Apparatus for drilling escape and vent holes in die molds

Claim 2

Apparatus for drilling communicating escape and vent holes in a mold half, said apparatus including: a drilling mechanism comprising at least one pair of first and second drill means for drilling, respectively, an escape hole and a vent hole, said first and second drill means being independently supported in spacedapart confronting relation and aligned along a common drill axis; a mold positioning mechanism comprising a support member, at least one mold half supported on said support member for rotation about a longitudinal mold aXis extending toward said common drill axis, said mold half presenting outer and inner faces which confront, respectively, said first and second drill means, first adjustment means for rotating said mold half about said mold axis, and second adjustment means for moving said support member reciprocally in a direction parallel to said mold axis and normal to said common drill axis, said first and second adjustment means cooperating to place said mold half in an adjusted position wherein a preselected point of said mold half coincides with said common drill axis; first motor means for moving said support member with said mold half in said adjusted position, to place said mold half in confronting relation with one of said drill means; second motor means for moving the other of said drill means axially into drilling engagement with said mold half, means for supporting said support member for pivotal movement about a pivot axis extending transversely of and spaced apart from said common drill axis; and third adjustment means for pivoting said support member about said pivot axis to thereby incline said mold axis with respect to said common drill axis.

Claim 3

The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said mold axis intersects said common drill axis.

Claim 4

Apparatus for drilling communicating escape and vent holes in plural mold halves, said apparatus including a drilling mechanism comprising plural first drill means supported in laterally spaced-apart parallel relation for drilling escape holes, plural second drill means supported in laterally spaced-apart parallel relation independently of said first drill means for drilling vent holes, each of said first drill means being aligned along a common drill axis with a corresponding one of said second drill means and being axially spaced apart therefrom, a mold positioning mechanism comprising a support member, plural mold halves supported on said support member for rotation about spaced-apart parallel longitudinal mold axes each extending toward one of said common drill axes, each of said mold halves presenting outer and inner faces which confront, respectively, corresponding first and second drill means, said mold halves having identical orientations with respect to said first drill means, first adjustment means for rotating said mold halves in unison about said mold axes, and second adjustment means for moving said support members reciprocally, in a direction parallel with said mold axes and normal to said common drill axes, said first and second adjustment means cooperating to place all of said mold halves in identical adjusted positions wherein preselected corresponding points of said mold halves coincide with said common drill axes; first motor means for moving said support member with said mold halves in said identical adjusted positions to place each of said mold halves in confronting relation with one of said drill means; and second motor means for moving the other of said drill means axially into drilling engagement with said mold halves.

Claim 5

Apparatus for drilling communicating escape and vent holes in plural mold halves, said apparatus including a drilling mechanism comprising plural first drill means supported in laterally spaced-apart parallel relation for drilling escape holes, plural second drill means supported in laterally spaced-apart parallel relation independently of said first drill means for drilling vent holes, each of said first drill means being aligned along a common drill axis with a corresponding one of said second drill means and being axially spaced apart therefrom, a mold positioning mechanism comprising a support member, plural mold halves supported on said support member for rotation about spaced-apart parallel longitudinal mold axes each extending toward one of said common drill axes, each of said mold halves presenting outer and inner faces which confront, respectively, corresponding first and second drill means, said mold halves having identical orientations with respect to said first drill means, first adjustment means for rotating said mold halves in unison about said mold axes, and second adjustment means for moving said support members reciprocally, in a direction parallel with said mold axes and normal to said common drill axes, said first and second adjustment means cooperating to place all of said mold halves in identical adjusted positions wherein preselected corresponding points of said mold halves coincide with said common drill axes; first motor means for moving said support member with said mold halves in said identical adjusted positions to place each of said mold halves in confronting relation with one of said drill means; and second motor means for moving the other of said drill means axially into drilling engagement with said mold halves.

Claim 6

The apparatus defined in claim 3 including means for supporting said support member for pivotal movement about a pivot axis extending transversely of and spaced apart from said common drill axes; and third adjustment means for pivoting said support member about said pivot axis to thereby incline all of said mold axes with respect to said common drill axes.

Claim 7

The apparatus defined in claim 3 including fourth adjustment means for moving said support member reciprocally, in a direction which is normal to said common drill axes and which is normal to the direction of movement provided by said second adjustment means, to thereby displace said mold axes laterally of said common drill axes.

Claim 8

Apparatus for drilling communicating escape and vent holes in a mold half, said apparatus including: a drilling mechanism comprising at least one pair of first and second drill means foR drilling, respectively, an escape hole and a vent hole, said first and second drill means being independently supported in spaced-apart a mold positioning mechanism comprising a support member, at least one mold half supported on said support member for rotation about a longitudinal mold axis extending toward said common drill axis, said mold half presenting outer and inner faces which confront, respectively, said first end second drill means, first adjustment means for rotating said mold half about said mold axis, and second adjustment means for moving said support member reciprocally in a direction parallel to said mold axis and normal to said common drill axis, said first and second adjustment means cooperating to place said mold half in an adjusted position wherein a preselected point of said mold half coincides with said common drill axis; and first motor means for moving said support member with said mold half in said adjusted position, to place said mold half in confronting relation with one of said drill means; second motor means for moving the other of said drill means axially into drilling engagement with said mold half, and fourth adjustment means for moving said support member reciprocally in a direction which is normal to said common drill axis and which is normal to the direction of movement of said second adjustment means, whereby said mold axis is displaced laterally of said common drill axis.

Claim 9

Apparatus for drilling communicating escape and vent holes in a mold half, said apparatus including: a drilling mechanism comprising at least one pair of first and second drill means foR drilling, respectively, an escape hole and a vent hole, said first and second drill means being independently supported in spaced-apart a mold positioning mechanism comprising a support member, at least one mold half supported on said support member for rotation about a longitudinal mold axis extending toward said common drill axis, said mold half presenting outer and inner faces which confront, respectively, said first end second drill means, first adjustment means for rotating said mold half about said mold axis, and second adjustment means for moving said support member reciprocally in a direction parallel to said mold axis and normal to said common drill axis, said first and second adjustment means cooperating to place said mold half in an adjusted position wherein a preselected point of said mold half coincides with said common drill axis; and first motor means for moving said support member with said mold half in said adjusted position, to place said mold half in confronting relation with one of said drill means; second motor means for moving the other of said drill means axially into drilling engagement with said mold half, and fourth adjustment means for moving said support member reciprocally in a direction which is normal to said common drill axis and which is normal to the direction of movement of said second adjustment means, whereby said mold axis is displaced laterally of said common drill axis.