Foundry molding machine with means to alternately index cope and drag flasks between molding and closing units

Claim 2

A foundry molding machine comprising a pair of laterally spaced pivot columns, a molding unit between said columns, a turret frame on one of said columns operative to support a cope and drag flask, a closing unit positioned on the opposite side of said one column in line with said molding unit, means operative to index said turret frame 180* to position alternately such cope and drag flasks at the molding unit and closing unit, and a pattern shuttle on the other pivot column operative alternately to position cope and drag patterns in line with the molding unit.

Claim 3

A foundry molding machine as set forth in claim 1 including means responsive to the indexing of said turret frame to invert such drag flask so that it is upside down in said molding unit and right side up in said closing unit.

Claim 4

A foundry molding machine as set forth in claim 2 wherein said turret frame includes a pair of trunnion supports for such drag flask, one of said trunnion supports including a rotatable drive element engageable with such drag flask, and means responsive to the movement of said turret frame as aforesaid to rotate said drive element substantially 180*.

Claim 5

A foundry molding machine as set forth in claim 3 including a fixed bevel gear surrounding said one column, a shaft projecting radially from said column parallel to said drive element, a bevel gear on the interior of said shaft in mesh with said fixed bevel gear, and drive belt means interconnecting the outer end of said shaft and said drive element to rotate the latter as aforesaid.

Claim 6

A foundry molding machine as set forth in claim 4 including a head frame interconnecting said pivot columns, a sand hopper on said head frame, and a shuttle on said other pivot column operative alternately to position a sand chute and a squeeze head above said molding unit and beneath said hopper.

Claim 7

A foundry molding machine as set forth in claim 5 wherein said sand chute-squeeze head and pattern shuttles are oscillated 90* about said other pivot column.

Claim 8

A foundry molding machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said molding unit includes a vertically movable squeeze table, and a jolt ram in said squeeze table.

Claim 9

A foundry molding machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said turret frame is indexed 180* by a piston-cylinder assembly, said assembly first retracting and then extending to complete its stroke.

Claim 10

A foundry molding machine as set forth in claim 1 including table means at said closing unit operative to strip the drag mold from the drag flask and lower the same to a height suitable for coring.

Claim 11

A foundry molding machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said closing unit includes means operative to open the drag flask to strip the drag mold therefrom.

Claim 12

A foundry molding machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said closing unit comprises a flask table, and a mold support table mounted on said flask table and independently movable with respect thereto.

Claim 13

A foundry molding machine as set forth in claim 11 wherein said flask table has upstanding flask support pins, said mold support table being mounted within said pins on said flask table, said mold support pins extending above the drag mold in the lowermost position of the mold support table.

Claim 14

A foundry molding machine as set forth in claim 11 wherein said mold support table is mounted on a piston rod extending downwardly through said flask table and into the piston rod supporting said flask table for vertical movement.

Claim 15

A foundry molding machine comprising a pivot column, a molding unit and a closing unit on opposite sides of said pivot column, a flask supporting index frame on said column, means operative to oscillate said frame 180* alternately to position a cope and drag flask at the molding and closing units means responsive to the oscillation of said frame to invert the drag flask only, and a pattern shuttle operative alternately to position cope and drag patterns at said molding unit to be assembled with such cope and drag flasks, respectively.

Claim 16

A foundry molding machine comprising a pivot column, a molding unit and a closing unit on opposite sides of said pivot column, a flask supporting index frame on said column, means operative to oscillate said frame 180* alternately to position a cope and drag flask at the molding and closing units means responsive to the oscillation of said frame to invert the drag flask only, and a pattern shuttle operative alternately to position cope and drag patterns at said molding unit to be assembled with such cope and drag flasks, respectively.

Claim 17

A foundry molding machine as set forth in claim 14 wherein said last mentioned means comprises a fixed gear surrounding said pivot column, and a planetary gear in mesh with said fixed gear driving such drag flask for inversion.

Claim 18

A foundry molding machine as set forth in claim 15 wherein said planetary gear is mounted on a shaft extending radially of said pivot column, said shaft rotating 180* as said flask supporting index frame oscillates 180*.

Claim 19

A foundry molding machine as set forth in claim 16 including a rotatable drive element engaging such drag flask, and drive belt means interconnecting said shaft and said rotatable drive element to invert such drag flask as said flask supporting index frame oscillates.

Claim 20

A foundry molding machine comprising a pivot column, a molding Unit and a closing unit on opposite sides of said pivot column, a flask supporting index frame on said column, means operative to oscillate said frame 180* alternately to position a cope and drag flask at the molding and closing units, means responsive to the oscillation of said frame to invert the drag flask only, a second pivot column on the opposite side of said molding unit as said first mentioned pivot column, and a pattern shuttle on said second pivot column operative alternately to position cope and drag patterns at said molding unit.

Claim 21

A foundry molding machine comprising a pivot column, a molding Unit and a closing unit on opposite sides of said pivot column, a flask supporting index frame on said column, means operative to oscillate said frame 180* alternately to position a cope and drag flask at the molding and closing units, means responsive to the oscillation of said frame to invert the drag flask only, a second pivot column on the opposite side of said molding unit as said first mentioned pivot column, and a pattern shuttle on said second pivot column operative alternately to position cope and drag patterns at said molding unit.

Claim 22

A foundry molding machine as set forth in claim 18 including a head frame interconnecting said pivot columns, a sand hopper on said head frame above said molding unit, and a shuttle on said second pivot column operative alternately to position a sand chute and squeeze head beneath said sand hopper at said molding unit.

Claim 23

A foundry molding machine as set forth in claim 14 wherein said molding unit includes a vertically movable squeeze table, and a jolt ram in said squeeze table and vertically movable therewith.

Claim 24

A foundry molding machine as set forth in claim 14 wherein said closing unit includes a vertically movable flask table operative to engage such flasks and strip the molds therefrom, and a mold support table mounted on and independently movable with respect to said flask table operative to support such molds stripped from such flasks.

Claim 25

A foundry molding machine comprising a molding unit and a closing unit, a flask shuttle operative alternately to position a cope and drag flask at each, a pattern shuttle operative to position cope and drag patterns at said molding unit to be assembled with such cope and drag flasks, respectively, and means responsive to the shuttling of the drag to invert the same.

Claim 26

A foundry molding machine comprising a molding unit and a closing unit, a flask shuttle operative alternately to position a cope and drag flask at each, a pattern shuttle operative to position cope and drag patterns at said molding unit to be assembled with such cope and drag flasks, respectively, and means responsive to the shuttling of the drag to invert the same.

Claim 27

A foundry molding machine as set forth in claim 22 including a pivot column between said molding unit and closing unit, a flask support frame mounted on said pivot column, and means to oscillate said flask support frame 180*.

Claim 28

A foundry molding machine as set forth in claim 23 including a piston-cylinder assembly operative thus to oscillate said flask support frame.

Claim 29

A foundry molding machine as set forth in claim 24 including a fixed gear surrounding said column, and drive means in said flask support frame in mesh with said fixed gear operative to invert the drag during oscillation of said frame.

Claim 30

A foundry molding machine including a molding unit for making cope and drag molds and a closing unit for assembling such cope and drag molds, said closing unit having a flask table with upstanding flask support pins, a mold support table within said pins mounted on said flask table, means operative vertically to move said flask table to pick up a flask with said pins and strip a mold therefrom, and means operative independently to move said mold support table to support the mold after removed from such flask.

Claim 31

A foundry molding machine including a molding unit for making cope and drag molds and a closing unit for assembling such cope and drag molds, said closing unit having a flask table with upstanding flask support pins, a mold support table within said pins mounted on said flask table, means operative vertically to move said flask table to pick up a flask with said pins and strip a mold therefrom, and means operative independently to move said mold support table to support the mold after removed from such flask.

Claim 32

A foundry molding machine as set forth in claim 26 including an elongated piston rod supporting said flask table for vertical movement, and a piston rod for said mold support table extending through said flask table and into the top of said elongated piston rod for said flask table.

Claim 33

A foundry molding machine as set forth in claim 26 wherein said pins extend above said mold support table in the lowermost position thereof a distance greater than the height of the drag mold above said mold support table.

Claim 34

A foundry molding machine as set forth in claim 26 including a flask having opening pins at diagonally opposite corners thereof, the corresponding flask support pins having vertical holes in the tops thereof accommodating said opening pins without axial movement thereof.

Claim 35

A foundry molding machine including a molding unit for making cope and drag molds and a closing unit for assembling such cope and drag molds, said closing unit having a flask table with upstanding flask support pins, a mold support table within said pins mounted on said flaSk table, means operative vertically to move said flask table to pick up a flask and strip a mold therefrom, means operative independently to move said mold support table to support the mold after removed from such flask, a flask having taper pins at diagonally opposite corners thereof, the corresponding flask support pins having vertical holes in the tops thereof accommodating said taper pins, and downwardly projecting fixed pins at said closing unit operative to engage said taper pins as said flask is elevated to open said flask to facilitate the stripping of the mold therein onto said mold support table.

Claim 36

A foundry molding machine including a molding unit for making cope and drag molds and a closing unit for assembling such cope and drag molds, said closing unit having a flask table with upstanding flask support pins, a mold support table within said pins mounted on said flaSk table, means operative vertically to move said flask table to pick up a flask and strip a mold therefrom, means operative independently to move said mold support table to support the mold after removed from such flask, a flask having taper pins at diagonally opposite corners thereof, the corresponding flask support pins having vertical holes in the tops thereof accommodating said taper pins, and downwardly projecting fixed pins at said closing unit operative to engage said taper pins as said flask is elevated to open said flask to facilitate the stripping of the mold therein onto said mold support table.

Claim 37

A foundry molding machine as set forth in claim 30 wherein said taper pins fit within tapered bushings in said flask, and spring means holding said taper pins in said bushings.