Abstract: The mold for making a rectangular foam block from a plurality of blowable and sinterable plastic pieces, especially foamed polystyrene pieces, with the help of steam comprises a rectangular inner mold with a plurality of inner mold walls movable from each other and an outer mold tightly closable surrounding the inner mold having at least one steam inlet and an air evacuation and vacuum pump connector pipe. This mold is especially easy to construct when the outer mold comprises a pipelike pressurizable container with a front mold wall comprising a pressure-tight door and with a block ejector mounted in a rear mold wall which can be pushed approximately perpendicularly to the rear mold wall into the inner mold.

Abstract: A support roll is provided with a plurality of surface near axis parallel cooling ducts extending from a cylindrical manifold chamber into which coolant is fed through a stationary hollow rod having openings and carrying on one end a disk which remains stationary and provides variable rate of feeding into the ducts as the roll rotates such that the duct adjacent a surface portion of the roll in contact with the casting receives maximum coolant flow.