Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
174 words
In a metal casting process the steps of: engaging the peripheral groove of a rotating casting wheel with a continuous flexible band to form an arcuate mold, feeding metal in a molten condition into the mold, cooling the metal in the mold until the metal has partially solidified, guiding the flexible band away from the peripheral groove in an upwardly inclined tangent from the lower portion of the casting wheel, removing the metal from the mold as an only partially solidified metal and moving the metal with the flexible band away from the peripheral groove along the upwardly inclined tangent so that the metal is supported by the flexible band, guiding the flexible band downwardly away from the metal while continuing to move the metal along the upwardly inclined tangent, and applying cooling fluid directly to the metal as the metal moves along the upwardly inclined tangent in sufficient quantity to complete the solidification of the metal before it reaches the level at which it was fed in a molten state into the mold.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
174 words
In a metal casting process the steps of: engaging the peripheral groove of a rotating casting wheel with a continuous flexible band to form an arcuate mold, feeding metal in a molten condition into the mold, cooling the metal in the mold until the metal has partially solidified, guiding the flexible band away from the peripheral groove in an upwardly inclined tangent from the lower portion of the casting wheel, removing the metal from the mold as an only partially solidified metal and moving the metal with the flexible band away from the peripheral groove along the upwardly inclined tangent so that the metal is supported by the flexible band, guiding the flexible band downwardly away from the metal while continuing to move the metal along the upwardly inclined tangent, and applying cooling fluid directly to the metal as the metal moves along the upwardly inclined tangent in sufficient quantity to complete the solidification of the metal before it reaches the level at which it was fed in a molten state into the mold.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
166 words
In a metal casting process, the steps of: engaging the peripheral groove of a rotating casting wheel with a continuous flexible band to form a mold, feeding metal in a molten conditioN into the mold, cooling the metal in the mold as the metal passes around the casting wheel until the metal has at least partially solidified, guiding the flexible band generally tangentially away from the casting wheel to open the mold and to expose the partially solidified metal in the peripheral groove of the casting wheel, continuing to pass the exposed partially solidified metal around the casting wheel in the peripheral groove so that the metal is continuously supported by the groove of the casting wheel, applying coolant directly to the exposed surfaces of the partially solidified metal to complete the solidification thereof as the metal remains in the peripheral groove of the casting wheel, and removing the metal from the peripheral groove of the rotating casting wheel after the metal has become substantially solidified.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
166 words
In a metal casting process, the steps of: engaging the peripheral groove of a rotating casting wheel with a continuous flexible band to form a mold, feeding metal in a molten conditioN into the mold, cooling the metal in the mold as the metal passes around the casting wheel until the metal has at least partially solidified, guiding the flexible band generally tangentially away from the casting wheel to open the mold and to expose the partially solidified metal in the peripheral groove of the casting wheel, continuing to pass the exposed partially solidified metal around the casting wheel in the peripheral groove so that the metal is continuously supported by the groove of the casting wheel, applying coolant directly to the exposed surfaces of the partially solidified metal to complete the solidification thereof as the metal remains in the peripheral groove of the casting wheel, and removing the metal from the peripheral groove of the rotating casting wheel after the metal has become substantially solidified.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
142 words
In a continuous casting process for casting metal wherein the metal in a molten condition is poured into an arcuate channel defined by a peripheral groove of a rotatable casting wheel and an endless band extending about a portion of the peripheral groove, the improvement therein of guiding the band tangentially away from the vicinity of the peripheral groove of the casting wheel at a position about the casting wheel when the outer portion of the metal has solidified but before the inner portion of the metal has solidified to open the peripheral groove of the casting wheel, and continuously supporting the partially solidified metal and applying a fluid coolant directly to the metal so that the inner portion of the metal has completely solidified before it reaches the level at which it was poured in a molten state into the mold.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
142 words
In a continuous casting process for casting metal wherein the metal in a molten condition is poured into an arcuate channel defined by a peripheral groove of a rotatable casting wheel and an endless band extending about a portion of the peripheral groove, the improvement therein of guiding the band tangentially away from the vicinity of the peripheral groove of the casting wheel at a position about the casting wheel when the outer portion of the metal has solidified but before the inner portion of the metal has solidified to open the peripheral groove of the casting wheel, and continuously supporting the partially solidified metal and applying a fluid coolant directly to the metal so that the inner portion of the metal has completely solidified before it reaches the level at which it was poured in a molten state into the mold.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
173 words
In a casting process, the steps of: engaging the peripheral groove of a rotating casting wheel with a continuous flexible band to form an arcuate mold, feeding metal in a molten condition into the mold, cooling the molten metal in the mold until the metal has partially solidified, guiding the flexible band along an upwardly inclined tangent away from the peripheral groove at the lower portion of the casting wheel, removing the metal from the lower portion of the mold as an only partially solidified metal and moving the metal with the flexible band along the upwardly inclined tangent so that the metal is supported by the flexible band, gripping the metal along the upwardly inclined tangent with rotating rollers and moving the partially solidified metal with the rollers along the upwardly inclined tangent, and cooling the partially solidified metal to complete the solidification thereof as the metal moves through the upwardly inclined tangent and before the metal reaches the level at which it was poured in a molten condition into the mold.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
173 words
In a casting process, the steps of: engaging the peripheral groove of a rotating casting wheel with a continuous flexible band to form an arcuate mold, feeding metal in a molten condition into the mold, cooling the molten metal in the mold until the metal has partially solidified, guiding the flexible band along an upwardly inclined tangent away from the peripheral groove at the lower portion of the casting wheel, removing the metal from the lower portion of the mold as an only partially solidified metal and moving the metal with the flexible band along the upwardly inclined tangent so that the metal is supported by the flexible band, gripping the metal along the upwardly inclined tangent with rotating rollers and moving the partially solidified metal with the rollers along the upwardly inclined tangent, and cooling the partially solidified metal to complete the solidification thereof as the metal moves through the upwardly inclined tangent and before the metal reaches the level at which it was poured in a molten condition into the mold.