Continuous casting apparatus for casting hollow billets

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS FOR THE CONTINUOUS CASTING OF HOLLOW METAL BILLETS WHICH INCLUDES AN UPRIGHT STATIONARY OUTER ANNULAR GRAPHITE MOLD WITH AN OPEN ENDED BOTTOM MOUNTED SNUGLY WITHIN AN ANNULAR MOLD SUPPORT, AN INNER ANNULAR UPRIGHT HOLLOW GRAPHITE MANDREL EXTENDING INTO THE ANNULAR MOLD FROM ABOVE TO PROVIDE AN INTERIOR ANNULAR SPACED BETWEEN THE MANDREL AND THE MOLD, THE ANNULAR MANDREL FORMING AN UPRIGHT HOLLOW INNER CHAMBER OPEN AT ITS TOP AND CLOSED AT ITS BOTTOM FOR RECEIVING AND FLOWING THEREFROM A BODY OF MOLTEN METAL, A PLURALITY OF PERIPHERALLY SPACED DUCTS EXTENDING THROUGH THE WALL OF THE LOWER PORTION OF THE MANDREL CHAMBER AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE UPPER PORTION OF THE ANNULAR SPACE BETWEEN THE ANNULAR MANDREL AND THE ANNULAR MOLD, AND A FEED PIPE EXTENDING INTO THE MANDREL CHAMBER, SO THAT MOLTEN METAL MAY FLOW CONTINUOUSLY THROUGH THE FEED PIPE DOWNWARDLY INTO THE MANDREL CHAMBER AND THENCE THROUGH THE DUCTS INTO THE ANNULAR SPACE BETWEEN THE ANNULAR MANDREL AND THE ANNULAR MOLD WHERE MOLTEN METAL FREEZES TO FORM A CONTINUOUS PROGRESSIVELY ADVANCING HOLLOW BILLET, THE IMPROVEMENT IN COMBINATION THEREWITH WHICH COMPRISES: (A) THE INNER ANNULAR UPRIGTH HOLLOW MANDREL (M) IS IN THE FORM OF A REMOVABLE PERIPHERAL SLEEVE HAVING A MANDREL HEAD (10) FITTING SNUGLY IN AND SUPPORTED EXTERIORLY BY AN OUTER ANNULAR MANDREL HEAD SUPPORT (4). (B) THE OUTER MANDREL HEAD SUPPORT (4) IS SECURABLE TO AND DETACHABLY REMOVABLE FROM THE ANNULAR MOLD SUPPORT (1) (C) THE OUTER ANNULAR MANDREL HEAD SUPPORT (4) IS PROVIDED WITH AN ANNULAR DEPENDING SHIELD PORTION (12) INTO WHICH THE ANNULAR MANDREL (M) FITS SNUGLY TO PROTECT A PART OF THE ANNULAR MANDREL (M) ABOVE THE OPERATING LEVEL (L) OF CASTING MOLTEN METAL (L'') IN THE MANDREL CHAMBER (21) AND THE ANNULAR SPACE (22) BETWEEN THE ANNULAR MOLD (2) AND THE ANNULAR MANDREL (M); AND (D) THE INNER ANNULAR MANDREL (M) AND THE OUTER ANNULAR MOLD (2) ARE UNIFORMLY SPACED FROM EACH OTHER TO PROVIDE AN ANNULAR SPACE (22) OF PREDETERMINED CROSS-SECTION TO PRODUCE A CONTINUOUS HOLLOW BILLET (S) HAVING A SOLID WALL OF UNIFORM PREDETERMINED THICKNESS.