Continuous casting ingot mold

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS INGOT CASTING MOLD COMPRISED OF A MOLD BODY HAVING AN OPEN BOTTOM AND TOP, SAID BODY BEING DEFINED BY A PLURALITY OF BODY-FORMING ELEMENTS IN ABUTTING RELATIONSHIP, AT LEAST TWO OF SAID ELEMENTS BEING OF IDENTICAL CROSS-SECTIONAL CONFIGURATION, SAID BODY-FORMING ELEMENTS HAVING MOLD DEFINING SURFACES AND JOINTDEFINING EDGE SURFACES, ONE JOINT-DEFINING EDGE SURFACE OF EACH ELEMENT HAVING A GROOVE THEREIN DISPOSED MIDWAY BETWEEN SAID MOLD DEFINING SURFACES, THE OTHER JOINTDEFINING SURFACE OF EACH BODY-FORMING ELEMENT HAVING A TONGUE DEFINED THEREON TO COOPERATE WITH THE GROOVE OF AN ADJACENT BODY-FORMING ELEMENT, SAID ELEMENTS BEING POSITIONED ONE WITH RESPECT TO THE OTHER, SUCH THAT THE GROOVE IN THE JOINT-DEFINING SURFACE OF ONE ELEMENT ABUTS AGAINST AND ENGAGES THE TONGUE ON THE JOINT-DEFINING SURFACE OF AN ADJACENT ELEMENT, THE JOINT-DEFINING SURFACES HAVING A BUTT JOINT WITH THE JOINT-DEFINING SURFACES IN ABUTTING RELATION AT ONE SIDE OF THE JOINT AND SPACED APART AT THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID JOINT, WHEREBY INWARD FLEXURE OF SAID BODY-FORMING ELEMENTS DUE TO THERMAL STRESS WILL MAINTAIN THE JOINT-DEFINING SURFACES IN TIGHTLY ABUTTING RELATION AT THE INNER PORTION OF SAID JOINT.