Molding machine

Claim 2

A molding mAchine comprising a machine frame, a flask and means supporting said flask relative to said machine frame, a pattern shuttle, sand loading means, means supporting said pattern shuttle on said machine frame, an upper pattern supported on said pattern shuttle, a lower pattern plate, a lower pattern supported on said pattern plate, means connected to said lower pattern plate to move said pattern plate through said flask and to position said pattern plate normally to close the lower end of said flask, a generally horizontally disposed table, means for exerting a vertical compression force on sand in said flask whereby said sand is compressed into a mold between said upper pattern and said lower pattern, and means for swinging said lower pattern plate and said flask to bring one edge of said sand into general alignment with said table, and means to force said mold from said flask onto said horizontal table.

Claim 3

The machine recited in claim 1 wherein said flask support and said lower pattern plate are carried on the piston rod of a hydraulic cylinder, and said hydraulic cylinder being swingably supported on said machine to swing said flask from a vertical molding position to a horizontal position on said table.

Claim 4

The machine recited in claim 1 wherein said table is adapted to receive a plurality of said molds, said molds being forced onto said table in engagement with each other with a cavity formed by said patterns between each two said molds, and means is provided to pour molten metal into said cavities while in said mold.

Claim 5

The machine recited in claim 3 wherein vacuum means is connected to said table to remove air from said molds.

Claim 6

The machine recited in claim 3 wherein said table forms one side of an open channel, and said molds are forced from said flask into said channel.

Claim 7

The machine recited in claim 5 wherein a frame is provided around the open end of said channel, and said frame has a cutting edge around it for sizing said molds so they fit snugly into said channel.

Claim 8

A molding machine comprising a machine frame, a lower pattern plate, an upper pattern plate, means to support a flask between said upper pattern plate and said lower pattern plate, means to move said lower pattern plate and said upper pattern plate relative to each other in a generally vertical direction for causing compression of the sand in said flask, means to separate said flask from said upper pattern plate, a generally horizontally disposed support for molds disposed on said machine, means to swing said flask and said lower pattern plate from a generally vertical orientation to a generally horizontal orientation position adjacent said support, means to engage said pattern plate and to force said mold out of said flask and onto said support means, and means to pour molten metal into said mold while said mold is on said support means.

Claim 9

A molding machine comprising a machine frame, a lower pattern plate, an upper pattern plate, means to support a flask between said upper pattern plate and said lower pattern plate, means to move said lower pattern plate and said upper pattern plate relative to each other in a generally vertical direction for causing compression of the sand in said flask, means to separate said flask from said upper pattern plate, a generally horizontally disposed support for molds disposed on said machine, means to swing said flask and said lower pattern plate from a generally vertical orientation to a generally horizontal orientation position adjacent said support, means to engage said pattern plate and to force said mold out of said flask and onto said support means, and means to pour molten metal into said mold while said mold is on said support means.

Claim 10

The machine recited in claim 7 wherein said generally horizontally disposed support is a part of a channel and means is provided on said channel to remove sand from the outside edge of said mold to cause said mold to fit into said channel,

Claim 11

The machine recited in claim 7 wherein said flask is fixed to a hydraulic cylinder, and said lower pattern plate is fixed to a piston rod in said cylinder.

Claim 12

The machine recited in claim 7 wherein means to exert a vacuum on said molds is provided on said machine.

Claim 13

The machine recited in claim 7 wherein said upper pattern plate has an upper pattern on it, and said lower pattern plate has a lower pattern on it, and said pattern plates each form cavities in said mold, one of each of the said cavities made by said upper pattern and one of the cavities made by lower pattern each being disposed beside each other providing a space to receive molten metal.

Claim 14

The machine recited in claim 7 wherein said means tO swing said lower pattern plate comprises a cylinder swingably supported on said machine, said flask being attached to said cylinder, a piston rod on said cylinder, said lower pattern plate being attached to said piston rod whereby said piston rod may push said lower pattern plate through said flask to compress sand therein and to force said mold therefrom.

Claim 15

A molding machine comprising: a machine frame, a first pattern plate supported on said machine frame, a cradle rotatably mounted on said frame for movement from a generally vertical orientation to a generally horizontal orientation, an open-ended flask mounted on the cradle for rotatable movement with the cradle, a second pattern plate mounted on said cradle being adapted to close one end of the flask and being further adapted for movement in a linear direction through the interior of said flask, means for placing sand in the flask, means for moving the flask in a generally vertical direction toward the first pattern plate, means for moving the second pattern plate toward the first pattern plate so that the flask and the second pattern plate travel together toward the first pattern plate, means for exerting a compression force on sand in said flask whereby said sand is compressed into a mold between the first pattern plate and the second pattern plate, means for moving the flask and the sand mold together with the second pattern plate away from the first pattern plate in a generally vertical direction so that the first pattern plate is disengaged from the sand mold, means for rotatably moving the cradle from a generally vertical orientation to a generally horizontal orientation, a generally horizontally disposed table, means for moving the second pattern plate through the flask to push the sand mold out of the flask onto the horizontally disposed table, and for withdrawing the second pattern plate away from the sand mold.

Claim 16

A molding machine comprising: a machine frame, a first pattern plate supported on said machine frame, a cradle rotatably mounted on said frame for movement from a generally vertical orientation to a generally horizontal orientation, an open-ended flask mounted on the cradle for rotatable movement with the cradle, a second pattern plate mounted on said cradle being adapted to close one end of the flask and being further adapted for movement in a linear direction through the interior of said flask, means for placing sand in the flask, means for moving the flask in a generally vertical direction toward the first pattern plate, means for moving the second pattern plate toward the first pattern plate so that the flask and the second pattern plate travel together toward the first pattern plate, means for exerting a compression force on sand in said flask whereby said sand is compressed into a mold between the first pattern plate and the second pattern plate, means for moving the flask and the sand mold together with the second pattern plate away from the first pattern plate in a generally vertical direction so that the first pattern plate is disengaged from the sand mold, means for rotatably moving the cradle from a generally vertical orientation to a generally horizontal orientation, a generally horizontally disposed table, means for moving the second pattern plate through the flask to push the sand mold out of the flask onto the horizontally disposed table, and for withdrawing the second pattern plate away from the sand mold.

Claim 17

A molding machine as defined in claim 13 which further includes means for moving the flask together with the sand mold and the lower pattern plate in a generally horizontal direction toward the horizontally disposed table.

Claim 18

A molding machine comprising: a machine frame, a first pattern plate mounted on said machine frame, a cradle rotatably mounted on said frame for movement from a generally vertical orientation to a generally horizontal orientation, an open-ended flask mounted on the cradle for rotatable movement with the cradle, a second pattern plate mounted on said cradle being adapted to close one end of the flask and being further adapted for movement in a linear direction through the interior of said flask, means for locking the second pattern plate in position at said one end of the flask, means for placing sand in the flask, means for moving the flask together with the second pattern plate toward the first pattern plate, means for further moving the second pattern plate in the flask toward the first pattern plate to squeeze sand in the flask thereby to form a sand mold, means for locking the second pattern plate relative to the flask after formation of the sand mold, means for moving the flask and the sand mold together with the second pattern plate away from the first pattern plate in a vertical direction, means for rotatably moving the cradle from a generally vertical orientation to a generally horizontal orientation, a generally horizontally disposed table, means for moving the flask together with the sand mold and the lower pattern plate in a generally horizontal direction toward the horizontally disposed table, and means for moving the second pattern plate through the flask to push the sand mold out of the flask onto the horizontally disposed table.

Claim 19

A molding machine comprising: a machine frame, a first pattern plate mounted on said machine frame, a cradle rotatably mounted on said frame for movement from a generally vertical orientation to a generally horizontal orientation, an open-ended flask mounted on the cradle for rotatable movement with the cradle, a second pattern plate mounted on said cradle being adapted to close one end of the flask and being further adapted for movement in a linear direction through the interior of said flask, means for locking the second pattern plate in position at said one end of the flask, means for placing sand in the flask, means for moving the flask together with the second pattern plate toward the first pattern plate, means for further moving the second pattern plate in the flask toward the first pattern plate to squeeze sand in the flask thereby to form a sand mold, means for locking the second pattern plate relative to the flask after formation of the sand mold, means for moving the flask and the sand mold together with the second pattern plate away from the first pattern plate in a vertical direction, means for rotatably moving the cradle from a generally vertical orientation to a generally horizontal orientation, a generally horizontally disposed table, means for moving the flask together with the sand mold and the lower pattern plate in a generally horizontal direction toward the horizontally disposed table, and means for moving the second pattern plate through the flask to push the sand mold out of the flask onto the horizontally disposed table.

Claim 20

The molding machine according to claim 15 in which the means for locking the second pattern plate is adapted to slip.

Claim 21

The molding machine according to claim 15 in which the means for locking the second pattern plate is adapted to be released.

Claim 22

A molding machine comprising a machine frame, a flask and means supporting said flask relative to said machine frame, an upper pattern supported on said machine frame in a position above said flask, a pattern plate, a lower pattern supported on said pattern plate, means connected to said pattern plate to move said pattern plate through said flask and to support said pattern plate normally to close the lower end of said flask, a generally horizontally disposed table, means for exerting a compression force on sand in said flask whereby said sand is compressed into a mold between said upper pattern and said lower pattern, means for locking the lower pattern plate with respect to said flask and mold, means for separating the mold from the upper pattern, and means for swinging said pattern plate and said flask to bring one edge of said mold into general alignment with said table, means for releasing the locking condition of the lower patten plate with respect to said flask and said mold, and means to force said mold from said flask onto said horizontal table.

Claim 23

A molding machine comprising a machine frame, a flask and means supporting said flask relative to said machine frame, an upper pattern supported on said machine frame in a position above said flask, a pattern plate, a lower pattern supported on said pattern plate, means connected to said pattern plate to move said pattern plate through said flask and to support said pattern plate normally to close the lower end of said flask, a generally horizontally disposed table, means for exerting a compression force on sand in said flask whereby said sand is compressed into a mold between said upper pattern and said lower pattern, means for locking the lower pattern plate with respect to said flask and mold, means for separating the mold from the upper pattern, and means for swinging said pattern plate and said flask to bring one edge of said mold into general alignment with said table, means for releasing the locking condition of the lower patten plate with respect to said flask and said mold, and means to force said mold from said flask onto said horizontal table.

Claim 24

A molding machine comprising a machine frame, a flask and a rod supporting said flask relative to said machine frame, an upper pattern supported on said machine frame in a position above said flask, a pattern plate, a lower pattern supported on said pattern plate, said rod connected to said pattern plate to move said pattern plate through said flask and to support said pattern plate normally to close the lower end of said flask, a generally horizontally disposed table, power means for exerting a compression force on sand in said flask through said rod whereby said sand is compressed into a mold between said upper pattern and said lower pattern, a locking device to engage and lock said rod relative to said flask and said lower pattern, means for withdrawing the flask in said locked condition from said upper pattern, and means for swinging said pattern plate and said flask in said locked relationship to bring one edge of said mold into general alignment with said table, means for releasing said locking devices, and means to force said mold from said flask onto said horizontal table.

Claim 25

A molding machine comprising a machine frame, a flask and a rod supporting said flask relative to said machine frame, an upper pattern supported on said machine frame in a position above said flask, a pattern plate, a lower pattern supported on said pattern plate, said rod connected to said pattern plate to move said pattern plate through said flask and to support said pattern plate normally to close the lower end of said flask, a generally horizontally disposed table, power means for exerting a compression force on sand in said flask through said rod whereby said sand is compressed into a mold between said upper pattern and said lower pattern, a locking device to engage and lock said rod relative to said flask and said lower pattern, means for withdrawing the flask in said locked condition from said upper pattern, and means for swinging said pattern plate and said flask in said locked relationship to bring one edge of said mold into general alignment with said table, means for releasing said locking devices, and means to force said mold from said flask onto said horizontal table.