Tundish having outlet nozzle comprising a swivellable terminal portion

Claim 1

In apparatus adapted for use in the continuous casting of steel, which apparatus comprises a tundish for receiving molten metal to be cast, said tundish having a vertically disposed outlet defined by thermoinsulating material, a narrow throat defined by thermoinsulating material connecting said outlet with the inlet of a substantially horizontal tubular nozzle projecting laterally outward from one of a pair of opposite sidewalls of the tundish; a continuous casting mould secured to said wall of the tundish with the longitudinal axis of the mould cavity substantially horizontal, the cross-sectional area of the cavity being greater than that of the nozzle bore, and said mould comprising an apertured silicon nitride plate constituting the inlet of the mould; means biassing said plate into engagement with the outlet of the nozzle so that the bore of the nozzle is in sealed relation with the mould cavity to prevent ingress or air and egress of metal between the nozzle and the mould; and means for admitting a heater to said throat, said means comprising an aperture defined by the sidewall of the tundish opposite to that from which the nozzle projects, a passage defined by thermoinsulating materiAl extending from said aperture to said throat with the longitudinal axis of the passage aligned with the axis of the bore of the nozzle, the cross-sectional dimensions of the aperture and passage being large enough to permit a heater to be passed therethrough into said narrow throat, a removable sealing plug fitted into said aperture and a passage, and quick release locking means on said tundish for securing said plug in position, the improvement according to which said nozzle comprises two parts, one of which constitutes the inlet of the nozzle and extends to the sidewall of the tundish and the other of which constitutes the outlet of the nozzle, said two parts of the nozzle having coacting partspherical surfaces, which permit the longitudinal axes of the bore of the two parts of the nozzle to have limited inclination relative to each other while the surfaces remain in contact with one another.