Reciprocating mold and coolant-support section continuous casting machine

Claim 1

A CASTING MACHINE FOR CONTINUOUSLY CASTING FERROUS MOLTEN METAL, SUCH AS CARBON, ALLOY AND STAINLESS STEELS, WHEREIN A CAST PRODUCT IS CAST IN A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL POSITION AND THEREAFTER CAUSED TO ASSUME A HORIZONTAL POSITION FOR CONVEYANCE FROM THE CASTING MACHINE, AND WHEREIN DURING THE CASTING PROCESS A STREAM OF MOLTEN METAL PENETRATES THE INTERIOR OF THE PARTIALLY SOLIDIFIED CAST PRODUCT COMPRISING: A VERTICALLY ARRANGED MOLD FOR CAUSING INITIAL SOLIDIFICATION OF THE WALLS OF THE CAST PRODUCT AND HAVING OPPOSED OPEN ENDS, A VERTICALLY ARRANGED FIRST SECONDARY COOLING SECTION INCLUDING SUPPORT MEANS FOR AT LEAST TWO OF THE SOLIDIFIED WALLS OF THE CAST PRODUCT FOR CAUSING FURTHER SOLIDIFICATION OF THE CAST PRODUCT ISSUING FROM THE MOLD AND HAVING OPPOSED OPEN ENDS, AN ARCUATELY ARRANGED SECOND SECONDARY COOLING SECTION FOLLOWING THE FIRST SECONDARY COOLING SECTION FOR CONVEYING THE CAST PRODUCT FROM THE VERTICAL POSITION TO THE HORIZONTAL POSITION, MEANS FOR CAUSING SAID MOLD AND AT LEAST THE PORTION OF SAID FIRST SECONDARY COOLING SECTION ADJACENT THE MOLD TO OSCILLATE IN UNISON IN A VERTICAL DIRECTION, SAID MOLD AND SAID FIRST SECONDARY COOLING SECTION BEING ARRANGED AND DISPOSED TO FORM A STRAIGHT VERTICAL PASSAGEWAY FOR THE CAST PRODUCT, HAVING AN EFFECTIVE TOTAL COOLING HEIGHT SUCH THAT THE CAST PRODUCT IS MAINTAINED IN A STRAIGHT, UNBENT CONDITION AND FREE FROM ANY BENDING STRESSES INCIDENT TO INITIATING THE BENDING OF THE CAST PRODUCT FROM THE VERTICAL POSITION TO THE HORIZONTAL POSITION UNTIL SUFFICIENT SOLIDIFICATION AND COOLING OF THE OUTER WALLS OCCUR AND BELOW THE LOCATION WHERE DETRIMENTAL INTERNAL WASHING ACTION OCCURS DUE TO SAID STREAM PENETRATION, AND WHEREIN THE TOTAL HEIGHT OF THE MOLD AND SAID FIRST SECONDARY COOLING SECTION IS SUCH THAT SAID SECOND SECONDARY COOLING SECTION RECEIVES THE PASS PRODUCT WHILE A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE TOTAL SECTION THICKNESS OF THE CAST PRODUCT IS STILL MOLTEN METAL.