Abstract: An improved and efficient method and apparatus for convective cooling of cast sand molds containing molten metal, utilizing vertically-arrayed cooling stations (preferably arranged on a plurality of shelves inside a housing enclosure for temporarily storing said sand molds during their cooling from a molten temperature level to a lower solidification temperature. A draft of cooling air is circulated through said stations in said housing whereby the time for solidifying the molten metal in said cast sand molds is reduced as compared with passive air cooling of said molds. Robot means are provided for moving hot sand molds from a feeding port in said housing to said shelves and for moving cooled sand molds from said shelves to a delivery port in said housing.

Abstract: A bending machine for closing channels which simultaneously bends both side walls of a "U" shaped metal channel, comprising: a support frame; a lower male member slide mounted on the support frame, having a normally closed two-halves male member, each half having a notch in lateral wall thereof, and is associated with driving means for opening the halves of the male member when receiving a channel and for releasing the channel once its side walls thereof have been bent inside each notch, allowing to remove it therefrom; and two lateral bending inserts each slide mounted on the support frame, and associated with driving means, for bending both side walls of the channel into the notches. If desired an upper member, mounted on lowering and lifting means, is provided, having a blank holder to retain a channel on the lower male member when it is closed and/or a die member for simultaneously bend a plate forming a channel, and then close both side walls thereof forming a closed channel.

Abstract: A simultaneously channel forming and punching machine, which forms a channel from a flat metal sheet and punches the side walls of the formed channel, comprising: a lower member, including a support frame and a die member mounted on the support frame having a sheet receiving surface and two side walls, each having perforations at a desired height; an upper member, mounted on a lowering and lifting mechanism, actuating on a lower member; a female member, retained by a support frame, having an upper wall and two depending side walls, each having perforations at a height coinciding with the perforations of the die member, and forming a channel housing receiving the die member when the upper member is lowered to form a channel; a retaining plate, resiliently retained into the channel forming housing of the female member for retaining a metal sheet to be bent; and punching elements coupled at the ends of the female member, for punching the side walls of a formed channel, passing through the perforations of the fem