Abstract: A mold table for the continuous casting of large strands has two separate parts. The mold table parts are coupled to opposite ends of an elongated rigid rotatable member by respective linkages. A drive oscillates the rotatable member which, in turn, constrains the mold table parts to oscillate synchronously.

Abstract: A continuous casting mold assembly has four mold walls in the form of discrete plates. The mold walls are arranged with an edge face of each wall abutting a major face of an adjacent mold wall. To permit changes in taper, each of the mold walls is mounted for pivotal movement on two orthogonal axes. The mold walls are held together by springs which can be hydraulically relieved when the mold walls are to be adjusted. The mold walls tend to move away from one another following hydraulic relief of the springs, and such movements are limited by screws associated with the respective mold walls. The screws contact abutments when the mold walls have moved apart by distances large enough to allow pivoting of the walls but not large enough to permit molten material to leak between the walls.

Abstract: A split roll has several separate roll bodies which are arranged side-by-side axially of the roll. Adjoining roll bodies are mounted in a bearing assembly which includes a bearing for each of the roll bodies. The two bearings for a pair of adjoining roll bodies are located in a common housing which is overlapped by the respective roll bodies.

Abstract: A wall of a four-piece mold is made by machining cooling channels into one side of a steel backup member. The cooling channels are filled with wax which is then covered with conductive paint or tape. A layer of copper is now electroplated onto the side of the backup member with the cooling channels, and nickel and chromium are plated over the copper in succession. Upon completion of plating, the wax is removed from the cooling channels by melting the wax. Alternatively to machining the cooling channels into the backup member, strips of plastic are adhesively secured to the backup member prior to plating. The plastic strips, which have widths and heights equal to the desired widths and depths of the cooling channels, are placed on the backup member at the intended locations of the cooling channels. Copper is plated onto the backup member to the height of the strips which are then removed to form the cooling channels.

Abstract: A distributor is disclosed wherein a stator receives highly-pressurized fluid from a stationary source and delivers the same to spaced-apart annular reservoirs in a rotor. Bores in the rotor conduct the fluid to a rotating piston and cylinder assembly. Bearings support the rotor so that an annular orifice is formed by a gap between hardened face surfaces on the stator and rotor. The spacing between the annular reservoirs is greater than the distance to an adjacent drain reservoir. The drain reservoirs deliver fluid to the bearings for lubrication before the fluid is returned to the stationary source.

Abstract: A rolling mill is disclosed wherein mill housings have an inverted U-shape forming windows that receive chocks for roll assemblies. The windows are open at the bottoms of the housings and chocks for the lower roll assembly have lugs that project into recesses formed in the lower portions of the housing post sections and rest against removable keys supported in slots that are generally parallel to the rotational axis of the roll assembly. A platform supports the rolling mill when processing workpieces. Pad surfaces on the platform engage the lower end faces of the housing post sections and anchors engage the housing post sections at the sides thereof which are opposite the housing windows to resist a component of the rolling load transferred by the keys to the housing post sections.

Abstract: A method for rolling rails is provided wherein the final rolling operation includes processing of a rail blank in a leader pass universal mill stand and in a finishing pass universal mill stand. Both mill stands have horizontal rolls that form two roll passes, one of which is the leader roll pass and the other is a finishing roll pass. The rolls or the entire mill stands are interchanged from a previous location in a mill train to use an unused roll pass at the previous location, thereby doubling the roll life and eliminating the need to manipulate or otherwise handle the rail blank for passes in the mill stands.

Abstract: A screwdown is replaceably inserted in the window of a rolling mill housing between a bearing chock and a surface defining the window of the housing. The screwdown which is provided for each of the pair of rolling mill housings includes a screwdown housing carrying a nut member which receives a screw which is locked against rotation by a lock plate supported by the screwdown housing. Gear teeth are formed on the outer cylindrical surface of the nut and these teeth mesh with the teeth of a worm gear on a shaft which is supported by the screwdown housing for rotation. The shaft of one screwdown housing is coupled to a torque shaft which extends through and supported by the other screwdown housing. The shafts are releasably locked together for synchronous or independent rotation.

Abstract: Apparatus at the operator's side of a rolling mill is used to move the chock for one of a pair of rolls in an axial direction thereof for alignment between roll pass openings in the bodies of the pair of rolls. The apparatus includes a chock extension sleeve having an externally-threaded surface and a flange at one end attached by bolts to the roll chock at the operator's side. Two nut members are jammed together under sufficient torque for a stressed engagement with the threaded surface of the sleeve. The nut members are joined together by a threaded bolt for simultaneous rotation of the nut members. Gear teeth are formed on an outer annular section of one of the nut members to mesh with a pinion gear rotatably supported by a clevis forming part of the keeper blocks supported by the mill housing.