Improvements in Sand Moulding Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Aug., 1897-Accepted, 4th Sept.,
1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sand Moulding Machines.
I, WILLIAM PORTEOUS, of Elmwood Place, in the County of Hamilton, and
State of Ohio, in the United States of America, Manufacturer do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to machines for making sand moulds for castings and has
for its object the production of a machine which will be as nearly automatic as
possible, and which will reduce the labour of making such moulds to a minimum.
The novelty of this invention will be hereinafter set forth and specifically
pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings:
Fig. 1, sheet 1 is a plan view of a machine embodying this invention. Fig. 2,
sheet 2 is a section in elevation on the dotted line xx of Fig. 1 with the position
of the sweeps changed to bring them into view. Fig. 3, sheet 3 is a sectional
plan view on the dotted line y y of Fig. 2. Fig. 4, sheet 4, is a representation of
so much of the machine in projection as will go on the sheet, to afford a diagramı
for the better illustration of the successive operations. Fig. 5, sheet 5 is a
continuation of Fig. 4, showing the rest of the machine. Fig. 6, sheet 5 is
a transverse section through the dotted line z z of Fig. 5. Fig. 7, sheet 6 is a
detail plan view of the knocker mechanism. Fig. 8 sheet 6 is a detail in eleva-
tion and partly in section of the plate locking and releasing mechanism. Fig. 9
sheet 6 is a plan view of Fig. 8 with the plate removed. Fig. 10 sheet 6 is a
sectional detail of the sand dumping mechanism. Fig. 11 sheet 6 is a sectional
detail of the shifting mechanism. Fig. 12, sheet 6 is a side elevation through
the dotted line 71 of Fig. 11 looking on the left.
The same letters of reference are used to indicate identical parts in all the
figures.
Under its preferred form of construction this machine is intended to operate
simultaneously upon eleven flasks arranged horizontally in a circle and carried
upon intermittingly moving trucks so that during and after each simultaneous
movement of the trucks one of the operations necessary in molding is performed
upon each flask, and so that after each simultaneous movement of the trucks, a
finished drag and cope are taken from the machine at one point and an empty
two part flask placed in the machine at another or the starting point. For
instance as a preliminary description to give an idea of the successive operations
reference is made to Figures 4 and 5 where the machine is shown in projection
or straightened out and the positions of the flasks are numbered from 1 to 11
consecutively. Here A represent the trucks abutting end to end and having
flanged wheels a travelling on tracks on a table B supported by posts C. There
is a two part flask be on each truck of which 6 is the cope and c the drag, and
interposed between the two parts of each flask is a pattern plate d with its patterns
as seen in Fig. 6. A sand delivering trough D is arranged directly over the flasks
with discharge hopper boxes and screening mechanism. At position 1, Fig. 4

page_text: the facing sand is sifted from box E to cover the patterns in the cope side. At
positions 2 sand is dropped from box F to fill the heap up the cope side of the
flask. At positions 3, a rammer K packs the sand in the cope side. In moving
from position 3, to position 4 the cope side is carried under a stationary scraper G
which scrapes off the superfluous sand. At position 4 an attendant places a
backing plate on the top of the cope side. At position 5 the two part flask is
clamped by the attendant by clamping bolts carried on horizontal pivots, the
section of track and the truck below the flask is lowered, the flask still clamped
and suspended is turned over so that the packed cope side is underneath and the
empty drag side is on top, the track and the truck are raised so that the flask again
rests on the truck and the bolts are disconnected to permit the truck with the
flask on it to travel to position 6. At position 6 facing sand is sifted from bor H
on the patterns in the drag side. At position 7 sand is dropped from the box I
to fill and heap, up the drag side. At position 8 a second rammer K packs the
sand in the drag side and a stationary scraper J scrapes off the superfluous sand
as the flask travels under it from position 8 to position 9. At positions 9, 10
and 11 the three trucks rest on a vertically movable section of table L, Fig. 5
subjected to continuous rapping and at position 9 a backing plate is put on the
drag side and the handles of the drag side are engaged by shoulders e on suspended
arms M. The table L is then lowered separating the cope from the drag and
carrying the former down with it while the drag is lifted off the machine finished
with the exception of the gateways to be formed in the usual manner. When the
table is brought up again an empty half is placed on the cope. At position 10
the flask is clamped and turned over, during the descent of the table, bringing the
cope on top and the empty half on the truck just as at position 5. At position 11
the cope is suspended as at position 9 while the empty half with the pattern plate
on it is carried down by the table. The cope is then lifted off the machine
finished, another empty half is placed upon the empty half on the truck and these
two next move to position 1, and so on continuously with the requirement of but
two attendants one at position 5 and the other at the table L.
Having thus stated in a general way what the machine is intended to accomplish
and the successive operations on each flask, (though eleven are being acted on
simultaneously), I will now describe the machine in detail.
The table B is a horizontal annular one, Figures 2 and 3, supported on posts C
and having the tracks on which the trucks A travel. Above and in vertical
alignment with the table is the annular sand trough 1) supported by posts N, to
which it is secured in any suitable manner. Within the annular table and
substantially flush therewith, is a horizontal shifter plate O having a vertically
bored central hub g on its under side supported on a central upright frame P
and journalled on the upper end thereof.
The main driving shaft Q extends horizontally beneath the shifter 0 and is
journalled in the upright P and in a bearing R. This shaft is driven in any
suitable manner and in the present instance, I have shown it provided with a
worm wheel S engaging with a worm T on a shaft U revolved by pulleys V
secured thereon. Upon the hub g of the shifter O is secured a bevelled gear W with
which a mutilated bevelled gear X fast on the shaft Q meshes at every revolution
of the shaft Q to turn the shifter one eleventh of a revolution. These gears
are so constructed and the speed of the machine so timed that it takes thirty
seconds for the complete revolution of the shaft Q, and the gear X of which time
during five seconds the plate O trucks and flasks are being shifted, and during the
other twenty-five seconds the plate, trucks, and flasks are at rest and the various
operations are being performed on the flasks. This time I consider ample, but
if desired it may be increased. To prevent the plate O and the trucks carried by
it from moving too far I provide a spring bolt Figs. 2, 3 and 9 carried in a
suitable guide Y which engages successively a series of holes on the under side
of the plate and which is withdrawn to unlock the plate just at the moment the
mutilated gear X is in position to mesh with gear W, by means of an arm or

page_text: projection i on gear X, engaging a pin j projecting from the bolt h through a slot
in the guide Y. As soon as the plate starts to turn the arm i passes the pin j
and releases the bolt which is projected by its spring into contact with the under
side of the plate until just as the teeth of the gear X leave the gear W a locking
hole rides over the bolt which is projected into it to relock the plate, as will be
readily understood.
The plate O engages the trucks A by means of vertical ribs k upon its periphery
entering notches upon the inner edges of the truck platforms as seen in Figs. 2
and 6. The ribs in this instance are in pairs upon the periphery of the plate
and upward extensions therefrom and the inner edges of the truck platforms are
cut away between the ribs to permit the backing plates of the flasks to project
sufficiently to be engaged by the clamping bolts to be presently described.
To drive the sandsweeps, the sifting mechanism and the rammers, provide
a vertical shaft A¹ journalled through the centre of the plate 0, at its bottom in
the step m and at its upper end in a cross piece B₁ supported by other cross
pieces C¹ secured to the trough D. There is a bevelled gear 11 fast on the shaft A¹
beneath the gear W which meshes with a smaller bevelled gear E¹ fast on the
inner end of the shaft Q Fig. 2. The gear D is twice the diameter of the
gear so that for every complete revolution of the shaft Q the shaft A¹ makes
just one half of a revolution. Secured upon the upper end of the shaft A' are
two diametrically set horizontal arms El projecting over the open top of the
trough D and each carrying a sweep F1 F" which extends into and fills the trough
transversely. There are two sets of openings G H through the bottom of the
trough see Fig. 1 of which the two G open into the sieve boxes E H and the
two H into the hopper boxes F I Fig. 4.
Fast upon the shaft A' beneath its bearing B¹ is a double bevelled gear I¹ and
journalled in suitable bearings on the under side of the trough are two horizontal.
crank shafts J Figs. 1 and 2 almost diametrically set and having on their inner
ends bevelled gears K¹ meshing with the teeth on the under side of the gear I'
The gears K' are just half the diameter of the gear I so that the shafts J¹ have
the same speed that the shaft Q has. Upon each crank of the shafts J¹ is a
pitman n whose lower end is pivoted to the upper end of a hollow plunger o guided
in the tubular steam p of the rammer K which is also vertically guided in the
bearing secured to the hanger Fig. 2. A coiled spring s confined in the
plunger ō bears at its lower end against the rammer and serves to lessen the jar
when the rammer strikes the sand in the flask, while a collar t on the plunger
engages a shoulder in the stem of the rammer to lift the same.
9"
Suitably journalled in bearings u Figs. 1, 11, and 12 are two horizontal shafts L'
set almost diametrically and having upon their inner ends small bevelled
pinions M meshing with the teeth on the upper side of the gear I while upon
their outer ends are small ratchet wheels N¹ revolving close to the inner sides of
the sand sifting boxes E H. These boxes are hung on horizontal slides von the
tough under the openings G' and their open lower ends are covered with, sifting
screens 10. A spring a Fig. 12 is applied to one end of each box and the ratchet Ni
engages with a projection 61 on the side of the box so that as the ratchet revolves
the box is shaken, being moved in one direction by the ratchet and
in the opposite direction by the spring, as will be readily under-
stood. The hopper boxes F I which are identical in construction
are under the openings H' in the trough. In the lower end of each is a course
screen e Fig. 10. The bottom 01 of the box is hinged at one side and held
normally closed by a spring latch P¹ upon a rod d¹ pivoted on the under side of
the trough and having at its outer end an arm h¹ projecting up by the side of
the trough in the path of a tripping arm Q' extending rearwardly from each sweep
and of such length that the sweep will have filled the box with sand and passed
over it before the latch is tripped to release the bottom 01. As soon as it is
released the weight of the sand throws it open and the sand falls into the flask
below. As soon as the sand is discharged a counter weight e¹ secured to a cord¹

page_text: passing over a pulley g¹ draws the bottom up and it becomes automatically engaged
by the latch P
is
The section of the table Q Fig. 4. Directly under the truck at position
carried upon a frame R' between two of the posts C to which it is connected by
guide rollers i journalled on the frame so that the section of table and the frame
can be lowered and raised vertically. Counter weights S₁ secured to cords '
passed over pulley and having their inner ends secured to the section (,
normally serve to hold the latter up flush with the table and return it and the
frame after being lowered. The edges of the section Q and the adjacent edges
of the table are bevelled as shown, to prevent the section Q₁ from rising higher
than the table. The other vertically movable section of table L under the trucks
at positions 9, 10 and 11 is identical in construction and operation with th it just
described the only difference being that the latter is three times the length of
the former to accommodate three trucks. Extending across from the posts C between
which are the movable sections of table L and Q and on the outer side of the
table is a projecting bar T upon which at the middle is pivoted a vertical
post U having inserted through its upper end a sliding horizontal rod to which
is secured a vertical clamping bolt m₁ provided on its ends with thumb nuts n¹.
Removably supported in one of a series of circular arranged holes o¹, Figs 3
and 7 in the table is a vertical post p¹ directly opposite each of the posts U₁ and
having inserted through its upper end in axial alignment with the rod a similar
rod to which is secured a vertical clamping bolt r provided on its end with
thumb nuts s. During the shifting of the plate 0 and the trucks, the rods /
and q and clamping bolts m¹ are drawn back out of the way, but when the
plate comes to rest with the trucks and flasks shifted, they are pushed forward and
the bolts enter slots & Fig. 3 in the backing plates of the flasks and by turning
down the upper thumb nuts and flasks are clamped, the movable sections of table
and the trucks thereon are lowered out of the way, the inner edges of the trucks
sliding on the ribs k without being disengaged, and the clamped flasks are turned
over with the rods q¹ acting as trunions. After the flasks are turned over the
sections of table and trucks are raised to again support the flasks and the thumb
nuts are loosened and the bolts drawn back out of the way to permit the next
shifting of the plate O, the trucks and the flasks.
Two posts V Figs. 5 and 6 extend down from the bar T" at the section L and
pivoted as at ul is a horizontal rapping arm Wi Figs. 2, 5 and 7. The inner end
of the arm W has a tooth engaging with a ratchet wheel Y' fast on the shaft A¹.
The outer end of the arm W has knocking heads for rapping the posts VI
between which they are situated, the arm W₁ being moved in one direction by
the ratchet wheel and in the opposite direction by a spring y¹ Fig. 7 as will be
readily understood.
The supports M Figs. 2 and 5 are preferably adjustable in length by being made
telescopic so as to regulate the height of the supporting shoulders e and when
adjusted are held by set screws a¹. As seen in Fig. 2 the shoulders e are so
adjusted that the handles 6 of the upper half of the flask ride over them without
contact, but when the movable section of the table L descends these handles are
caught on the shoulders and the upper half of the flask remains suspended and
is then lifted out of the machine as before described.
The scrapers G J are secured to any stationary part of the frame of the machine
in this instance to the posts N.
The operation of the machine thus constructed is as follows, assuming that the
trucks are all provided with flasks that have been acted on by previous operations
as before described, in reference to Figs. 4 and 5 and that the starting points of
the sweeps, though they are continuously travelling, is indicated in Fig. 1. A
quantity of sand sufficient to fill both sets of boxes E F and H I is placed in the
trough at Fig. 1 in front of the sweep F1 and a quantity of sand to fill the
boxes HI is in front of the sweep F. While the sweeps are in the position
shown in Fig. 1 the shifter O is just about to shift the trucks and flasks from one

page_text: At
position to the next and does so before the loads of sand are swept into the
boxes E F and H I. When the sweep F gets to the position of the sweep F"
it still pushes before it sufficient sand to fill the boxes H I after which it comes
to the position of F1 empty and ready to take up and push forward the double
load of sand deposited at in the trough and so on continuously. Any suitable
means may be employed for depositing the sand in the trough such as an elevating
conveyor or it may be shovelled there by hand in measured quantities.
positions 1 and 2 the sand is sifted and dropped into the flasks below the sifter
being in constant operation, and the bottom of the box being tripped as before
described just as the sweep passes its opening in the trough. At the same time
the same operations are being performed at positions 6 and 7 and at the same time
the rammers are simultaneously worked. The scrapers, however act while the
trucks are being shifted, but while the sifting dropping and ramming is taking
place, (during the twenty-five seconds the shifter is at rest and locked) the
clamping of the flasks at positions 5 and 10, the lowering and raising of the
sections QL the turning of the flasks and the separation of the flasks at
positions 9 and 11 are all effected.
The posts after each shifting of the shifter O are taken out of their holes o¹
by hand and inserted in the next holes o¹ to bring them opposite the posts U¹ as
will be readily understood.
While I prefer to construct my machine in the circular form described yet I
do not intend this invention in its broad sense to be limited to this or any other
form as so far as this feature of this invention is concerned I wish my claims to
be considered as broad as the language of their terms.
Also while I prefer to use sifting mechanism yet it is evident that this might
be dispensed with and the dropping mechanism alone retained. Indeed a large
part of the advantages of this invention would be preserved if the sand was
deposited by hand to the flasks at positions 2 and 7.
Again while I prefer to use pattern plates the machine will work as well with
loose patterns, the only requirements being that a match side with loose patterns
in it is the under half at position 1. At position 5 after turning and unclamping
the match side is removed and an empty half is substituted for it. Again, at
position 9 after removing the drag a match side is substituted for it, and at
position 11 after removing the cope and applying the empty half, the patterns are
again placed in the match side ready to start again at position 1.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is: :-
1. In a sand moulding machine, the combination of an endless horizontal table,
flask carrying trucks guided and simultaneously movable thereon intermittingly,
automatic means for moving said trucks a vertically movable section in said table
under the path of travel, of said trucks, and pivoted clamping bolts over said
movable section to support the flasks, substantially as described.
2. In a sand moulding machine, the combination of an endless horizontal table
for the trucks and flasks said table having vertically movable sections, and a
shifter connected to the trucks both in their normal and lowered positions.
3. In a sand moulding machine, the combination of a horizontal circular sand
trough with openings in its bottom sand dropping and ramming mechanism
beneath said trough, sand sweeps for said trough, a horizontal circular table
beneath said trough, trucks carrying flasks on said table, a horizontal shifter for
intermittingly moving said trucks, and operating mechanism for the sweeps and
sand dropping and ramming mechanism substantially as described.
4. In a sand moulding machine, having a sand delivering trough the com-
bination of a dropping box on the under side of the trough, said box having a
hinged bottom a sand sweep in the trough a tripping arm on said sweep a latch

page_text: for the hinged bottom and a closing weight for the hinged bottom' substantially
as described.
f
5. In a sand moulding machine, the combination of a horizontal table flask
carrying trucks upon said table mechanism for automatically and intermittingly
moving said trucks and flasks said table having a vertically movable section
under the path of travel of said trucks, and pivoted clamping bolts over said
movable sections to support said flasks substantially as 'described.
6. The combination of the shifter O,, gear W fast thereto, mutilated gear X
meshing with gear W, and driving shaft Q substantially as described.
7. The combination of the shaft Q gear E¹ fast thereon vertical shaft A¹
gear fast on shaft A' and meshing with gear El trough D and sweeps F¹ F"
carried by shaft A substantially as described.
8. The combination of the shaft Q gear E' fast thereon vertical shaft A¹
gear Di
fast on shaft A¹ and meshing with gear El trough D', sand sifting and ramining
mechanism, and gear L' for operating said sand sifting and ramming mechanism
substantially as described.
9. In a sand moulding machine the combination with the driving shaft Q the
pinion E fast on said shaft, and the vertical shaft A¹ provided with gear wheel D
meshing with pinion E whereby motion is imparted to shaft A from driving
shaft of a ratchet wheel Y₁ carried by said shaft A¹, posts V₁ by which the
flasks are supported and a rapping arm W arranged to vibrate between said posts
and actuated by said ratchet wheel Y' substantially as described.
10. In a sand moulding machine, the combination with the supporting table B
and trucks A mounted thereon, of the shifting plate having vertical ribs on
its periphery to engage the grooves on the under edges of said trucks A, and means
for moving said shifter and trucks substantially as described.
Dated this 3rd day of August 1897
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, Agents to Applicant.