Abstract: An open-ended mold for casting metal strands with a thin slab cross section, the mold having broad-side walls which form a central widening region which extends from the mold inlet edge to the mold outlet edge and at the outlet edge opens out in a rectangular outlet cross section. To prevent to a great extent the strand from coming away from the broad-side walls, the contour of the mold cavity in the widening region is formed, as seen in sectional planes taken at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the mold, by curves which at least in partial regions form clothoids or clothoidal curves, within which sudden changes in curvature (&Dgr;k) are minimized or reduced to zero. The curvature reduces to flat at the mold outlet edge. Other cavity surface features are disclosed.

Abstract: A continuous casting mold for continuous casting of a steel billet. Opposite spaced apart wide side walls and opposite spaced apart narrow side walls between the wide side walls and clampable at the wide side walls and also displacable along the wide side walls transversely to the casting direction, the narrow side walls being narrow wedged-shaped in the casting direction. A funnel-shaped pouring-in region defined in the wide side walls. The wide side walls converge in the casting direction. The distance between the wide side walls at the mold end is constant over the entire width of the side walls allowing at least one of the wide side walls is supported to be displaceable and tiltable with respect to the other wide side wall by an adjusting device.

Abstract: There is provided a seal for a starter bar head to be used in a continuous caster. The seal extends into a gap provided between the starter bar head and the side walls of a continuous casting mold under direct contact of the side faces of the starter bar head and of the mold side walls. In order to be able to produce this seal in a simple manner and to install it in a particularly quick manner, the seal is extended upwardly in the direction of the mold cavity at least as far as to the front face of the starter bar head and includes a cover part at least partially covering the front face of the starter bar head. The cover part is located to be free and uncovered relative to the mold cavity of the continuous casting mold and possibly introduced cooling scrap directly rests on the cover part of the seal.