Direct cooled annular mold

Claim 1

In an annular mold defining a cavity therein having opposing end openings and an axis extending between the opposing end openings thereof along which molten metal is cast into an elongated body of metal discharging at one end opening of the cavity, a pair of relatively inner and outer peripheral walls circumposed about the axis of the cavity and spaced apart from one another transverse the axis to define a first chamber therebetween, said first chamber having oppositely disposed end walls that extend transverse the axis, and an inlet therein through which liquid coolant can be supplied under pressure to the first chamber, the inner peripheral wall of the mold having a step thereon which projects into the first chamber from the inner peripheral wall relatively toward the outer peripheral wall, said step having a first surface thereon that extends transverse the axis of the cavity in spaced relationship to one of the end walls of the first chamber, and a second surface thereon that extends generally parallel to the axis of the cavity in spaced relationship to the outer peripheral wall of the mold and coterminates with the first surface to form a corner therebetween, and means for discharging the coolant from the first chamber onto the metal emerging as a body from the one end opening of the cavity, including a second chamber which is formed in the inner peripheral wall of the mold at the step, a series of holes opening into the first chamber at one of the first and second surfaces of the step, and discharging into the second chamber to admit the coolant thereto at a reduced pressure relative to that of the coolant in the first chamber, and a passage opening into the second chamber and discharging into the ambient atmosphere of the mold adjacent the one end opening thereof, to apply the coolant to the metal body emerging therefrom.