Patents by Inventor Brian E. Bowman

Brian E. Bowman has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8191610
    Abstract: Apparatus for continuously casting metal strip includes a pair of counter-rotatable casting rolls laterally positioned to form a nip there between through which thin strip can be cast, a pair of confining side dams adjacent the ends of the casting rolls capable of confining a casting pool of molten metal supported on the casting rolls above the nip, each side dam having a surface capable of contacting the molten metal of the casting pool, with unraised portions and raised portions to form troughs with the unraised portions as base between the raised portion of the side dam and the casting surfaces of the casting rolls to guide the flow of molten metal, and a metal delivery system disposed above the nip and capable of discharging molten metal to form the casting pool supported on the casting rolls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Nucor Corporation
    Inventors: Rama Ballav Mahapatra, Brian E. Bowman
  • Patent number: 8047264
    Abstract: A metal strip casting apparatus and method of casting continuous metal strip include assembling a pair of counter-rotatable casting rolls having casting surfaces positioned laterally forming a nip between for casting, and delivering molten metal through a delivery nozzle disposed above the nip to form a casting pool supported on the casting rolls. The delivery nozzle includes at least one segment having a main portion and an end portion and an inner trough extending longitudinally through the main portion and into the end portion with end walls at opposite ends thereof, the inner trough communicating with outlets adjacent bottom portions formed in each segment adapted to deliver molten metal to a casting pool and the end portion having a reservoir portion having passages adapted to deliver molten metal to a casting pool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Nucor Corporation
    Inventors: Brian E. Bowman, Rama Ballav Mahapatra, Peter A. Woodberry
  • Patent number: 8042601
    Abstract: A side dam for use in a continuous twin roll caster system includes a body of refractory material having opposed outer surfaces with one outer surface adapted to contact molten metal and casting rolls in a continuous twin roll caster system and retain molten metal, and an opposite outer surface having fastening portions of refractory material adapted to attach the side dam to a side dam holder to hold the side dam in place during casting; an aperture in the outer surface of the body positioned adjacent a nip of the continuous twin roll caster system and adapted to receive a side dam insert; and a side dam insert of a second refractory material harder than the refractory material of the body having a first surface adapted to contact molten metal and form with the outer surface of the body the outer surface of the side dam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Nucor Corporation
    Inventors: Brian E. Bowman, Michael A. Schueren, Walter N. Blejde
  • Patent number: 7992621
    Abstract: A side dam for use in a continuous twin roll caster system includes a body of refractory material having opposed outer surfaces with one outer surface adapted to contact molten metal and casting rolls in a continuous twin roll caster system and retain molten metal, and an opposite outer surface having fastening portions of refractory material adapted to attach the side dam to a side dam holder to hold the side dam in place during casting; an aperture in the outer surface of the body positioned adjacent a nip of the continuous twin roll caster system and adapted to receive a side dam insert; and a side dam insert of a second refractory material harder than the refractory material of the body having a first surface adapted to contact molten metal and form with the outer surface of the body the outer surface of the side dam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Nucor Corporation
    Inventors: Brian E. Bowman, Michael A. Schueren, Walter N. Blejde
  • Publication number: 20100230070
    Abstract: A metal strip casting apparatus and method of casting continuous metal strip include assembling a pair of counter-rotatable casting rolls having casting surfaces positioned laterally forming a nip between for casting, and delivering molten metal through a delivery nozzle disposed above the nip to form a casting pool supported on the casting rolls. The delivery nozzle comprises at least one segment having a main portion and an end portion and an inner trough extending longitudinally through the main portion and into the end portion with end walls at opposite ends thereof, the inner trough communicating with outlets adjacent bottom portions formed in each segment adapted to deliver molten metal to a casting pool and the end portion having a reservoir portion having passages adapted to deliver molten metal to a casting pool.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2009
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Applicant: NUCOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Brian E. Bowman, Rama Ballav Mahapatra, Mike Schueren, Walter N. Blejde
  • Publication number: 20100132912
    Abstract: Apparatus for continuously casting metal strip includes a pair of counter-rotatable casting rolls laterally positioned to form a nip there between through which thin strip can be cast, a pair of confining side dams adjacent the ends of the casting rolls capable of confining a casting pool of molten metal supported on the casting rolls above the nip, each side dam having a surface capable of contacting the molten metal of the casting pool, with unraised portions and raised portions to form troughs with the unraised portions as base between the raised portion of the side dam and the casting surfaces of the casting rolls to guide the flow of molten metal, and a metal delivery system disposed above the nip and capable of discharging molten metal to form the casting pool supported on the casting rolls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2009
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Applicant: NUCOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Rama Ballav MAHAPATRA, Brian E. BOWMAN
  • Publication number: 20090283240
    Abstract: A side dam for use in a continuous twin roll caster system includes a body of refractory material having opposed outer surfaces with one outer surface adapted to contact molten metal and casting rolls in a continuous twin roll caster system and retain molten metal, and an opposite outer surface having fastening portions of refractory material adapted to attach said side dam to a side dam holder to hold said side dam in place during casting; an aperture in the outer surface of the body positioned adjacent a nip of the continuous twin roll caster system and adapted to receive a side dam insert; and a side dam insert of a second refractory material harder than the refractory material of the body having a first surface adapted to contact molten metal and form with the outer surface of the body the outer surface of the side dam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Applicant: Nucor Corporation
    Inventors: Brian E. Bowman, Michael A. Schueren, Walter N. Blejde
  • Publication number: 20090266504
    Abstract: The method of producing thin cast strip by continuous casting having a side dam assembly. The side dam assembly includes a side dam having opposite outer surfaces, one surface contacting molten metal and the opposite outer surface having fastening portions capable of attaching the side dam to a side dam holder, to hold the side dam in place during casting without exposed portions of the side dam holder extending substantially beyond the opposite outer surface toward the outer surface for contacting molten metal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2009
    Publication date: October 29, 2009
    Applicant: NUCOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Brian E. Bowman, Alan J. Deno, Gordon D. Emmert
  • Patent number: 7556084
    Abstract: The method of producing thin cast strip by continuous casting having a side dam assembly. The side dam assembly includes a side dam having opposite outer surfaces, one surface contacting molten metal and the opposite outer surface having fastening portions capable of attaching the side dam to a side dam holder, to hold the side dam in place during casting without exposed portions of the side dam holder extending substantially beyond the opposite outer surface toward the outer surface for contacting molten metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Nucor Corporation
    Inventors: Brian E. Bowman, Alan J. Deno, Gordon D. Emmert
  • Publication number: 20070221358
    Abstract: The method of producing thin cast strip by continuous casting having a side dam assembly. The side dam assembly includes a side dam having opposite outer surfaces, one surface contacting molten metal and the opposite outer surface having fastening portions capable of attaching the side dam to a side dam holder, to hold the side dam in place during casting without exposed portions of the side dam holder extending substantially, beyond the opposite outer surface toward the outer surface for contacting molten metal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2006
    Publication date: September 27, 2007
    Applicant: Nucor Corporation
    Inventors: Brian E. Bowman, Alan J. Deno, Gordon D. Emmert