Shell sand core machine

Abstract

An automated core molding machine, including a method and apparatus for blowing and curing of cores wherein the special core box remains in a fixed vertical plane during the core forming and curing stages.

1 . A process for casting and curing said cores, in which a core box remains in a fixed vertical plane during core formation, said casting and curing further comprising: 
 filling a movable blow head with sand;    moving the blow head away from a sand hopper towards the core box;    positioning the blow head in line with a blow valve;    filling the core box with sand from the blow head, wherein the filling includes applying air pressure to the core box through a blow valve and retracting the blow head; and    removing excess sand from a core cavity of the core box by introducing a vacuum manifold and returning unused vacuumed sand to the sand hopper for use in the next cycle.    
   
   
       2 . (canceled)  
   
   
       3 . A process as defined in  claim 1 , and including the application of heat to the sand core by introducing an upper burner manifold.  
   
   
       4 . A process as defined in  claim 3 , and including elevation of the cope and core of the core box away from the drag of the core box.  
   
   
       5 . A process as defined in  claim 4 , and transferring the cope and core to a core unloader table, by lowering the cope and core onto the unloader transfer arms and laterally translating the cope and core to the core unloader table.  
   
   
       6 . A process as defined in  claim 5 , and including removal of the core from the cope onto the core unloader table.