BOTTOM BOARD FEEDER APPARATUS

摘要

A bottom board feeder apparatus for feeding bottom boards (40) onto the top surfaces of mold boxes (22) of varying heights. The bottom boards (40) are supplied in succession to the apparatus by a first conveying line (44). The mold boxes (22) are supplied in succession to a board receiving position adjacent the apparatus by a second conveying line (20). The apparatus includes a proximity sensor (42) for detecting the height of a mold box (22) in the board receiving position and an elevating mechanism (124, 129, 134, 138) responsive to the sensor (42) for raising a bottom board so that the bottom surface of the board is at least as high as the top surface of the box. The apparatus also includes a shuttle mechanism (46) for pushing the board onto the top surface of the box after the board has been raised. A control system including electrical and hydraulic circuits is provided for automatically controlling the cyclical operation of the apparatus.