Mold for continuous casting

Claim 1

A MOLD FOR CONTINUOUSLY CASTING METAL, OF THE TYPE COMPRISING A METAL WALL ENCLOSING A MOLD CAVITY, A GRAPHITE LINER FITTED IN SAID MOLD CAVITY, SAID METAL WALL COMPRISING IN EFFECT, THREE SLEEVE-LIKE ZONES, NAMELY, AN INNER ZONE, AN INTERMEDIATE ZONE AND AN OUTER ZONE, THE METAL OF SAID INTERMEDIATE ZONE BEING INTEGRAL WITH THE ADJOINING METAL OF SAID INNER AND OUTER ZONE, SAID INTERMEDIATE ZONE HAVING A PLURALITY OF COOLING PASSAGES SEPARATED BY CONNECTING MEMBERS INTEGRALLY CONNECTING SAID INNER AND OUTER ZONES, SAID COOLING PASSAGES BEING CLOSE ENOUGH TOGETHER TO FORM A HEAT BARRIER BETWEEN INNER AND OUTER ZONES, SAID CONNECTING MEMBERS BEING CLOSE ENOUGH TOGETHER AND SUFFICIENTLY HEAVY TO PROVIDE A STIFF CONNECTION BETWEEN INNER AND OUTER ZONES, SAID INNER ZONE, UNDER THE TEMPERATURE OF OPERATION, BEING SUBJECT TO EXPANSION AND PLASTIC DEFORMATION, SAID OUTER ZONE BEING OF SUCH STRENGTH THAT, AT ITS LOWER TEMPERATURE MAINTAINED BY THE HEAT BARRIER OF SAID INTERMEDIATE ZONE, IT IS NOT PLASTICALLY DEFORMED BY THE FORCES EXERTED UPON IT BY SAID INNER ZONE AND THEREFORE ENABLES SAID CONNECTING MEMBERS TO RESTRICT PLASTIC DEFORMATION AND OUTWARD EXPANSION OF SAID INNER ZONE AND THUS TO HOLD SAID LINER UNDER SUFFICIENT COMPRESSION TO MAINTAIN A FLUID-FREE, SOLID-TO-SOLID CONTACT AT THE INTERFACE BETWEEN METAL WALL AND LINER.