Method and means for continuous casting employing compartmented molds

Claim 1

A COMPOSITE MOLD FOR THE CONTINUOUS CASTING OF A METAL STRAND FROM MOLTEN METAL COMPRISING A FIRST CONSTRAINING MOLD HAVING WALLS DEFINING A MOLD SHAFT, SAID SHAFT CONSTRAINING MOLTEN METAL POURED THEREIN TO DEFINE THE PERIPHERY THEREOF AS THE METAL PASSES THROUGH THE SHAFT ALONG THE CENTRAL AXIS THEREOF, INSERTS MOUNTED IN THE WALLS OF SAID SHAFT AND EXTENDING ALONG SAID CENTRAL AXIS OF SAID SHAFT, SAID INSERTS HAVING SUFFICIENT POOR THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY AS TO PREVENT SOLIDIFICATION OF SAID MOLTEN METAL AS IT PASSES THROUGH SAID MOLD SHAFT, MEANS TO COOL THE WALLS OF SAID FIRST CONSTRAINING MOLD TO FORM A SKIN OF SOLIDIFIED METAL ON OPPOSED WALL PORTIONS SEPARATED BY A CENTRAL CORE OF MOLTEN METAL EXTENDING INTO CONTACT WITH SAID INSERTS, A SECOND CONSTRAINING MOLD HAVING WALLS DEFINING A SECOND MOLD SHAFT HAVING A LARGER CROSS SECTIONAL AREA THAN THE MOLD SHAFT OF SAID FIRST MOLD, SAID SECOND MOLD SHAFT POSITIONED CONTIGUOUS WITH SAID FIRST MOLD SHAFT, AND MEANS TO COOL THE WALLS OF THE SHAFT OF THE SECOND MOLD TO FORM A STRAND FROM THE SOLIDIFIED SKINS FORMED BY THE FIRST MOLD AND THE MOLTEN METAL FLOWING THROUGH THE MOLTEN CENTRAL CORE IN SAID FIRST MOLD AND INTO THE SECOND MOLD.