Abstract: Improvements are provided in a continuous caster mold for preventing undesired variation in the angular alignment of the narrow mold walls during casting. In one aspect, an improvement is provided in a mechanism for adjusting the spacing and angular alignment of the mold wall so as to enhance the rigidity thereof. An elongated rigidly mounted housing is provided with a slidable member extending through an opening in the housing and connected to the mold wall. A mechanism is provided for adjusting the spacing of the walls by movement of the slidable member back and forth in the housing. A mechanism is provided extending longitudinally through the housing and slidable member for adjusting the angular alignment of the mold wall by tilting the wall about the axis of a first pivotal connection by movement of a second pivotal connection of the wall and said slidable member.

Abstract: A width changing method in which the width of a slab under casting is changed by a movement of narrow face of a continuous casting mold by the operation of a horizontal driving device and a rotary driving device operable independently of the horizontal driving device. The period of width changing operation is divided into a forward taper changing period in which each narrow face is inclined toward the center of the mold and a rearward taper changing period in which each mold wall is inclined away from the center of the mold. The acceleration of the horizontal movement of each narrow face is determined by means of allowable shell deformation resistance as a parameter for each period. Also is determined the angular velocity of the rotary device or the difference in velocity between the upper and lower ends of the narrow face. The width changing operation is conducted while maintaining the acceleration and the angular velocity or the velocity difference at constant levels in respective periods.

Abstract: An improvement is provided in continuous caster molds for quick disconnect of a mold wall from its spacing adjustment mechanism. A plate attached to the adjustment mechanism is aligned generally parallel to the mold wall. A pair of connections are provided adjacent upper and lower ends of the mold walls for connecting the wall to the plate. The lower connection is adapted to make the wall and plate readily separable at the lower connection. The improvement is provided in an upper connection which includes a pair of flange portions of the wall and plate having at least one pair of mateably aligned holes therein. A pin is adapted to fit in the holes of the flange portions and is threadedly engaged in the hole in one of said flange portions. Upon removal of the pin, the wall and adjustment mechanism are made readily separable and one can be lifted free of the other.

Abstract: A method of changing the width of a continuous metal casting of rectangular cross section without interrupting the casting, wherein a length of the continuous casting is cast through a mold defining a cavity of rectangular cross section having a longitudinal axis, the mold having two small side walls determining therebetween the width of the continuous casting, at least one of the side walls being displaceable with respect to the longitudinal axis to change the width, which comprises the improvement of so controlling the displacement of the one side wall in response to the length of the continuous casting cast since the beginning of the width changing operation that a transition zone of changing width of the continuous casting has a predetermined length regardless of any change in the casting speed of the continuous casting during said operation.

Abstract: In an apparatus for the continuous casting of metal, especially with a casting machine having circulating molds, the metal flows as a melt out of a nozzle, if appropriate with a nozzle mouthpiece, between molds and solidifies between side-limiting elements. The mouthpiece has adjoining it on each of its two sides a baffle which is followed in the casting direction by a cooling block. Between the baffle and cooling block there is a gap through which a gas can be blown into a corner region formed by the baffle, cooling block and melt, this gas forming a gas cushion in this corner region. The throughflow width of the molten metal between the baffles located opposite one another can be changed as a result of the movement of the baffles in the direction. The same applies to the width of the cooling blocks located opposite one another.

Abstract: A vertical continuous casting mold has a pair of wide walls, and a pair of narrow walls which are received between the wide walls. The narrow walls are translatable back-and-forth, and also pivotable, in order to change the width of a strand cast in the mold. Each of the narrow walls is driven by an arrangement which permits the respective narrow wall to be remotely adjusted during casting. The arrangement for each narrow wall includes a pair of internally threaded sleeves which are respectively articulated to an upper and a lower portion of the corresponding wall. A rotatable spindle is threaded into each sleeve. The spindles are operative to cause axial displacement of the associated sleeves in response to rotation of the spindles. The two spindles for each narrow wall are rotated by a common motor. A first transmission transmits motion from the motor to one of the spindles, and a second transmission transmits motion from the motor to the other spindle.

Abstract: An adjustable slide mold for twin casting installations includes two angular mold parts slidably engaging each other at two contact surfaces. At least one of the mold parts is formed with a projecting arm engaging the opposite mold part at an additional contact surface to divide the extrusion channel into a plurality of parallel extrusion passages. The mold parts are connected to an adjusting drive which uniformly displaces the mold parts relative to each other in opposite directions, so that the centers of respective extrusion passages remain stationary irrespective of the adjustment of their cross-sectional areas.

Abstract: Additional intermediate narrow side walls are provided between narrow side walls at an apparatus for continuous casting of metals for casting as desired of metal bars with slab boom cross-section or of at least two metal bars of smaller cross-section, where a plate mold is employed, which is provided with a water tank supporting the narrow side walls and the wide side walls. In order to use best the cross-sectional area available for the forming of a slab bloom and in order to maintain acceptable and favorable viewing conditions immediately below the mold, the copper plates of the wide side walls between the end side narrow side walls are in each case subdivided by at least one recess in the longitudinal direction of the advancing metal bar in order to be able to cast at least two bars concurrently.

Abstract: Control method for preventing a breakout or/and a crack of the slab of continuous casting equipment. Heat flux waveforms or heat flux values commensurate to extracted heat values at various positions of a mold are measured by means of thin plate type surface heat flux meters (14, 14x, 14y, 14z) provided at various positions on side shell plate (11, 11c) of the mold (10). When an abnormality or a deviation from a target value is detected, pouring rate is changed, scope of supply, brands and the like of mold powder are controlled, or taper value of short sides of the mold is controlled, so that a breakout or/and a crack of the slab is prevented.

Abstract: An insert is provided for a continuous caster mold which permits casting of plural strands in the mold. The insert has opposed wall faces, the spacing of which is independently adjustable at their upper and lower ends. The spacing of the upper and lower ends is made adjustable by separately actuable wedge assemblies, each of which includes a wedge and ramps having mateable angularly aligned surfaces. At least one surface in each pair of adjoining wedge and ramp surfaces has a convex curvature to permit adjustment of the angular alignment of the wall faces as required at the various spacing distances thereof. The wedges provide greater rigidity than screw-type adjustment, preventing undesirable variations in taper during casting. The invention includes a method of installing the insert in the mold and adjusting the spacing and angular alignment of the opposed wall faces of the insert.

Abstract: This invention provides a method of continuously casting steel with the use of a copper or copper alloy mold comprising a pair of long side mold pieces and a pair of short side mold pieces slidable along the long side mold pieces for changing the width of the slab to be produced, the method being characterized by inserting into the mold at each corner thereof a cooling member made of a material identical or substantially identical with the steel to be cast and slidingly moving the short side mold pieces under reduced clamping pressure acting between the long side mold pieces and the short side mold pieces in contact therewith.

Abstract: The width of a slab can be easily increased during a continuous casting operation by a simple method, wherein casting of a molten steel is temporarily stopped during the continuous casting operation, the narrow side of a casting mold is moved to a predetermined width, corresponding to the increased width to be of the slab, to form a space between the narrow side of the mold and the solidified shell of a slab, a closing member having a width 1-5 mm smaller than the increased width of the slab, and a cooling and sealing material are inserted into the space to form a clearance of 1-5 mm between the closing member and the narrow side of the mold, and the casting of the molten steel is again started.

Abstract: An adjustable mold for use in electromagnetic casting systems wherein the side walls of the mold are adjustable so as to allow for the casting of ingots of various sizes by a single mold.

Abstract: During a change in casting parameters, particularly during displacement of a mold wall to change the strand format or cross-sectional shape, the supporting action and the cooling capacity should not fall either below a well-defined supporting action and a predetermined cooling capacity in order to avoid metal break-out or other defects in the cast strand. Furthermore, upon changing the strand cross-section the rate of adjustment should be increased in order to reduce the length of transitional pieces between the old strand format and the new strand format. To achieve this result it is contemplated to bend the mold wall, during displacement thereof into each pivotal position thereof, this bending of the mold wall corresponding to the instantaneous geometric shape of the moving solidified shell or skin of the strand and such bending is represented by bending lines.

Abstract: A continuous casting mold is adapted for measurement of the clamping force exerted on the mold sidewalls. A method of adjusting the mold size includes measuring the clamping force and adjusting it to a predetermined value, preferably a value related to the size to which the mold is adjusted. The method may also include monitoring the clamping force during casting and adjusting it so as to maintain it constant at said predetermined value.

Abstract: Disclosed is an adjustable sliding mold assembled of two angular mold pieces slidably engaging each other at two mating surfaces. Adjusting means, preferably in the form of a spindle, is hinged to an outer side of a mold part to move the same transversely to the extrusion channel. The movable mold part is formed with an arcuate guide surface extending transversely to the extrusion channel and cooperating with a stationary complementary bearing surface so that during adjustment of the width of the extrusion channel the guiding surface automatically adjusts the taper of the channel.

Abstract: In a mold having a pair of narrow side walls, a method for reducing the mold width during continuous casting of molten metal includes, as a first step, inwardly moving the upper end portion of at least one of the narrow side walls while maintaining the lower end of that side wall fixed. Thereafter, as a second step, the whole narrow side wall is uniformly moved so that the lower and upper end portions move in parallel. Then, as a third step, the lower end portion of the narrow side wall is moved inwardly until the side wall is inclined at a predetermined angle, thus completing the mold width reduction.

Abstract: A method of enlarging the width of a continuously cast strand comprising partially immersing a metallic joint having an I-shaped transverse cross-section in the tail end of a firstly cast strand which is downwardly moving or stationary in a rectangular mold cavity defined by narrow and wide pairs of mold pieces, hold the joint in position until the tail end of the strand is solidified, outwardly moving the narrow mold pieces to define the desired enlarged width of the strand, filling the so-formed openings between the strand and walls of the mold pieces with a refractory material and then with a metallic cushioning material, restarting the continuous strand casting process.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for adjusting the inclination of the small sides in a mold for continuous casting, selectively in response to any variations of the mold sides as such, and in response to any variation of the gap between the casting emerging from the mold and the lower end thereof. A feedback loop operating in response to mold side inclination should be responsive to command input which are dependent upon the casting speed.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for accurately and quickly adjusting the distance and tilt angle or taper between movable side wall mold plates in adjustable width continuous casting mold sections. A pair of spaced primary mold members with movable side wall mold plates therebetween, form an open ended mold cavity. Each side wall mold plate is connected to upper and lower fixed mold supports by separate upper and lower adjustable length connectors which have their inner ends hinged to the side wall mold plates. Each connector has an axial bore receiving a transducer core for reciprocating movement along a linear path. A cylindrical transducer coil housing in the bore, fixed relative to the mold cavity center, surrounds the movable core. The transducer core has one end anchored to a side wall mold plate.

Abstract: To obtain a short adjustment time with small risk of metal break-out, it is intended during the changing of the dimensions of a continuously cast strand to alter during the casting operation i.e. while the pour or teeming operation is in progress, at least during a time interval of the pivotal movement of the mold wall, the mutual relationship of the displacement speeds of two devices for moving the mold wall and the position of the pivot axis of the mold wall is shifted parallel to its starting position.

Abstract: The narrow sides or side walls of a plate mold are adjusted or set, during continuous casting, while increasing their mutual spacing from one another in order to increase the sectional shape or format of the continuously cast strand. The withdrawn heat of the narrow sides of the mold is measured and used as a control magnitude for setting the adjustment speed of such narrow sides of the mold.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is a method for increasing the width of a cast piece during continuous operation. The method comprises stopping pouring a molten metal into a mold, inserting a frame including a pair of opposite side plate members into the mold so that the lower ends of the members are dipped in the molten metal, pouring the molten metal into a cavity defined by said frame, and withdrawing the cast piece together with said frame to obtain a cast piece having a desired width.