Patent ID: 6015007
Filing Date: 2000-01-18
Classification: B22C

Abstract:
A method for measuring the amount and direction of shift of a cope mold relative to a drag mold, the cope and drag molds having complementary cavities adapted to align when the cope mold is placed atop the drag mold, the method comprising the steps of;forming cope and drag molds using a matchplate having shift blocks attached to upper and lower surfaces thereof, the shift blocks attached to the upper surface of the matchplate forming cavities in the cope mold, the shift blocks attached to the lower surface of the matchplate forming cavities in the drag mold;calibrating a gauge mechanism including a gauge block, a spring-biased arm, and a meter adapted to measure movement of the spring-biased arm relative to the meter, the calibrating step being performed by sliding the gauge block against a gauge standard having prototypical drag and cone mold surfaces such that the spring-biased arm engages the prototypical cope mold surface, the meter being set to zero when the spring-biased arm engages the prototypical cope mold surface to thereby establish a reference point; andinserting the gauge mechanism into the cavities such that the gauge block engages the drag mold and the spring-biased arm engages the cope mold, the meter measuring the amount of movement of the spring-biased arm relative to the reference point, and thus the amount and direction of the shift of the cope mold relative to the drag mold.