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 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 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 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.