In sand moulding cope is the

In foundry work, the terms cope and drag refer respectively to the upper and lower parts of a two-part casting flask, used in sand casting. The flask is a wood or metal frame, which Cope And Drag Pattern contains the molding sand, providing support to the sand as the metal is poured into the mold. In flaskless molding, the same terms are used, cope for the top or upper piece and drag for the bottom or lower piece.

In some cases the part design is more complicated, and intermediate flasks and mold sections are needed between the cope and drag. These sections are called cheeks.