Abstract: In a continuous casting system for producing metal strip, or the like, and including a chamber through which such strip is conveyed and which is provided with an opening for passage of a railbound maintenance carriage traveling parallel to the metal strip in the chamber, there is provided a closure member for closing the opening, which member is in the form of a cover, is provided with supporting undercarriages movable on the same rails as the carriage, and is disposed within the chamber.

Abstract: Installation for manufacturing wire by projecting a jet of electrically conductive metallic liquid through a die into a cooling medium, comprising a crucible equipped with a heating device, a die and an enclosure containing a gas under pressure, an enclosure containing a cooling medium and a wire-receiving device is improved by providing the installation with a thermally and electrically conductive immobile hot piece arranged in such a manner as to debouch into the section of a crucible passageway which is wetted by the metallic liquid, occupies that section and is in contact with a cooling element and with one of the poles of a source of electric current, while an electrically conductive cold piece is connected to the other pole of the source of electric current and assures electrical contact with the jet or the wire.

Abstract: A mould arrangement for continuous casting plants has a mould with side walls adjustable to various strand sizes, supporting devices below the mould for guiding the emerging strand, and holding devices releasable from above for securing the supporting devices to the mould. The supporting devices are arranged in hollow spaces extending through the mould side walls to the upper side thereof.

Abstract: Apparatus and method of metal casting utilize a die having at least one helical rib or channel surrounded by a cooler which cooperates with a means for imparting a relative screwing motion, such as a pair of rollers at an angle to the longitudinal member which is being cast, to screw a helically shaped metal member continuously from the die.

Abstract: A continuously cast metal strand has its solidified skin supported by a series of closely interspaced pairs of rollers and for stirring at least one magnetic stirrer is positioned outside of some of these rollers with the latter being made of non-magnetic material so they are penetrated by the stirrer's flux to permit magnetic stirring of molten metal within the skin.

Abstract: A continuous casting plant strand guiding roller has a stationary axle and at least three roller bodies journaled thereon, each provided with an annular recess to accommodate bearings. The stationary axle is provided with longitudinal channels, and radial channels originate from the longitudinal channels and extend to the annular recess provided in each roller body, thus forming a coolant and/or lubricant medium circuit. At least two neighbouring roller bodies are always connected to one medium circuit.

Abstract: A roller apron or strand guide assembly for a continuous casting installation for casting metals, especially steel, in particular equipped with driving- and/or straightening rollers, wherein in the direction of travel of the strand immediately following pairs of rollers are mutually independently displaceable along comb-like arranged guides dispositioned to both sides of the machine frame transversely with respect to the direction of travel of the cast strand. The bearings of both rollers of a roller pair are each mounted upon a transverse support, which transverse support cooperates with the comb-like arranged guides and can be moved by pressure cylinder means. Further, at least the transverse support can be adjusted by non-driven rollers against stops provided at the machine frame.

Abstract: A strand guide arrangement or roller aprons for a multiple strand billet- or bloom casting installation containing more than two strands for the continuous casting of metals, especially steel, wherein rollers of the at least partially curved roller aprons are individually driven by drive elements through the agency of power transmission shafts, the drive elements being arranged externally of the outer roller aprons. The roller aprons are subdivided into segments. The power transmission shafts associated with the rollers of the inner roller apron extend below one of the outer roller aprons and up to a location in front of the inner roller apron.

Abstract: A continuous casting plant has a frame-shaped lifting table, a mould insertable in the lifting table, and a strand guide device following the mould and including strand guide parts. The strand guide part following the mould is surrounded by a carrying frame, and this strand guide part and the carrying frame are installable in and removable from the continuous casting plant together. The carrying frame is arranged with play in the lifting table and is vertically movable therethrough together with the pertaining strand guide part. On the mould and on the carrying frame, supporting faces opposing each other with play are provided and can engage each other when the carrying frame is lifted.

Abstract: What is disclosed herein is an apparatus for producing a hot-formed product from a cast metal without homogenizing of the cast metal between a casting means and a hot-forming means. The apparatus includes a conditioning means for reducing the cross-sectional area of the cast metal with a single compression by at least 36% as the cast metal passes at substantially hot-forming temperature between the casting means and the hot-forming means. The reduction of the cross-sectional area of the cast metal by at least 36% substantially destroys the as cast dendritic structure of the cast metal prior to the cast metal being hot-formed in the hot-forming means and results in hot-forming being achieved without the splitting and cracking of the cast metal which would otherwise occur in the absence of conventional homogenizing.

Abstract: A straightener for a multistrand continuous-casting machine. The straightener includes fulcrum rolls and reaction rolls which precede and follow the fulcrum rolls. The fulcrum rolls for all the strands are idlers and are coaxial, but the reaction rolls which follow the fulcrum rolls and engage intermediate strands are offset in a direction parallel to the length of the strands from the reaction rolls which engage the outer strands. The offset enable the drives for the bottom rolls opposite the intermediate reaction rolls to be connected directly to the bottom rolls.

Abstract: A continuous casting installation has a curved roller apron and a withdrawal and straightening unit. The latter has upper and lower rollers, and the upper rollers are vertically movable so that a gap may be formed between the same and a strand which extends into the withdrawal and straightening unit. A heating device is provided for the strand and may be moved from a position laterally of the withdrawal and straightening unit into the gap between the upper rollers and the strand when the upper rollers are raised. The heating device is preferably arranged in the region of the tangent point. When a strand cools to such an extent that the withdrawal and straightening unit can no longer bend it, as may occur in the event of a breakout, the upper rollers beyond the tangent point are raised. The strand is then driven forward until, by virtue of its curvature, it touches the raised upper rollers.

Abstract: A method and mechanism for determining forces on a casting as it solidifies in a continuous-casting machine. A plurality of roll-pairs of an otherwise conventional curved roll-rack are equipped with means (e.g. load cells) which show the compressive load exerted by the different roll-pairs on the casting. The roll-pair beyond which no further upward trend in compressive load occurs marks the plane at which the casting first solidifies throughout its cross section, since beyond this plane the casting no longer has a liquid core tending to bulge the skin and separate the rolls. Whenever the load on a roll-pair departs substantially from the norm, the indication is that the rolls of this pair are improperly gapped (that is, the spacing between roll faces is either too great or too little).

Abstract: An apparatus employed in the alignment of various components of a continuous-casting machine. The apparatus may be used relative to the continuous-casting machine per se, or it may be employed at a location removed from the continuous-casting machine. The apparatus insures a more accurate alignment of the components with a substantial minimization of downtime during such alignment.

Abstract: A supporting and guiding stand for continuously cast strands, in particular slabs, has rollers forming oppositely arranged roller paths to support the strand, uninterrupted longitudinal carriers accommodating the rollers, transverse carriers spaced along the longitudinal carriers, driven rollers journaled on the transverse carriers via brackets, and adjustment means provided for adjusting the driven rollers to the strand or to a starter bar.