Apparatus for controlling the pressure force in multi-roll drives for equipment withdrawing an ingot from a continuous casting machine along a curved path

Claim 1

In equipment for withdrawing a continuously cast ingot from a casting mold and along a curved withdrawal path and which includes a plurality of withdrawal rolls, some of which are being driven by motor means, and providing contact pressure upon the ingot withdrawn, there being hydraulic means for providing pressure force upon at least some of said rolls, the improvement comprising: first means responsive to the driving power as provided by at least some of the motor means to the respective driven withdrawal rolls and providing a control signal representative thereof; and pressure regulator means included in the hydraulic means and determining the hydraulic pressure which provides the pressure force for the contact pressure of at least some of said driven rolls, the pressure regulator means connected for receiving the control signal and for increasing said pressure force upon increase of the driving power needed by the motor means to cause the rolls to withdraw the ingot at a predetermined rate.