Foundry plant and a manoeuvering apparatus for use in it

Claim 2

In a foundry plant, a manoeuvring system for automatic manoeuvring of loads in the form of heavy, movable or exchangeable implements such as core masks, pattern plates and core box parts, the manoeuvring system comprising: two carrier pins for each implement, said two carrier pins for each implement being disposed on the same side of the implement; a frame; a movable carriage movably mounted on said frame; a moving means for moving said carriage relative to said frame, a gripper for the implements, said gripper including two jaws, a positioning means for moving said jaws from a converged collapsed position to a diverged operative position, and a cutout provided on each jaw such that in the operative position said cutouts are on opposite sides of said jaws whereby said cutouts engage respective pins of the implement; and a gripper rotating means for rotatably mounting said gripper to said carriage such that after said gripper engages the implement, the implement is manoeuvrable by said rotating means and by said moving means.

Claim 3

A manoeuvring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gripper rotating means includes (a) a gripper shaft to which said gripper is attached, and (b) a gripper shaft mounting means for rotatably journalling said gripper shaft to said carriage about a longitudinal axis of said gripper shaft, wherein said gripper includes (a) two jaw shafts, with a respective jaw mounted on a respective jaw shaft, said jaw shafts being rotatable about their respective longitudinal axes to rotate said jaws between the collapsed position and the operative position, and (b) a respective piston/cylinder device which rotates a respective said jaw shaft, each said piston/cylinder device including a piston with a free end and a cylinder; and further including (a) respective link provided for each respective said jaw having a first end which is rotatably attached to the free end of the piston rod of a respective said piston/cylinder device and a second end which is rotatably attached to the respective said jaw, (b) a cylinder mounting means for each respective said cylinder for pivotably mounting said respective cylinder to said carriage, (c) a cam means provided for the first end of each said link for controlling the thrust from the implement when said jaws are in the operative position such that the first end of said respective link is moved to an operative position, and (d) a locking means for engaging said cam means when said cam means is in the operative position.

Claim 4

A manoeuvring system as claimed in claim 2 wherein each said pin has an annular groove thereabout having a trapezoidal cross section converging inwardly, wherein each said jaw is formed by an oblong plate, and wherein each said cutout is formed in an edge of a respective said plate with each said cutout being bevelled so as to mate with the trapezoidal shape of said grooves of said pins.

Claim 5

A manoeuvring system as claimed in claim 2 and further including a respective cam roller which is located on a respective first end of each said link and which is rotatably connected to said first end coaxial with the rotatable connection of the respective said first end and the respective said piston, said cam roller engaging said cam means; and an end stop on each respective said cam means for stopping each respective said cam roller in the operative position of the respective said jaw.

Claim 6

A manoeuvring system as claimed in claim 4 wherein said cam means includes a low ridge, said low ridge being formed by a ball and by a spring means for urging said ball into position to form said low ridge.

Claim 7

A manoeuvring system as claimed in claim 4, further including a box-shaped gripper housing in which said piston/cylinder devices and said cam means are located; and wherein said positioning means disposes said two jaws for pivotal movement in the same plane such that said jaws are pivotable between the rest position where said jaws are positioned side by side in said gripper housing and the operative position where said jaws are engaged to surfaces on respective said pins which pin surfaces face one another.