Abstract: In a continuous casting plant having a ladle shop and a separate casting shop, each served by a separate traveling crane, means for supporting one or more ladles are located in the ladle shop and means for supporting one or more molds are located in the casting shop. A tundish is positioned to extend across the space between the two shops with one end of the tundish located below a ladle to receive molten metal therefrom, and with the other end located above the mold to discharge molten metal into the mold. One or more tundishes are mounted on pivoted carriers on which the tundishes may be moved selectively from casting position to a position in the casting shop where they may be removed from the carriers for repair and reconditioning, and on which tundishes may be moved to preheating and prefill positions.

Abstract: A method of cooling a continuously cast strand, particularly a steel strand, in a secondary cooling zone of a continuous casting plant wherein a spray nozzle disposed at the region of at least two consecutively spaced guiding means produces a spray pattern of liquid coolant, typically water, which impinges the surface of the cast strand with a substantially uniform distribution of the coolant and a substantially uniform impingement force at least over the major portion of the transverse width dimension of such cast strand. The invention further contemplates feeding the liquid coolant into the nozzle so as to flow initially essentially in the axial extent thereof and then to depart therefrom in a direction extending transversely with respect thereto to form such spray pattern of liquid coolant.