Method for the transverse conveying of strand sections of a multi-strand continuous casting installation and transverse conveying apparatus for a multi-strand casting installation

Claim 3

The method as defined in claim 1, wherein: the number of partial conveying displacement strokes for the strand section of a strand corresponds to the ordinal number of such strand starting with one for the last strand viewed in the transverse conveying direction.

Claim 4

The method as defined in claim 2, wherein: the lengths of the partial conveying displacement strokes for the strand sections of said penultimate outfeed line and strand sections located rearward thereof, viewed in the transverse conveying direction, are essentially equal to the distance (d) between two strands multiplied by the factor (N-1)/N, wherein N represents the number of strands; and the last partial conveying displacement stroke for all of the strand sections and the single transverse conveying displacement stroke for a strand section of the last strand is essentially equal to the spacing between two strands.

Claim 5

The method as defined in claim 2, wherein: all of the partial conveying displacement strokes are essentially equal to the spacing (d) multiplied by the factor N/(N+1), where N represents the number of strands.

Claim 6

A transverse conveying apparatus for strand sections of strands cast at a multi-strand continuous casting plant, comprising: transport carriage means movable along a displacement path out of a rest position into a displaced position for simultaneously transporting a plurality of strand sections from a plurality of initial outfeed positions in a transverse conveying direction through at least one intermediate position into a terminal position; a plurality of transport pawl members mounted on said transport carriage means for substantially simultaneously engaging a plurality of the strand sections along said displacement path; said transport pawl members amounting in number to at least the sum of the number of the cast strands plus the number of intermediate positions of the transported strand sections between the initial outfeed positions of the strands; means for bringing the transport pawl members into a position engaging the strand sections and, during a reverse transport movement of the transport carriage means following a transverse partial conveying displacement stroke, retracting said transport pawl members into a position beneath the strand sections; said transport pawl members being divided into grous of increasing number starting with 1 for the first group in the transverse conveying direction up to the number of cast strands; and a displacement device for engaging with the transport carriage means in order to generate the transverse partial conveying displacement strokes.

Claim 7

A transverse conveying apparatus for strand sections of strands cast at a multi-strand continuous casting plant, comprising: transport carriage means movable along a displacement path out of a rest position into a displaced position for simultaneously transporting a plurality of strand sections from a plurality of initial outfeed positions in a transverse conveying direction through at least one intermediate position into a terminal position; a plurality of transport pawl members mounted on said transport carriage means for substantially simultaneously engaging a plurality of the strand sections along said displacement path; said transport pawl members amounting in number to at least the sum of the number of the cast strands plus the number of intermediate positions of the transported strand sections between the initial outfeed positions of the strands; means for bringing the transport pawl members into a position engaging the strand sections and, during a reverse transport movement of the transport carriage means following a transverse partial conveying displacement stroke, retracting said transport pawl members into a position beneath the strand sections; said transport pawl members being divided into grous of increasing number starting with 1 for the first group in the transverse conveying direction up to the number of cast strands; and a displacement device for engaging with the transport carriage means in order to generate the transverse partial conveying displacement strokes.

Claim 8

The transverse conveying apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein: a maximum displacement path for said partial conveying displacement stroke of the transport carriage means approximately corresponds to a predetermined distance between two neighboring initial outfeed positions of the strand sections.

Claim 9

The transverse conveying apparatus as defined in claim 5, further including: means for pivotably mounting said transport pawl members about axes extending essentially parallel to a lengthwise direction of extent of the strand sections; and said means for bringing the transport pawl members placing said transport pawl members into a substantially vertical position engaging the strand sections and, during a reverse transport movement of the transport carriage means following a partial conveying displacement stroke, retracting said transport pawl members into an inoperative position by pivoting said transport pawl members into a substantially horizontal position beneath the strand sections.

Claim 10

The transverse conveying apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein: said transport carriage means comprises a plurality of interconnected transport carriages corresponding in number to the number of cast strands; said transport pawl members being arranged in a predetermined number of groups; and each group of transport pawl members being arranged upon one of said transport carriages.

Claim 11

The transverse conveying apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein: said initial outfeed position defines an initial outfeed position for a plurality of strand sections arriving from the continuous casting plant; said displacement path of said transport carriage means being oriented at substantially right angles to an arrival direction of said strand sections; and said transport pawl members engaging each of said plurality of arriving strand sections substantially simultaneously and transporting the latter along said displacement path through said partial conveying displacement stroke.

Claim 12

The transverse conveying apparatus as defined in claim 5, further including: common support means upon which there are arranged all of said transport pawl members; and the displacement path of all of said transport pawl members is essentially equal to the distance s'=d·N/(N+1), wherein N represents the number of cast strands.

Claim 13

The transverse conveying apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein: said bringing means comprise spring means.

Claim 14

The transverse conveying apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein: said bringing means comprise counter weight means.

Claim 15

The transverse conveying apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein: one of said transport carriages is rigidly connected by means of a transverse rod member with all rearward located transport carriages as viewed in the transverse conveying direction; another of said transport carriages being connected by means of a guide lever with a pivot point of the one transport carriage which is rigidly connected by means of the transverse rod member with all forwardly located transport carriages; said guide lever having an elongate hole; said pivot point being movable in said elongate hole of the guide lever which allows for a relative movement between the transport carriages; and said relative movement essentially corresponding to the distance (d) between two neighboring cast strands divided by the number of cast strands.

Claim 16

The transverse conveying apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein: one of said transport carriages is rigidly connected by means of a transverse rod member with all rearward located transport carriages as viewed in the transverse conveying direction; another of said transport carriages being connected by means of a guide lever with a pivot point of the one transport carriage which is rigidly connected by means of the transverse rod member with all forwardly located transport carriages; said guide lever having an elongate hole; said another transport carriage being provided with pivot means; said pivot means being movable in said elongate hole of the guide lever which allows for a relative movement between the transport carriages; and said relative movement essentially corresponding to the distance (d) between two neighboring cast strands divided by the number of cast strands.

Claim 17

The transverse conveying apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein: said anoher transport carriage is provided with an additionally reinforced transport pawl member for displacing away a number of strand sections which have been deposited by said another transport carriage, during a preceding displacement stroke, at the region of the terminal position of the transport pawl members.