One-piece casting form

Claim 1

FOR USE ON A STRIPPING MACHINE FOR STRIPPING LONG U-SHAPED STEEL CASTING FORMS, SAID CASTING FORMS HAVING KEY FORMING PORTIONS EXTENDING TOWARD EACH OTHER FROM OPPOSITE SIDES, SAID STRIPPING MACHINE HAVING MEANS PROVIDING A CONTOUR CURVED PLATE SURFACE OVER WHICH THE FORM BOTTOM IS ARCHED AS SEEN IN TRANSVERSE SECTION AND HAVING PULLING MEANS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE CONTOUR MEANS FOR ENGAGING THE FORM SIDES FOR PULLING THE FORM DOWN TO CONFORM TO THE CONTOUR CURVE, SAID STRIPPING MACHINE HAVING FIXED STOPS FOR LIMITING THE DOWNWARD TRAVEL OF THE FORM SIDES DURING ARCHING OF THE FORM BOTTOM, SAID FORM SIDES BEING REINFORCED AND THE CASTING FORM HAVING GRIP PORTIONS TO BE ENGAGED BY SAID PULLING MEANS, SAID CONTOUR CURVE BEING LONG ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE A FULL WIDTH CASTING FORM FOR CASTING FULL WIDTH SLABS, SAID PULLING MEANS BEING DIMENSIONED TO COOPERATE WITH OPPOSED GRIP PORTIONS ON SUCH FULL WIDTH FORMS, THE SPACING ACROSS SUCH FULL WIDTH FORM GRIP PORTIONS BEING THE EFFECTIVE WIDTH OF A CASTING FORM STRUCTURE, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A SUB-STANDARD WIDTH CASTING FORM HAVING A U SHAPE WITH A FORM BOTTOM TO BE ARCHED AND WITH THE U SIDES BEING CLOSER THAN IN A FULL WIDTH FORM TO PROVIDE A NARROWER CASTING, RIGID REINFORCING MEANS AND GRIP MEANS FOR EACH FORM SIDE, SAID RIGID REINFORCING MEANS HAVING ONE PORTION ALONG THE OUTSIDE OF THE FORM SIDE AND HAVING A SECOND PORTION EXTENDING LATERALLY AWAY FROM THE FORM SIDE BUT A LEVEL SOMEWHAT HIGHER THAN THAT OF THE FORM BOTTOM, WHEN FLAT, SAID GRIP PORTION EXTENDING FROM THE SECOND PORTION LATERALLY AWAY FROM THE FORM SIDE, SAID REINFORCING MEANS BEING DIMENSIONED TO SPACE SAID GRIP MEANS TO PROVIDE THE SAME EFFECTIVE WIDTH AS IN A FULL WIDTH FORM, SAID RIGID REINFORCING MEANS FOR THE SUB-STANDARD WIDTH FORM HAVING THE SECOND PORTIONS THEREOF OVERLYING UNUSED CONTOUR CURVE PORTIONS AT A HIGH ENOUGH EVELATION TO REMAIN CLEAR OF SUCH UNUSED CONTOUR PLATE SURFACES DURING STRIPPING AND HAVING ALL PORTIONS, INCLUDING GRIP PORTIONS, DIMENSIONED TO ENGAGE SAID FIXED STOPS OF SAID STRIPPING MACHINE WHEN SAID SUBSTANDARD WIDTH FORM IS IN ARCHED STRIPPING POSITION TO LIMIT THE DROP OF GRIP PORTIONS, THE DIMENSIONS OF PORTIONS OF SAID REINFORCEMENTS AND GROUT KEYS BEING DETERMINED BY THE WIDTH OF THE SUB-STANDARD CASTING, SAID SUB-STANDARD WIDTH CASTING FORM BEING USABLE ON A STRIPPING MACHINE FOR FULL WIDTH FORMS WITHOUT ANY ADJUSTMENTS OR CHANGES IN THE MACHINE AND WITHOUT DANGER OF OVER-STRESSING THE FORM BOTTOM.