Patent GB-771503-A (GB)
Title: Attachment for handling moulds or moulding boxes on foundry moulding machines
IPC: B22C11/04
Filed: 1955-01-12
Abstract: 771,503. Moulding-machines. BUHRER, E. Jan. 12, 1955 [Jan. 12, 1954], No. 1021/55. Class 83 (1). [Also in Group XXX] A turntable moulding-machine comprises an attachment, arranged in operative connection with the turntable, which may be swivelled over the turntable, and includes controlled holding-means for gripping a moulding-box containing a finished mould, and, if desired, for lifting the moulding-box off a pattern-plate and carrying it away, or for gripping an empty moulding-box and feeding it on to a pattern-plate. A turntable 2 having two moulding stations and carrying pattern-plates 4 is driven through a coupling device by a motor-driven gear-wheel 8. The coupling device comprises a spring-loaded, airoperated locking-pin 18 carried on the turntable, which either engages with the wheel 8 or locks the turntable to the base 15. The wheel 8 also drives, via a wheel 9, a wheel 10 connected to a rotary column 12 enclosing a cylinder 12a with a piston 13, whose rod 14 carries a moulding-box carrier and turnover device 23. The piston 13 has passages which are throttled at the end of the piston's downward stroke and the beginning of the upward stroke, and at the top of its stroke the piston is cushioned by a damper 89 comprising a spring- loaded piston which engages a fixed stop 62a. The turnover head 23 carries a U-shaped frame 24 mounted on ball races 63, Fig. 3, and carrying clamp levers 25 actuated by cylinders 26. The frame 24 may be turned over by a shaft 80, Fig. 3, acting through gearing 64, 88, 87, 86 which can be coupled to the shaft by coupling- halves 180, 181. The lower part of the shaft is splined and axially movable in a gear-wheel 78 which engages an internal gear 77 located on the stationary frame 15. Thus the shaft 80 moves with the column 12 about the axis thereof and also rotates about its own axis. A spring 83 urges the shaft into the position whereby it is coupled to the gearing to thereby rotate the turnover-frame 24, and the application of air-pressure to a cylinder 81 will break the coupling and allow the column 12 to rotate and the head to swivel without turning over. In operation, with the piston 13 in its lowest position, Fig. 1, and with a finished mould on the pattern-plate 4, cylinders 26 are actuated to cause the clamp-levers 25 to grip the mould. Compressed-air is then directed beneath the piston 13 and the mould is lifted, while at the same time the pattern is vibrated. Shortly before the end of the stroke, the damper 89 functions and the piston-rod-speed decreases uniformly to zero. At the same time, spring- loaded locking-pins which have locked the turnover-head in its horizontal position are withdrawn by the engagement of a withdrawal-bolt with a fixed-stop, so that the head is ready for inversion, if inversion is required. The driving- motor is then set in motion to index the turntable 2, the locking-bar 18 having been actuated to couple the wheel 8 to the turntable. Wheel 10 is also turned to rotate the column 12 through 180 degrees, the turnover-head swinging the mould over to the conveyer-stand 28 and simultaneously turning the mould over or not, as required. The pressure beneath the piston 13 is then released and the mould lowered. The turnover-head engages the piston-rod 36 of a spring-loaded braking-piston 185, and the flask engages a cross-piece 42 having ejecting- lugs 43 connected to a spring-loaded braking- piston. When the finished mould 5 is lying on the conveyer-rolls 29, pressure is removed from the cylinders 26 to open the clamps 25, the piston 13 is raised to its highest position, and pressure-air is supplied to a pivotally-mounted cylinder 33, Fig. 2, so that the lugs 43 push the flask containing the mould 5 to a position above the brake-rails 30. The locking-bar 18 is operated to lock the turntable against rotation, or the rotary column 12 is rotated to return the turnover-head above the table to lift another mould therefrom. In a modification, Fig. 9, there are two pistons in the column 12, each carrying a turnover-head and the turntable is firmly connected to the driving-wheel. In another modification, Fig. 11, the flask-gripping means on the turnover-head comprises a pair of cylinders 116, actuating gripping-levers 115. In a further modification, Fig. 13, the device lifts empty flasks from a conveyer and places them on the pattern-plate on the turntable. A flask is positioned for lifting, by a cylinder 164 operating a lever 165, and the next succeeding flask is held spaced from the first by a cylinder 168 actuating a lever 171.