Flaskless molding machine

A molding machine to make a pair of flaskless molds, comprising:

• a flask assembly that includes a cope flask, a drag flask, and an exchangeable match plate having upper and lower faces that are formed with patterns and that excludes a filling frame and a lower squeeze member;
• means for relatively moving said cope and drag flasks to the match plate of the flask assembly such that the cope and drag flasks can hold and release the match plate being held therebetween;
• an upper squeeze member having a pressure-applying plane, wherein said upper squeeze member is insertable into the cope flask of the flask assembly while the pressure-applying plane is opposed to the upper face of the match plate such that an upper molding space is defined by the pressure-applying plane, the upper face of the match plate, and the cope flask;
• supporting means for supporting the flask assembly and the upper squeeze member, and for rotating them in unison between a horizontal position in which the pressure-applying plane of the upper squeeze member is oriented vertically and facing downward and a vertical position in which the pressure-applying plane is oriented horizontally;
• the filling frame located to abut the drag flask in a perpendicular position when the flask assembly is in the vertical position;
• the lower squeeze member having a pressure-applying plane that is oriented horizontally, wherein the lower squeeze member is insertable into the filling frame, and wherein the lower squeeze member is insertable into the drag flask through the filling frame while the pressure-applying plane of the lower squeeze member is opposed to the lower face of the match plate when the flask assembly is in the vertical position such that a lower molding space is defined by the pressure-applying plane, the lower face of the match plate, the filling frame, and the drag flask;
• an upper actuator to move the upper squeeze member to the upper face of the match plate such that molding sand within the upper molding space is squeezed by the pressure-applying plane of the inserted upper squeeze member;
• a lower actuator to move the lower squeeze member to the lower face of the match plate such that molding sand within the lower molding space is squeezed by the pressure-applying plane of the lower squeeze member;
• means for carrying in the match plate to between the cope flask and the drag flask at the horizontal position, and for carrying out the match plate from therebetween;
• and
• means for laterally moving the drag flask relative to the cope flask into the lateral side of the molding machine, after the match plate is carried out from between the cope flask and the drag flask.