Abstract: In this type of mold, a feed head (23) made of thermally insulating refractory fits on top of the cooled copper crystallizer (7) being internally aligned with it in order to define a passage for the cast metal, with interposition between the two of an insert (24) made of dense refractory having mechanical strength properties. This insert (24) consists of bars, each bar (29) being formed by a rigid assembly of aligned and juxtaposed contiguous elements (30) kept clamped against each other by a clamp incorporated into the bar, such as a cross-tie (31) associated with compression pads (33), and positioning and aligning the bar on the crystallizer (7) are provided and consist of a battery of spring pushers (38), which battery is associated with a positioning stop (39) on the crystallizer against which the bar (29) presses.

Abstract: The continuous casting installation includes an ingot mould the walls (1) of which are formed by cooled metal walls (2) surmounted by a hot-top element (3) made of a heat insulating material. Holes for injecting a gas under pressure, such as a slot (10), lead into the ingot mould at least at the interface between the hot-top element and the metal wall. The insulation includes means (13 to 17), connected to the said holes, for supplying a gas or a gaseous mix with a thermal expansion capacity adjustable according to the composition of the cast metal alloy and the casting conditions. The adjustment of the thermal expansion capacity of the injected gas enables the adjustment of the heat flux density extracted from the cast metal in the zone where it starts to solidify.

Abstract: The mold includes a cooled copper body 4 on top of which sits a refractory feed head 9 which itself consists of two separate components--a thermally insulating upper bush 16 and a bottom annulus 17 made of a stronger and more compact refractory which is surrounded by a crimping ring 18 narrower than the annulus, so that an edge of the annulus extends beyond each side of the ring. As the lower inner edge of the bottom annulus becomes worn due to an erosive flow of molten metal, the working life of the annulus may be extended in two ways. First, the annulus may be removed between casting operations and its bottom surface may be faced. Second, after the facing operations have rendered the bottom surface flush with the crimping ring 18, the annulus may then be inverted so that the lower inner edge is replaced with the upper inner edge.

Abstract: The mold comprises a tubular metal component (4), made of copper or a copper alloy, cooled by water circulation against its external wall and intended to ensure that the cast metal undergoes peripheral solidification on contact with its internal wall, and an uncooled feed head (9) made of a thermally insulating refractory, intended to contain cast metal in the liquid state and sitting on top of the cooled metal component (4) and defining with it a continuous sizing passage for the cast metal. A horizontal metal annulus (16) cooled by internal circulation is added between the feed head (9) and the tubular component (4) and aligned with the internal wall of the latter.

Abstract: The subject of the invention is a method of lubricating a mold (1) for the continuous casting of a metal product (16), of the type including a vigorously-cooled vertically-oscillating metal tubular element (2) defining a passage (4) for the cast metal and intended to cause, in contact with its wall (3) in said passage, the solidification of said metal product, in which a lubricant in the liquid state is injected through said metal tubular element toward said metal product being solidified, wherein said injection is carried out at points distributed annularly at a single level of said tubular element, said level lying at a distance greater than 20 cm from the lowest level at which solidification of said product is able to be initiated, and in that the flow rate of said lubricant is sufficient to cause a fraction of said lubricant to rise up along said wall to the level at which solidification of said product is effectively initiated.

Abstract: A cassette for a device for continuously casting liquid metal between two parallel rolls, the cassette includes a metal case which has a lateral wall and is open on a side of the case, and plate of refractory material which may be preheated before casting the liquid metal. The refractory plate is preshaped in such a manner so to define a free space between the periphery of the plate and the lateral wall of the case. The cassette is provided with an arrangement for fixing and gripping the plate and exerting an elastically yieldable opposing action allowing free expansion of the plate within the case.

Abstract: Installation for continuous casting between two rolls (1,2) having parallel axes and defining therebetween and with two fixed lateral walls (3) a casting space for a liquid metal, each lateral wall comprising at least one lateral part (6) placed against the planar end face of an adjacent one of the rolls and constituted by a portion of a disc having an outside diameter equal to that of the adjacent roll, and a part (12) which is central relative to and confronts the casting space and is composed of an insulating refractory material. The disc portion is made from a material having properties of thermal conductivity and mechanical resistance superior to those of the refractory material and is a frustoconical disc portion whose face having the larger radius of curvature is placed against the adjacent roll and the disc portion defines a frustoconical surface which is in contact with the insulating material of the central part.

Abstract: A closing wall for the lateral end of a casting space of an installation for continuously casting between moving walls which comprises two confronting cooled moving walls (1,2). The closing wall comprises a front part (65) defining a front surface (63) facing toward the casting space and at least one lateral part (66) defining a lateral surface (64) in the extension of the surface of one of the two moving walls and connected to said front surface. The invention is also applicable to the continuous casting of thin metal products between rolls.