the closed mold may then be lowered, upon the platen, beneath the cope flask and laterally removed for casting use.

A machine for forming and accurately registering the sand cope and drag molds of a flaskless casting mold, comprising:

• a horizontal platen located between vertically arranged guide rails and having guide means for engaging the rails for guiding the platen for upwardly and downwardly vertical movement relative to the rails;
• a cope flask located above the platen;
• a drag flask arranged between the cope flask and the platen and arranged for temporary support upon the platen so as to vertically move upwardly towards and against the cope flask when the platen is raised;
• support rest means for engaging and supporting the drag flask at a distance beneath the cope flask, and independently of the platen, so that the platen may be lowered relative to the drag flask;
• means for moving the drag flask laterally from its support rest means to a location to the side of the cope flask and platen;
• lift means for lifting the platen upwardly for thereby engaging and lifting the drag flask upwardly into substantial engagement and registry with the cope flask;
• a cover arranged over the top of the drag flask and including pattern portions mounted upon the upper and lower surfaces of the cover for extending into the cope and drag flasks respectively when the two flasks are aligned in substantial engagement;
• means for filling the cope and drag flasks with sand, and a squeeze plate located across the open top of the cope flask and a support board covering the open bottom of the drag flask and being supported by the platen;
• whereby upward movement of the platen causes the drag flask support board to compress the sand contained within the drag flask against said cover and pattern to form a compacted sand drag mold, while simultaneously, the sand in the cope flask is compressed between the upper surface of the cover and the pattern and the cope flask cover plate to form a compressed sand cope mold;
• said lift means lifting the platen upwardly and downwardly in guided vertical movement with respect to the guide rails;
• separate, vertically extendable and retractable lift means mounted upon the platen for engaging and supporting the drag flask at predetermined times for holding the drag flask at a distance above the platen;
• with said separate lift means holding the drag flask upwardly against the cope frame, independently of the platen, while the platen lift means lowers the platen relative to the drag flask for lowering the sand drag mold relative to the drag flask;
• and
• means for laterally moving the drag flask, when it is supported upon its support rest means and the sand drag mold is located beneath the drag flask, to a position alongside of the platen, so that the platen may be vertically raised to register the sand drag mold with the sand cope mold, and thereafter, the platen may be lowered to lower the entire sand mold, comprising the cope and drag sand molds in registry, beneath the cope flask for lateral movement into a separate location.