GB1592137A - Creation of Inventions and Patents with Artificial Intelligence

GB1592137A – Continuous casting machines
– Google Patents

GB1592137A – Continuous casting machines
– Google Patents
Continuous casting machines

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Publication number
GB1592137A

GB1592137A
GB11744/78A
GB1174478A
GB1592137A
GB 1592137 A
GB1592137 A
GB 1592137A
GB 11744/78 A
GB11744/78 A
GB 11744/78A
GB 1174478 A
GB1174478 A
GB 1174478A
GB 1592137 A
GB1592137 A
GB 1592137A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
tundish
spout
casting
support
vessel
Prior art date
1977-05-06
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)

Expired

Application number
GB11744/78A
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)

Secim SA

Original Assignee
Secim SA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
1977-05-06
Filing date
1978-03-23
Publication date
1981-07-01

1978-03-23
Application filed by Secim SA
filed
Critical
Secim SA

1981-07-01
Publication of GB1592137A
publication
Critical
patent/GB1592137A/en

Status
Expired
legal-status
Critical
Current

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Classifications

B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING

B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY

B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES

B22D11/00—Continuous casting of metals, i.e. casting in indefinite lengths

B22D11/06—Continuous casting of metals, i.e. casting in indefinite lengths into moulds with travelling walls, e.g. with rolls, plates, belts, caterpillars

B22D11/0637—Accessories therefor

B22D11/064—Accessories therefor for supplying molten metal

Description

( 21) Application No 11744/78
( 11) ( 22) Filed 23 March 1978 ( 19) ( 31) Convention Application No 7713971 ( 32) Filed 6 May 1977 in fi C ( 33) France (FR) ( 44) Complete Specification published 1 July 1981 ( 51) INT CL 3 B 22 D 11/00 11/14 11/06 ( 52) Index at acceptance B 3 F i Gi M i GIS l G 2 Q 1 l G 2 WX ( 54) IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO CONTINUOUS CASTING MACHINES ( 71) We, SECIM, a French Corporate Body, of 107 boulevard de la Mission Marchand, 92400 Courbevoie, France, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and
by the following statement:-
This invention relates to continuous casting machines and more particularly to a system for balancing and holding in the pouring position a molten metal supply tundish of a horizontally fed continuous casting machine including a vertical wheel rotatable about a horizontal axis, a groove in the periphery of which partially closed by a metal strip forms the casting mould.
Casting installations of this kind are well known and one of the problems arising in the operation of such casting machines is so to supply the wheel (which is partially closed by a strip forming the mould) that the level remains strictly constant in said mould.
A supply system whereby this constant level can be obtained is described in British Patent Specification No 1525321.
The casting installation described in that patent application comprises, more particularly, a molten metal supply tundish for the casting wheel, such supply tundish comprising an actual supply vessel and a casting spout which is open at the top and which is horizontal in its casting position With a tundish of this kind, an identical level can be obtained in the casting wheel, the spout and the supply tundish The end of the spout rests on the top part of the casting wheel and friction occurs between the wheel grove and the end of the spout when the wheel rotates during casting.
To maintain sealed contact between the end of the spout and the casting wheel groove and to facilitate sliding during rotation of the wheel, that end of the spout which rests on the casting wheel is provided with a gasket formed from agglomerated fibres of refractory material This refractory fibre gasket is subject to a pressure which causes its compression, which may be considerable, particularly in the case of molten copper, as in the British Patent Specification
No 1525321 or in the case of the casting of large-section aluminium, this being related to movement predominantly due to the spout length.
When the refractory fibre gasket experiences excessive pressure, the friction is considerable and the gasket, rubbing on the casting wheel, wears out too rapidly.
The tundish is free to move, by rotation about a horizontal axis, which is the common pivot axis of two trunnions on which the tundish rests, and about a vertical axis.
This allows any deformation of the casting wheel or irregularity of the groove surface to be taken up Oscillatory movements of the tundish about these two pivot axes during casting may locally and instantaneously result in additional pressure on the gasket, and such pressure may become disastrous when the gasket is already highly compressed by the weight of the tundish and the molten metal.
Finally, it is difficult to ensure that the gasket is correctly in contact, as is required for sealing purposes, at the start of casting when the tundish is empty.
According to the present invention there is provided a continuous casting machine comprising a vertical wheel rotatable about a horizontal axis and having a peripheral groove partially closed by a strip to form the casting mould, a molten metal tundish comprising a supply vessel which receives the molten metal and which is borne by two horizontal trunnions resting on a support which is pivotable about a vertical axis so that the tundish is pivotable about the axis of the trunnions and about the said vertical axis, and a spout which is open at the top; in its casting position is horizontal, extends from the supply vessel and is provided at that end remote from the supply vessel with a sealing member which is, in use, in contact with the surface of the groove of the casting wheel at the top part thereof, a counterweight being fixed to that region of PATENT SPECIFICATION e:
CM\ 1592137 1,592,137 the supply vessel remote from the region of said vessel connected to the spout, said two regions being situated on either side of the axis of the tundish trunnions, and means being provided for applying an upwardly directed vertical force to the region of the vessel where the counterweight is situated.
In order that the invention may be well understood there will now be described an embodiment thereof, given by way of example only, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is an elevation and partial section of a tundish in position on a casting wheel and provided with a system for balancing and holding it in position; and Figure 2 is a view in the direction of the arrow A in Figure 1.
The top part of Figure 1 shows the periphery of a casting wheel 1, the direction of rotation of which is indicated by an arrow.
At the top point of the casting wheel, the end of a spout 3 of a tundish 4 rests inside a groove 2 of the casting wheel 1 The end of the spout 3 has a gasket 5 made from fibres of refractory material to provide a seal between the spout and the casting wheel during rotation of the latter, in order to obviate any molten metal leakage between the groove and the spout.
This embodiment of the invention is applied to the casting of copper in bar or rod form for the production of machine wire.
Copper is fed to a supply vessel 6 which forms part of the tundish 4 via a horizontal spout 8 of a rotary furnace disposed above the tundish This furnace is termed a wheel furnace and is described in British Patent Specification No 1 525 321.
In the casting position, the tundish is horizontal and the copper supplied by the spout 8 of the wheel furnace assumes a constantly identical level in the supply vessel, the spout 3 (which is open at the top) and in the mould formed by the groove 2 and a closure strip (not shown), the said vessel, spout and mould forming a single vessel for the molten copper, the free surface of which extends over a wide area.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the tundish 4 rests via trunnions 10 and 11-which are fixed to a central part of the supply vessel 6-on a support 12 which is in turn fixed on a vertical spindle 14 mounted for rotation inside a column 15 through the agency of needle bearings 16 and 17 and a roller bearing 18.
The column 15 is in turn rigidly connected to a frame 20 of the casting installation.
The spout 3 of the tundish extends from the supply vessel 6 and is fixed to the vessel by means of nuts and bolts to secure a sealing member interposed between the spout and the supply vessel The tundish support trunnions 10 and 11 rest on the support 12 through the agency of bearings, e g 21, enabling the tundish to pivot about the axis of the trunnions and to be placed on the support simply by placing the trunnions on 70 the bearings.
Support 12 also supports a horizontal spindle 24 mounted in the support 12 and connected to an actuator disc 25 formed with a groove 26 which forms a cam, inside 75 which a spherical-surface finger 27 engages, said finger being connected to the region of the supply vessel 6 remote from the spout 3 The actuator disc 25 is connected to a handle 28 which allows rotation of said disc 80 connected to spindle 24, with respect to frame 12 The shape of the groove 26 is such that rotation of the disc 25 produced by handle 28, which is actuated manually, enables the 85 tundish to be pivoted about the axis of the trunnions 10 and 11 to disengage the end of the spout 3 from the casting wheel groove and the finger to be disengaged from the cam groove when the tundish is to be dis 90 mantled, e g for maintenance, the handle 28 being movable between a position as shown in Figure 1, in which the tundish is in the casting position, a position in which the spout 3 is in the, raised position above 95 the groove 2 (shown in chain-dotted lines in Figure 1), and a disengagement position in which the finger 27 can disengage from the groove 26, simply by the tundish being raised This system enables the spout to be 100 placed in the wheel groove carefully so that the gasket is not damaged.
The region of the tundish 4 remote from the spout carries a counterweight 30 by means of a support 29, on which are fixed 105 pins 31 and 32 enabling a stable stack of identical weights to be disposed, such weights having apertures in which the pins 31 and 32 fit to form the adjustble counterweight 30 110 The mass of the counterweight 30 is so adjusted that the residual force on the end of the spout 3 when’ the tundish is filled with copper up to the casting level is kept at a suitable value 115 Referring to Figure 2, a jack 35 is fixed on the support 12, the rod of said jack 35 being connected pivotally to the end of a two-part lever 38 The latter is mounted to pivot about a horizontal pivot in the frame 120 12 (pivot 40) The two parts 41 and 42 of lever 38 are rigidly connected to pivot 40.
The top arm 42 of lever 38 also bears an adjustable stop 44 which, in the jack position shown in Figure 2 (rod extended), is in 125 contact with the bottom surface of the support 29 of the counterweight 30 connected to the supply vessel 36.
Stop 42 is so adjusted that a specific force can be exerted on the end 5 of spout 3 by 130 1,592,137 means of jack 35, by a vertical thrust extending upwardly and applied to the bottom surface of support 29 connected to the back of the tundish.
Actuation of the jack 35 at the start of casting, when the tundish is empty, therefore results in a force being exerted on the end of the spout 3 bearing the refractory fibre gasket, in order to counterbalance the counterweights 30 and ensure the seal between the spout and the casting wheel when molten copper starts to be fed to the mould.
It will therefore be apparent that the main advantages of the embodiment described are that a moderate and adjustable force can be exerted on the end of the spout during casting while a likewise adjustable force can be exerted on the end of said spout at the start of every casting operation when the tundish is empty and unbalanced, when it starts to be filled and the copper is poured.
A system different from the jack and lever system described above could be used for applying an upward vertical force to the region of the tundish remote from the spout when the tundish is empty For example, a cam system is feasible, which comes into contact with the tundish and which is associated with a mechanical spring to ensure elasticity of the pressure application system.
A spring system could, for example, be associated with the above-described cam 25-26 or with the finger 27 co-operating with said cam, and the cam may have a position allowing a vertical force to be applied to the tundish through the agency of the finger 27, the spout being in the operative position.

Claims (4)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1 A continuous casting machine comprising a vertical wheel rotatable about a horizontal axis and having a peripheral groove partially closed by a strip to form the casting mould, a molten metal tundish comprising a supply vessel which receives the molten metal and which is borne by two horizontal trunnions resting on a support which is pivotable about a vertical axis so that the tundish is pivotable about the axis of the trunnions and about the said vertical axis, and a spout which is open at the top, in its casting position is horizontal, extends from the supply vessel and is provided at that end remote from the supply vessel with 55 a sealing member which is, in use, in contact with the surface of the groove of the casting wheel at the top part thereof, a counterweight being fixed to that region of the supply vessel remote from the region of 60 said vessel connected to the spout, said two regions being situated on either side of the axis of the tundish trunnions, and means being provided for applying an upwardly directed vertical force to the region of the 65 vessel where the counterweight is situated.

2 A machine according to claim 1, wherein the means for applying an upwardly directed vertical force to that region of the vessel where the counterweight is 70 situated includes a lever, the central part of which is connected to a horizontal pivot fixed relative to the trunnion support, one end of which is pivotally connected to the rod of a jack fixed relative to the trunnion 75 support and the other end of which engages, via an adjustable stop, a support bearing the counterweight connected to the supply vessel for the application of the vertical force 80

3 A machine according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the trunnion support of the tundish is mounted rotatably about a vertical axis and bears a horizontal spindle mounted on the support and connected to 85 an actuator, a cam track and a follower one of which is on the trunnion support and the other is on the actuator and operable to move the tundish between its operating position in which the spout is in contact with 90 the casting wheel groove and at least one inoperative position in which the spout is raised above the casting wheel groove.

4 A machine according to claim 3, wherein means are provided to apply a 95 counterweight counterbalancing force at start up of the machine with the spout in the operative position.
A machine substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying 100 drawings.
A A THORNTON & CO, Northumberland House, 303-306 High Holborn, London W C 1.
Printed for Her Majesty’s Stationery Office by Burgess & Son (Abingdon), Ltd -1981.
Published at The Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London, WC 2 A l AY, from which copies may be obtained.

GB11744/78A
1977-05-06
1978-03-23
Continuous casting machines

Expired

GB1592137A
(en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number
Priority Date
Filing Date
Title

FR7713971A

FR2389433B1
(en)

1977-05-06
1977-05-06

Publications (1)

Publication Number
Publication Date

GB1592137A
true

GB1592137A
(en)

1981-07-01

Family
ID=9190490
Family Applications (1)

Application Number
Title
Priority Date
Filing Date

GB11744/78A
Expired

GB1592137A
(en)

1977-05-06
1978-03-23
Continuous casting machines

Country Status (7)

Country
Link

US
(1)

US4173250A
(en)

JP
(1)

JPS53138927A
(en)

AU
(1)

AU517010B2
(en)

ES
(1)

ES468553A1
(en)

FR
(1)

FR2389433B1
(en)

GB
(1)

GB1592137A
(en)

IT
(1)

IT7867795D0
(en)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party

Publication number
Priority date
Publication date
Assignee
Title

US4600047A
(en)

1984-03-29
1986-07-15
Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.
Process for controlling the molten metal level in continuous thin slab casting

DE3415235C2
(en)

1984-04-21
1986-04-03
Fried. Krupp Gmbh, 4300 Essen

Feeding device for introducing molten steel into double belt casting machines

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party

Publication number
Priority date
Publication date
Assignee
Title

CH416955A
(en)

1964-04-20
1966-07-15
Alusuisse

Process and machine for continuous casting of metals

1977

1977-05-06
FR
FR7713971A
patent/FR2389433B1/fr
not_active
Expired

1978

1978-03-23
GB
GB11744/78A
patent/GB1592137A/en
not_active
Expired

1978-03-31
JP
JP3800078A
patent/JPS53138927A/en
active
Pending

1978-04-05
ES
ES468553A
patent/ES468553A1/en
not_active
Expired

1978-04-10
IT
IT7867795A
patent/IT7867795D0/en
unknown

1978-04-11
AU
AU34961/78A
patent/AU517010B2/en
not_active
Expired

1978-05-04
US
US05/903,031
patent/US4173250A/en
not_active
Expired – Lifetime

Also Published As

Publication number
Publication date

IT7867795D0
(en)

1978-04-10

JPS53138927A
(en)

1978-12-04

FR2389433A1
(en)

1978-12-01

US4173250A
(en)

1979-11-06

FR2389433B1
(en)

1981-06-12

AU517010B2
(en)

1981-07-02

ES468553A1
(en)

1978-11-16

AU3496178A
(en)

1979-10-18

Contact information