Abstract: A wall of a mold assembly for the continuous casting of steel has a steel back-up plate. A thermally conductive plate composed of copper or a copper alloy is bolted to the back-up plate and a relatively thin copper or copper alloy facing is soldered to that surface of the thermally conductive plate which faces away from the back-up plate. The thermally conductive plate may be omitted and the facing soldered to the back-up plate. The facing contacts and cools a continuously cast strand travelling through the mold. When the facing becomes cracked or worn beyond repair, the solder joint is melted to remove the facing and a fresh facing is soldered to the thermally conductive plate or back-up plate.

Abstract: An oscillator for oscillating a mold in a continuous casting apparatus has a motor, and a linkage connecting the motor to the mold. The linkage includes a pair of noncircular gears which are in mesh with one another. The noncircular gears are arranged and designed such that, during the major part of the displacement of the mold concurrently with a strand being cast in the mold, the speed of the mold exceeds the casting speed.

Abstract: A continuous casting apparatus has a continuous casting mold which defines a casting passage. The walls of the mold are provided with conduits which are connected with a source of pressurized gas and open into the casting passage at locations downstream of that where the meniscus is normally established. During withdrawal of a continuously cast strand from the mold, gas is injected into the casting passage at a pressure sufficient to force the meniscus away from the walls of the mold. This eliminates the friction which normally exists between the mold and the meniscus so that the mold need not be oscillated during strand withdrawal. The continuous casting apparatus accordingly does not require an oscillating mechanism for the mold.

Abstract: An apparatus for the continuous casting of slabs has a mold and a slab support zone immediately following the mold. The mold is made up of four separate plates which are held together to define a mold cavity. A dividing wall can be removably mounted in the mold cavity in order to divide the same into a pair of parallel casting passages. Insertion of the dividing wall in the mold cavity makes it possible to simultaneously cast two relatively narrow slabs rather than a single wide slab. A partition designed to constitute an extension of the dividing wall is provided for the support zone and can be removably mounted in the same. Both the dividing wall and the partition are carried by a clamping mechanism which serves to clamp the dividing wall in the mold cavity.

Abstract: A mold for the continuous casting of metal to a sheet-like strand is provided with a casting passage having a slot-shaped outlet end. The inlet end of the casting passage is considerably wider, and has a much larger area, then the outlet end. This facilitates pouring of molten metal into the mold and permits the use of casting techniques such as shrouding which enhance the continuous casting process and/or the quality of the strand. The cross-sectional area of the casting passage decreases progressively from the area at the inlet end to that at the outlet end over at least a portion of the length of the mold. The perimeter of the casting passage, however, remains at least approximately constant as the area decreases. This enables the strand to be drawn through the mold without difficulty. A continuous casting method involves pouring molten metal into a casting passage, and partially solidifying the molten metal to form a strand which is drawn through the casting passage.

Abstract: Molten metal is continuously teemed from a ladle into a tundish. The latter feeds a continuous stream of the molten metal to a cooled mold having opposite open ends connected by a casting passage. The molten metal enters the mold at one end and partially solidifies in the casting passage to form a continuously cast strand which is withdrawn from the mold at its other end. The strand initially consists of a thin shell of solidified metal, and a molten core which is confined by the shell. Upon leaving the mold, the strand is conveyed through a bath of molten metal. The metal of the bath has a lower melting point than, and a specific gravity comparable to that of, the metal being cast. The bath functions to cool the strand uniformly so that the quality of the strand is maintained. The bath further counteracts the tendency of the molten core to cause bulging of the solidified shell which also serves to enhance the quality of the strand.

Abstract: A mold for the continuous casting of metal to a sheet-like strand is provided with a casting passage having a slot-shaped outlet end. The inlet end of the casting passage is considerably wider, and has a much larger area, than the outlet end. This facilitates pouring of molten metal into the mold and permits the use of casting techniques such as shrouding which enhance the continuous casting process and/or the quality of the strand. The cross-sectional area of the casting passage decreases progressively from the area at the inlet end to that at the outlet end over at least a portion of the length of the mold. The perimeter of the casting passage, however, remains at least approximately constant as the area decreases. This enables the strand to be drawn through the mold without difficulty. A continuous casting method involves pouring molten metal into a casting passage, and partially solidifying the molten metal to form a strand which is drawn through the casting passage.

Abstract: An oscillator for a continuous casting mold includes a rotatable drive shaft having first and second portions which are eccentric with respect to one another. A sleeve for inducing oscillatory motion of the mold rotatably surrounds the second shaft portion and is eccentric with reference to the latter as well as the first shaft portion. The sleeve is coupled to the housing of a gear reducer having a gear assembly which is rotatable relative to the housing and is coupled to the drive shaft for rotation therewith. The housing is, in turn, connected with the casing of a motor having an output shaft which is rotatable relative to the casing and is coupled to the gear assembly. This motor constitutes an auxiliary motor which is operable independently of a primary motor for the drive shaft. During normal operation, the auxiliary motor is deactivated and the sleeve, gear reducer and auxiliary motor all rotate with the drive shaft as this induces reciprocation of the mold through the agency of the sleeve.

Abstract: A continuous casting apparatus has a casting platform which supports a mold defining two casting passages. A laterally undivided roller guide is disposed below the mold. The apparatus further includes a pair of dummy bars, and a carriage on the casting platform for storing the dummy bars. When a casting operation is to be performed, each dummy bar is lowered into the roller guide via a respective casting passage so as to seal the lower end of such passage. At this time, the dummy bars are spaced from, and are generally parallel to, one another. Since the roller guide is laterally undivided, the roller guide is unable to maintain the spacing between the dummy bars as the latter are withdrawn from the roller guide during casting. Accordingly, distancing means is provided to keep the dummy bars spaced from one another.

Abstract: A vertical slab mold has a pair of spaced wide walls, and a pair of spaced narrow walls which are located between the wide walls. The narrow walls are movable towards and away from one another for the purpose of performing width changes during casting. Drives for remote adjustment of the narrow walls during casting are connected with the narrow walls. A support for the narrow face of a slab is mounted immediately below each of the narrow walls and constitutes a downward extension of the respective narrow wall. The upper end of each support is articulated to the bottom of the associated narrow wall so that the support pivots relative to the narrow wall towards and away from the other support. A biasing element acts on the lower end of each support to urge the latter towards the other support and, hence against an adjacent narrow face of a slab. The biasing elements are designed to permit the supports to follow changes in the contours and/or positions of the narrow faces of the slab.

Abstract: A roller guide for use in a continuous casting installation for steel is divided into segments. Each segment includes a fixed guide member which rests on a base and a movable guide member which is supported by the fixed guide member. The guide members carry rollers which cooperate to define a path for a continuously cast steel strand. The fixed guide member has a series of hollow columns which are aligned with respective tubular elements provided on the movable guide member. Spacers for adjusting the distance between the rollers are disposed between the columns and tubular elements. A tie rod extends through each column and has a first end located externally of but adjacent to the respective column. The first end of each tie rod has a passage which registers with a corresponding passage in the base. Each pair of registering passages receives a locking pin. The locking pins connect the tie rods to the base and indirectly connect the fixed guide member to the base via the tie rods.

Abstract: A continuous casting installation has a dummy bar which is designed such that its connection with a strand can be broken by moving the dummy bar and the strand relative to one another in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the strand. A straightening roll for the strand is movable in this direction between a raised position and a lowered position. A support roll is mounted in the region of the straightening roll and is pivotable between an elevated position and a depressed position clear of the casting path. In operation, the connection between the dummy bar and the strand is positioned between the straightening roll and the support roll. The straightening roll is in its raised position and is located above the strand while the support roll is in its elevated position and supports the dummy bar. The straightening roll is now lowered to straighten the strand thereby simultaneously breaking the connection between the dummy bar and the strand.

Abstract: A vertical continuous casting mold has a pair of wide walls, and a pair of narrow walls which are received between the wide walls. The narrow walls are translatable back-and-forth, and also pivotable, in order to change the width of a strand cast in the mold. Each of the narrow walls is driven by an arrangement which permits the respective narrow wall to be remotely adjusted during casting. The arrangement for each narrow wall includes a pair of internally threaded sleeves which are respectively articulated to an upper and a lower portion of the corresponding wall. A rotatable spindle is threaded into each sleeve. The spindles are operative to cause axial displacement of the associated sleeves in response to rotation of the spindles. The two spindles for each narrow wall are rotated by a common motor. A first transmission transmits motion from the motor to one of the spindles, and a second transmission transmits motion from the motor to the other spindle.