Feeding means for strip casting

Claim 1

IN A MACHINE FOR CASTING METAL STRIP DIRECTLY FROM MOLTEN METAL WHEREIN THE MOLTEN METAL IS FED INTO A CASTING REGION FORMED BY THE ADJACENT PARALLE SURFACES OF UPPER AND LOWER BELTS MOVING AT THE SAME SPEED AND WHEREIN A PORTION OF THE LOWER BELT EXTENDS BEYOND THE UPPER BELT FOR SUPPORTING MOLTEN METAL THEREON IN A BATH, APPARATUS FOR POURING THE MOLTEN METAL AND FOR DISTRIBUTING IT INTO THE BATH COMPRISING A POURING BOX HAVING AN OUTLET NEAR THE BOTTOM, ADJUSTABLE STOPPER MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE PASSAGE OF METAL THROUGH SAID OUTLET, A DISTRIBUTOR PLATE OF HEAT INSULATING MATERIAL BENEATH SAID OUTLET AND HAVING AN EDGE ADJACENT TO THE EXTENDING PORTION OF THE LOWER BELT, SAID DISTRIBUTOR PLATE HAVING A PLURALITY OF GROOVES CUT THEREIN WHICH ARE SHALLOW BENEATH SAID OUTLET AND WHICH BECOME PROGRESSIVELY DEEPER AS THEY RUN DOWN TO SAID EDGE, WALL MEANS ENCLOSING THE METAL AS IT MOVES FROM THE OUTLET INTO THE SHALLOW PART OF THE GROOVES, A TOP PLATE OVERLYING SAID GROOVES AND HAVING A PORTION NEAR THE SHALLOW END OF SAID GROOVES FOR RESTRICTING THE FLOW OF METAL DOWN SAID GROOVES, SAID TOP PLATE OVERHANGING SAID EDGE OF THE DISTRIBUTOR PLATE AT THE DEEP ENDS OF SAID GROOVES, AND A BAFFLE SECURED TO THE OVERHANGING TOP PLATE IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE DEEPER ENDS OF SAID GROOVES FORMING AN ENCLOSED DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL RUNNING ALONG SAID EDGE OF THE DISTRIBUTOR PLATE ACROSS THE EXTENDING PORTION OF THE LOWER BELT.