Patent ID: 7757744

Claim:
A method for changing a match plate used in an apparatus for molding a flaskless upper mold and a lower mold that are in a stacked relationship, wherein the apparatus includes: a squeezing mechanism to squeeze molding sand by an upper and a lower squeeze means, which mechanism supports a pair of a cope flask and a drag flask holding the match plate therebetween, which mechanism can clockwise or counterclockwise rotate the pair of the cope and the drag flask in a perpendicular plane about a supporting shaft so that the pair can be positioned perpendicularly or horizontally, wherein the upper and the lower squeeze means are insertable into the openings of the cope flask and the drag flask, which openings are opposed to the match plate, and wherein the upper and the lower squeeze means include an upper and a lower squeeze plate, respectively; a stripping mechanism to strip an upper mold and a lower mold from a pair of the cope flask and drag flask containing a mold which are in a stacked relationship and are in a horizontal position; and a rotating mechanism to alternately and intermittently rotate two pairs of a cope flask and the drag flask, between the squeezing mechanism, where the cope flask and the drag flask are in a horizontal position, and the stripping mechanism, which rotating mechanism includes means for lifting and lowering the cope flask, wherein the method for changing the match plate from an existing match plate to a new match plate using the rotating mechanism having the two pairs of the cope flask and the drag flask, comprises: lifting the two cope flasks of the two pairs of the cope flask and the drag flask; moving a first carrier plate on rails of a first cope flask of a first pair of a cope and a drag flask positioned at the squeezing mechanism, where the first carrier plate holds the existing match plate, to insert the existing match plate between the first pair of the cope and drag flask, moving a second carrier plate on rails of a second cope flask of a second pair of the cope and drag flask positioned at the stripping mechanism, where the second carrier plate holds the new match plate, to insert the new match plate between the second pair of the cope and drag flask, moving the first pair of the cope and drag flask positioned at the squeezing mechanism and the first carrier plate having the existing match plate to the stripping mechanism, and of simultaneously moving the second pair of the cope flask and drag flask positioned at the stripping mechanism and the second carrier plate having the new match plate to the squeezing mechanism with the rotating mechanism; and moving the first carrier plate having the existing match plate from the rails of the first cope flask now positioned at the stripping mechanism so that the existing match plate can be removed from the apparatus, and of moving the second carrier plate having the new match plate from the rails of the second cope flask now positioned at the squeezing mechanism so that the new match plate can now be used in the apparatus.