Abstract: The caster includes a pair of movable opposed belts, each of the belts having a casting surface and a pair of movable opposed dam blocks including a plurality of dam blocks having one end mounted to an orbiting support and a casting surface opposite the mounted end. The casting surfaces of the belts and the casting surfaces of the dam blocks define a casting zone for solidifying the molten metal into cast metallic product. The caster also includes cooling plates/bars for cooling the belts while the belts pass through the casting zone.

Abstract: The caster includes a pair of movable opposed belts, each of the belts having a casting surface and a pair of movable opposed dam blocks including a plurality of dam blocks having one end mounted to an orbiting support and a casting surface opposite the mounted end. The casting surfaces of the belts and the casting surfaces of the dam blocks define a bar casting zone for solidifying the molten metal into metallic bar. The caster also includes cooling bars for cooling the belts while the belts pass through the bar casting zone.

Abstract: A roll for use in a belt caster. The roll has a plurality of axial segments, at least one of which can be adjusted to compensate for transverse distortions in the belt. Generally uniform tension is maintained transversely in the belt so that the belt remains generally planar in the portion that contacts the molten metal that is cast in the belt caster.

Abstract: A continuous casting machine ("block caster") is provided with chain-wise interlinking of mold block assemblies. Such chain-wise interlinking maintains the mold block assemblies essentially contiguous and is essential to provide operation of a continuous casting machine essentially free of mechanical noise. Each mold block assembly is elastically independently hinged by dual parallel hingepins, spaced-apart in the casting direction (x-axis), as the mold block assembly is carried between opposed, transversely (y-axis) spaced-apart guide rails of each carriage track. The elastic hinge means compensates for variation in block-to-block (centerline) distance caused by kinematic phenomena, including thermally induced variations in the dimensions of individual blocks as a function of their position in each track during operation. Guide rollers guided in generally horizontal guide roller-ways are afforded no measurable tolerance relative to their vertical displacement, when the roller-ways are off-set.

Abstract: An improved method for the production of particulate metal utilizes a containment vessel having a cylindrical shell and an bottomplate, a source of metal external to the vessel, nozzle means carried by the bottomplate and providing communication between the vessel and the external source of metal, gas ingress port spaced from the bottomplate and an exit port, means provided downstream of the vessel for collecting the metal particles swept from the vessel, and aspirating means for drawing collecting gases into the vessel through the ingress port and for carrying the particulate metal from the vessel to the collecting means.