Method for making flaskless upper and lower molds, an apparatus therefor, and a method for placing a core

A method for making flaskless upper and lower molds that are stacked using two pairs of cope and drag flasks, comprising the steps of

• providing two pairs of cope and drag flasks,
• holding a match-plate between one pair of the two pairs of cope and drag flasks that are in a horizontal position, each of them having a sand-filling port at a side wall thereof,
• defining upper and lower molding spaces by inserting upper and lower squeeze-plates into respective openings of the one pair of cope and drag flasks, which openings are opposed to the match-plate,
• moving the one pair of cope and drag flasks and the match-plate to a vertical position, and causing the sand filling ports to be placed in an upper position,
• spraying a release agent into the upper and lower molding spaces,
• supplying molding sand through the sand-filling ports to the upper and lower molding spaces,
• squeezing the molding sand in the upper and lower molding spaces to form upper and lower molds therein, and
• returning the one pair of cope and drag flasks to the horizontal position,
• wherein the step of squeezing the molding sand in the upper and lower molding spaces is carried out by moving the upper and lower squeeze-plates toward each other, while the one pair of cope and drag flasks and the match-plate are returning to the horizontal position.