Patent ID: 7210515

Claim:
A molding machine for forming cope molds and drag molds from sand, comprising: a support frame; a cope flask for making cope molds; a drag flask for making drag molds; a pattern plate adapted to be positioned between the cope flask and the drag flask for forming patterns in the cope and drag molds; a squeeze head being received at an open end of the cope flask containing a cope mold in a cope mold release state; at least one actuator mounted to each of the cope flask and the support frame, the actuator being expandable and retractable to drive the cope flask relative to the squeeze head, wherein in said cope mold release state of the molding machine the cope mold is contained in the cope flask with the squeeze head contacting a top surface of the cope mold, and wherein the actuator drives cope flask toward the squeeze head to release the cope mold from the cope flask.