About a conventional flaskless molding method or machine that forms flaskless copes and drags, for example, Patent Document Nos. 1 and 2, which were filed by the assignee of the present application, are known. The molding machines disclosed in Patent Document Nos. 1 and 2 include two pairs of upper and lower flasks, a match plate, a means for feeding molding sand, a squeezing means for squeezing molding sand, a means for moving forward and backward the squeezing means around an axis, and a means for alternately pivoting the two pairs of upper and lower flasks between two stations.
The molding method that utilizes this molding machine can simultaneously perform the step of forming molds in a pair of upper and lower flasks and the step of extracting the formed molds from the pair of upper and lower flasks. Thus it can form molds in a short period and efficiently. Often a core is, as required, placed between the cope and the drag that have been molded.
However, about the conventional molding machine and method, since a long time is required for placing a core between a cope and a drag, needs for more efficiently forming molds have arisen. Further, meeting these needs is also preferable in view of efficiency where many cores are used.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds