Unlocking structure and unlocking device

Abstract

To provide an unlocking structure which can reliably release locked upper and lower flasks with a simple structure.SOLUTION: An unlocking structure for releasing lock between an upper flask 2 and a lower flask 3, which are superimposed and locked to each other, comprises: a locked part 12 provided on the lower flask; a locking part 11 which is provided on the upper flask, can releasably lock the locked part, and is provided with a contacted surface; a relative movement device 5 which is provided above the locking part, and relatively approaches and separated from the locking part; and a release projection 15 which is so assembled to the relative movement device as to be relatively unmovable and project downward, and contacts the contacted surface of the locking part, thereby releasing lock to the locked part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an unlocking structure and an unlocking device for unlocking upper and lower flasks that are locked together. [Background technology]

[0002] In a casting line, for example, during the pouring process, the pressure of the molten metal generated during pouring can cause the upper mold to lift up, resulting in leakage of molten metal between the upper and lower molds. For this reason, the upper and lower flasks that are stacked together are conventionally locked together to prevent the upper mold from lifting up. Patent Document 1 discloses a method for preventing the upper mold from floating up by engaging a hook member (engaging part) attached to the upper flask with a pin member (engaged part) attached to the lower flask. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-326660 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the device for releasing the locked state in Patent Document 1 uses a cylinder to rotate two crank members, which rotate the hook members in the release direction. As such, it requires a complex mechanism, including a cylinder drive device and a crank device that releases the hook members through rotational movement. Therefore, there is a need for a simpler release mechanism that can reliably release the locked upper and lower flasks.

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present invention has an object to provide an unlocking structure and an unlocking device that can reliably release the locked upper and lower flasks with a simple structure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an unlocking structure for unlocking a cope flask and a drag flask that are stacked and locked together.

[0007] The molding machine is also provided with an interlocking portion provided on the lower flask, a locking portion provided on the upper flask that interlocks with the interlocking portion in a detachable manner and has a contact surface, and a relative movement device that is provided above the locking portion and moves toward and away from the locking portion.

[0008] Furthermore, the relative movement device is provided with a release protrusion that is attached to the relative movement device so as to protrude downward and not be able to move relative to the relative movement device, and that releases the engagement with the engaged portion by contacting the contacted surface of the engaging portion.

[0009] With this, the locked state of the stacked upper and lower flasks can be reliably released by bringing a release protrusion of simple structure, which is attached to the relative movement device so as not to allow relative movement, into contact with the contact surface of the locking portion.

[0010] According to a second aspect of the present invention, the locking portion is supported by a rotation shaft provided on the upper flask and rotates around the rotation shaft.

[0011] With this, the locked state of the overlapping top and bottom flasks can be reliably released by rotating the locking portion supported on the rotary shaft in the release direction.

[0012] According to a third aspect of the present invention, the locking portion comprises a locking claw and a lever portion, the lever portion being formed integrally with the locking claw and having a contact surface extending in the vertical direction, the release protrusion extending at an angle relative to the vertical direction and having an inclined contact surface facing the contact surface, and the inclined contact surface of the release protrusion coming into contact with the contact surface of the lever portion from above in a relatively close proximity, thereby rotating the locking claw in the release direction.

[0013] With this, by bringing the inclined contact surface into contact with the contacted surface from above and below, the locking claw can be rotated in the release direction, thereby reliably releasing the locked state of the overlapping top and bottom flasks.

[0014] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the relative movement device is a clamping device that grips and transfers the cope flask or the drag flask. By providing the clamping device with a release projection, the overlapping top and bottom flasks can be reliably released from their locked state without the need for a dedicated release device.

[0015] According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, when viewed in a plane of the overlapping top and bottom flasks, the contact surface of the locking portion of the top flask is on the trajectory of the release projection, and the locking portion of the bottom flask is off the trajectory. This allows the release projection to come into contact with the contact surface of the cap flask and release the engagement between the cap and cap flasks without being interfered with by the engaged portion of the cap flask.

[0016] According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an unlocking device that is applied to an upper and lower flask structure comprising a lower flask having an interlocking portion, and an upper flask having an interlocking portion that interlocks with the interlocking portion in a releasable manner, the upper flask having a contact surface on the interlocking portion, and that unlocks the interlocking portion of the lower flask from the interlocking portion of the upper flask.

[0017] The molding frame is provided with a relative movement device that moves closer to and away from the upper and lower flask structures in the vertical direction, and a release protrusion that protrudes downward from the relative movement device so as not to be able to move relative to the upper and lower flask structures, and which comes into contact with the contacted surface of the locking portion to release the lock of the locking portion from the locked portion.

[0018] With this, the locked state of the stacked upper and lower flasks can be reliably released by bringing a release protrusion of simple structure, which is attached to the relative movement device so as not to allow relative movement, into contact with the contact surface of the locking portion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view showing an outline of an embodiment in which the locking release structure of the present invention is applied to an upper and lower flask separating device. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view showing an outline of the upper and lower flask separating device. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an upper flask. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a lower flask. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing an outline of the lock release structure. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a side view showing the locked state of the upper and lower flasks. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 shows the clamping device lowered to release the lock and grip the upper flask. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view showing the state in which the lowered clamping device has released the locked state and is gripping the upper flask. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 shows the clamping device in a raised position, gripping the upper flask. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 shows the clamping device lowering the gripped upper flask onto the roller conveyor. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the clamp device is disposed above the conveying path. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 shows the clamping device lowered to clamp the drag flask. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view showing the state in which the lowered clamping device is gripping the drag flask. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 shows the clamping device holding the drag flask in a raised position. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 shows the state in which the clamping device has lowered the gripped drag flask onto the roller conveyor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] (Embodiment) An embodiment in which the locking release structure 1 of the present invention is implemented in a flask separation device 4 that separates stacked top and bottom flasks 2 and 3 and transfers them from the transport path TP to a roller conveyor RC will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 15.

[0021] In this specification, the direction in which the transported items, the cap flask 2 and drag flask 3, are transported along the transport path TP and roller conveyor RC is referred to as the "transport direction." The transport of the cap flask 2 and drag flask 3 is likened to the flow of water; the side where the transport starts on the casting line is referred to as the "upstream side," and the side where the transport ends is referred to as the "downstream side." In the transport direction, the upstream side is referred to as the "rear" side, and the downstream side is referred to as the "front." If we imagine a centerline extending in the transport direction or a centerline extending perpendicular to the transport direction, the side farther from that centerline is referred to as the "outside" side, and the side closer to that centerline is referred to as the "inside" side.

[0022] First, the structure of the overlapping top flask 2 and bottom flask 3, and the locking / unlocking structure for locking or unlocking the top flask 2 and bottom flask 3 will be described. (Upper flask) 3, the upper flask 2 is made of iron, for example, and includes a rectangular cylindrical upper flask molding section 21 having a short side 21a and a long side 21b, and an upper flask outer edge section 22 which is also rectangular and cylindrical and is provided on the outer periphery of the upper flask molding section 21 and has a shorter height than the upper flask molding section 21. The upper flask outer edge section 22 is also formed of a short side 22a and a long side 22b.

[0023] The top flask molding section 21 and the top flask outer edge section 22 are integrally formed by a plurality of bridging sections 23 and horizontal sections 24 that are installed between them. The bridging sections 23 are rectangular in cross section, with the longer section extending in the height direction. Five bridging sections 23 are provided between the long sides 21b, 22b of the top flask molding section 21 and the top flask outer edge section 22, and four bridging sections 23 are provided between the short sides 21a, 22a. The horizontal sections 24 are square in cross section, with one horizontal section 24 located in the center between the short sides 21a, 22a. Rectangular relief holes 25 that open in the height direction are provided between adjacent bridging sections 23 and between the bridging sections 23 and the horizontal sections 24. The upper flask molding section 21 has locking portions 11 at both ends of the short side portion 21a.

[0024] (Latching part) The locking portion 11 constitutes the lock release structure 1. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the locking portion 11 includes a rotation shaft 111, a locking claw 11a, a lever portion 11b, a locking rotation restricting portion 11c, and a release rotation restricting portion 11d. The pivot shaft 111 of the locking part 11 is provided at the lower part of the side surface of the short side 21a of the upper flask molding part 21, and has an axis extending in a direction parallel to the long side 21b. The pivot shafts 111 are provided at four locations in total, one on each end of the lower part of the side surface of the same short side 21a.

[0025] A first stopper 13 and a second stopper 14 are arranged above and below the inside of the locking part 11, protruding from the surface of the top flask molding part 21. The first stopper 13 and the second stopper 14 are prismatic and formed integrally with the top flask molding part 21. The locking part 11 swings around a pivot shaft 111 with the first and second stoppers 13, 14 sandwiched between an engagement rotation restricting part 11c and an release rotation restricting part 11d. Furthermore, by locating the center of gravity of the locking part 11 outside the pivot shaft 111, the locking claws 11a of the locking part 11 are biased to rotate in the locking direction.

[0026] The locking claw 11a is made of, for example, iron and is formed integrally with the lever portion 11b, with the locking claw 11a located below the pivot shaft 111 and the lever portion 11b located above the pivot shaft 111. The locking claw 11a has a bay portion 11a1 that opens at the bottom inside. The bay portion 11a1 is designed to fit from the outside onto a locking pin serving as the locked portion 12, which will be described later. A guide inclined surface 11a2 is formed below the opening of the bay portion 11a1. The guide inclined surface 11a2 is formed obliquely and continues from the opening of the bay portion 11a1. When the cope flask 2 and the drag flask 3 are placed together, the locked portion 12 abuts against and slides against the guide claw 11a, rotating the locking claw 11a and guiding the locked portion 12 into the opening of the bay portion 11a1.

[0027] Lever portion 11b is formed to protrude upward and has contact surface 11b1 on the outside and release rotation restricting portion 11d on the inside. Contact surface 11b1 extends in the up-down direction (up-down direction in this case is not limited to the vertical direction, but includes up-down directions inclined relative to the vertical direction) and is provided to face inclined contact surface 15a of release protrusion 15, which will be described later. When contact surface 11b1 comes into contact with inclined contact surface 15a of release protrusion 15, locking portion 11 rotates in the direction that releases locking claw 11a. When release rotation restricting portion 11d abuts against first stopper 13, excessive rotation of locking portion 11 is restricted, and the rotational position of locking portion 11 required for the next locking operation is maintained.

[0028] The locking rotation restricting portion 11c is formed so as to protrude inward of the rotation shaft 111, perpendicular to the line connecting the locking claw 11a and the lever portion 11b. The locking rotation restricting portion 11c abuts against the second stopper 14, thereby restricting excessive rotation of the locking portion 11 before and after locking, and adjusting the opposing state of the contacted surface 11b1 and the inclined contact surface 15a before guiding and releasing the locking portion.

[0029] (Lower flask) 4, the lower flask 3 is made of iron, for example, and includes a lower flask molding section 31 formed in a rectangular cylindrical shape with short sides 31a and long sides 31b, and a lower flask outer rim 32 formed in a rectangular cylindrical shape around the outer periphery of the lower flask molding section 31 and having a shorter height than the lower flask molding section 31. The lower flask outer rim 32 is also formed of short sides 32a and long sides 32b.

[0030] The drag flask molding section 31 and the drag flask outer edge section 32 are integrally formed by a plurality of bridging sections 33 and horizontal sections 34 that are installed between them. The bridging sections 33 are rectangular in cross section, with the longer section extending in the height direction. Five bridging sections 33 are provided between the opposing long sides 31b, 32b of the drag flask molding section 31 and the drag flask outer edge section 32, and four bridging sections 33 are provided between the opposing short sides 31a, 32a. The horizontal sections 34 are square in cross section, with one horizontal section 34 located in the center between the short sides 31a, 32a. Rectangular relief holes 35 that open in the height direction are provided between adjacent bridging sections 33 and between the bridging sections 33 and the horizontal sections 34.

[0031] (locked part) The lower flask molding section 31 has, at both ends of its short side 31a, interlocking portions 12 (interlocking pins in this embodiment) which constitute the interlock release structure 1.

[0032] As shown in Figure 4, the retained portion 12 is made of, for example, iron and has a cylindrical shape with a two-tiered outer diameter, consisting of a base portion 12a with a small outer diameter and a tip portion 12b with a smaller outer diameter than the base portion 12a. The retained portion 12 protrudes from the short side portion 31a of the drag flask molding part 31 so as to extend in a direction parallel to the long side portion 31b. The retained portion 12 is positioned so that it can be retained by the retaining portion 11 of the drag flask 2 when the drag flask 2 and drag flask 3 are overlapped. The tip portion 12b is designed to fit into the bay portion 11a1 of the retaining portion 11. Next, the device and structure for releasing the locked state of the cap flask 2 and drag flask 3 will be described below.

[0033] (Upper and lower flask separation device) After the flask stripping process in which the mold is removed from the upper and lower flasks, the upper and lower flask separator 4 separates the stacked upper and lower flasks into a top flask 2 and a bottom flask 3 for reuse in molding. As shown in FIG. 1, the upper and lower flask separating device 4 includes a clamping device 5, a traveling carriage 6, and a transfer path 7.

[0034] (clamping device) The clamping device 5 separates the upper and lower flasks placed on the carriage FC on the transport path TP, grasps and lifts the upper flask 2 or lower flask 3, and then lowers the grasped upper flask 2 or lower flask 3 onto the roller conveyor RC.

[0035] The clamp device 5 includes a lifting frame 51, a clamp arm 52, an opening / closing drive device 53, a link member 54, and a lifting device 55. The clamp device 5 corresponds to a relative movement device. The clamp device 5 and the release protrusion 15 constitute an unlocking device 8.

[0036] (Lifting frame) The lifting frame 51 includes a rectangular outer frame 51f made of, for example, iron, and a horizontal support member (not shown) that is horizontally supported along the conveying direction between two outer frames 51a, 51b that face each other in the conveying direction (upstream and downstream). A clamp arm 52, an opening / closing drive device 53, and a lifting device 55 are attached to the lifting frame 51.

[0037] The clamp arm 52 is formed of, for example, an iron plate extending in the vertical direction, and includes a first clamp arm 521 in the shape of a strip, and a second clamp arm 522 that is shorter than the first clamp arm 521.

[0038] (First clamp arm) The first clamp arm 521 is rotatably attached via rotation shafts 52a, 52b to one end (the right end in FIG. 1) of the outer frame 51a on the upstream side of the outer frames 51a, 51b that face each other in the conveying direction of the lifting frame 51, and to the other end (the left end in FIG. 1, not shown) of the outer frame 51b on the downstream side. The two first clamp arms 521 are provided diagonally opposite each other on the lifting frame 51, which has a rectangular shape when viewed from above.

[0039] The rotation shaft 52a is rotatably supported by a bearing (not shown) provided on the lifting frame 51. The rotation shaft 52a of a first clamp arm 521 provided at one end of the upstream outer frame 51a shares the same rotation shaft 52a as the rotation shaft 52a of a second clamp arm 522 provided at one end of the downstream outer frame 51b. The first clamp arm 521 and the second clamp arm 522 are attached to the rotation shaft 52a so as not to rotate relative to each other.

[0040] The lower end of the first clamp arm 521 is provided with a first gripping claw 521a (gripping portion) that protrudes laterally inward. The first gripping claw 521a is adapted to latch onto the lower end of one side (the right side in FIG. 1) of the carrier, the cope flask 2. In cooperation with second gripping claws 522a of the second clamp arm 522 (described later), the first gripping claw 521a grips the cope flask 2 from both sides.

[0041] The first clamp arm 521 is rotatably supported by a rotation shaft 52a at the center between its upper and lower ends on the lift frame 51. The tip of a piston rod 532 of the opening / closing drive device 53 (described later) is connected to the upper end of the first clamp arm 521 via a connecting shaft 532a.

[0042] (Opening and closing drive device) As shown in Fig. 8, the opening / closing drive device 53 includes a cylinder portion 531 and a piston rod 532. The cylinder portion 531 is attached to the downstream outer frame 51b, of the two outer frames 51a, 51b of the lifting frame 51 that face each other in the conveying direction, via a bracket 533. The cylinder portion 531 is provided so as to extend in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. The cap side of the cylinder portion 531 is connected to the bracket 533 via a connecting shaft 531a that extends along the conveying direction. The cylinder portion 531 is in communication with a hydraulic pump (not shown) via an oil feed pipe (not shown). An electromagnetic switching valve (not shown) is provided between the cylinder portion 531 and the hydraulic pump. The switching operation of the electromagnetic switching valve is controlled by a control device (not shown).

[0043] The piston rod 532 has a piston at its base end that slides on the inner wall of the cylinder portion 531, and its tip end advances and retreats horizontally in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction from the opening side of the cylinder portion 531. The tip end of the piston rod 532 is connected to the upper end of the first clamp arm 521, above the rotation shaft 52a. Therefore, the first clamp arm 521 closes when the piston rod 532 advances, and opens when the piston rod 532 retreats.

[0044] 8, one end of a link member 54 is connected via a connecting shaft 54a between the rotation shaft 52a of the first clamp arm 521 and the connecting shaft 532a of the piston rod 532. The other end of the link member 54 is connected to a second clamp arm 522, which will be described later.

[0045] (Second clamp arm) The second clamp arm 522 has an upper end rotatably supported by the rotary shaft 52b, and a second gripping claw 522a (gripping portion) formed at its lower end. The second gripping claw 522a is formed to protrude inward, facing the first gripping claw 521a of the first clamp arm 521. The other end of the link member 54 is connected via a connecting shaft 54b to a position below the rotary shaft 52b in the upper one-third of the second clamp arm 522, between the upper and lower ends.

[0046] (Link member) Link member 54 is made of, for example, iron and is formed into a rod shape. By linking a portion of first clamp arm 521 above rotation shaft 52a with a portion of second clamp arm 522 below rotation shaft 52b by link member 54, for example, when first clamp arm 521 performs a closing operation, the portion of second clamp arm 522 below rotation shaft 52b is pulled inward, causing it to close. When first clamp arm 521 performs an opening operation, the portion of second clamp arm 522 below rotation shaft 52b is pushed outward, causing it to open. In this way, the opening and closing operations of first clamp arm 521 and second clamp arm 522 are synchronized by link member 54.

[0047] 2, the rotation shaft 52a of the first clamp arm 521 attached to the upstream outer frame 51a and the rotation shaft 52a of the second clamp arm 522 attached to the downstream outer frame 51b share the same rotation shaft 52a. Therefore, rotation torque is transmitted from the upstream first clamp arm 521 to the downstream second clamp arm 522. Similarly, rotation torque is transmitted between the second clamp arm 522 of the upstream outer frame 51a and the first clamp arm 521 of the downstream outer frame 51b via the rotation shaft 52b.

[0048] The second clamp arm 522 attached to the downstream outer frame 51b and the first clamp arm 521 attached to the downstream outer frame 51b are connected by a link member 54, similar to the first clamp arm 521 and second clamp arm 522 of the upstream outer frame 51a. Therefore, the opening and closing operations of the four clamp arms 52 are performed in synchronization by one opening and closing drive device 53 provided on the upstream side.

[0049] (Lifting device) The lifting device 55 is provided between the travelling carriage 6 (to be described later) and the lifting frame 51, and moves the lifting frame 51 and the clamp arm 52 in the vertical direction. 2, the lifting device 55 includes a lifting cylinder device 551 and a vertical guide device 552. The lifting cylinder device 551 includes a lifting cylinder portion 551a and a lifting piston rod 551b.

[0050] The lift cylinder 551a is provided to extend in the vertical direction, and the lower part of the lift cylinder 551a is attached to the traveling carriage 6 so as to pass through it. A lift piston rod 551b is attached to the lower end of the lift cylinder 551a so as to advance and retreat downward. The lower end of the lift piston rod 551b is attached to the center of the lift frame 51 by, for example, fastening with a screw. The lift cylinder 551a is connected to a hydraulic pump (not shown) via an oil supply pipe (not shown). An electromagnetic switching valve (not shown) is provided between the lift cylinder 551a and the hydraulic pump. The operation of the electromagnetic switching valve is controlled by a control device (not shown).

[0051] The vertical guide devices 552 guide the up and down movement of the lifting frame 51 in the vertical direction. The vertical guide devices 552 are provided on both sides of the lifting cylinder device 551 in the conveying direction, and each includes a guide tube 552a and a guide rod 552b. Each guide tube 552a is formed in a cylindrical shape. Each guide tube 552a is attached to the traveling carriage 6 so that its upper portion penetrates therethrough. Each guide rod 552b is slidably inserted into each guide tube 552a, and its lower end is attached to the lifting frame 51 by, for example, fastening with screws.

[0052] (Release protrusion) 1, the release protrusion 15 is, for example, a rectangular iron plate that extends in the vertical direction and has an inclined contact surface 15a formed at its lower end. The release protrusion 15 is provided so as to protrude downward, and constitutes the lock release structure 1. The release protrusions 15 are attached by welding, for example, to two side surfaces of the lifting frame 51 that are perpendicular to the conveying direction and aligned in the conveying direction so as to be immovable relative to each other. Two release protrusions 15 are provided side by side on each side along a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. The lower portion of each release protrusion 15 is tapered so that its width gradually decreases downward and outward, and an inclined contact surface 15a is formed on the lower end surface, sloping inward. The inclined contact surface 15a is positioned at an upper position facing the contacted surface 11b1 of the locking portion 11. When releasing the locked state, the release protrusion 15 approaches the locking portion 11 from above, and the inclined contact surface 15a comes into contact with the contacted surface 11b1, thereby rotating the locking claw 11a in the release direction.

[0053] (Traveling cart) The traveling carriage 6 supports the clamp arm 52 and moves on a transfer rail 71 of the transfer path 7, which will be described later. 1, the traveling carriage 6 includes a carriage body 61 and a carriage drive device 62. The traveling carriage 6 supports the lifting frame 51 and the clamp arm 52 provided below it via the above-mentioned lifting device 55 in a suspended manner.

[0054] The carriage body 61 is made of, for example, iron and formed into a rectangular plate. A rolling wheel 61a with a rotation axis extending in the conveyance direction is provided at each of the four corners of the carriage body 61. The rolling wheel 61a rolls on a transfer rail 71 of the transfer path 7, which will be described later. An electric motor 62a of the carriage drive device 62 is attached to the upper surface of the carriage body 61 at a position on the upstream side of the roller conveyor RC.

[0055] (Carriage drive unit) 2, the carriage drive device 62 includes an electric motor 62a, a drive sprocket 62b, a driven sprocket 62c, and a roller chain 62d. The electric motor 62a has an output shaft extending in the conveying direction of the conveying path TP, and the drive sprocket 62b is attached to the output shaft so as not to rotate relative to the output shaft. The drive sprocket 62b is disposed opposite the rolling wheel 61a located on the roller conveyor RC side downstream of the traveling carriage 6.

[0056] A driven sprocket 62c is mounted on the rotation shaft of this rolling wheel 61a so as to be unable to rotate relative to it. A roller chain 62d is stretched between the drive sprocket 62b and the driven sprocket 62c. When the output shaft of the electric motor 62a rotates, rotational torque is transmitted through the drive sprocket 62b, roller chain 62d, and driven sprocket 62c to rotate the rolling wheel 61a. This causes the electric motor 62a to rotate forward and backward, thereby moving the carriage body 61 along the transfer rail 71. The rotation of the electric motor 62a is controlled by a control device (not shown).

[0057] (Transport path) The transport path TP transports a carriage FC carrying the transported items, namely, a cap flask 2 and a drag flask 3. The transport path TP is equipped with a stand ST placed on the floor BG and a pair of transport rails TR provided on the stand ST to extend in the transport direction. The transport path TP is a known technique, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0058] A plurality of carriages FC, each carrying an object to be transported, are lined up in a row on the transport rail TR. Each carriage FC is provided with rolling wheels, and the carriage FC can move on the transport rail TR by rolling of the rolling wheels. Since carriages FC are well-known technology, a description thereof will be omitted. The carriages FC are moved by a pusher device and a cushion device (not shown). The pusher device (not shown) is provided at the upstream end of the conveying path TP and pushes the rearmost carriage FC lined up on the conveying path TP in the conveying direction by one stroke (the length of one carriage FC in the conveying direction).

[0059] A cushion device (not shown) is provided at the downstream end of the transport path TP and functions to receive the frontmost cart FC among the carts FC lined up on the transport path TP. The multiple carts FC are held between the cushion device and the pusher device so as not to move freely, and are transported stroke by stroke in the transport direction. The pusher device and cushion device are well-known technologies, so detailed explanations will be omitted. (roller conveyor) The roller conveyor RC comprises a pair of roller support members RS extending in the conveyance direction and a number of rollers R rotatably mounted on the inner wall of each roller support member RS. Each roller R is provided in a pair, and the lower ends of the outer periphery 22 of the cope flask and the outer periphery 32 of the drag flask are placed on and contact the upper outer surfaces of the rollers R. The roller conveyor RC is a well-known technology and will not be described here.

[0060] (transfer route) The transfer path 7 is provided across the transport path TP and the roller conveyor RC. It is equipped with a transfer rail 71 provided above and perpendicular to the transport path TP and the roller conveyor RC, a rail support member 72 that supports the transfer rail 71, and a support post 73 that supports the end of the rail support member 72. The transfer rails 71 are provided parallel to each other and extend horizontally. The rolling wheels 61a of the traveling carriage 6 roll on the transfer rails 71.

[0061] Each transfer rail 71 is supported by a rail support member 72 extending along the transfer rail 71. The rail support member 72 is formed, for example, of an iron member with a rectangular cross section. Both ends of each rail support member 72 are supported by support posts 73. The lower end of each support post 73 is installed on the floor surface BG and the upper end is connected to the rail support member 72. Stopper bolts SB are attached to the ends of the rail support members 72 to prevent the traveling carriage 6 from stopping at the ends of the transfer rail 71 and falling off the transfer rail 71. Position sensors PS are arranged at both ends of the transfer rail 71 and detect movement of the traveling carriage 6 toward the ends and send a detection signal to the control device.

[0062] The traveling carriage 6 can move above the transport path TP and above the roller conveyor RC using the transfer path 7 formed in this manner, and can transfer the upper flask 2 or lower flask 3 held by the clamping device 5 from the transport path TP to the roller conveyor RC.

[0063] (Control device) The control device controls the operation of the cylinder portion 531 of the opening / closing drive device 53, the lifting cylinder device 551 of the lifting device 55, the electric motor 62a of the cart drive device 62, the pusher device, and the cushion device.

[0064] (Activation) Next, the operation of the unlocking structure 1 configured as above will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 7 to 15. FIG. (Frame alignment work) Although not shown, the cope flask 2 is brought close to the drag flask 3 arranged in the transport path from above, locking the locking portion 11 and the locked portion 12. The locking portion 11 rotates in the closing direction due to its own weight, and the locking rotation restricting portion 11c abuts the second stopper 14. As a result, the guide inclined surface 11a2 faces the locked portion 12 from above, and the locked portion 12 slides relatively along the guide inclined surface 11a2. The locked portion 12 is guided by the opening of the bay portion 11a1 and fits into the bay portion 11a1, thereby locking with the locking portion 11. In this way, the cope flask 2 and the drag flask 3 are locked together simply by bringing the cope flask 2 close to the drag flask 3 from above and overlapping them. Next, the operation of separating the upper and lower flasks that are overlapped and locked together will be described below. (Separating the upper and lower flasks) 1 and 2, the traveling carriage 6 is positioned above the transport path TP. The clamp arm 52 of the clamp device 5 is in an open state, and the lifting frame 51 is positioned at the lift end.

[0065] The cope flask 2 and drag flask 3, which have been transported along the transport path TP, are positioned in a stacked position below the clamping device 5. The release projection 15 is held by the clamping device 5 and is positioned above and opposite the locking portion 11.

[0066] As shown in Fig. 7, the control device drives the lift cylinder device 551 to lower the lift frame 51. At this time, the clamp arm 52 is lowered in an open state. As shown in Fig. 8, the inclined contact surface 15a of the release protrusion 15 comes into contact with the contacted surface 11b1 of the locking portion 11, and the locking claw 11a of the locking portion 11 rotates in a direction to release the locked portion 12. The control device then drives the open / close drive device 53 to close the clamp arm 52. At this time, the gripping claws 521a, 522a of the clamp arm 52 latch onto the outer lower end of the outer edge 22 of the top flask 2 from both sides.

[0067] Next, the control device drives the lift cylinder device 551 to lift the lift frame 51 to the lift end, as shown in Fig. 9. At this time, the locking part 11 is held in a state rotated in the release direction.

[0068] Next, as shown in Figure 10, the control device drives the electric motor 62a of the carriage drive device 62 to rotate the rolling wheels 61a and move the traveling carriage 6 above the roller conveyor RC. The stopping position is detected by the position sensor PS, and a detection signal is sent to the control device. Based on the detection signal, the control device stops the driving of the electric motor 62a to gradually reduce the moving speed of the traveling carriage 6, and securely stops the traveling carriage 6 with the stopper bolt SB.

[0069] Next, the control device drives the lifting cylinder device 551 to lower the lifting frame 51. The control device stops the lowering when the lower end of the outer edge 22 of the cope flask 2 rests on the roller R of the roller conveyor RC. Contact between the roller R and the cope flask 2 is detected by a position sensor (not shown). Next, the control device drives the opening / closing drive device 53 to open the clamp arm 52 and transfer the cope flask 2 onto the roller conveyor RC.

[0070] Next, the control device moves the clamp arm 52, which is not holding anything, above the roller conveyor RC. Then, the control device returns the traveling carriage 6 to a position above the transport path TP (see FIG. 11).

[0071] Next, as shown in Figure 12, the control device drives the lifting cylinder device 551 to lower the lifting frame 51. At this time, the clamp arm 52 is lowered in an open state. As shown in Figure 13, a gap is set so that the release protrusion 15 does not come into contact with the locked part 12. Therefore, in a plan view of the drag flask 3 (viewed from above), the locked part 12 of the drag flask 3 is not on the trajectory (vertical movement trajectory) of the release protrusion 15. In this way, the release protrusion 15 is not interfered with by the locked part 12, so the clamp device 5 can smoothly lift the drag flask 3.

[0072] Next, the control device drives the open / close drive device 53 to close the clamp arm 52. At this time, the gripping claws 521a, 522a of the clamp arm 52 latch onto the outer lower end of the drag flask outer edge 32 of the drag flask 3.

[0073] Next, as shown in FIG. 14, the control device drives the lift cylinder device 551 to lift the lift frame 51 to the lift end.

[0074] Next, as shown in Figure 15, the control device moves the traveling carriage 6 above the roller conveyor RC and lowers the lifting frame 51. Next, the control device drives the opening / closing drive device 53 to open the clamp arm 52 and transfer the drag flask 3 onto the roller conveyor RC. Similar processes are then repeated. In this way, the cap flask 2 and the drag flask 3 are separated and transferred onto the roller conveyor RC, and the cap flask 2 and the drag flask 3 are prepared for use in the next molding process.

[0075] As is clear from the above description, the locking release structure 1 of this embodiment is a locking release structure 1 that locks together the top and bottom flasks 2 and 3 that have been used in molding and are stacked for the pouring process, and releases the locking during the upper and lower flask separation process.

[0076] The molding machine is also provided with an interlocking portion 12 provided on the lower flask 3, an interlocking portion 11 provided on the upper flask 2, which interlocks with the interlocking portion 12 in an interlockable manner and has a contact surface 11b1, and a relative movement device (clamp device 5) provided above the interlocking portion 11 and which moves closer to and away from the interlocking portion 11.

[0077] Furthermore, it is provided with a release protrusion 15 which is assembled to the relative movement device (clamp device 5) so as to be immovable relative to the clamp device 5, protrudes downward, and comes into contact with the contact surface 11b1 of the locking portion 11 to release the locking to the locking portion 12.

[0078] With this, the locked state of the stacked top flask 2 and bottom flask 3 can be reliably released by bringing the release protrusion 15, which has a simple structure and is attached to the relative movement device (clamp device 5) so as not to be able to move relative to it, into contact with the contact surface 11b1 of the locking portion 11.

[0079] The locking portion 11 is supported by a rotation shaft 111 provided on the upper flask 2 and rotates around the rotation shaft 111.

[0080] In this way, by rotating the locking portion 11 supported by the rotary shaft 111 in the release direction, the locked state of the overlapping cope flask 2 and drag flask 3 can be reliably released.

[0081] Furthermore, locking portion 11 includes locking claw 11a and lever portion 11b, and lever portion 11b includes contact surface 11b1 that is formed integrally with locking claw 11a and extends at an incline relative to the vertical direction. Release protrusion 15 extends at an incline relative to the vertical direction and includes inclined contact surface 15a that faces contact surface 11b1. In this manner, inclined contact surface 15a of release protrusion 15 comes into contact with contact surface 11b1 of lever portion 11b from above, causing lever portion 11b to rotate locking claw 11a in the release direction.

[0082] With this, by bringing the inclined contact surface 15a into contact with the contact surface 11b1 from above and below, the locking claw 11a can be rotated in the release direction, thereby reliably releasing the locked state of the overlapping top flask 2 and bottom flask 3.

[0083] The relative movement device is a clamping device 5 that grips and transfers the cope flask 2 or the drag flask 3. According to this, by providing the release projection 15 on the clamping device 5, the locked state of the overlapping top flask 2 and bottom flask 3 can be reliably released without the need for a dedicated release device.

[0084] In a plan view of the overlapping top flask 2 and bottom flask 3, the contact surface 11b1 of the locking portion 11 of the top flask 2 is on the trajectory of the release projection 15, while the locking portion 12 of the bottom flask 3 is off the trajectory. This allows the release projection 15 to come into contact with the contact surface 11b1 of the cap flask 2 without being interfered with by the locked portion 12 of the drag flask 3, thereby releasing the lock between the cap flask 2 and drag flask 3.

[0085] The locking release device 8 is applied to an upper and lower flask structure 2, 3 comprising a lower flask 3 having an interlocking portion 12, and an upper flask 2 having an interlocking portion 11 that can be engaged with and disengaged from the interlocking portion 12, the upper flask 2 having a contact surface 11b1.The locking release device 8 releases the locking between the interlocking portion 12 of the lower flask 3 and the interlocking portion 11 of the upper flask 2, and comprises a relative movement device (clamping device 5) that moves towards and away from the upper and lower flask structure 2, 3 in the vertical direction, and a release protrusion 15 that protrudes downward from the relative movement device (clamping device 5) so as not to be able to move relative to the upper and lower flask structure, and which comes into contact with the contact surface 11b1 of the interlocking portion 11 to release the locking of the interlocking portion 11 to the interlocking portion 12.

[0086] With this, the locked state of the stacked top flask 2 and bottom flask 3 can be reliably released by bringing the release protrusion 15, which has a simple structure and is attached to the relative movement device (clamp device 5) so as not to be able to move relative to it, into contact with the contact surface 11b1 of the locking portion 11.

[0087] In this embodiment, the relative movement device is a clamp device 5 that approaches the locking portion 11 from above, but is not limited to this. For example, the relative movement device may be fixed and the locking portion may approach from below. Furthermore, although the locking portion 11 is configured to rotate around the rotation shaft 111, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the locking portion may be configured to slide horizontally, and the locked state may be released by the sliding.

[0088] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments shown in the drawings, but can be modified appropriately within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 1: locking / releasing structure, 11: locking portion, 11a: locking claw, 11b: lever portion, 11b1: contact surface, 111: rotating shaft, 12: locked portion (locked pin), 15: release protrusion, 15a: inclined contact surface, 2: upper flask, 3: lower flask, 4: upper and lower flask separation device, 5: clamping device (relative movement device), 8: locking / releasing device, FC: cart.

Claims

1. A lock-release structure for releasing the lock between a cap flask and a drag flask that are stacked and locked together, comprising: a latched portion provided on the drag flask; a locking portion provided on the upper flask for releasably locking the locked portion, the locking portion comprising a locking claw and a lever portion, the locking claw being biased so as to lock onto the locked portion, and the lever portion being provided with a contact surface extending in the vertical direction; a relative movement device provided above the locking portion and adapted to move toward and away from the locking portion; a release protrusion attached to the relative movement device so as to protrude downward and not to be able to move relative to the relative movement device, the release protrusion having an inclined contact surface that extends at an angle relative to the vertical direction and faces the contacted surface, the inclined contact surface coming into contact with the contacted surface of the lever portion as the relative movement device approaches the locking portion relatively, and the inclined contact surface further pressing the contacted surface, thereby releasing the locking of the locking portion with the locked portion; An unlocking structure comprising:

2. 2. The locking release structure according to claim 1, wherein the locking portion is supported by a pivot shaft provided in the upper flask and rotates around the pivot shaft.

3. 2. The locking release structure according to claim 1, wherein the relative movement device is a clamping device that grips and transfers the cope flask or the drag flask.

4. 2. The locking release structure according to claim 1, wherein, in a plan view of the overlapping top and bottom flasks, the contact surface of the locking portion of the top flask is on the trajectory of the release projection, and the locking portion of the bottom flask is off the trajectory.

5. An unlocking structure as described in claim 2, wherein the locking portion is positioned such that its center of gravity is shifted relative to the rotation axis, and the locking claw is biased to rotate in a direction in which it locks onto the locked portion.

Images