Continuous casting

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS CASTING OF METAL COMPRISING, A MOLD HAVING A CAVITY EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THERETHROUGH OPEN AT ITS OPPOSITE ENDS AND FORMED BY THE INSIDE SURFACES OF A PLURALITY OF MOLD SECTIONS LOCATED AT ALL TIMES AROUND THE CAVITY WITH SAID INSIDE SURFACES DISPOSED AT ALL TIMES SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE CAVITY, ONE OF SAID OPEN ENDS OF SAID CAVITY BEING A RECEIVING END THROUGH WHICH MOLTEN METAL CAN BE INTRODUCED INTO SAID CAVITY AND THE OTHER OF SAID OPEN ENDS OF SAID CAVITY BEING A DISCHARGE END THROUGH WHICH SAID METAL CAN BE PROGRESSIVELY DISCHARGED FROM SAID CAVITY, VIBRATING MEANS CONNECTED TO VIBRATE SAID MOLD SECTIONS TO CAUSE A SELECTED PLURALITY OF OPPOSED SURFACES OF SAID INSIDE SURFACES OF SAID SECTIONS TO VIBRATE IN CLOSED PATHS, EACH PATH CONSISTING OF TWO CONSECUTIVE PORTIONS OF MOVEMENT, THE FIRST PORTION OF MOVEMENT INVOLVING MOVING EACH OF SAID OPPOSED INSIDE SURFACES OF THE SECTIONS TOWARD SAID LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID CAVITY AND FORWARD TOWARD THE DISCHARGE END THEREOF TO PROVIDE A DRIVING FORCE ON THE METAL CASTING TO PROPAGATE IT THROUGH THE CAVITY, THE SECOND PORTION OF MOVEMENT INVOLVING MOVING EACH OF SAID OPPOSED INSIDE SURFACES IN RETRACTION AWAY FROM SAID LONGITUDINAL AXIS AND IN RETURN MOVEMENT TOWARD THE RECEIVING END OF SAID CAVITY WHILE SAID METAL IS IN SAID CAVITY SO THAT RESISTANCE TO THE FORWARD MOVEMENT OF THE METAL BY THE INSIDE SURFACES OF THE SECTIONS IS MINIMIZED.