Abstract: A slide valve for the spout of metallurgical pouring vessels may exhibit a closure plate fixedly mounted on the vessel and a slide plate of a refractory material. Each plate is provided with a passage bore for the metallurgical melt. The slide plate is guided by guide rails on spring supported contact rails in a displaceable manner. The plates slide with their facing closure surfaces on each other. The closure plate passage bore and the sliding plate passage bores may be aligned to open the valve. The contact rails are held freely on a spring supported axle against the contact pressure direction and extend transversely to the center line of the closure plate passage bore. Each slide plate guide rails has a curvature or apex directed against a contact rail.