Patent GB-704815-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to the method of and technique for a foundry installation
IPC: B22D33/04
Filed: 1951-12-10
Abstract: 704,815. Foundry plant; moulding-machines ; flasks; clamping flasks. COMBUSTION ENGINEERING-SUPERHEATER, Inc. Dec. 10, 1951 [Dec. 15, 1950], No. 28861/51. Class 83 (1) Foundry plant comprises a machine for assembling mould halves, apparatus, at a first station, for successively supplying drags with pattern-face down, means in said machine for receiving and inverting each drag, apparatus, at a second station, for successively supplying, copes with pattern-face down, means for bringing drag and cope together in register and apparatus at a third station for withdrawing the mould from the machine. The plant may also include means for supplying a core in a core box at a fourth station between the first two stations, bringing drag and core box together, inverting, separating and then withdrawing the core box at a fifth station between the fourth and third. The machine may comprise a turret 54, intermittently rotated through 72 degrees by a pawl and ratchet 86, Fig. 11, and a fluid-pressure cylinder 82, on which are carried five heads 60 each able to oscillate through 180 degrees about an axis radial to the turret, by an oil-operated single-vane motor 66. This is indexed by a stop 95 operated by a fluid pressure cylinder 92. Slides 71, 72, each carrying spaced arms 61, 62, with roller tracks 76, are moved simultaneously to and from the axis on each head 60 by racks 72a, a pinion 73 and a single-vane motor 64. The machine is surrounded by a track 32 on which an endless train of trucks 33 is slowly advanced. A drag flask 12 is lifted by a crane from a truck at D on to a mechanical shakeout 46 and then on to a roller track 161, the rollers engaging bars 28, Fig. 4, one on each side of the flask. The flask is pushed by an operator along the track 161 and into a moulding- machine 160, a pattern plate 164, Fig. 38, being moved up to engage its open face. Sand is then supplied by a movable hopper 39, a counter-head 166 is moved into the position shown in broken lines and the plate 164 is moved up further to compact the sand while the head 166 is vibrated. The plate 164 is then lowered till the bars 28 of the flask 12 again rest on the track rollers and the plate is free from the drag. This is then again pushed along the track to position I and over a catch 179 carried by a truck 168, and at the correct-time is moved automatically by a hydraulic cylinder 171 to between the roller tracks 76 of the arms 61 of a head 60 at position I. Core boxes 26 having side bars 28 similar to the flasks 12 are carried on an inclined roller track 187, the lowest one at (1) c, Fig. 41, being supplied by an operator with sand 13" and an arbour 21 and moved over an elevator 191 at 185. This raises it to the level where sand is supplied in measured amount and formed by a retainer 193. The box 26 is then lowered, moved to 186, raised by plate 195 and pressed against a fixed half core-box 26a, lowered, and moved to position 189 under the control of an operator. Here at the correct time a catch 205 is moved by a hydraulic cylinder 200 to between the roller tracks of the lower arm 62 of a head 60 at position II, Fig. 1, and thus below a drag carried by the arms 61. Spring- pressed pins 79, Fig. 11, engaging recesses in the bars 28 prevent undesired movement of the boxes. As a head 60 is moved from position II to III, a fixed cam 141, Fig. 11, operates a valve 112 to cause the arms 61, 62, to move together, then a fixed cam-groove 142 operates a valve 113 to cause the head to roll over and bring the core box uppermost and finally the cam 141 reverses the valve 112 and the arms 61, 62 separate, leaving the core 15 correctly positioned in the drag. At position III the box 26 held by the arms 62, now uppermost, is pushed out by fluid-operated slide 223, Fig. 49, and latch 227: moved to between rollers 219 of a turn-over frame 208 which is then operated by liquid-pressure motors 211, 212 to invert the box 26 into position (3) (a). The latch 227 having fallen to inoperative position, reverse movement of the slide 223 then pushes the box 26 by its stop 228 out on to the inclined track 187 down which it runs. A cope flask 14 is removed from each poured mould at position A, after unclamping, on to a shake-out 47 and then on to a track 241, is provided with the required sand mould and inserted between the upper arms 62 of a head 60 at position IV in the same way as with the drag except that a sprue-opening 23 is formed in the cope. As a head 60 moves from position IV to V the cam 141 again operates its valve 112 to bring the mould parts 12, 14 together. At position V clamps 19, Fig. 4, are fitted to each completed mould and it is moved .from the head 60 and along a roller track 260 by a fluid-operated slide 262, Fig. 54, having spring catches 271, 272 and lifted by a crane and frame 274 on to an adjacent truck 33. A ladle carried by overhead gear may be used to pour molten metal into the moulds. The cooled castings 10 are removed by hooks on to a shake-out 45, slide 340, and receiver 341. As head 60 moves from position V to I the cam 141 operates its valve 112 to separate the arms 61, 62 ready for another cycle. All the fluid-operated cylinders and the motors 211, 212 are controlled by solenoid-operated valves, the electric circuits having switches operated by previous movements of the moving parts to obtain the desired sequence. A timer is used to ensure that turret-rotating pressure is maintained for a few seconds after the turret strikes an indexing stop 95, Fig. 11, thus preventing bouncing. If baked sand cores are required. these are prepared external to the apparatus shown and introduced by an operative at position II into core supports 26, the apparatus at, 185, 186 being omitted, or such cores may be placed manually directly in the drag moulds, the turret requiring in this case only four heads 60 and moving through 90 degrees. If no cores are required a turret with only three heads and turning through 120 degrees may be used. Duplex or multiplex machines may be used to make two or more moulds at each movement of the turret.