Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for refining the domain wall spacing of a grain-oriented silicon steel strip by mechanical scribing and by employing more than one row of staggered small diameter scribing rolls arranged to scribe a different portion of the surface of the strip in a manner that the entire surface of the strip is scribed and in which each row of scribing rolls co-operate with an anvil roll to support the strip.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for supporting a steel slab and protecting the bottom surface of the slab as the slab is advanced over a skid bar system through a slab heating furnace and which includes at least a first member for supporting the weight of the steel slab and protecting the slab's bottom surface, and a second member for contacting an edge portion of the steel slab. The second member of the apparatus is comprised of a material which is substantially non-consumable, or may be coated or lined with a material which renders it non-consumable, at the operating temperatures of a slab heating furnace and which inhibits the movement of carbon from the rider into the steel slab. In the alternative, the method may include coating the slab edge with a layer having high temperature stability and low thermal conductivity.

Abstract: A grain oriented silicon steel strip and method are provided for producing the same wherein a chevron pattern of scribe lines mechanically refines the magnetic domain wall spacings. Multiple chevron patterns are formed to extend always transversely across the strip width.

Abstract: An amorphous metal alloy strip is disclosed having a width greater than about one inch and a thickness less than about 0.003 inch, this alloy consists essentially of 77 to 80 atomic percent iron, 12 to 16 atomic percent boron and 5 to 10 atomic percent silicon with incidental impurities. The strip has a 60 cycle per second core loss of less than about 0.100 watts per pound at 12.6 kilogauss, saturation magnetization of at least 15 kilogauss, and a coercive force of less than about 0.04 oersteds. Such alloy is further characterized by increased castability and the strip produced therefrom exhibits at least singular ductility. A method of producing such optimum strip is also disclosed.

Abstract: A pressure-bonded composite material includes at least one layer of a stabilized low carbon steel core material and one layer of a stainless steel joined at an interface, wherein the stabilized carbon steel includes columbium (niobium) and at least one other carbide-forming element in amounts effective to prevent carbon migration from the carbon steel to the stainless steel and the composite material has a physical grain size no larger than ASTM #6.

Abstract: A high strength low alloy steel having a yield strength of at least 100 ksi and a Charpy V-notch impact strength of at least 35 ft-lbs. at minus 84.degree. C. (minus 120.degree. F.) at thickness of up to 6 inches is provided wherein the steel consists essentially of an effective amount up to 0.036% carbon, for low temperature toughness up to 5% manganese, up to 1% silicon, up to 0.015% sulfur, 2 to 4% nickel, up to 2% copper, up to 0.1% niobium, and up to 0.1% aluminum, up to 4.% molybdenum, up to 4% chromium and the balance iron and incidental impurities and is characterized by low carbon bainite microstructure in the as-quenched condition.

Abstract: A grain oriented silicon steel strip and method are provided for producing the same wherein a chevron pattern of scribe lines mechanically refines the magnetic domain wall spacings. Multiple chevron patterns are formed to extend always transversely across the strip width.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for temporarily retaining slag and nonmetallic particles in a tundish while molten metal is being transferred through the tundish to other desired vessels. In particular, a meltable dam is placed into an opening between the chambers in a tundish, and the meltable dam retains an accumulation of molten metal in the pour chamber of the tundish with the slag and nonmetallic particles floating on top of that level such that the slag and nonmetallic particles are above the opening between the chambers of the tundish. The dam then completely melts and allows the transfer of molten metal through the opening. The slag and nonmetallic particles are retained in the pour chamber, however, because the molten metal being transferred into the pour chamber maintains the level in that chamber above the opening until almost all of the metal has been transferred into and through the chamber.

Abstract: The grain structure of electrical steel strip is tested by inducing a magnetic flux field into the strip by pole pieces at opposite sides of a permanent magnet. A magnetic detector head between the pole pieces responds to the leakage of flux as the steel strip and/or magnetic detection undergoes relative movement. A recorder is used to identify banding and mixed grain structures which cause a smaller flux leakage amplitude than larger desired grains.

Abstract: A grain oriented silicon steel strip is flattened by a skin pass rolling to flatten undulations caused by scribe lines imparted to the strip for mechanically refining the magnetic domain wall spacings.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for direct casting molten metal to continuous strip of crystalline material by controlling the supply of molten metal to a casting vessel substantially horizontal to an adjacent moving casting roll surface, the molten metal level in the exit end being near the crest of the casting roll, separating a semi-solid cast strip substantially horizontally from near the crest of the casting roll and providing secondary cooling while transporting the separated strip to solidify the strip.

Abstract: An low-nickel austenitic stainless alloy containing about 16.5 to about 17.5% by weight chromium; about 6.4 to about 8.0% by weight manganese; about 2.5 to about 5.0% by weight nickel; about 2.0 to less than about 3.0% by weight copper; less than about 0.15% by weight carbon; less than about 0.2% by weight nitrogen; less than about 1% by weight silicon; and the balance essentially iron with incidental impurities.

Abstract: A system for creating a image of the surface contours of a metal workpiece, such as a continuous cast slab, is provided including a sheet of single frequency, planar light is directed to strike a surface of the workpiece, and a video camera positioned to view the surface where the light strikes, such that when the surface of the workpiece is flat, a straight line is sensed by the video camera, when the surface is irregular, the video camera senses a nonlinear line, the video camera creates a two dimensional image of the sensed light and supplies this signal to a processor, which then creates an image of the workpieces which is displayed by a video monitor and a printer. The processor extracts a variety of quantitative parameter values from the images.

Abstract: A method and device are described for preventing the atmospheric contamination of molten metal during the transfer thereof from one vessel to another. The device includes a first metal ring releasably connected to a molten metal receiving vessel and second metal ring connected to a vessel containing the molten metal to be transferred. A viewing port is provided to allow observation of the molten metal as it is being transferred. A ceramic fiber blanket which encloses the molten metal stream as it is being transferred interconnects the two rings. During operation, an opening of the molten metal containing vessel attached to the second ring and the ceramic fiber blanket are aligned concentrically above the opening of the receiving vessel and the first ring. In the preferred embodiment, the ceramic fiber blanket is then mated to the first metal ring to form an enclosure around the path defined between the molten metal containing vessel and the receiving vessel for the transfer of molten metal therebetween.

Abstract: A method is provided for improving the electrical characteristics of grain-oriented silicon steel sheet by heating the steel to temperatures above 1000.degree. F. and then deforming grooves to refine the magnetic domains, optionally, post heat treating to form fine recrystallized grains in the vicinity of the hot deformations, preferably using protrusions on a scribing roll as the sheet moves between a scribing roll and a back-up anvil roll at deforming pressures range up to 120,000 pounds per square inch.

Abstract: An improvement in a method for improving the magnetic domain wall spacing of grain-oriented silicon steel sheet having an insulating coating thereof, wherein the sheet is subjected to metallic contaminants, particularly phosphorus and phosphorus compounds, to refine magnetic domains, followed by a rolling procedure, followed by a stress relief anneal to provide a smooth surface on the sheet and reduced core loss.

Abstract: A method is provided for controlling interstand tension by roll gap adjustment to reduce gage variations caused by unplanned rolling velocity changes wherein a signal proportional to the tension changes produced by deviations from the desired speed ratio of adjacent stands is used to modify the conventional tension error signal before the latter signal is used to control roll gap thereby discriminating between tension changes caused by mill stand or strip physical changes, which it corrects, and tension changes caused by unplanned speed disturbances, which it ignores instead of maintaining constant tension. The resulting system exhibits improved tolerance for imperfect stand speed control.

Abstract: A method for controlling metal strip thickness in a multi-stand rolling mill is provided which employs feed forward control to adjust the main drive armature current at the upstream mill stand when strip thickness data arrives at the downstream mill stand, establishes a control signal representing the desired speed of the first stand as a function of the second stand's measured speed, the strip thickness measurements, and the scheduled speeds of the first and second stands, develops an armature current reference modifier which is added to the current reference developed by the conventional speed regulator and thereby improves gage control by reducing the response time for upstream stand speed changes and by correcting upstream stand speed for unplanned changes in downstream stand speed.

Abstract: An insulating heat re-radiation - retention and infiltration air free system and method is provided for processing heated articles, including upper and lower heat shields to form, in combination with spaced apart rollers employed to support the articles, a substantial infiltration air-free enclosure, each of the heat shields are made-up of substantially high purity 100% ceramic fiber which is relatively non-porous and gap free and having fiber hot faces, the fiber of the heat shields being compressed and maintained in a high density condition, the fiber of the lower heat shield being formed to contact the circumferences of the rollers in a manner to prevent air from passing into the enclosure, the upper and lower heat shields being maintained in close proximity with the heated articles.

Abstract: An adjustable lifting shoe assembly for sheet or sheet package lifting devices is disclosed. The assembly enables a plurality of lifting shoes suspended from a reinforced back plate to be slid laterally along the back plate to stradle and/or be inserted between full-width cross runners or circumferential bands extending beneath the sheet or sheet package. Such a construction is generally suspended from a crane or hoist and is useful in lifting all types of sheet packages.