Casting sand conveying device and casting sand conveying method

Abstract

To provide a casting sand conveyance device in which an installation cost is low, a repair cost is inexpensive and maintenance is facilitated.SOLUTION: A casting sand conveyance device comprises: a conveyance passage provided at the lower part of a facility in which excess casting sand is generated, in a gutter shape upper-opened in accordance with the fall range of casting sand, and extending in a conveyance direction in which the casting sand is conveyed; plural pressing plates extending in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance passage, arranged at prescribed intervals in the conveyance direction and pressing the casting sand in the conveyance direction; and a reciprocation apparatus reciprocating the plural pressing plates in the conveyance direction with respect to the conveyance passage. The pressing plates press the casting sand toward a direction progressing the same in the conveyance direction in an approach route and return without pressing the casting sand toward a direction retreating the same in the conveyance direction in a return path.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveying device for surplus foundry sand generated from each facility attached to casting equipment, and a method for conveying foundry sand using the conveying device.

Background Art

[0002] In each device attached to casting equipment, surplus foundry sand may be generated after molding. For example, it is necessary to remove the protruding part of the foundry sand generated on the back side of the casting mold after molding, or to carry out and convey the used foundry sand by removing the used foundry sand while extracting the cast mold after pouring from the casting mold and cleaning the inner wall of the casting mold at the same time. Conventionally, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a pit was dug below each device attached to casting equipment, and an inclined hopper for collecting foundry sand and dropping it into the pit was provided and conveyed by a belt conveyor.

[0003] However, in order to use an inclined hopper and a belt conveyor, it is necessary to deepen the pit, so there is a problem that the basic construction cost increases. In addition, when pit construction is difficult and the entire casting equipment is raised, there is a problem that equipment costs such as the installation frame steel materials for the raised part and the extension of the building height increase significantly. Therefore, in Patent Document 2, in the foundry sand conveying conveyor, the width of the L-shaped scraper is widened in accordance with the falling range of surplus sand, thereby omitting the inclined hopper and making the pit shallower.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the casting sand conveyor of Patent Document 2, there are problems that the falling sand covers the conveyor chain part, the joint part of the conveyor chain wears out early, and the repair cost increases, and there is the trouble of maintenance in the pit.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a casting sand conveying device and a casting sand conveying method that require low installation costs, have low repair costs, and are easy to maintain.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a casting sand conveying device is provided in a gutter shape with an upper surface opening according to the falling range of casting sand below a facility that generates surplus casting sand, and extends along the conveying direction for conveying the casting sand. A conveying path, a plurality of pressing plates arranged at predetermined intervals along the conveying direction so as to intersect the conveying path, and pressing the casting sand along the conveying direction, and each pressing plate is supported so as to be swingable in a direction along the conveying direction, and a plurality of pressing plates are reciprocated along the conveying direction with respect to the conveying path. It is provided with a reciprocating device.

[0008] Furthermore, in the forward path of the reciprocating motion, by restricting the swing of each pressing plate, the casting sand is pressed by each pressing plate so as to advance along the conveying direction, and in the return path of the reciprocating motion, by releasing the restriction of the swing of each pressing plate, it is provided with a swing restricting device that returns each pressing plate without pressing the casting sand so as to retreat along the conveying direction.

[0009] According to this, with a device having a small height dimension, it is possible to convey the falling sand of the surplus casting sand generated after molding, so there is no need for a high hopper with an inclination angle, the pit depth can be reduced, or the increase in the overall height of the casting equipment can be reduced, resulting in a significant reduction in equipment costs. In addition, since the conveyor chain is not used, there is no wear caused by the entry of casting sand into the joint part. In addition, since there are few mechanical sliding parts in the casting sand falling range, an increase in repair costs due to wear can be reduced.

[0010] According to a second aspect of the present invention, the reciprocating device includes a connecting device that connects a plurality of pressing plates along the conveying direction and reciprocates the plurality of pressing plates in conjunction with each other.

[0011] According to this, a plurality of pressing plates connected by the connecting device can be integrally reciprocated by one reciprocating device.

[0012] According to a third aspect of the present invention, the connecting device includes a plurality of swing center axes that support each front pressing plate, and each pressing plate swings about the swing center axis. According to this, each pressing plate can have a simple structure and swings about the swing center axis.

[0013] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a removal mechanism is provided between the pressing plate and the swing center axis, which disengages from the swing center axis when the pressing plate is rotated by a predetermined angle or more in the conveying direction.

[0014] According to this, the removal mechanism can easily and quickly replace the pressing plate that needs to be replaced due to wear or the like.

[0015] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a bent-up portion that is bent upward with a predetermined width in the direction of advancing the foundry sand along the conveying direction is provided at the lower end portion of each pressing plate.

[0016] According to this, in the forward path, a large amount of foundry sand can be advanced by scooping up the foundry sand with the bent-up portion. In the return path, the contact portion with the foundry sand can be escaped from facing the front directly by the bent-up portion, and the backward movement of the foundry sand can be made minimal.

[0017] According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the pressing plate further includes a balancer that brings the center of gravity position of the pressing plate closer to the swing center axis side.

[0018] According to this, the rotational moment force generated in the pressing plate based on the mass of the pressing plate is reduced, so the amount of foundry sand returned by the pressing plate in the return path can be reduced.

[0019] According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the reciprocating device includes a slider-crank mechanism that converts rotational motion into linear motion along the conveying direction.

[0020] According to this, it is possible to realize smooth reciprocating motion with simple control without shock at both side moving ends only by one-way rotational drive.

[0021] According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the conveying path has an inclined structure that is an upward slope gradually rising in the conveying direction or a downward slope gradually descending in the conveying direction.

[0022] According to this, inclined conveying becomes possible, and it is possible to convey foundry sand with a drop like a belt conveyor.

[0023] According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the foundry sand conveying device used is provided in a gutter shape with an upper surface opening according to the falling range of foundry sand below the facility that generates surplus foundry sand, and has a conveying path extending along the conveying direction for conveying foundry sand, and a plurality of pressing plates arranged at predetermined intervals along the conveying direction so as to intersect the conveying path and pressing the foundry sand along the conveying direction.

[0024] Furthermore, each pressing plate is respectively supported so as to be swingable in the direction along the conveying direction, and includes a reciprocating device that reciprocates the plurality of pressing plates along the conveying direction with respect to the conveying path, and a swing restricting device that restricts the swing of the pressing plates.

[0025] And the foundry sand conveying method includes a pressing step of pressing with each pressing plate so as to advance the foundry sand along the conveying direction by restricting the swing of each pressing plate by the swing restricting device in the forward path of the reciprocating motion, and a return step of returning each pressing plate without pressing so as to retreat the foundry sand along the conveying direction by releasing the restriction of the swing of each pressing plate by the swing restricting device in the return path of the reciprocating motion.

[0026] According to this, the surplus casting sand to be conveyed is not powdery but has a property of being likely to roll and form lumps. Therefore, with a simple reciprocating motion of the pressing plate, the surplus casting sand can be reliably and quickly conveyed. In this way, since the casting sand that has fallen onto the conveying path can be conveyed by a reciprocating motion along the conveying direction, the belt does not extend in two upper and lower stages like a conveyor belt using an endless belt. Therefore, a conveying device with a small height dimension can be obtained, eliminating the need for a hopper with a high height and having an inclination angle, and by reducing the pit depth, it is possible to reduce the equipment cost required for the method of conveying casting sand.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0027]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0028] (First Embodiment) The first embodiment in which the casting sand conveying device according to the present invention is implemented in a casting line will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11.

[0029] FIG. 1 shows an overview of the entire casting sand conveying device. The casting sand conveying device 1 of the present embodiment includes a conveying path 2, a pressing plate 3, and a reciprocating device 4. In this specification, the direction in which surplus casting sand CS as a conveyed object is conveyed is referred to as the "conveying direction". By taking the conveyance of the casting sand CS as an example of the flow of water, the side that is the starting point of the conveyance is referred to as the "upstream side", and the side that is the end point of the conveyance is referred to as the "downstream side". In the conveying direction, the upstream direction is referred to as the "rear", and the downstream direction is referred to as the "front". When assuming a center line extending in the conveying direction, the side farther from the center line is referred to as the "outer side", and the side closer to the center line is referred to as the "inner side".

[0030] (Conveying Path) The conveying path 2 is provided below a schematic auxiliary facility (for example, a sand cutter device, etc.) that generates surplus casting sand CS, and places and conveys the dropped surplus casting sand CS. As shown in FIG. 1, the conveying path 2 includes a conveying path main body 21 (trough), guide rollers 22, and installation legs 23 (see FIG. 2). The conveying path main body 21 is formed, for example, in a shallow gutter shape with an iron plate and extends along the conveying direction.

[0031] The bottom 21a of the conveying path body 21 is formed in a horizontal plane, and both ends of the bottom 21a extending along the conveying direction are formed with vertical walls 21b of a predetermined height via inclined walls 21c. As shown in FIG. 4, the width of the conveying path body 21 in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction is formed wider than the width of the range where the casting sand CS falls (for example, wider by the width in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the inclined wall 21c).

[0032] At the upstream end of the conveying path body 21, as shown in FIG. 2, a partition is provided along the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction by a vertical plate 21d, and an inclined plate 21e inclined upward in the conveying direction is provided on the vertical plate 21d. The inclined plate 21e prevents the formation of a sand accumulation near the vertical plate 21d. The downstream end of the conveying path body 21 is configured such that the conveyed surplus sand falls toward the chute CH.

[0033] A plurality of guide rollers 22 are provided on the outer side of the upper part of the vertical wall 21b, as shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 4, the rotation axis 22a of each guide roller 22 extends along the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, and each rotation axis 22a is rotatably supported by a bearing portion 22b provided on the vertical wall 21b. Three pairs of guide rollers 22 are provided along the conveying direction.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 6, a flange portion 22c is provided around the outer periphery of each guide roller 22 on the base end portion side and protrudes beyond the upper end portion of the vertical wall 21b. By protruding beyond the upper end portion of the vertical wall 21b, the outer periphery of each guide roller 22 receives a slider frame 43 (connecting device) described later, and is configured such that the slider frame 43 can reciprocate (slide) along the conveying direction with respect to the conveying path body 21.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 4, the installation legs 23 fix the conveying path body 21 in a state of being spaced above the floor surface BG. The installation legs 23 also serve to reinforce the rigidity of the conveying path body 21 by adhering to and supporting up to the upper part of the inclined wall 21c.

[0036] The installation legs 23 are formed of, for example, an iron plate material extending vertically, and are configured to stand so as to extend in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction. The upper end portion is formed in a shape following the lower bottom surface of the conveyance path main body 21, and is adhered to the conveyance path main body 21 by, for example, welding or the like. The installation legs 23 are installed at five locations so as to be arranged along the conveyance direction. The two installation legs 23 at the downstream end are provided between the support columns 44a that support the drive device 41 described later, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. The support columns 44a and the two installation legs 23 at the downstream end are connected and fixed by a holding member 44c made of a square hollow iron material.

[0037] (Pressing plate) The pressing plate 3 presses the molding sand CS in the conveyance path main body 21 in the conveyance direction. The pressing plate 3 is provided so as to extend in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction. A plurality of (nine in this embodiment) pressing plates 3 are arranged at predetermined intervals along the conveyance direction. The pressing plate 3 is formed of, for example, an iron steel plate, and includes a mounting portion 31, a pressing plate main body 32, and a bent portion 33.

[0038] The pressing plate main body 32 is formed in a flat plate shape with a short vertical direction and a long horizontal direction. The length in the horizontal direction, which is the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction, is formed slightly shorter than the length in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the bottom portion 21a of the conveyance path main body 21.

[0039] The mounting portion 31 is formed of, for example, an iron pipe with a circular cross section, and is formed slightly longer than the length in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the pressing plate main body 32. The mounting portion 31 is integrally formed at the upper end portion of the pressing plate main body 32. Therefore, the mounting portion 31 protrudes from the pressing plate main body 32 at both end portions. A notch portion 31a is formed in the protruding portion of the mounting portion 31, where about one-third of the lower portion of the cylindrical portion opens toward the pressing plate main body 32 side. The opening width of the notch portion 31a (the length between the upstream opening end 31u and the downstream opening end 31d of the notch portion 31a) is smaller than the outer diameter of the swing center axis 5 described later, and is larger than the longitudinal length formed by the removal portion 5a on the swing center axis 5 (see FIGS. 8 and 9).

[0040] As shown in FIG. 7, the bent portion 33 is formed by bending the lower end portion of the pressing plate main body 32 in a curved shape with a predetermined width in the direction of advancing the surplus molding sand CS to be conveyed. When the pressing plate 3 advances, the bent portion 33 scoops up the molding sand CS in the conveying path 2 and advances it in a large amount. When the pressing plate 3 retreats, the bent portion 33 slides on the upper surface of the molding sand CS so as not to retreat the molding sand CS (see FIG. 11).

[0041] The lower end of the bent portion 33 is configured to provide a gap of, for example, 3 to 6 mm without contacting the upper surface of the bottom portion 21a of the conveying path 2. Since the conveyed molding sand CS is not loose but is likely to form lumps easily, even if there is a gap, the lumps of the molding sand CS can be pressed and moved. Further, since it does not contact the bottom portion 21a of the conveying path 2, the lower end is not worn out quickly and the replacement time of the pressing plate 3 is not advanced, so that the running cost can be reduced.

[0042] (Reciprocating device) The reciprocating device 4 reciprocates the pressing plate 3 with a predetermined stroke along the conveying direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the reciprocating device 4 includes a driving device 41, a motion conversion device 42, and a slider frame 43 (connecting device).

[0043] The driving device 41 is, for example, an electric motor and includes an output shaft 41b that rotates in one direction as shown in FIG. 5. The driving device 41 is fixed to a pedestal 44 made of, for example, iron provided at the downstream end position of the conveying path main body 21. The pedestal 44 includes a pair of columns 44a erected on the floor surface BG so as to sandwich the conveying path 2 from both sides at the lower end portion of the conveying path main body 21, and a beam member 44b horizontally installed between the columns 44a at the upper portion of the columns 44a. The beam member 44b is formed of a hollow member having a rectangular cross section. And the pedestal 44 is fixed to the floor surface BG so as to straddle the conveying path main body 21.

[0044] The drive device 41 is fixed to the downstream side surface of the beam member 44b and has an output shaft 41b that extends downward via a speed reduction mechanism 41a. The output shaft 41b corresponds to the central axis for rotating the crank arm 42a of a motion conversion device 42 described later. The drive of the drive device 41 is controlled by a control device (not shown).

[0045] The motion conversion device 42 is a double slider crank mechanism (scotch yoke mechanism), which is a type of slider crank mechanism, and converts the rotational motion of an electric motor into the linear motion of a slider frame 43 along the conveyance direction.

[0046] The double slider crank mechanism includes a crank arm 42a whose base end is non-rotatably assembled to the output shaft 41b of the drive device 41 and rotates in a horizontal plane. A first slider 42b connected by a pin is provided at the tip of the crank arm 42a. Further, the double slider crank mechanism includes a groove portion 42c in which the first slider 42b slides and extends in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction.

[0047] The groove portion 42c is assembled to the upper surface of a holding beam member 43f that extends in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction, and the holding beam member 43f is integrally provided on the slider frame 43 (second slider). When the crank arm 42a makes one rotation, the slider frame 43 makes one reciprocating motion. The diameter of the circle drawn by the crank arm 42a becomes one stroke, which is the width of the reciprocating motion (see Figure 2). Since the double slider crank mechanism is a known technique, a detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0048] (Slider Frame) The slider frame 43 is formed in a rectangular frame shape that covers the upper surface of the conveyance path main body 21, connects a plurality of pressing plates 3, and reciprocates along the conveyance direction with respect to the conveyance path main body 21. As shown in Fig. 5, the slider frame 43 includes a pair of liner frame members 43a extending along the conveying direction and a holding beam member 43f. The slider frame 43 corresponds to a connecting device and functions as a second slider that reciprocates linearly along the conveying direction. Each liner frame member 43a is formed of, for example, an iron member having an L-shaped cross section, and includes a vertical member portion 43b facing the vertical wall 21b of the conveying path main body 21 from the inside and a horizontal member portion 43c continuous with the vertical member portion 43b and extending horizontally with a predetermined width. A liner 43d extending in the conveying direction is provided on the lower surface of the horizontal member portion 43c, and the liner 43d is configured to be in contact support with the outer peripheral upper end of the guide roller 22.

[0049] As shown in Fig. 1, a transfer frame 43e is horizontally spanned between two opposing vertical member portions 43b inside the vertical member portion 43b. The transfer frame 43e is formed of, for example, an iron beam member having an inverted V-shaped cross section, and is provided at an upstream end position and an intermediate position in the middle of the downstream end of the upstream end. Both ends of the transfer frame 43e are assembled inside the vertical member portion 43b by, for example, welding.

[0050] A holding beam member 43f is horizontally spanned between the opposing vertical member portions 43b at the downstream end position of the slider frame 43. As shown in Fig. 2, the holding beam member 43f is formed of, for example, an iron hollow member having a rectangular cross section. A groove portion 42c of the double-slider crank mechanism is assembled on the upper surface of the holding beam member 43f along a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction.

[0051] (Oscillation center axis) As shown in Fig. 6, a swing center axis 5 whose axis extends along a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction is fastened to the vertical member portion 43b by, for example, a screw 51. The rocking center axis 5 is provided in a plurality (nine in this embodiment) arranged along the conveying direction, and the aforementioned pressing plate 3 is swingably attached thereto. The rocking center axis 5 is formed to have a length shorter in the horizontal direction than the notch portion 31a in the attachment portion 31 of the pressing plate 3. In this embodiment, the height dimension of the head of the screw 51 and the length of the rocking center axis 5 are set to be shorter than the length of the notch portion 31a.

[0052] The rocking center axis 5 has a shape in which about one-fourth of the lower end portion is removed by a removal portion 5a in a state where the cylindrical shape is horizontal. By the removal portion 5a, the longitudinal outer length of the rocking center axis 5 is set to be smaller than the length from the upstream opening end 31u to the downstream opening end 31d of the opening of the notch portion 31a (see FIG. 8).

[0053] When the pressing plate 3 is rotated by a predetermined angle or more in the conveying direction, the pressing plate 3 causes the upstream opening end 31u of the notch portion 31a to reach the downstream end of the rocking center axis 5 having the removed shape, so that the upstream opening end 31u of the notch portion 31a can cross over the top of the rocking center axis 5 and come off the rocking center axis 5 (see FIG. 9).

[0054] The notch portion 31a of the attachment portion 31 and the rocking center axis 5 having the removed shape constitute a removal mechanism. Above the rocking center axis 5, a sand removal plate 6 having an inverted V-shaped cross section is provided so as to cover the rocking center axis 5 and the notch portion 31a of the attachment portion 31.

[0055] Below the rocking center axis 5, a stopper 7 is provided which abuts against the upstream surface of the pressing plate 3. The stopper 7 restricts the pressing plate 3 from rotating in the reverse direction of the conveying direction from the suspended position. The stopper 7 is formed, for example, in a square plate shape, and is assembled, for example, by welding or the like inside a vertical member in a state where the plate is erected in the vertical direction. By the stopper 7, the pressing plate 3 presses the casting sand CS in the forward direction along the conveying direction in the forward path of the reciprocating operation, and returns without pressing the casting sand CS in the backward direction along the conveying direction in the return path. The stopper 7 corresponds to a rocking restricting device.

[0056] Above the conveyance path main body 21, a grating 8 is provided. The grating 8 is formed of a thick iron grating in the dimension in the height direction, and restricts the size of the lumps of the casting sand CS that fall and are conveyed. The grating 8 is provided at the same height position as the installation frame 81 of the auxiliary equipment. A slope plate 82 is provided between the grating 8 and the conveyance path 2 to introduce the casting sand CS into the conveyance path 2.

[0057] (Operation) The operation of the casting sand conveying device 1 configured as described above will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2, 7, 10, and 11. As shown in FIG. 2, the slider frame 43 is positioned at the upstream end, and each pressing plate 3 is in a hanging state. The casting sand CS that was previously sent by the pressing plate 3 forms a small mountain and is placed on the downstream side of each pressing plate 3.

[0058] The control device drives the drive device 41 to rotate the crank arm 42a by 180 degrees. As a result, the slider frame 43 moves along the forward path to the downstream end (pressing step). At this time, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 10, each pressing plate 3 in the hanging state is restricted from rotating upstream by the stopper 7, and moves the casting sand CS that has formed a small mountain on the downstream side to the downstream side. Since the casting sand CS is scooped up by the bending portion 33, more casting sand CS can be moved.

[0059] Next, the control device further rotates the crank arm 42a (in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, although it is in the middle of one rotation, when the position corresponding to the slider frame 43 at the upstream end is set to 0 degrees, it is about 300 degrees). As a result, the slider frame 43 moves along the return path, and each pressing plate 3 gets over the small mountain of the casting sand CS moved by the adjacent upstream pressing plate 3 and returns upstream (return step). In this way, when the pressing plate 3 rotates to the downstream side and returns to the upstream side, it does not move the casting sand CS upstream. The pressing plate 3 smoothly gets over the small mountain of the casting sand CS without being caught by the bending portion 33 and moves.

[0060] Subsequently, by repeating the reciprocating motion of the slider frame 43 in the same manner, the casting sand CS is conveyed downstream. The casting sand CS that has fallen and been collected in the chute CH is adjusted in composition and reused for molding.

[0061] As is clear from the above description, the casting sand conveying device 1 of the present embodiment is provided in a gutter shape with an upper surface opening according to the falling range of the casting sand CS below the facility that generates the surplus casting sand CS, and has a conveying path 2 extending along the conveying direction for conveying the casting sand CS, and a plurality of pressing plates 3 arranged at predetermined intervals along the conveying direction so as to intersect the conveying path 2 and pressing the casting sand CS along the conveying direction, and each pressing plate 3 is supported so as to be swingable in the direction along the conveying direction, and is provided with a reciprocating device 4 for reciprocating the plurality of pressing plates 3 along the conveying direction with respect to the conveying path 2.

[0062] Furthermore, in the forward stroke of the reciprocating motion, by restricting the swing of each pressing plate 3, the casting sand CS is pressed by each pressing plate 3 so as to advance along the conveying direction, and in the return stroke of the reciprocating motion, by releasing the restriction of the swing of each pressing plate 3, the casting sand CS is not pressed so as to retreat along the conveying direction (the lower end of the pressing plate 3 is moved along the upper surface of the casting sand CS), and a stopper 7 for returning each pressing plate 3 is provided.

[0063] According to this, with a device having a small height dimension, the surplus casting sand CS that falls after molding can be conveyed, so a hopper having an inclination angle is not required, the pit depth can be reduced, or the height increase amount of the entire casting facility can be decreased, and a significant equipment cost can be reduced. In addition, troublesome maintenance work in a deep pit is eliminated, so the maintenance work can be facilitated. Also, since a conveyor chain is not used, wear due to the entry of the casting sand CS into the joint portion does not occur. Further, since there are few mechanical sliding parts in the falling range of the casting sand CS, an increase in repair costs due to wear can be reduced.

[0064] The reciprocating device 4 includes a slider frame 43 that connects the plurality of pressing plates 3 along the conveying direction and reciprocates the plurality of pressing plates 3 in an interlocking manner.

[0065] According to this, a plurality of pressing plates 3 connected by the slider frame 43 can be integrally reciprocated by one reciprocating device 4.

[0066] Further, the slider frame 43 includes a plurality of swing center shafts 5 that support each pressing plate 3, and each pressing plate 3 swings about the swing center shaft 5. According to this, each pressing plate 3 may have a simple structure and swings about the swing center shaft 5.

[0067] Further, each pressing plate 3 is provided with a removal mechanism (removal portion 5a, notch portion 31a) that disengages from the swing center shaft 5 when the pressing plate 3 is rotated by a predetermined angle or more in the conveying direction.

[0068] According to this, the removal mechanism (removal portion 5a, notch portion 31a) can easily and quickly perform the replacement work of the pressing plate 3 that needs to be replaced due to wear or the like.

[0069] Further, the lower end portion of each pressing plate 3 is provided with a bent-up portion 33 that is bent upward with a predetermined width in the advancing direction.

[0070] According to this, in the forward stroke, a large amount of casting sand CS can be advanced by scooping up the casting sand CS with the bent-up portion 33. In the return stroke, the bent-up portion 33, which is the contact portion with the casting sand CS, can avoid pressing against the casting sand CS directly from the front, and the backward movement of the casting sand CS can be made minimal.

[0071] Further, the reciprocating device 4 is provided with a slider-crank mechanism (motion conversion device 42) that converts rotational motion into linear motion along the conveying direction.

[0072] According to this, smooth reciprocating motion can be realized with simple control without shock at both side moving ends only by rotational drive in one direction.

[0073] (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the casting sand conveying device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 12 to 14. Each pressing plate 3 of the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a balancer 9 is assembled at the upper part in the mounting portion 31. Since the other structures are the same as those of the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

[0074] The balancer 9 is, for example, made of iron and formed in a square plate shape, and has a vertical surface extending along the conveying direction. The balancer 9 is adhered, for example, by welding at a position near the swing center axis 5 on the outer periphery of the upper part of the mounting portion 31. The weight of the balancer 9 is set lighter than the weight of the pressing plate body 32. Therefore, the pressing plate body 32 hangs down with the balancer 9 attached. As shown in FIG. 13, the pressing plate body 32 is vertically positioned by contacting the stopper 7. However, the center of gravity of the combined balancer 9 and the pressing plate body 32 is closer to the swing center axis 5 than the center of gravity of the pressing plate body 32 alone. In this way, the balancer 9 makes the center of gravity position of the pressing plate 3 approach the swing center axis 5 side.

[0075] According to this, since the moment force generated in the pressing plate 3 based on the mass of the pressing plate 3 is reduced, the amount of casting sand CS returned by the pressing plate 3 in the return path can be reduced.

[0076] In the above embodiment, the conveying path 2 is arranged to extend in the horizontal direction, but it is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in FIG. 15, it may be an upward inclined structure 2U that gradually rises upward in the conveying direction, or as shown in FIG. 16, it may be a downward inclined structure 2D that gradually descends downward in the conveying direction.

[0077] The upward inclination structure 2U is provided with bottom support legs 24 that support the bottom 21a of the conveyance path 2 and the installation legs 23. The bottom support legs 24 are formed, for example, of iron and have a square column shape, and those with a greater height are used as they go toward the downstream side in the conveyance direction. The bottom support legs 24 are provided in pairs along a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction. The upper end portions of the bottom support legs 24 are formed with notches into which the installation legs 23 are fitted, and are adhered to the bottom 21a of the conveyance path 2, for example, by welding or the like.

[0078] The downward inclination structure 2D is provided with bottom support legs 24 that support the bottom 21a of the conveyance path 2 and the installation legs 23. The bottom support legs 24 are formed, for example, of iron and have a square column shape, and those with a shorter height are used as they go toward the downstream side in the conveyance direction. Since the other configurations are the same as those of the upward inclination structure 2U, the description thereof is omitted.

[0079] By adopting such an inclination structure, it is possible to perform inclined conveyance even at an installation location where a layout with a drop between the upstream side and the downstream side of the conveyance is required.

[0080] Also, although the bent portion 33 of the pressing plate 3 is formed by bending it in a curved shape with a predetermined width, it is not limited to this. For example, a lower portion of about one-fifth of the longitudinal length of the pressing plate body may be bent at about 30 degrees in the advancing direction to form a linear bent portion.

[0081] Also, in the above embodiment, the swing center axis 5 has a shape in which about one-fourth of the lower end portion is removed by a removal portion 5a in a horizontal plane with the cylindrical shape lying horizontally, but it is not limited to this. For example, the swing center axis may have a shape in which the lower end portion and the upper end portion are each removed in a horizontal plane with the cylindrical shape lying horizontally.

[0082] Also, although a double slider crank mechanism is used as the motion conversion device 42, it is not limited to this. For example, the slider crank mechanism described in Japanese Patent No. 5548255 can be used. Although the motion conversion device 42 is arranged on the downstream end side of the conveying path 2, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a motion conversion device may be provided on the upstream end side of the conveying path 2.

[0083] The present invention is not limited only to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings, and can be implemented with appropriate changes within the scope not departing from the gist.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0084] 1: Casting sand conveying device, 2: Conveying path, 3: Pressing plate, 33: Bent-up portion, 4: Reciprocating device, 41: Driving device, 42: Motion conversion device (slider-crank mechanism), 43: Slider frame (connecting device), 5: Oscillation center axis, 7: Stopper (oscillation restricting device), 9: Balancer, CS: Casting sand.

Claims

1. Below the equipment that generates surplus casting sand, a trough-shaped structure is provided with an upper surface opening according to the falling range of the casting sand, and a conveying path extending along the conveying direction for conveying the casting sand, A plurality of pressing plates arranged at predetermined intervals along the conveying direction so as to intersect the conveying path, and pressing the casting sand along the conveying direction. At the lower end of each pressing plate, there is a bending portion that is bent in a curved shape with a predetermined width in the direction of advancing the casting sand along the conveying direction, and the pressing plate is provided with the bending portion. Each of the pressing plates is supported so as to be swingable in the direction along the conveying direction, and a reciprocating device for reciprocating the plurality of pressing plates along the conveying direction with respect to the conveying path. In the forward stroke of the reciprocating motion, by restricting the swing of each pressing plate, each pressing plate presses the casting sand so as to advance along the conveying direction. In the return stroke of the reciprocating motion, by releasing the restriction of the swing of each pressing plate, the rear side in the conveying direction of the curved surface of the curved bending portion of the pressing plate slides on the upper surface of the casting sand, and a swing restricting device for returning each pressing plate without retreating the casting sand along the conveying direction. A casting sand conveying device comprising the above.

2. The reciprocating device is a casting sand conveying device according to Claim 1, comprising a connecting device that connects the plurality of pressing plates along the conveying direction and reciprocates the plurality of pressing plates in conjunction.

3. The connecting device includes a plurality of swing center shafts for supporting each pressing plate. Each pressing plate is a casting sand conveying device according to Claim 2, which swings around the swing center shaft.

4. Between the pressing plate and the swing center shaft, a removal mechanism that deviates from the swing center shaft when the pressing plate is rotated by a predetermined angle or more in the conveying direction is provided in the casting sand conveying device according to Claim 3.

5. Above the swing center shaft, a sand removal plate is provided so as to cover the swing center shaft in the casting sand conveying device according to Claim 3.

6. Each pressing plate further includes a balancer that brings the center of gravity position of the pressing plate closer to the swing center shaft side in the casting sand conveying device according to Claim 3 or Claim 4.

7. The reciprocating device is a casting sand conveying device according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, comprising a slider-crank mechanism that converts rotational motion into linear motion along the conveying direction.

8. The casting sand conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the conveying path has an inclined structure that is an upward slope gradually rising in the conveying direction or a downward slope gradually descending in the conveying direction.

9. Below the facility that generates surplus casting sand, there is provided a trough-shaped structure with an upper surface opening according to the falling range of the casting sand, a conveying path extending along the conveying direction for conveying the casting sand, and a plurality of pressing plates arranged at predetermined intervals along the conveying direction so as to intersect the conveying path, for pressing the casting sand along the conveying direction. At the lower end of each pressing plate, there is provided a bent-up portion bent in a curved shape with a predetermined width in the direction of advancing the casting sand along the conveying direction. Each of the pressing plates is supported so as to be swingable in the direction along the conveying direction, and there is a reciprocating device for reciprocating the plurality of pressing plates along the conveying direction with respect to the conveying path, and a swing restricting device for restricting the swing of the pressing plates. A method for conveying the casting sand using the casting sand conveying device, comprising: In the forward stroke of the reciprocating motion, a pressing step of pressing the casting sand with each pressing plate so as to advance the casting sand along the conveying direction by restricting the swing of each pressing plate by the swing restricting device; In the return stroke of the reciprocating motion, a return step of returning each pressing plate by sliding the curved surface of the bent-up portion of the pressing plate on the upper surface of the casting sand without retreating the casting sand along the conveying direction by releasing the restriction of the swing of each pressing plate by the swing restricting device; A casting sand conveying method comprising the above.

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