Automatic torch positioning apparatus

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS CASTING MACHINE CUT-OFF MECHANISM IN WHICH THE CUTTING MEANS IS AUTOMATICALLY POSITIONED IN CORRECT RELATIONSHIP TO THE EDGE OF THE METAL CASTING AT THE START OF EACH CUTTING CYCLE COMPRISING: (A) COUNTING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO A LENGTH OF SAID CASTING; (B) A CARRIAGE MOUNTED TO RECIPROCATE ALONG THE LINE OF TRAVEL OF SAID CASTING; (C) CLAMPS MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIAGE AND RESPONSIVE TO SAID COUNTING MEANS FOR GRASPING SAID CASTING WHEREBY SAID CARRIAGE TRAVELS WITH SAID CASTING; (D) A CUTTING TORCH; (E) A FEELER ADAPTED TO CONTACT SAID CASTING; (F) A PIVOT FOR SUPPORTING SAID FEELER INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF SAID FEELER FOR ROTATION; (G) A SUPPORT ARM FOR SAID TORCH AND SAID PIVOT; (1) MEANS FOR ROTATIONALLY POSITIONING SAID FEELER ABOUT SAID PIVOT SO THAT THE PORTION OF SAID FEELER WHICH IS ADAPTED TO CONTACT SAID CASTING EXTENDS BELOW SAID CUTTING TORCH AND LIES BETWEEN SAID CUTTING TORCH AND SAID CASTING; (H) A TORCH LIFT ATTACHING SAID SUPPORT ARM TO SAID CARRIAGE; (1) SAID TORCH LIFT HAVING A WHEEL ASSEMBLY ADAPTED TO CONTACT THE TOP OF SAID CASTING TO STOP THE LOWERING OF SAID LIFT WHEN SAID TORCH IS AT THE PROPER HEIGHT ABOVE SAID CASTING TO CUT SAID CASTING; (I) A ROTARY TORCH ACTUATOR FOR MOVING SAID SUPPORT ARM CARRYING SAID TORCH AND SAID PIVOT FOR SAID FEELER RELATIVE TO SAID LIFT TOWARD SAID CASTING AFTER SAID TORCH LIFT HAS LOWERED SAID TORCH INTO CUTTING POSITION SUCH THAT SAID FEELER SEQUENTIALLY ENGAGES A SIDE AND THEN AN EDGE OF SAID CASTING AND ROTATES ABOUT SAID PIVOT UNTIL A PREDETERMINED ROTATION IS REACHED; (J) A FIRST LIMIT SWITCH ADAPTED TO BE ACTUATED BY SAID FEELER WHEN SAID PREDETERMINED ROTATION ABOUT SAID PIVOT IS REACHED SUCH THAT SAID FIRST LIMIT SWITCH CAUSES SAID ROTARY TORCH ACTUATOR TO STOP THE MOVEMENT OF SAID SUPPORT ARM TOWARD SAID CASTING WHEN SAID TORCH IS POINTED AT THE EDGE OF SAID CASTING, AND TURNS ON SAID TORCH TO PREHEAT THE EDGE OF SAID BILLET; (K) A TIMER MECHANISM TO BE ACTUATED BY SAID FIRST LIMIT SWITCH FOR ADJUSTING SAID TORCH AFTER A PREDETERMINED TIME TO CUT SAID CASTING AND SIMULTANEOUSLY CAUSING SAID ROTARY TORCH ACTUATOR TO MORE SAID SUPPORT ARM TANSVERSE OF THE DIRECTION OF CASTING TRAVEL SUCH THAT SAID TORCH CUTS SAID CASTING; (1) A SECOND LIMIT SWITCH ADAPTED TO BE ACTUATED BY THE MOVEMENT OF SAID SUPPORT ARM TRANSVERSE TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF THE CASTING WHEN SAID TORCH HAS COMPLETED THE CUTTING OF SAID CASTING WHICH TURNS OFF SAID TORCH, CAUSES SAID CLAMPS TO DETACH SAID CARRIAGE FROM SAID CASTING, CAUSES SAID TORCH LIFT TO RAISE SAID SUPPORT ARM, AND CAUSES SAID ROTARY TORCH ACTUATOR TO RETRACT SAID TORCH ARM; AND (1) MEANS FOR RETURNING SAID CARRIAGE TO ITS STARTING POSITION ON THE LINE OF TRAVEL OF SAID CASTING ADAPTED TO BE ACTUATED BY SAID SECOND LIMIT SWITCH SUCH THAT SAID APPARATUS IS READY FOR THE NEXT SIGNAL FROM SAID COUNTING MEANS TO BEGIN ANOTHER CUTTING CYCLE.