US 6,662,855 B1Granted

Molding device and molding method or sand mold

AssigneeSintokogio, Ltd.

InventorsKimikazu Kaneto, Minoru Hirata, Yutaka Hadano

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Abstract

A sand hopper (28) is provided at its lower position (40) with a plurality of nozzles (42) and a plurality of squeeze feet (46), the pressure of which is controlled, and which are located adjacent to a side of each squeeze foot. The sand hopper (28) is supported by supporting means (22, 26) such that it can move vertically. A mold space is defined by a pattern plate having a pattern (74a), a flask (4), a filling frame (52), and a sand hopper (28) having a plurality of squeeze feet (46) disposed above the filling frame (52). By discharging molding sand from the nozzles (42), it is introduced into the mold space. The mold sand (S2) in the mold space is compacted by the squeeze feet by lowering the sand hopper toward the mold space. Since the molding machine is so arranged, both introducing molding sand into a mold space and compacting the introduced molding sand are performed at one station (a molding-sand introducing and compacting station).

Claims17

Dependent claims

A molding machine for producing a sand mold by compacting molding sand in a mold space defined by a pattern plate having a pattern and placed at a predetermined position, a flask placed on the pattern plate for surrounding the pattern, and a filling frame placed on the flask, comprising:

a plurality of fixedly mounted upright cylinders spaced apart from each other;
a mounting frame secured to distal ends of piston rods of the upright cylinders such that the mounting frame is supported above the mold space and moved vertically by the cylinders;
a sand hopper, for holding the molding sand therein, secured to the mounting frame such that the sand hopper is advanced into the filling frame when lowered by the cylinders, the sand hopper having at a lower portion thereof a plurality of separated nozzles for discharging molding sand into the mold space;
and
a plurality of squeeze feet mounted on the lower portion of the sand hopper at locations adjacent to a side of each of the separated nozzles for substantially closing, together with the lower part of the sand hopper, an upper part of the filling frame and for compacting, together with the lower part of the sand hopper, the molding sand in the mold space when the sand hopper is lowered and advanced into the filling frame by the cylinders after the molding sand is introduced into the mold space.

2 more elements

A method for producing a sand mold held in a flask by compacting molding sand in a mold space, comprising the steps of:

a) placing at a predetermined position a pattern plate having a pattern;
b) placing a flask on the pattern plate;
c) placing a filling frame on the flask to define a mold space;
d) causing a molding-sand introducing and compacting device to approach the filling frame, the molding-sand introducing and compacting device including a sand hopper supported by a plurality of upright cylinders such that the sand hopper moves vertically, the sand hopper having a plurality of separated sand-discharging nozzles at a lower portion thereof, the molding-sand introducing and compacting device including a plurality of squeeze feet mounted on the lower portion of the sand hopper at locations adjacent to a side of each nozzle, thereby substantially closing an upper part of the mold space by means of the lower portion of the sand hopper and a plurality of the squeeze feet;
e) discharging molding sand from the nozzles to introduce the molding sand into the mold space;
f) lowering and advancing the sand hopper and a plurality of the squeeze feet into the filling frame by means of the cylinders, thereby compacting the molding sand in the mold space by means of the lower portion of the hopper and the squeeze feet;
g) raising the molding-sand introducing and compacting device, the filling frame, and the flask such that the flask holding a sand mold therein is separated from the pattern plate and the filling frame;
and
h) transferring the flask holding the sand mold therein to a predetermined position.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.