Automatic pouring machine and method for automtically pouring that have ability to pressurize

Abstract

To provide a machine and method for efficiently pouring and definitely filling only a desired cavity with molten metal to cause the molten metal to solidify there. The automatic pouring machine ( 1 ) that has an ability to pressurize having a ladle ( 2 ) for pouring molten metal into a mold (A) comprises a pouring unit ( 10 ) that can move a ladle in the direction parallel to, and in the direction perpendicular to, a line (L) of molds where a plurality of molds are transported and a unit ( 20 ) for pressurizing the molten metal that is supported by the pouring unit and that supplies pressurized gas and a granular material to the mold into which molten metal has been poured. The unit ( 20 ) supplies the pressurized gas and the granular material to the mold that is next to the mold into which the pouring unit pours molten metal.

1 . An automatic pouring machine that has an ability to pressurize comprising:
 a pouring unit that has a ladle for pouring molten metal into a mold and that can be transported along a line of molds where a plurality of molds are transported; and   a unit for pressurizing the molten metal that is supported by the pouring unit and that supplies pressurized gas and a granular material to the mold into which molten metal has been poured from the pouring unit;   wherein the unit for pressurizing the molten metal has a hopper that stores the granular material, a mouth that hermetically connects with a sprue of the mold that is filled with the molten metal and which mouth feeds the pressurized gas and the granular material to the mold, a regulating chamber that regulates an amount of the granular material to be supplied from the hopper to the mouth, a piping that introduces the pressurized gas to the regulating chamber, and a piping that connects with the mouth to introduce the pressurized gas; and   wherein the unit for pressurizing the molten metal supplies the pressurized gas and the granular material to the mold among the plurality of molds that are located next to the mold into which the pouring unit pours the molten metal.   
     
     
         2 . The automatic pouring machine that has the ability to pressurize of  claim 1 , wherein the unit for pressurizing the molten metal is configured to move the mouth in the direction that is parallel to, and in the direction that is perpendicular to, the line of molds where a plurality of molds are transported. 
     
     
         3 . The automatic pouring machine that has the ability to pressurize of  claim 2 , further comprising a position sensor that detects a position of the sprue of the mold so as to move the mouth to the position of the sprue. 
     
     
         4 . The automatic pouring machine that has the ability to pressurize of  claim 1 , wherein the pouring unit has a traversing carriage that moves parallel to the line of molds and a carriage for moving back and forth that moves perpendicularly to the line of molds on the traversing carriage, and
 wherein the unit for pressurizing the molten metal is supported by the traversing carriage.   
     
     
         5 . The automatic pouring machine that has the ability to pressurize of any of  claims 1  to  4 , wherein the granular material is dry silica sand. 
     
     
         6 . A method for automatically pouring that has an ability to pressurize, wherein molten metal is poured from a ladle that is transported along a line of molds where a plurality of molds are transported, and wherein pressurized gas and a predetermined amount of a granular material are supplied from a unit for pressurizing the molten metal to the mold that is filled with the molten metal, wherein the unit for pressurizing the molten metal has a hopper that stores the granular material, a mouth that hermetically connects with the sprue of the mold that is filled with the molten metal and which mouth feeds the pressurized gas and the granular material to the mold, a regulating chamber that regulates an amount of the granular material to be supplied from the hopper to the mouth, a first piping that introduces the pressurized gas to the regulating chamber, and a second piping that connects with the mouth to introduce the pressurized gas, and wherein the unit for pressurizing the molten metal is configured to move along the line of molds together with the ladle, the method comprising the steps of:
 moving the ladle so that molten metal can be poured into the sprue of a first mold on the line of molds where a plurality of molds are transported;   pouring molten metal from the ladle to the first mold;   hermetically connecting the mouth to the sprue of a second mold that is located next to the first mold and that is filled with molten metal;   supplying pressurized gas from the second piping to the second mold through the mouth;   regulating a predetermined amount of the granular material by the regulating chamber, which granular material has been stored in the hopper; and   supplying the regulated granular material to the second mold through the mouth by supplying the pressurized gas from the first piping to the regulating chamber.   
     
     
         7 . The method for automatically pouring that has the ability to pressurize of  claim 6  further comprising the steps of:
 detecting a position of the sprue of the second mold by means of a position sensor; and 
 moving the mouth based on the detected position. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method for automatically pouring that has the ability to pressurize of  claim 6 , wherein a time when pouring molten metal into the first mold is completed coincides with a time when supplying the pressurized gas and the granular material to the second mold is completed, and wherein the times coincide with a time when the plurality of molds on the line of molds start to be transported. 
     
     
         9 . The method for automatically pouring that has the ability to pressurize of  claim 6 , wherein, if a position of the sprue of the first mold is changed from a position of the sprue of the second mold, the ladle is moved so as to pour molten metal into the sprue of the first mold, and then in the unit for pressurizing the molten metal that has been moved together with the ladle the mouth is moved so as to be hermetically connected with the sprue of the second mold. 
     
     
         10 . The method for automatically pouring that has the ability to pressurize of any of  claims 6  to  9 , wherein the granular material is dry silica sand.