Device and method that can detect misalignment between cope and drag

Abstract

To provide a device and a method for detecting, before pouring starts, any misalignment between a cope and a drag that have been molded by a flaskless molding machine and then assembled. The device ( 40 ) that can detect any misalignment between the cope ( 2 ) and the drag ( 3 ) that have been molded by the flaskless molding machine ( 1 ) and then assembled and that are being transported to the position for pouring comprises a plurality of means ( 51 ), ( 52 ), ( 53 ) for measuring distances to the cope and the drag that measures the distances (S 11 ), (S 12 ), (S 13 ), (S 21 ), (S 22 ), (S 23 ) to the cope and the drag, and a means ( 48 ) for calculating a degree of a misalignment between the cope and the drag on a basis of the distances to the cope and the drag that have been measured by the means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag.

1 . A device that can detect any misalignment between a cope and a drag that have been manufactured by means of a flaskless molding machine and assembled and that are being transported to a position for pouring, the device comprising:
 a plurality of means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag that measure distances to the cope and the drag; and   a means for calculating a degree of a misalignment between the cope and the drag that calculates a degree of a misalignment between the cope and the drag on a basis of the distances to the cope and the drag as measured by the means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag.   
     
     
         2 . The device that can detect any misalignment between the cope and the drag of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a means for moving up and down that moves up and down the plurality of the means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag;   wherein the device has three means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag, the three means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag measuring distances to points, which are on same levels of the cope and the drag, and   wherein the three means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag are caused by the means for moving up and down to move to a level for measuring the cope and to a level for measuring the drag.   
     
     
         3 . The device that can detect any misalignment between the cope and the drag of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the cope and the drag are rectangular in each horizontal section, and   wherein the three means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag are a first means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag, a second means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag, and a third means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag, wherein the first means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag measures the distances to the points, which are on first sides of the cope and drag, which sides are parallel to a conveying direction, respectively, wherein the second means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag measures the distances to the points, which are spaced apart from the points on the first sides by a predetermined distance in the horizontal direction, respectively, wherein the third means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag measures the distances to the points, which are on second sides of the cope and drag, which sides are perpendicular to the conveying direction, respectively.   
     
     
         4 . The device that can detect any misalignment between the cope and the drag of  claim 3 ,
 wherein the first means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag, the second means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag, and the third means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag, are laser-type displacement sensors.   
     
     
         5 . A method that can detect any misalignment between the cope and the drag is a method to use the device of  claim 3 , the method comprising the steps of:
 moving the first means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag, the second means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag, and the third means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag to a level to measure the cope by the means for moving up and down;   measuring a distance to the point on the first side of the cope by the first means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag;   measuring a distance to the point on the first side of the cope by the second means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag;   measuring a distance to the point on the second side of the cope by the third means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag;   calculating a position in a horizontal plane and an angle of rotation in a horizontal direction of the cope by the means for calculating a degree of a misalignment between the cope and the drag based on the distance to the point on the first side of the cope measured by the first means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag, the distance to the point on the first side of the cope measured by the second means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag, and the distance to the point on the second side of the cope measured by the third means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag;   moving the first means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag, the second means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag, and the third means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag to a level to measure the drag by the means for moving up and down;   measuring a distance to the point on the first side of the drag by the first means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag;   measuring a distance to the point on the first side of the drag by the second means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag;   measuring a distance to the point on the second side of the drag by the third means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag;   calculating a position in a horizontal plane and an angle of rotation in a horizontal direction of the drag by the means for calculating a degree of a misalignment between the cope and the drag based on the distance to the point on the first side of the drag measured by the first means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag, the distance to the point on the first side of the drag measured by the second means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag, and the distance to the point on the second side of the drag measured by the third means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag;   calculating a degree of a misalignment based on the positions in the horizontal plane and the angles of rotation in the horizontal direction of the cope and the drag that have been calculated; and   determining that a misalignment has occurred if the degree of misalignment is outside of a predetermined allowable range.   
     
     
         6 . The method that can detect any misalignment between the cope and the drag of  claim 5 ,
 wherein no molten metal is poured into the cope and the drag that have been determined to have a misalignment.   
     
     
         7 . The method that can detect any misalignment between the cope and the drag of  claim 5 ,
 wherein if a misalignment is determined to have occurred, then a molding operation by the flaskless molding machine is stopped.   
     
     
         8 . The method that can detect any misalignment between the cope and the drag of  claim 5 ,
 wherein if a misalignment is determined to have occurred, then a cause of the misalignment is identified and displayed based on an appearance of the misalignment.   
     
     
         9 . The method that can detect any misalignment between the cope and the drag of  claim 5 ,
 wherein if a misalignment is determined to have occurred then a cause of the misalignment is identified based on an appearance of the misalignment, so that conditions for operating the device that is the cause of the misalignment is adjusted.   
     
     
         10 . The method that can detect any misalignment between the cope and the drag of  claim 5 ,
 wherein if no misalignment is determined to have occurred, then data are stored that show that no misalignment has occurred in the flaskless molding machine or a molding line that conveys the cope and the drag from the flaskless molding machine to a position for pouring.   
     
     
         11 . The method that can detect any misalignment between the cope and the drag of  claim 5 ,
 wherein data on the positions in the horizontal plane and the angle of rotation in the horizontal direction of the cope and the drag that, have been calculated and data on the degree of misalignment that has been calculated are stored.   
     
     
         12 . The method that can detect any misalignment between the cope and the drag of  claim 5 ,
 wherein if the degree of misalignment is within the allowable range, but not within a warning range, which is smaller than the allowable range, a predictor of a misalignment is displayed.   
     
     
         13 . The device that can detect any misalignment between the cope and the drag of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the cope and the drag are rectangular in each horizontal section,   wherein the plurality of means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag are a first means for measuring distances to the cope, a second means for measuring distances to the cope, a third means for measuring distances to the cope, a first means for measuring distances to the drag, a second means for measuring distances to the drag, and a third means for measuring distances to the drag, wherein the first means for measuring distances to the cope measures the distance to the point, which is on a first side of the cope, which side is parallel to a direction for conveying the cope and the drag, wherein the second means for measuring distances to the cope measures the distance to the point, which is spaced apart from the point on the first side of the cope by a predetermined distance in the horizontal direction, wherein the third means for measuring distances to the cope measures the distance to the point, which is on a second side of the cope, which side is perpendicular to the direction for conveying the cope and the drag, wherein the first means for measuring distances to the drag measures the distance to the point, which is on a first side of the drag, which side is parallel to the direction for conveying the cope and the drag, wherein the second means for measuring distances to the drag measures the distance to the point, which is spaced apart from the point on the first side of the drag by a predetermined distance in the horizontal direction, wherein the third means for measuring distances to the drag measures the distance to the point, which is on a second side of the drag, which side is perpendicular to the direction for conveying the cope and the drag.   
     
     
         14 . The device that can detect any misalignment between the cope and the drag of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the cope and the drag are rectangular in each horizontal section,   wherein the plurality of means for measuring distances to the cope and the drag are a first means for measuring distances to the cope, a first means for measuring distances to the drag, a second means for measuring distances to the cope, and a second means for measuring distances to the drag, wherein the first means for measuring distances to the cope measures a distance to a first side of the cope, which side is parallel to the direction for conveying the cope, wherein the first means for measuring distances to the drag measures a distance to a first side of the drag, which side is parallel to the direction for conveying the drag, wherein the second means for measuring distances to the cope measures a distance to a second side of the cope, which side is perpendicular to the direction for conveying the cope, wherein the second means for measuring distances to the drag measures a distance to a second side of the drag, which side is perpendicular to the direction for conveying the drag.   
     
     
         15 . The device that can detect any misalignment between the cope and the drag of  claim 14 ,
 wherein the first means for measuring distances to the cope and the first means for measuring distances to the drag are configured to be moved by means of an actuator in the direction for conveying the cope and the drag, and   wherein the second means for measuring distances to the cope and the second means for measuring distances to the drag are configured to be moved by means of an actuator in a direction perpendicular to the direction for conveying the cope and the drag.   
     
     
         16 . The device that can detect any misalignment between the cope and the drag of  claim 14 ,
 wherein the first means for measuring distances to the cope, the first means for measuring distances to the drag, the second means for measuring distances to the cope, and the second means for measuring distances to the drag, are configured to be able to he simultaneously moved up and down by an actuator.   
     
     
         17 . The device that can detect any misalignment between the cope and the drag of  claim 14 ,
 wherein the first means for measuring distances to the cope, the first means for measuring distances to the drag, the second means for measuring distances to the cope, and the second means for measuring distances to the drag, are laser-type displacement sensors.   
     
     
         18 . A method that can detect any misalignment between the cope and the drag is a method to use the device of  14 , the method comprising the steps of;
 measuring a distance to a first side of the cope by the first means for measuring distances to the cope;   measuring a distance to a first side of the drag by the first means for measuring distances to the drag;   measuring a distance to a second side of the cope by the second means for measuring distances to the cope;   measuring a distance to a second side of the drag by the second means for measuring distances to the drag; and   determining a misalignment that has occurred if a difference between the distance to the first side of the cope that is measured by the first means for measuring distances to the cope and the distance to the first side of the drag that is measured by the first means for measuring distances to the drag or a difference between the distance to the second side of the cope that is measured by the second means for measuring distances to the cope and the distance to the second side of the drag that is measured by the second means for measuring distances to the drag, is outside of an allowable range.   
     
     
         19 . The method that can detect any misalignment between the cope and the drag of  claim 18 ,
 wherein the first means for measuring distances to the cope and the first means for measuring distances to the drag are configured to be moved by means of an actuator in the direction for conveying the cope and the drag,   wherein the second means for measuring distances to the cope and the second means for measuring distances to the drag are configured to be moved by means of an actuator in a direction perpendicular to the direction for conveying the cope and the drag, and   wherein the first means for measuring distances to the cope, the first means for measuring distances to the drag, the second means for measuring distances to the cope, and the second means for measuring distances to the drag, continually measure distances to the respective sides of the cope and drag at intervals along at least parts of the sides.   
     
     
         20 . The method that can detect any misalignment between the cope and the drag of  claim 18 ,
 wherein no molten metal is poured into the cope and the drag that have been determined to have a misalignment.