Patent Publication Number: US-7900686-B2

Title: Metal mold casting machine of a casting apparatus

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to an improvement of a metal mold casting machine of a casting apparatus. The apparatus includes a turntable that is rotatable in a horizontal plane, and a number of metal mold casting machines that are placed on the upper side at the periphery of the turntable. The machine has an opening and closing mechanism that opens and closes a mold. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     One existing metal mold casting machine comprises a mold that can be horizontally split by an opening and closing mechanism for it, and a pouring basin by which molten metal is poured into it. 
     However, if the metal mold casting machine constructed as above is installed so that a worker would, as usual, stand outside the turntable, the machine will have problems. Namely, it would be difficult to assemble the machine as a part of an apparatus, because a pouring basin would be placed at or around the axis of the turntable, which is at the side opposite the worker, even if a countermeasure, such as a furnace being placed on the axis of the turntable, is taken. Also, handling any oxide layer formed on the surface of molten metal in the pouring basin would be difficult. 
     Therefore, a metal mold casting machine is suggested. In it the pouring basin is placed at the periphery of the turntable, the mechanism for opening and closing a mold is pivotally mounted so that it causes the mold, which can be horizontally split, to move between a horizontal position and vertical position, and the pouring basin is then fixed on the lower part of the mold at the peripheral side of the turntable. The molten metal is poured into the mold by tilting the pouring basin, together with the mechanism and the mold, toward and around the axis of the turntable (see Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2005-118783). 
     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
     However, the conventional metal mold casting machine constituted as above may cause other problems, such as deteriorating workability of setting a core, cleaning the mold, taking out the castings, etc. This is because the worker has to stay away from the mold, since the pouring basin is always placed in front of the worker, i.e., at the periphery of the turntable. 
     This invention was created to resolve these drawbacks. Its purpose is to provide a metal mold casting machine that causes such work of a worker as taking out the castings to be easier. 
     To this end, the metal mold casting machine of this invention is used by the casting apparatus. The casting apparatus comprises a turntable that is rotatable in a horizontal plane, and a number of metal mold casting machines that are placed on the upper side at the periphery of the turntable. Each machine has an opening and closing mechanism for a mold. The pouring basin of the casting machine is mounted on the opening and closing mechanism for the mold, so that it can move over the mechanism between the peripheral side and the side toward the rotation axis of the turntable. The pouring basin is moved to the peripheral side when molten metal is poured into the mold, and it is moved to the side toward the rotation axis when the work such as taking out the castings from the mold is carried out. 
     As discussed above, the casting machine of this invention is used by the casting apparatus. The casting apparatus comprises a turntable that is rotatable in a horizontal plane, and a number of metal mold casting machines that are placed on the upper side at the periphery of the turntable. Each machine has an opening and closing mechanism for a mold. The pouring basin of the casting machine is mounted on the opening and closing mechanism for the mold, so that it can move over the mechanism between the peripheral side and the side toward the rotation axis of the turntable. The pouring basin is moved to the peripheral side when molten metal is poured into the mold, and it is moved to the side toward the rotation axis when work such as taking out the castings from the mold is carried out. Therefore, since the pouring basin is moved to the side toward the rotation axis of the turntable when a worker carries out some work such as setting a core, cleaning a mold, taking out castings, etc., the work of taking out castings, etc., which are carried out by a worker, can be easy. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a lateral view of an embodiment of the metal mold casting machine of this invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an elevation view of the machine in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view of an embodiment of a casting apparatus that uses the metal mold casting machine of this invention. 
         FIG. 4  is an explanatory drawing of the movements of the machine in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Now, one embodiment of the casting apparatus using the metal mold casting machine of this invention is explained referring to  FIGS. 1-4 . As in  FIG. 3 , the casting apparatus comprises a turntable  1  and a number of metal mold casting machines  4 ,  4 . The turntable  1  is intermittently rotatable in the direction of the arrow in a horizontal plane. The machines  4 ,  4  are placed at even intervals on the upper side at the periphery of the turntable  1 . Each of the machines  4 ,  4  has an opening and closing mechanism  3  for a mold. Each of the machines  4 ,  4  is directed in a radial direction from the center of rotation axis of the turntable  1 . Further, a robot  5 , which sets a core in the mold  2 , and a robot  6 , which provides molten metal to a pouring basin  9 , are installed with a required distance from each other at the periphery of the turntable  1 . 
     As in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , each metal mold casting machine  4  comprises a U-shaped supporting frame  8 , a pouring basin  9 , a pouring basin-moving means  10 , and a pouring basin-pivoting mechanism  11 . The supporting frame  8  holds the opening and closing mechanism  3  for a mold by a pivoting mechanism  7  that rotates the mechanism  3  up and down. The pouring basin  9  pours molten metal into the mold  2  that is provided in the mechanism  3 . The pouring basin-moving means  10  causes the pouring basin  9  to move over the mechanism  3  between the peripheral side and the side toward the rotation axis of the turntable  1 . The pouring basin-pivotinq mechanism  11  is located on the pouring basin-moving means  10  and independently rotates the pouring basin  9  up and down. 
     Also, the pouring basin-moving means  10  comprises a pair of right and left arms  12 ,  12 , and a laterally-facing cylinder  13 . Each of the arms  12 ,  12  is Z-shaped. Its lower bend is supported by the opening and closing mechanism  3  at the right or left end of the opening and closing mechanism  3  so that it can pivot freely. The central part of the cylinder  13  is supported by the opening and closing mechanism  3  so that it can pivot freely. The distal end of the piston rod is connected to the lower end of the arm  12  with a pin. The pair of arms  12 ,  12  are turned upward and downward in accord with the movement of the cylinder  13 , as in  FIG. 1 . 
     Further, the pouring basin-pivoting mechanism  11  comprises a supporting shaft  14 , a gear motor  15 , and a link mechanism  16 . The supporting shaft  14  is fixed between the arms  12 ,  12  of the pouring basin-moving means  10  near the distal end of the arms  12 ,  12 . The supporting shaft  14  pivotably supports the pouring basin  9 . The gear motor  15  is mounted on the bent part of the arm  12 . One end of the link mechanism  16  is connected to the end of the supporting shaft  14 . The other end is fitted on the output shaft of the gear motor  15 . Thus, the link mechanism  16  transmits the torque of the gear motor  15  to the supporting shaft  14 . 
     Now, we discuss the procedure of making castings by a casting apparatus configured as described above. First, as in FIG.  4 - a , the opening and closing mechanism  3  and the pouring basin  9  are tilted counterclockwise by a required angle. Then the robot  6  pours molten metal into the pouring basin  9 , which is at the peripheral side of the turntable  1 . Next, as in FIG.  4 - b , the gear motor  15 , starts to drive in a normal direction, and causes the pouring basin  9  to be tilted clockwise. The pivoting mechanism  7  moves to cause the opening and closing mechanism  3 , etc., to return to the horizontal position. Thus, the molten metal in the pouring basin  9  is poured into the mold  2 . After that, as in FIG.  4 - c , the cylinder  13  of the pouring basin-moving means  10  is shortened and causes the arms  12 ,  12  to rotate clockwise so as to move the pouring basin  9  to the side toward the rotation axis of the turntable  1 . Then, a worker can do his or her jobs, i.e., taking out the castings from the mold  2  or cleaning it, without any interference of the pouring basin  9 .