Continuous casting cooling method and apparatus

Claim 1

IN A METHOD OF CONTINUOUSLY CASTING METAL SHAPES WHEREIN MOLTEN METAL IS FED THROUGH A VERTICAL MOLD, SOLIDIFIED WITHIN THE MOLD AND CONTRACTED AWAY FROM THE WALLS OF THE MOLD WHILE BEING CONTINUOUSLY FED THERETHROUGH SO AS TO DEFINE A SEPARATION BETWEEN THE METAL SHAPE AND THE WALLS OF THE MOLD WHICH IS OPEN ONLY AT THE OUTLET END OF THE MOLD, AND WITHDRAWN IN ITS SOLIDIFIED METAL SHAPE, THE IMPROVEMENT IN COMBINATION THEREWITH COMPRISING FEEDING A THERMAL CONDUCTING LIQUID INTO THE MOLD ABOUT THE METAL SHAPE AT THE OUTLET END OF THE MOLD AND FORCING IT INTO THE SEPARATION BETWEEN THE METAL SHAPE AND THE WALLS OF THE MOLD IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF THE METAL SHAPE BY EFFECTING CAPILLARITY BETWEEN THE LIQUID AND THE WALLS OF THE MOLD, AND SUBSTANTIALLY FILLING THE SEPARATION TO THE POINT OF CONTACT OF THE METAL AND MOLD WITH THE LIQUID AND MAINTAINING LIQUID IN THE SEPARATION BY CAPILLARY ACTION SO THAT THE METAL SHAPE AND THE WALLS OF THE MOLD ARE PLACED IN HEAT EXCHANGER RELATIONSHIP ACROSS THE THERMAL CONDUCTING LIQUID FILLING THE SEPARATION TO PROMOTE COOLING AND ACCELERATE SOLIDIFICATION OF THE METAL SHAPE.