Abstract: A spool and wedge assembly for attaching a replaceable implement to the nose of an earthworking bucket has a spool 12 and wedge 10 with ramp surfaces 22, 40 causing lateral expansion of the unit upon relative axial movement, and bolting mechanism 14, 16 for drawing the spool and wedge together so that the wedge pushes forwardly against the bucket nose and the spool pushes forward against the implement. A disengagement tool 78 acts between the wedge and the bolt 14 to force disengagement of the ramp surfaces for removal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for continuous processing of metal between molten and bright hot rolled stages includes the production of uniform liquid metal droplets at the top of a shot tower containing inert gas, forming and maintaining columns of closely spaced but separate metal droplets, retarding the flow of said droplets to a slow, substantially constant, velocity and cooling the droplets principally by radiation to at least partial solidification, collecting the at least partially solidified droplets in a bottomless receptacle in a weakly cohesive column, passing said column into the bite of a pair of mill rolls, rolling the said column into a rolled product, and cooling the rolled product by arc contact with off-set colling/flatening rolls and by radiation and convection cooling in an inert gas.