Apparatus for bending continuous cast slabs

Claim 1

A continuous casting machine comprising: a. a tundish containing molten metal that flows into b. a vertically reciprocable mold wherein the molten metal partially solidifies and from which a cast slab continually emerges; c. a plurality of rollers disposed below said mold that exert reactionary forces on such slab; d. a support frame; e. means pivotally supporting one end of said frame; f. means connected to the other end of said frame for holding said frame in operative relation to said mold; g. a flexible chain for supporting said slab after it emerges from said mold said chain comprising: i. a plurality of pairs of roll brackets pivotally interconnected together, each said bracket including 1. a fixed bearing and a movable bearing, with ii. a pair of rollers journaled in each pair of brackets and on opposite sides of said slab, with iii. means for moving said movable bearing relative to said fixed bearing; h. means pivotally connecting one end of said flexible chain to said frame at a location adjacent said plurality of rollers; i. means connected to the other end of said flexible chain for linearly extending said chain; j. equalizer arms pivotally mounted to said frame; k. first equalizer brackets mounted to said equalizer arms with each first equalizer bracket being mounted to a roller bracket; l. second equalizer brackets mounted to said equalizer arms with each second equalizer bracket being mounted to a roller bracket, said first equalizer brackets being disposed and spaced-apart relation to such second equalizer brackets; and m. means connected to said equalizer arm urging the rollers in the brackets mounted to said second equalizer brackets against said slab to bend said slab about the rollers mounted to the first equalizer brackets.