Abstract: A tension leveler includes a work roll coming into contact with a metal sheet and a pair of backup rolls coming into contact with the work roll. A hardening layer harder than the inside of the backup rolls is formed on the surfaces of the backup rolls. The Shore hardness inside the backup rolls is lower than the Shore hardness in the surfaces of the backup rolls by HS23 to HS36.

Abstract: A slide gate includes a frame fixed to a bottom of a molten-steel vessel, a guide frame attached to a bottom of the frame which can opened and closed, a plurality of refractory plates, a pair of surface-pressure bars and a cylinder. The plurality of refractory plates are disposed in a space surrounded by the frame and the guide frame with one of the refractory plates being slidable to control an amount of opening of a nozzle gate. The cylinder drives the slidable refractory plate to move a slide block with a protrusion. The protrusion moves a connecting member of the pair of surface-pressure bars so that the guide frame is connected with the frame and the slidable refractory plate is pressed to an immediate upper refractory plate by coil spring.