Mould-making machine and method of making moulds

A cope flask (10) is precisely located relative to a cope pattern (40) by a flask-displacement mechanism (44) affixed to a cope stool (36) which linearly shifts the flask (10) relative to the pattern (40) whilst taking up clearance between locator pins (22,22') of the cope flask (10) and locator bushings (35,35') in the stool (36). This precision locating is maintained whilst mould sand is poured into the flask (10) and compacted. The cope mould comprising the flask (10) and the hardened sand is stripped from the stool (36) for subsequent mating with a drag mould made in a similar manner but with a drag stool (104) having locator pins (110) secured in its top surface and locator bushings (106) provided in a drag flask (100). As with the cope mould-making procedure, the drag flask (100) is precisely located relative to a drag pattern (102) by linearly moving the drag flask (100) to take up clearance between the locator pins (110) and the locator bushings (106) in the drag flask (100) with a flask-displacement mechanism (116). The flask-displacement mechanisms (44,116) for the cope and drag are low-mass, pneumatically-actuated units attached to the stools (36,104) that effectively provide the flask-displacement force whilst allowing jolting and mould sand compacting without adversely affecting the mould-making machine balance.