Continuous casting machine

Claim 2

A continuous metal casting machine comprising a furnace for melting metal to a molten state, a holding box for receiving molten metal from said furnace, a graphite casting mold having cylindrical outer periphery and an internal horizontally directed casting surface extending through said mold and communicating with said holding box, a water jacket surrounding and supporting said graphite mold and defining a cooling chamber about the outer periphery thereof, means for supplying water to said chamber and into direct contact with the outer periphery of said graphite mold for uniformly cooling said mold and molten metal therein to continuously form and cast a metal ingot, said water supply means including at least two water supply lines connected to said water jacket on opposite sides of said mold for directing water in a tangential direction about said mold so as to impart a circumferential flow of water about the mold as it is in contact with the outer periphery thereof, and drive means for moving said continuously cast ingot in a downstream direction away from said mold.

Claim 3

The continuous metal casting machine of claim 1 including means for selectively adjusting vertically and laterally the position of said water jacket and the mold supported therein relative to said holding box without disassembly of said water jacket.

Claim 4

The continuous casting machine of claim 1 in which said drive means includes a plurality of pairs of cone shaped rollers for engaging opposite sides of a cast ingot as said ingot emerges from said mold, said rollers of each pair being mounted in axial spaced relation for rotational movement and relative axial movement, power means for rotatably driving said rollers, and means including selectively operable air cylinders for axially moving said rollers of each pair relative to each other and to the emerging cast ingot to compensate for variations in the diameter of said ingot and to adjust the driving pressures of said rollers.

Claim 5

A continuous metal casting machine comprising a furnace for melting metal to a molten state, a holding box for receiving molten metal from said furnace, a casting mold having an internal horizontally directed casting surface extending through said mold and communicating with said holding box, a selectively removable water jacket surrounding and supporting said mold and defining a cooling chamber about the outer periphery thereof, a frame having a pair of spaced apart longitudinally extending side panels at opposite ends of said mold and water jacket, said water jacket having upper horizontal cross members removably supporting said water jacket on said frame side panels with said mold adjacent said holding box, a plurality of screws supported within said cross members for engagement with said frame side panels whereby rotational adjustment of said screws alters the position of said cross member and water jacket relative to said frame side panels, means for supplying water to said water jacket chamber for cooling said mold and the molten metal therein to continuously form and cast a metal ingot, and drive means for moving said continuously cast ingot away from said mold in a downstream direction.

Claim 6

A continuous metal casting machine comprising a furnace for melting metal to a molten state, a holding box for receiving molten metal from said furnace, a casting mold having an internal horizontally directed casting surface extending through said mold and communicating with said holding box, a selectively removable water jacket surrounding and supporting said mold and defining a cooling chamber about the outer periphery thereof, a frame having a pair of spaced apart longitudinally extending side panels at opposite ends of said mold and water jacket, said water jacket having upper horizontal cross members removably supporting said water jacket on said frame side panels with said mold adjacent said holding box, a plurality of screws supported within said cross members for engagement with said frame side panels whereby rotational adjustment of said screws alters the position of said cross member and water jacket relative to said frame side panels, means for supplying water to said water jacket chamber for cooling said mold and the molten metal therein to continuously form and cast a metal ingot, and drive means for moving said continuously cast ingot away from said mold in a downstream direction.

Claim 7

The continuous metal casting machine of claim 4 in which said water jacket includes at least two radial flanges for supporting said mold, one of said radial flanges including a first flange part rigidly secured to said water jacket and formed with a central opening substantially larger than the outer dimensions of said mold periphery, a second removable flange part releasably secured to said first flange part and being formed with a central opening for receiving in close relation the outer periphery of said mold, said second flange part being disengageable from said first flange part to permit quick removal of said water jacket from said mold.

Claim 8

The continuous metal casting machine of claim 5 in which said two-part disengageable radial flange is located at an upstream end of said water jacket, said second raDial flange being located downstream from said two-part radial flange and being formed with a plurality of openings to permit the passage of cooling water along the length of said mold periphery, and said water jacket defining an exit port about the outer periphery of said mold at the downstream end thereof to permit the passage of cooling water from said chamber onto an emerging cast ingot.

Claim 9

A continuous metal casting machine comprising a furnace for melting metal to a molten state, a holding box for receiving molten metal from said furnace, a casting mold having cylindrical outer periphery and an internal horizontally directed casting surface extending through said mold and communicating with said holding box, means for directing water uniformly about the outer periphery of said mold for cooling said mold and molten metal therein to continuously form and cast a metal ingot, drive means for moving said continuously cast ingot in a downstream direction away from said mold as it emerges from said mold, means for sensing an accidental bleed-out of metal from the downstream end of said mold, said sensing means including a rotatable gate mounted in a normally close relation to the downstream end of said mold and having an opening therein that is greater than outer dimensions of the merging cast ingot by a predetermined amount, and said gate being rotatable in an outward direction in the event that metal emerging from said mold engages said gate, and limit switch means being actuated in response to said outward rotary movement of said gate to automatically shut off the operation of said drive means.

Claim 10

A continuous metal casting machine comprising a furnace for melting metal to a molten state, a holding box for receiving molten metal from said furnace, a casting mold having cylindrical outer periphery and an internal horizontally directed casting surface extending through said mold and communicating with said holding box, means for directing water uniformly about the outer periphery of said mold for cooling said mold and molten metal therein to continuously form and cast a metal ingot, drive means for moving said continuously cast ingot in a downstream direction away from said mold as it emerges from said mold, means for sensing an accidental bleed-out of metal from the downstream end of said mold, said sensing means including a rotatable gate mounted in a normally close relation to the downstream end of said mold and having an opening therein that is greater than outer dimensions of the merging cast ingot by a predetermined amount, and said gate being rotatable in an outward direction in the event that metal emerging from said mold engages said gate, and limit switch means being actuated in response to said outward rotary movement of said gate to automatically shut off the operation of said drive means.

Claim 11

A continuous metal casting machine comprising a furnace for melting metal to a molten state, a holding box for receiving molten metal from said furnace, a casting mold having an internal horizontally directed casting surface extending through said mold and communicating with said holding box for continuously forming a cast ingot, means for directing cooling water about the outer periphery of said mold and the emerging cast ingot, drive means for moving said continuously cast ingot away from said mold in a downstream direction, a frame for supporting said mold and drive means, said frame having a pair of side panels extending longitudinally a distance beyond the end of said mold with a plurality of cross panels secured therebetween, said cross panels each being formed with a generally U-shaped top opening to permit the passage of a moving ingot with substantial clearance, at least one of said cross panels having a removable and adjustable cradle template, and said cradle template being formed with circumferentially spaced support pads arranged to closely coincide with the outer periphery of a moving ingot.

Claim 12

A continuous metal casting machine comprising a furnace for melting metal to a molten state, a holding box for receiving molten metal from said furnace, a casting mold having an internal horizontally directed casting surface extending through said mold and communicating with said holding box for continuously forming a cast ingot, means for directing cooling water about the outer periphery of said mold and the emerging cast ingot, drive means for moving said continuously cast ingot away from said mold in a downstream direction, a frame for supporting said mold and drive means, said frame having a pair of side panels extending longitudinally a distance beyond the end of said mold with a plurality of cross panels secured therebetween, said cross panels each being formed with a generally U-shaped top opening to permit the passage of a moving ingot with substantial clearance, at least one of said cross panels having a removable and adjustable cradle template, and said cradle template being formed with circumferentially spaced support pads arranged to closely coincide with the outer periphery of a moving ingot.

Claim 13

The continuous casting machine of claim 8 in which said cradle template has relieved areas between said pads to permit cooling water to flow along the moving ingot passed said template.

Claim 14

The continuous metal casting machine of claim 8 including a metal panel enclosure mounted over the top of said holding box for substantially shielding the immediately surrounding area about said holding box from the heat and eruption of molten metal contained therein.

Claim 15

The continuous metal casting machine of claim 10 in which said furnace has a tap-out aperture for permitting the flow of metal from said furnace to said holding box, a metering rod extending through said enclosure and having a head at one end for cooperation with said tap-out aperture and a handle at the other end thereof on the outside of said enclosure, support means holding said metering rod in predetermined relation to said tap-out aperture, said metering rod being in threaded engagement with said support means so that upon rotation of said metering rod said head is selectively positionable relative to said tap-out aperture to govern the flow of molten metal from said furnace.

Claim 16

A continuous metal casting machine comprising a furnace for melting metal to a molten state, a holding box for rEceiving molten metal from said furnace, a casting mold having an internal horizontally directed casting surface extending through said mold and communicating with said holding box, means for directing water onto the outer periphery of said mold for cooling said mold and the molten metal contained therein to continuously form and cast a metal ingot, a plurality of pairs of spaced apart, inwardly tapered rollers for engaging said cast ingot as it emerges from said mold to move said ingot in a downstream direction, said rollers of each pair being mounted on opposite sides of the ingot path for rotational movement and relative axial movement, power means for rotatably driving said rollers, and means for adjusting the axial spacing of the rollers of each pair to compensate for variations in the diameter of said ingot and to regulate the driving pressures of said rollers against said ingot.

Claim 17

A continuous metal casting machine comprising a furnace for melting metal to a molten state, a holding box for rEceiving molten metal from said furnace, a casting mold having an internal horizontally directed casting surface extending through said mold and communicating with said holding box, means for directing water onto the outer periphery of said mold for cooling said mold and the molten metal contained therein to continuously form and cast a metal ingot, a plurality of pairs of spaced apart, inwardly tapered rollers for engaging said cast ingot as it emerges from said mold to move said ingot in a downstream direction, said rollers of each pair being mounted on opposite sides of the ingot path for rotational movement and relative axial movement, power means for rotatably driving said rollers, and means for adjusting the axial spacing of the rollers of each pair to compensate for variations in the diameter of said ingot and to regulate the driving pressures of said rollers against said ingot.

Claim 18

The continuous metal casting machine of claim 12 in which said roller axial spacing adjusting means includes at least one fluid actuated cylinder having a piston rod, means connecting said piston rod one of the rollers of at least one pair, and control means for selectively actuating said fluid cylinder to axially move said connected roller.

Claim 19

The continuous metal casting machine of claim 12 in which one pair of said rollers is carried on a rotatable shaft mounted above the line of travel of said ingot and one pair of said rollers is carried on a rotatable shaft mounted below the line of travel of said ingot, said rollers on said lower shaft being vertically aligned with corresponding rollers on said upper shaft, and means for simultaneously moving one of the rollers on said lower shaft and the vertically aligned corresponding roller on said upper shaft axially relative to the respective other roller of each pair.

Claim 20

The continuous casting machine of claim 14 including means for simultaneously moving the other roller carried by said lower shaft and the vertically aligned corresponding roller on said upper shaft axially relative to the respective opposite roller of each pair.

Claim 21

The continuous casting machine of claim 14 in which said roller moving means includes a hub supported at opposite ends by said upper and lower shafts for relative axial movement, means connecting said one roller on said lower shaft and said aligned roller on said upper shaft to said hub for axial movement with said hub and relative rotational movement, a fluid actuated cylinder having a reciprocal piston rod connected to said hub, and means for selectively actuating said cylinder to move said hub and the upper and lower rollers connected thereto relative to the respective shafts on which said rollers are mounted.

Claim 22

A continuous metal casting machine comprising a furnace for melting metal to a molten state, a holding box for receiving molten metal from said furnace, a casting mold having an internal horizontally directed casting surface extending through said mold and communicating with said holding box, means for directing water onto the outer periphery of said mold for cooling said mold and the molten metal contained therein to continuously form and cast a metal ingot, a plurality of rotatable and axially movable rollers for engaging opposite sides of a cast ingot as it emerges from said mold to move said ingot in a downstream direction, power means for rotatably driving said rollers, means for automatically adjusting the axial position of said rollers to compensate for variations in the diameter of said ingot and to adjust the driving pressures of said rollers against said ingot, a saw positioned downstream of said rollers, means for sensing when a predetermined length of said ingot has moved past said saw, clamping means for engaging said ingot to move said saw in a downstream direction with said ingot upon triggering of said sensing means, means for laterally advancing said saw to cut said ingot to a predetermined length as said saw is moving in a downstream direction with said ingot, a tablE for receiving and supporting the cut-off length of said ingot upon completion of cutting by said saw, means for automatically tilting said table after an ingot length has been cut by said saw to remove said ingot length from said table, means for returning said saw to its original upstream and laterally retracted position upon completion of cutting of said ingot length, and means for returning said table to its original position for receiving another ingot length.

Claim 23

A continuous metal casting machine comprising a furnace for melting metal to a molten state, a holding box for receiving molten metal from said furnace, a casting mold having an internal horizontally directed casting surface extending through said mold and communicating with said holding box, means for directing water onto the outer periphery of said mold for cooling said mold and the molten metal contained therein to continuously form and cast a metal ingot, a plurality of rotatable and axially movable rollers for engaging opposite sides of a cast ingot as it emerges from said mold to move said ingot in a downstream direction, power means for rotatably driving said rollers, means for automatically adjusting the axial position of said rollers to compensate for variations in the diameter of said ingot and to adjust the driving pressures of said rollers against said ingot, a saw positioned downstream of said rollers, means for sensing when a predetermined length of said ingot has moved past said saw, clamping means for engaging said ingot to move said saw in a downstream direction with said ingot upon triggering of said sensing means, means for laterally advancing said saw to cut said ingot to a predetermined length as said saw is moving in a downstream direction with said ingot, a tablE for receiving and supporting the cut-off length of said ingot upon completion of cutting by said saw, means for automatically tilting said table after an ingot length has been cut by said saw to remove said ingot length from said table, means for returning said saw to its original upstream and laterally retracted position upon completion of cutting of said ingot length, and means for returning said table to its original position for receiving another ingot length.

Claim 24

The continuous metal casting mchine of claim 17 in which said table is pivotably mounted, and said tilting means is a hydraulic cylinder having a reciprocal piston rod connected to one side of said table.