Patent ID: 8813819

Claim:
A die change apparatus for use in a flaskless molding machine, comprising a flaskless molding machine capable of being equipped with a first die and a second die for producing a flaskless casting mold, and a die carrying-in device and a die carrying-out device provided so as to face each other across the flaskless molding machine, (i) the flaskless molding machine comprising: a) a first die base having a first mounting surface and a second die base having a second mounting surface; b) a first clamping element provided on the first die base and being switchable between a clamp position to fix the first die on the first mounting surface and an unclamp position to release clamping and separate the first die from the first mounting surface; and c) a second clamping element provided on the second die base and being switchable between a clamp position to fix the second die on the second mounting surface and an unclamp position to release clamping and separate the second die from the second mounting surface, and (ii) the die carrying-in device comprising: a) a first movable plate provided so as to be slidable along a die carrying-in direction toward the first mounting surface of the first die base, and having a first positioning portion for detachably supporting the first die and positioning the first die in a height direction; b) a second movable plate placed so as to face the first movable plate in a standby position, provided so as to be slidable along the die carrying-in direction toward the second mounting surface of the second die base independently of the first movable plate, and having a second positioning portion for detachably supporting the second die positioning the second die a the height direction; c) a die drive source for causing the first die which has been positioned in the height direction by the first positioning portion to be detached from the first movable plate, move along the die carrying-in direction toward the first mounting surface of the first die base and be supported by the first clamping element, and causing the second die which has been positioned in the height direction by the second positioning portion to move along the die carrying-in direction toward the second mounting surface of the second die base independently of the first die and be supported by the second clamping element; and d) an intersection drive source for causing at least one of the first movable plate and the second movable plate to move in a direction to intersect the die carrying-in direction independently of the other.