Abstract: A watercraft has an abovewater passenger and/or cargo section as well as an underwater propulsion section. The two sections are connected by telescoping struts.

Abstract: A continuous casting apparatus has a continuous casting mold which defines a casting passage. The walls of the mold are provided with conduits which are connected with a source of pressurized gas and open into the casting passage at locations downstream of that where the meniscus is normally established. During withdrawal of a continuously cast strand from the mold, gas is injected into the casting passage at a pressure sufficient to force the meniscus away from the walls of the mold. This eliminates the friction which normally exists between the mold and the meniscus so that the mold need not be oscillated during strand withdrawal. The continuous casting apparatus accordingly does not require an oscillating mechanism for the mold.

Abstract: A curved-mold continuous casting apparatus has a reciprocable mold with a curved casting passage and an arm which guides the mold for reciprocation. A secondary cooling unit is located downstream of the mold and is followed by a withdrawal-and-straightening unit. The apparatus further has a rigid, curved dummy bar, a piston-and-cylinder unit for moving the dummy bar between a storage position and a casting position, and a lever which is articulated to the dummy bar and guides the same. A support consisting of a bedplate with an upright stand holds the mold, guide arm, secondary cooling unit, withdrawal-and-straightening unit, dummy bar, piston-and-cylinder unit and lever in assembled condition and in alignment for casting. The support and the components carried thereby form a preassembled, transportable module which can be brought to a casting location or removed from such location.

Abstract: A warehouse has several levels. Each level has a series of storage channels for items to be stocked in the warehouse. The storage channels are parallel to one another and have respective inlet ends located at a first side of the warehouse and respective outlet ends located at an opposite second side of the warehouse. Each storage channel is equipped with a device for guiding items along the channel in a direction from the inlet end towards the outlet end. Every level is further provided with at least one return channel which is parallel to the storage channels and has an inlet end at the second side of the warehouse and an outlet end at the first side of the warehouse. The return channel is again equipped with a device for guiding items along such channel in a direction from the inlet end to the outlet end thereof.

Abstract: An electromagnetic stirrer for stirring the molten core of a continuously cast strand has a casing. The casing accommodates a body of oil as well as electromagnetic stirring coils which have respective magnet cores and are immersed in the oil. A system of cooling pipes extends into the oil and has water inlets and water outlets. The stirrer may be constructed as a unit with a continuous casting mold and, in such an event, the water inlets are connected to a source of mold cooling water while the water outlets function to discharge or recycle the water. Alternatively, the stirrer may be disposed in the secondary cooling zone. Here, the water inlets are connected to a source of secondary cooling water for the strand and the water outlets are in communication with spray nozzles which serve to spray the strand with the secondary cooling water.

Abstract: Thin metal tapes are cast using a casting wheel (2) having a substantially vertical axis of rotation (3) and a metal supply line (4) comprising a casting nozzle (6) which has a metal discharge opening (7) directed towards a rotating cooling surface (8) of the casting wheel. The discharge opening (7) of the casting nozzle 6) is directed towards a substantially vertical drum surface (8) of the casting wheel (2) and a gap (A) of less than 1 mm is provided between the drum surface (8) and the metal discharge opening (7) of the casting nozzle (6).

Abstract: A continuous casting apparatus has a mold table which is supported by an oscillator and carries a continuous casting mold. The mold is provided with a casting passage having an inlet end for molten material and an outlet end for a continuously cast strand. An electromagnetic stirrer for the molten material is mounted on the mold table independently of the mold adjacent to the outlet end thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus for the continuous casting of slabs has a mold and a slab support zone immediately following the mold. The mold is made up of four separate plates which are held together to define a mold cavity. A dividing wall can be removably mounted in the mold cavity in order to divide the same into a pair of parallel casting passages. Insertion of the dividing wall in the mold cavity makes it possible to simultaneously cast two relatively narrow slabs rather than a single wide slab. A partition designed to constitute an extension of the dividing wall is provided for the support zone and can be removably mounted in the same. Both the dividing wall and the partition are carried by a clamping mechanism which serves to clamp the dividing wall in the mold cavity.

Abstract: Steel is teemed into one end of a continuous casting mold to form a continuously cast strand which is withdrawn through the other end of the mold. The mold is oscillated and the strand is accelerated through a first range of speeds less than 1.2 meter per minute and a second range of speeds greater than this value. As the strand accelerates through the first range, the oscillation frequency is increased from a value between 60 and 120 cycles per minute to a value between 120 and 200 cycles per minute while holding the stroke constant. On the other hand, when the strand accelerates through the second range, the oscillation frequency is maintained constant and the stroke is increased with strand speed. A condition of negative strip is maintained in both ranges and the time for which negative strip occurs during each oscillation cycle approximates 0.1 second.

Abstract: A mold for the continuous casting of beam blanks has a central casting passage bounded by a pair of parallel walls. On either side of the central casting passage is an expanding casting passage which widens in a direction away from the central casting passage and is bounded by a pair of inclined walls diverging from respective ones of the walls of the central casting passage. A terminal casting passage bounded by a pair of side walls parallel to the walls of the central casting passage is located outwardly adjacent to each expanding casting passage. The various casting passages cooperate to define a dogbone-shaped mold cavity. The inclined walls have an angle of inclination no smaller than arc tangent (y/z) where y is the distance from a point on an inclined wall to a transverse center line of the transverse cross section of the mold and z is the distance from such point to a longitudinal center line of the transverse cross section of the mold.

Abstract: A mold for the continuous casting of metal to a sheet-like strand is provided with a casting passage having a slot-shaped outlet end. The inlet end of the casting passage is considerably wider, and has a much larger area, then the outlet end. This facilitates pouring of molten metal into the mold and permits the use of casting techniques such as shrouding which enhance the continuous casting process and/or the quality of the strand. The cross-sectional area of the casting passage decreases progressively from the area at the inlet end to that at the outlet end over at least a portion of the length of the mold. The perimeter of the casting passage, however, remains at least approximately constant as the area decreases. This enables the strand to be drawn through the mold without difficulty. A continuous casting method involves pouring molten metal into a casting passage, and partially solidifying the molten metal to form a strand which is drawn through the casting passage.

Abstract: A continuous casting apparatus has a secondary cooling zone for spray cooling a travelling, continuously cast strand. Groups of spray nozzles are spaced longitudinally of the path of the strand on either side of such path. Each of the spray nozzles produces a flat, fan-shaped spray which diverges transversely of the path of the strand with increasing distance from the respective nozzle. The nozzles of a group are spaced from one another transversely of the path of the strand by a distance such that the sprays from two neighboring nozzles intermix to form a combined spray which, at the surface of the strand, has a length equal to the distance between the two nozzles. The portion of the strand extending between the outermost nozzles of each group is thus everywhere impinged by a combined spray. The marginal portions of the strand, on the other hand, are impinged only by the sprays from the respective outermost nozzles. The angles of divergence of the sprays are preferably in the range of 60 to 130 degrees.

Abstract: Molten metal is continuously teemed from a ladle into a tundish. The latter feeds a continuous stream of the molten metal to a cooled mold having opposite open ends connected by a casting passage. The molten metal enters the mold at one end and partially solidifies in the casting passage to form a continuously cast strand which is withdrawn from the mold at its other end. The strand initially consists of a thin shell of solidified metal, and a molten core which is confined by the shell. Upon leaving the mold, the strand is conveyed through a bath of molten metal. The metal of the bath has a lower melting point than, and a specific gravity comparable to that of, the metal being cast. The bath functions to cool the strand uniformly so that the quality of the strand is maintained. The bath further counteracts the tendency of the molten core to cause bulging of the solidified shell which also serves to enhance the quality of the strand.

Abstract: A continuous casting apparatus includes a continuous casting mold, a guide downstream of the mold for guiding a continuously cast strand issuing from the mold, and a drive unit for drawing the strand out of the mold and through the guide. The drive unit is connected with a computer programmed to reciprocate the strand in the guide and the mold in the event of an interruption in the supply of molten material to the mold.

Abstract: Diapositives are copied on negative photosensitive paper in an apparatus wherein the positive is electronically scanned, line-by-line, and the thus obtained density signals are electronically inverted prior to influencing the beam of a CRT or laser which is used to reproduce the image of the positive on paper, either line-by-line or point-by-point. The inversion of signals renders it possible to scan the high-transmissivity portions of the positives with a narrow beam, i.e., with a high degree of resolution.

Abstract: A continuous casting mold has four walls each having a cooled surface and an end face. The walls are arranged so that the end face of each wall abuts the cooled surface of another wall. The cooled surfaces cooperate to define a casting passage of square or rectangular cross section. Two or more of the mold walls are shiftable transverse to the casting direction for the purpose of changing the dimensions of the casting passage. At least one of the shiftable walls is movable along a direction making an acute angle with the respective cooled surface.

Abstract: A mold for the continuous casting of metal to a sheet-like strand is provided with a casting passage having a slot-shaped outlet end. The inlet end of the casting passage is considerably wider, and has a much larger area, than the outlet end. This facilitates pouring of molten metal into the mold and permits the use of casting techniques such as shrouding which enhance the continuous casting process and/or the quality of the strand. The cross-sectional area of the casting passage decreases progressively from the area at the inlet end to that at the outlet end over at least a portion of the length of the mold. The perimeter of the casting passage, however, remains at least approximately constant as the area decreases. This enables the strand to be drawn through the mold without difficulty. A continuous casting method involves pouring molten metal into a casting passage, and partially solidifying the molten metal to form a strand which is drawn through the casting passage.

Abstract: An oscillator for a continuous casting mold includes a rotatable drive shaft having first and second portions which are eccentric with respect to one another. A sleeve for inducing oscillatory motion of the mold rotatably surrounds the second shaft portion and is eccentric with reference to the latter as well as the first shaft portion. The sleeve is coupled to the housing of a gear reducer having a gear assembly which is rotatable relative to the housing and is coupled to the drive shaft for rotation therewith. The housing is, in turn, connected with the casing of a motor having an output shaft which is rotatable relative to the casing and is coupled to the gear assembly. This motor constitutes an auxiliary motor which is operable independently of a primary motor for the drive shaft. During normal operation, the auxiliary motor is deactivated and the sleeve, gear reducer and auxiliary motor all rotate with the drive shaft as this induces reciprocation of the mold through the agency of the sleeve.

Abstract: A continuous casting apparatus has a casting platform which supports a mold defining two casting passages. A laterally undivided roller guide is disposed below the mold. The apparatus further includes a pair of dummy bars, and a carriage on the casting platform for storing the dummy bars. When a casting operation is to be performed, each dummy bar is lowered into the roller guide via a respective casting passage so as to seal the lower end of such passage. At this time, the dummy bars are spaced from, and are generally parallel to, one another. Since the roller guide is laterally undivided, the roller guide is unable to maintain the spacing between the dummy bars as the latter are withdrawn from the roller guide during casting. Accordingly, distancing means is provided to keep the dummy bars spaced from one another.

Abstract: A vertical slab mold has a pair of spaced wide walls, and a pair of spaced narrow walls which are located between the wide walls. The narrow walls are movable towards and away from one another for the purpose of performing width changes during casting. Drives for remote adjustment of the narrow walls during casting are connected with the narrow walls. A support for the narrow face of a slab is mounted immediately below each of the narrow walls and constitutes a downward extension of the respective narrow wall. The upper end of each support is articulated to the bottom of the associated narrow wall so that the support pivots relative to the narrow wall towards and away from the other support. A biasing element acts on the lower end of each support to urge the latter towards the other support and, hence against an adjacent narrow face of a slab. The biasing elements are designed to permit the supports to follow changes in the contours and/or positions of the narrow faces of the slab.