Abstract: An apparatus for positioning and supporting a shroud tube in a metal teeming operation includes a boom assembly having one end pivotally mounted on a rigid structure for movement about a vertical axis and is articulated intermediate its ends to permit universal movement of its other end in a horizontal plane, and an elongated shroud tube support arm is mounted intermediate its ends on the universally movable end of the boom assembly for movement therewith, for limited pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, and for limited rotational movement about its longitudinal axis. A bifurcated yoke at one end of the support arm engages and supports a shroud tube, and power drive is provided at the other end of the support arm for rotating the support arm about its longitudinal axis.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for controlling the flow of cooling water to the top of a hot metal strip on a runout table is disclosed. Cooling water is continuously discharged from nozzles in spray bars above the strip and cooling is controlled by selectively diverting the water from selected ones of the spray bars to control the volume and location of the water applied. Movable deflector plates are mounted adjacent predetermined spray bars and actuators are provided to selectively move the deflector plates to deflect water into a fixed trough to be diverted from the top of the strip.

Abstract: Apparatus for use in repairing the lining of a metallurgical furnace or converter includes a work platform supported for elevation from below the converter vessel into the opening formed by removal of the bottom plug. A safety shield is supported above the platform for limited vertical movement relative to the platform. The shield can be radially expanded within the converter to a diameter substantially greater than that of the bottom hole to provide an effective umbrella-like shield protecting workers on the platform from radiated heat from the interior of the converter and from falling debris while at the same time allowing ventilation air to pass up through the converter. The apparatus is especially useful in repairing the refractory lining in the bottom of a Q-BOF, particularly the refractory rings surrounding the bottom plug, during which repair the safety shield can be lowered to contact the bottom of the refractory lining outboard of the area being repaired.

Abstract: An improved method of and apparatus for hot dip metal coating of steel strip in which the strip is heated and cleaned in a furnace then passed through a protective hood containing a reducing gas and into the molten coating metal bath. Coating metal oxides evolved in the hood are removed by flowing a nonoxidizing gas across the surface of the coating metal in the hood and withdrawing the gas and entrained oxides from a location in the vicinity of the coating metal surface. The oxides are removed from the withdrawn gas, and the gas returned to be again flowed across the coating metal surface.

Abstract: Drawn and ironed can bodies are formed from cold rolled steel sheet having a thin coating of a nickel-zinc alloy electroplated thereon by drawing the coated steel into a cup and ironing the sidewall of the cup on a mandrel by passing it through a toolpack comprising a plurality of ironing rings each including a generally conical lead-in surface having an angle relative to the axis of the mandrel within the range of 6.degree. to 81/2.degree. and a substantially cylindrical land extending no more than about 0.025 inches in the axial direction of the toolpack through the rings. The diameter of the land on successive ironing rings is progressively smaller in the direction of movement of the can through the toolpack, with the diameter of the final ironing ring being such as to reduce the sidewall of the cup to about one half its original thickness. The length of the land of the final ironing ring may be less than that of the previous ironing rings and preferably is within the range of 0.003 to 0.007 inches.

Abstract: An improved sheet steel suitable for the production of containers and the like has a thin composite coating of nickel and zinc plated on both sides thereof. The steel substrate may be flat rolled blackplate and the composite nickel-zinc coating may be plated thereon by drawing a running length or strip of the steel through a nickel electroplating bath to which has been added the necessary concentration of zinc, and electrodepositing the two coating metals simultaneously and in the desired proportions. The coated steel sheet is particularly useful in forming drawn and ironed cans although it may be used for other purposes.

Abstract: An improved method is disclosed for producing cathode aluminum foil for electolytic capcitors in which aluminum foil of 98.0% to 99.99% purity is etched in an electrolytic bath containing a chloride or hydrochloric acid in water solution while subjected to an AC and/or DC current, and treated following etching by immersion in an aqueous solution of nitric acid containing about 2.5 to about 3.7 weight percent nitric acid, rinsing, and immersion in an aqueous solution containing about 1.5 to about 5.0 weight percent chromic acid and about 3.0 to about 5.0 weight percent phosphoric acid, again rinsed to substantially completely remove chloride ions from the etched foil surface and increase the capacitance of the foil, and to substantially reduce the capacitance decay rate of the treated foil. The treated foil may be passivated in an aqueous solution of a carboxyl acid, preferably a 1.5 to 5.0 weight percent solution of citric acid in deionized water, before drying.

Abstract: An electroplating process is disclosed for coating metal strip or sheet with a nickel-zinc alloy comprising at least 80% nickel. Steel sheet coated with the alloy exhibits excellent weldability.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for deep drawing metal containers is disclosed in which flat sheet metal blanks are initially drawn into shallow cups having an open top, a substantially flat bottom wall, a substantially cylindrical sidewall and a curved transition section joining the bottom wall and sidewall. A redraw sleeve adapted to fit into and support the cups has a first annular clamping surface on its free end contoured and arranged to engage the transition section and the adjacent annular peripheral portion of the bottom wall of a cup. An annular redraw die is supported for movement from a retracted position spaced from the redraw sleeve to a clamping position cooperating with the redraw sleeve to clamp and hold the cups during redrawing. The redraw die has a second clamping surface contoured to engage the outer surface of the transition section and the adjacent annular peripheral portion of the bottom wall of a cup supported on the redraw sleeve.

Abstract: An improved sheet steel suitable for the production of containers and the like has a thin composite coating of nickel and zinc plated on both sides thereof. The steel substrate may be flat rolled blackplate and the composite nickel-zinc coating may be plated thereon by drawing a running length or strip of the steel through a nickel electroplating bath to which has been added the necessary concentration of zinc, and electrodepositing the two coating metals simultaneously and in the desired proportions. The coated steel sheet is particularly useful in forming drawn and ironed cans although it may be used for other purposes.

Abstract: A method of producing high tensile aluminum-magnesium alloy sheet from an aluminum-based melt containing a relatively low percentage of magnesium, such as 1.5-2.3%, in which the melt is formed into a sheet having a uniform thickness between 1/8-1/2 inch quenched to a temperature below about 500.degree. F. within a period of not more than three (3) minutes, in which the quenched sheet is cold rolled straight down to a thickness between 0.01 and 0.02 inch without the application of extraneous heat to the sheet. The resulting aluminum-magnesium alloy sheet has a fully-hardened tensile strength in excess of 50,000 psi.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for and a method of trimming an outwardly directed flange at the end of a metal container body and severing the ring of scrap removed employs two substantially semicircular concave cutters supported for rotation about spaced parallel axes disposed substantially in the plane of the flange to be trimmed and driven for rotation about their respective axes to engage the flange substantially simultaneously to sever the scrap ring around substantially the entire periphery of the container. The ring of scrap is cut into four pieces either by initially die-cutting or otherwise removing segments from opposed sides of the flange tangent to the trim line prior to engagement by the rotating arcuate cutters or alternatively, the arcuate cutters may sever the scrap as a complete ring and sever the ring into pieces upon continued movement in their arcuate paths past a stationary clipper block spaced below the container flange.

Abstract: An improved sheet steel suitable for the production of containers and the like has a thin composite coating of nickel and zinc plated on both sides thereof. The steel substrate may be flat rolled blackplate and the composite nickel-zinc coating may be plated thereon by drawing a running length or strip of the steel through a nickel electroplating bath to which has been added the necessary concentration of zinc, and electrodepositing the two coating metals simultaneously and in the desired proportions. The coated steel sheet is particularly useful in forming drawn and ironed cans although it may be used for other purposes.

Abstract: An improved tab opener and retained-tab easy-open structure and end closure assembly method are disclosed. The tab opener is fabricated from flat-rolled sheet metal to present a rounded edge periphery. In preparing an end closure for assembly on a can body, the tab opener is secured to the end closure such that the raw edge sheet metal of the rounded periphery is disposed outwardly in relation to the can body. The raw edge metal, scorelines, and other portions of the end closure needing repair can be repaired simultaneously after securing the tab opener to the end closure.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically controlling a carbon bake furnace to thereby reduce uniformly baked anodes is disclosed. In its method aspects, the invention contemplates the use of flue and pit temperatures to produce a control signal to operate a valve for varying the air fuel mixture of a burner associated with said valve. In its apparatus aspects, the invention utilizes a plurality of infrared detectors to measure the pit and flue temperatures. The signals produced by these sensors are fed to a computer which produces a control signal for operating a valve associated with at least one of a plurality of burners which is to have its air/fuel ratio adjusted to thus adjust the temperature in the pit heated by the selected burner to a desired target temperature.

Abstract: A nozzle and associated apparatus for controlling the thickness of liquid coating on continuous webs which produces a thin jet of fluid for impingement across the width of moving web having a liquid coating thereon, the fluid in the portions of the jet on either side of the center of the nozzle having components of motion toward the edges of the web. One form of nozzle structure for achieving such lateral movement of the fluid issuing from the nozzle has a centrally positioned fluid inlet port to an inner plenum chamber, the port having a cross sectional area at least several times the cross sectional area of the nozzle orifice. Another form of nozzle structure for accomplishing this purpose involves baffle means in the path of the fluid flowing through the nozzle which changes the direction of flow of the fluid so as to give the fluid on either side of the center of the nozzle a component of motion toward the edges of the nozzle.

Abstract: Improved ironing material and structure for drawing and ironing can bodies from lightweight flat rolled sheet metal while facilitating stripping from the ironing mandrel and providing desired flanging metal are disclosed. The exterior surface of the mandrel is provided with a uniform-taper transition zone contiguous to the trim height for a can body being formed such that sidewall metal thickness increases uniformly above the main body portion of the can body and expires along the tapered surface of the transition zone. The tapered surface extends beyond formed can body height so that stripping means approach the open end of an ironed can body along a portion of the mandrel having a smaller diameter than the interior diameter of the mandrel mounted can body.

Abstract: A system for electrically connecting two locomotives coupled in a consist and each having a pair of live electrical receptacles thereon located one at each end on opposite sides of the longitudinal vertical center plane includes an elongated jumper cable having connector heads at each end is permanently mounted on one end of the locomotive by an elongated flexible support having one end attached intermediate the connector heads. A pair of dummy receptacles are mounted one on each side of the locomotive in position to each have one of the connector heads of the permanently mounted jumper cable connected thereto so that, when not in use, the jumper cable extends generally across the end of the locomotive and has one end supported on each side portion thereof and its intermediate portion supported between the two dummy receptacles.

Abstract: A substantially closed shed cooperates with the coke discharge end of a coke oven battery to enclose the quench car tracks and coke guide tracks along the entire length of the battery and extends to the quenching tower for confining both the large volume of particulate and gaseous emissions released during pushing of coke and the substantially smaller volume of fugitive emissions escaping around the oven doors substantially throughout the coking operation. A first exhaust conduit extends along and opens into the top of the gabled roof of the coke shed along substantially its full length, and a plurality of offtake conduits provide fluid communication from the first exhaust duct at spaced intervals along its length with a main exhaust duct.

Abstract: Metallic container stocks are lubricated with citric acid esters. The improved lubricated container stocks of the invention are characterized by excellent wettability and adhesion of organic coatings in general and especially epoxy resin coating compositions. The citric acid ester lubricants are pharmacologically safe and are easily applied at low cost by electrostatic deposition and other methods presently used for applying prior art lubricating agents. The method of the invention is especially useful in lubricating tinplate strip, blackplate strip, blackplate strip having a chromium-containing coating thereon, and aluminum strip of container stock gauge with citric acid ester lubricants having the following structural formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are individually selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alcoholic residual containing 1-18 carbon atoms, R.sub.