US3837390A — Continuous casting machine embodying a self-align…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 156 words

A continuous-casting machine comprising a fixed supporting structure, a mold-support frame carried by said structure, an open-ended water-cooled mold carried by said mold-support frame, means carried by said structure for oscillating said mold-support frame and said mold vertically, a vertically stationary roll rack carried by said structure and extending downwardly from said mold, and a pinch roll assembly beneath said roll rack, said rack comprising: a frame supported in a stationary vertical position on said supporting structure; a relatively short upper section suported on said frame for limited horizontal movement; a relatively long lower section beneath said upper section and being formed of a plurality of individual subsections; and means suspending said lower section from said frame and allowing limited flexing of the lower section and the individual subsections thereof; said upper section and said subsections each including a cage and rolls journaled in said cage defining an aligned pass for confining a partially solidified casting.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 156 words

A continuous-casting machine comprising a fixed supporting structure, a mold-support frame carried by said structure, an open-ended water-cooled mold carried by said mold-support frame, means carried by said structure for oscillating said mold-support frame and said mold vertically, a vertically stationary roll rack carried by said structure and extending downwardly from said mold, and a pinch roll assembly beneath said roll rack, said rack comprising: a frame supported in a stationary vertical position on said supporting structure; a relatively short upper section suported on said frame for limited horizontal movement; a relatively long lower section beneath said upper section and being formed of a plurality of individual subsections; and means suspending said lower section from said frame and allowing limited flexing of the lower section and the individual subsections thereof; said upper section and said subsections each including a cage and rolls journaled in said cage defining an aligned pass for confining a partially solidified casting.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 60 words

A continuous-casting machine as defined in claim 1 in which said rack is horizontally shiftable with respect to said structure, said machine further comprising cooperating means on said mold-support frame and the upper section of said rack for maintaining said upper section in alignment with said mold as said mold oscillates up and down and said upper section remains stationary.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 42 words

A continuous-casting machine as defined in claim 2 in which said cooperating means includes bearings fixed to the underside of said mold support frame, rollers journaled in said bearings, and pads fixed to said upper section, said rollers riding on said pads.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 38 words

A continuous-casting machine as defined in claim 1 in which both sections of said roll rack can be removed as a unit, or the upper section of said roll rack can be removed without disturbing said lower section.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 106 words

In a continuous-casting machine which comprises a fixed supporting structure, a mold-support frame carried by said structure, an open-ended water-cooled mold carried by said frame, means carried by said structure for oscillating said frame and said mold vertically, and a horizontally shiftable vertically stationary guide-roll rack carried by said structure beneath said mold, the combination therewith of a mechanism for maintaining said rack in alignment with said mold, said mechanism comprising a plurality of brackets depending from said frame at spaced apart locations, and rollers journaled to said brackets to oscillate up and down with the frame, said rollers riding against opposed faces of said rack.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 106 words

In a continuous-casting machine which comprises a fixed supporting structure, a mold-support frame carried by said structure, an open-ended water-cooled mold carried by said frame, means carried by said structure for oscillating said frame and said mold vertically, and a horizontally shiftable vertically stationary guide-roll rack carried by said structure beneath said mold, the combination therewith of a mechanism for maintaining said rack in alignment with said mold, said mechanism comprising a plurality of brackets depending from said frame at spaced apart locations, and rollers journaled to said brackets to oscillate up and down with the frame, said rollers riding against opposed faces of said rack.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 39 words

A combination as defined in claim 5 in which said rack includes a cage rectangular in plan, and the faces against which said rollers ride lie at right angles to each other adjacent the respective corners of said cage.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 123 words

In a continuous-casting machine which comprises a fixed supporting structure, a mold-support frame carried by said structure, an open-ended water-cooled mold carried by said frame, means carried by said structure for oscillating said frame and said mold vertically, and a horizontally shiftable vertically stationary guide-roll rack carried by said structure beneath said mold, the combination therewith of cooperating means on said frame and said roll rack for maintaining said roll rack in alignment with said mold as said mold moves up and down while said roll rack is stationary; said cooperating means including bearings fixed to the underside of said frame, and rollers journaled in said bearings; said roll rack including flexibly related sections and subsections, said rollers riding against the uppermost section.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 123 words

In a continuous-casting machine which comprises a fixed supporting structure, a mold-support frame carried by said structure, an open-ended water-cooled mold carried by said frame, means carried by said structure for oscillating said frame and said mold vertically, and a horizontally shiftable vertically stationary guide-roll rack carried by said structure beneath said mold, the combination therewith of cooperating means on said frame and said roll rack for maintaining said roll rack in alignment with said mold as said mold moves up and down while said roll rack is stationary; said cooperating means including bearings fixed to the underside of said frame, and rollers journaled in said bearings; said roll rack including flexibly related sections and subsections, said rollers riding against the uppermost section.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 71 words

A conbination as defined in claim 5 in which said rack includes a pair of opposed girders and a cage carried by said girders and being rectangular in plan, and in which said mechanism includes pads carried by said girders and said cage adjacent each corner of said cage, said pads providing vertical faces which lie at right angles to each other at the respective corners against which said rollers ride.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1977-09-23	1978-03-25	1978-09-24	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1981-09-23	1982-03-25	1982-09-24	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1985-09-23	1986-03-25	1986-09-24	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Continuous casting machine embodying a self-aligning and flexing guide-roll rack

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