Abstract: An annular nozzle for an oxygen lance, e.g. an oxygen lance for blowing steel in a converter, gives an annular hot spot on the liquid steel in the converter. When exiting the nozzle, the annular jet has disruptions that result in ambient atmosphere being sucked towards the center of the annular jet. Thus, a sub-pressure is prevented which would otherwise prevent the jet from diverging conically. In one embodiment, the nozzle can be switched during a blowing operation between forming a tight jet and forming a divergent jet.

Abstract: A lance for injecting a powdery material together with a carrier gas in metal melts such as liquid steel. The lance consists of a tubular body with an inner pipe bore having an inlet end and an outlet end for transport of powder through the tube. The lance has at least one outlet duct arranged adjacent the lower end for conducting powder from the pipe bore to the outside of the lance, said duct forming an angle of less than 90.degree. with the axis of the lance and being directed slopingly outwards/downwards from the bore towards the lance tip. The outlet duct or ducts are arranged in a nozzle contiguous to the tip of the lance, said tip being formed by a ceramic body intended for abutment against the bottom or wall in a ladle. In the outlet end of the pipe bore there is arranged a distributing means with a conical end adjacent the inlet openings of the outlet duct or ducts, for uniform distribution of the powdery material thereto.

Abstract: A rolling mill having a roll stand with back-up rolls and two cylindrical work rolls. The work rolls have roll-pass grooves associated in pairs with different roll-pass areas. The driving mechanism of the rolling mill is coupled to the back-up rolls which exercise constant pressure on the work rolls during rolling so that these are in hard mutual contact and rotate with the back-up rolls. The work rolls are axially displaceable in the roll stands between the back-up rolls when the latter are open so that a desired roll-pass groove can be positioned with its center line coinciding with the central plane of the rolling mill.

Abstract: A device for gripping and guiding a bar of material into the nip of the rolls of a rolling mill. At least two opposed guide rollers are moveably mounted on an appropriate support, such as a gripping arm of a manipulator head for a rolling mill. The guide rollers are moveable towards one another into a gripping position for gripping the edges of a bar of material being introduced into the rolling mill nip. The guide rollers are moveable away from one another and out of engagement with the bar of material. A bar is readily gripped by the opposed rollers and is quite free to be advanced into the roller nip since the guide rollers are free to rotate. One or more rollers may include a ratchet to prevent rotation in the opposite direction such that any tendency of a bar of material to be thrown back out of the roll nip will be resisted.