Process for producing hot tops

Claim 1

IN A METHOD FOR FORMING A HOT TOP SELECTIVELY AT ANY OF A PLURALITY OF DIFFERENT LEVELS WITHIN AN INGOT CASTING MOLD HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS SIDE WALLS, THE STEPS WHICH COMPRISE LOWERING AN OUTWARDLY EXPANSIBLE TEMPLATE IN THE COLLAPSED STATE THEREOF AT LEAST PARTIALLY WITHIN THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID INGOT MOLD TO THE SELECTED LEVEL THEREIN SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THE TOP THEREOF, EXPANDING THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID TEMPLATE OUTWARDLY AND ADJUSTABLY VARYING THE CROSS-SECTION OF SAID TEMPLATE FOR BRINGING THE LOWER EDGES THEREOF INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SIDE WALLS OF SAID MOLD SUBSTANTIALLY ENTIRELY THEREAROUND FORMING UPWARDLY CONVERGING TEMPLATE SURFACES DEFINING WITH SAID MOLD WALLS A TROUGH AROUND THE INSIDE THEREOF WITH THE CONFIGURATION AND AT THE LEVEL DESIRED FOR SAID HOT TOP, DEPOSITING IN SAID TROUGH A HARDENABLE HOT TOP MASS INCLUDING REFRACTORY MATERIAL AND A BINDER THEREFOR, SUPPLYING A HARDENING FLUID INTO SAID DEPOSITED MASS EFFECTING HARDENING OF SAID BINDER TO FORM SAID HOT TOP AFFIXED TO AND AROUND THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID MOLD WALLS AT SAID SELECTED LEVEL THEREIN, COLLAPSING SAID EXPANSIBLE TEMPLATE INWARDLY TO A CROSS-SECTIONAL DIMENSION LESS THAN THE SMALLEST CROSS-SECTIONAL DIMENSIONS WITHIN SAID HARDENED HOT TOP, AND LIFTING SAID COLLAPSED TEMPLATE FROM SAID MOLD AND THROUGH SAID HOT TOP TO LEAVE SAID HOT TOP COMPLETED AND FINISHED IN SAID MOLD AND READY TO RECEIVE MOLTEN METAL CAST THEREINTO.