Apparatus for and method of casting metal members

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR CASTING STEEL INTO DIRECTLY ROLLABLE SLABS, BLOOMS, BILLETS AND THE LIKE, COMPRISING A PRESSURE CONTAINER FOR HOLDING MOLTEN METAL, A POURING TUBE HAVING ONE END EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID CONTAINER AND THE OTHER END IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID MOLTEN METAL, A GRAPHITE MOLD HAVING A CAVITY FORMED THEREIN SECURED TO SAID UPPER END OF SAID POURING TUBE IN A MANNER CAUSING SAID CAVITY TO BE SLIGHTLY INCLINED FROM THE HORIZONTAL, A FIRST PASSAGEWAY FORMED IN SAID MOLD FOR AT TIMES COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE UPPER END OF SAID POURING TUBE AND THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID CAVITY, A SECOND PASSAGEWAY FORMED IN SAID MOLD FOR AT TIMES COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE UPPER END OF SAID CAVITY AND THE AMBIENT ATMOSPHERE, A CHILL MEMBER FOR CLOSING SAID FIRST PASSAGEWAY WHEN SAID CAVITY IS FILLED, AND MEANS FOR AT TIMES COMPLETELY CLOSING SAID SECOND PASSAGEWAY, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A SUPPORT MEMBER SECURED TO SAID MOLD, A SECOND CHILL MEMBER AXIALLY ALIGNED WITH SAID SECOND PASSAGEWAY AND SLIDABLY RECEIVED BY SAID SUPPORT MEMBER, RESILIENT MEANS URGING SAID SECOND CHILL MEMBER TOWARD SAID SECOND PASSAGEWAY, AND TEMPERATURE RESPONSIVE ABUTMENT MEANS INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID SECOND PASSAGEWAY AND SAID SECOND CHILL MEMBER PREVENTING RECEPTION OF SAID SECOND CHILL MEMBER BY SAID SECOND PASSAGE UNTIL THE MOLTEN METAL WITHIN SAID CAVITY CAUSES SAID ABUTMENT MEANS TO MELT.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR CASTING STEEL INTO DIRECTLY ROLLABLE SLABS, BLOOMS, BILLETS AND THE LIKE, COMPRISING A PRESSURE CONTAINER FOR HOLDING MOLTEN METAL, A POURING TUBE HAVING ONE END EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID CONTAINER AND THE OTHER END IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID MOLTEN METAL, A GRAPHITE MOLD HAVING A CAVITY FORMED THEREIN SECURED TO SAID UPPER END OF SAID POURING TUBE IN A MANNER CAUSING SAID CAVITY TO BE SLIGHTLY INCLINED FROM THE HORIZONTAL, A FIRST PASSAGEWAY FORMED IN SAID MOLD FOR AT TIMES COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE UPPER END OF SAID POURING TUBE AND THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID CAVITY, A SECOND PASSAGEWAY FORMED IN SAID MOLD FOR AT TIMES COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE UPPER END OF SAID CAVITY AND THE AMBIENT ATMOSPHERE, A CHILL MEMBER FOR CLOSING SAID FIRST PASSAGEWAY WHEN SAID CAVITY IS FILLED, AND MEANS FOR AT TIMES COMPLETELY CLOSING SAID SECOND PASSAGEWAY, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A SUPPORT MEMBER SECURED TO SAID MOLD, A SECOND CHILL MEMBER AXIALLY ALIGNED WITH SAID SECOND PASSAGEWAY AND SLIDABLY RECEIVED BY SAID SUPPORT MEMBER, RESILIENT MEANS URGING SAID SECOND CHILL MEMBER TOWARD SAID SECOND PASSAGEWAY, AND TEMPERATURE RESPONSIVE ABUTMENT MEANS INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID SECOND PASSAGEWAY AND SAID SECOND CHILL MEMBER PREVENTING RECEPTION OF SAID SECOND CHILL MEMBER BY SAID SECOND PASSAGE UNTIL THE MOLTEN METAL WITHIN SAID CAVITY CAUSES SAID ABUTMENT MEANS TO MELT.