Abstract: A dart-assembly for piercing open a blockage in the opening of a ladle for holding and transporting molten steel is mounted in the outlet bore of a slide-gate associated with the ladle opening. The assembly has an outer steel housing; mounted within the housing is a dart-member having an elongated rod, which rod has a lower threaded end for receiving a threaded nut. The upper end of the rod is provided with a dart-like head-portion which actually contacts and pierces through the blockage in the opening of the ladle when the dart-member is fired. A compression spring is telescopingly mounted about most of the length of the elongated rod of the dart-member, between the enlarged dart-like head-portion and the upper, flat-surface of a stop member.

Abstract: Formation of skull in the nozzle zone (11) of a metallurgical pouring vessel base (8) is inhibited by placing in the nozzle zone (11), while that is horizontal, an elongated container (1) longer than the length of the nozzle zone (11) and extending inside the vessel (8), the container (1) being filled with anti-skulling material (14) and having a hole (3) in its sidewall (2), and moving the vessel (8) into a position with the nozzle zone (11) vertical thereby causing anti-skulling material (14) to pass through the hole (3) into the nozzle zone (11). The invention also provides a container (1) for use in the method. The invention is especially useful for ladles for pouring steel and permits easy application of optimum amount of anti-skulling material.

Abstract: Slag pots are formed of an upper section formed of a plurality of wall units secured together, e.g. by electroslag welding and a lower floor portion engaged with the upper section, e.g. by a bolted joint. A trunnion ring may surround the upper portion to enable the pot to be lifted.

Abstract: A method for making or repairing lugs and trunnion members for ingot molds by forming a casting space or cavity corresponding to the shape of the lug or trunnion member on the side of the ingot mold where the member is to be secured, forming a casting material feeding chamber above the casting cavity, introducing a predetermined amount of an alumino thermic mixture to the welding chamber and reacting said alumino thermic mixture whereby the molten metal produced from such reaction feeds into and fills the casting cavity and upon cooling forms the desired lug or trunnion. The apparatus for carrying out the process comprising a welding chamber composed of a lower casting space or cavity and an upper casting material feeding chamber is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for repairing eroded bottoms of ingot molds by forming a casting space in the bottom of the mold at the point of erosion, the casting space having an hour-glass type shape, placing the ingot mold on a molding platform so as to close off the bottom of the casting space with a refractory material, placing a protective layer of a compactable refractory material about the interior of the mold and introducing to the casting space an alumino-thermic material and then igniting said alumino-thermic material such that the weld metal from the reaction thereof completely fills the casting space. Methods for repairing the bottoms of closed bottom as well as plug bottom molds are disclosed.