GB2109767A

GB2109767A - Continuous casting withdrawal apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2109767A
Application number: GB08134832A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alexandr Nikolaevich Kuznetsov; Gennady Grigorievich Kuzmin; Valery Pavlovich Kostrov; Alexandr Nikolaevich Timofeev; Tatyana Vladimiro Meschaninova; Valery Leonidovich Bastrikov; Evgeny Alexeevich Korshunov; Maxim Borisovich Ovodenko
Original assignee: KORSHUNOV EVGENY
Current assignee: KORSHUNOV EVGENY
Priority date: 1981-11-19
Filing date: 1981-11-19
Publication date: 1983-06-08
Also published as: GB2109767B

Abstract

An apparatus for withdrawing a casting from the mould of a continuous metal casting plant comprises a movable housing (1), and cooled shoes (2) disposed along the perimeter of a casting (3), each shoe (2) being provided with two pairs of wedges (6, 7) disposed between the shoe (2) and the housing (1). One of the wedges (6) of each pair is rigidly secured on the shoe (2). The other wedges (7) of these pairs are connected with each other through a member (8) adjustable in length and one of them also with a crossbar (9) through a member of a constant length. The apparatus is also provided with a drive (14) for pressing the shoes (2) against the casting (3) and a drive for withdrawing the casting (3) from the mould by moving the housing, the crossbar (9) being connected to rods (12, 13) of hydraulic cylinders of the drives. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Continuous casting withdrawal apparatus The present invention relates to metal casting plants and more particularly to apparatus for withdrawing a casting from a mould.

The invention may be used in metallurgy industry in continuous metal casting plants wherein a continuously formed casting is withdrawn from the mould horizontally or at a certain inclination to the horizontal plane.

The invention consists in an apparatus for withdrawing a casting from the mould of a continuous metal casting plant, comprising a movable housing, cooled shoes disposed along the perimeter of the casting, a drive for pressing the shoes against the casting, a drive for withdrawing the casting from the mould in which apparatus, according to the invention, each cooled shoe is provided with two pairs of wedges disposed between the shoe and the housing, one of the wedges of each pair being rigidly secured on the shoe and the other wedges of each pair being connected with each other through a member adjustable in length and one of them also with a crossbar through a member of a constant length, while the crossbar is connected with rods of hydraulic cylinders of the drive for withdrawing the casting from the mould and with rods of hydraulic cylinders of the drive for pressing the shoes against the casting.

The apparatus may suitably be provided with mechanisms for moving the cooled shoes in the direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the casting the number of which corresponds to the number of pairs of the wedges and each of which comprises a rod housing a spring and installed on the wedge rigidly secured on the shoe, and a bushing accommodating the rod adapted to be moved in the direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the casting.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating a general view of an apparatus for withdrawing a casting from the mould of a continuous metal casting plant, according to the invention.

An apparatus for withdrawing a casting from a mould during the continuous casting of metals comprises a movable housing 1, cooled shoes 2 encompassing almost the entire surface (approximately 95%) of a casting 3 along the perimeter thereof. The length of the shoe 2 corresponds to or may exceed the length of the withdrawal step of the casting 3. The cooled shoes 2 are internally disposed in the housing 1 made in the form of a tube and provided with recesses 4 and openings 5. Each shoe 2 is provided with two pairs of wedges 6, 7 contacting each other. Each of the wedges 6 of each pair is stationary and is rigidly secured on the shoe 2, while the other, movable wedges 7, are disposed in the recesses 4 of the housing 1 and may be moved in the recesses 4 relative to the housing 1 and the stationary wedges 6.

The movable wedges 7 are connected with each other through a member 8 adjustable in length and one of them also with a movable cross bar 9 through a member 10 of a constant length.

The member 8 is adjusted through the openings 5 of the housing 1, with the aid of a sleeve 11 operating on the screw-and-nut principle. Each opening 5 in the housing 1 is made opposite the sleeve 11.

The crossbar 9 is connected to rods 12 of power hydraulic cylinders of a drive for withdrawing the casting 3 from the mould (the hydraulic cylinders and the mould are not shown in the drawing) and to rods 13 of a hydraulic drive 14 for pressing the shoes 2 against the casting 3.

Relative to the end face of the housing 1, the crossbar 9 is installed at a distance being not less than the maximum possible travel of the movable wedges 7 in relation to the stationary wedges 6.

The travel of the wedges 7 corresponds to the travel of the rod 13 of the hydraulic drive 14. The hydraulic drives 14 are secured on the housing 1 of the apparatus.

The shoes 2 are kept constantly pressed against the housing 1 through the pairs of the wedges 6 and 7 by means of a mechanism 15 for moving the cooled shoes 2 in the direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the casting 3.

The mechanism 1 5 for moving the cooled shoes 2 is made in the form of a rod 1 6 having a spring 17 and installed on the stationary wedge 6 and in a guide bushing 18 in which the rod 16 is moved in the direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the casting 3. For adjusting the force of the springs 17, provision is made for a nut 19.

The bushings 1 8 are arranged in the housing 1 in circular openings on the side of the crossbar 9, while at the opposite end of the housing 1 they are arranged in recesses 20 so as not to disturb the alignment of the housing 1 and the shoes 2 with the casting 3 at the moment when heating or cooling of the shoes 2 takes place, as at this moment the linear dimensions of the shoes 2 are changing.

The number of the mechanisms 15 equals the number of pairs of the wedges 6 and 7.

Mounted on the end of the housing 1 , opposite to the crossbar 9, is a two-chamber manifold 21 provided with a system of pipelines 22 for delivering the coolant to and discharging it from each shoe 2.

The housing 1 of the apparatus is installed on rollers 23 and when the casting 3 is being withdrawn, the housing is moved along guides 24.

The apparatus for withdrawing the casting 3 from the mould during the continuous casting of metal operates in the following way.

The shoes 2 are kept constantly pressed against the housing 1 through the pairs of the wedges 6 and 7 by means of the mechanisms 1 5 for moving the cooled shoes 2 in the direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the casting 3. The pressure exerted on the shoes 2 is accompiished by the rods 16 preloaded by the springs 17.

First to be cut into operation is the cooling system of the shoes 2 together with the manifold 21 and the system of the pipelines 22. Then follows the preliminary clamping of the casting 3.

When the drives 14 are actuated, their rods 13 connected with the crossbar 9 put the crossbar 9 in motion. Overcoming the force of the springs 17 of the mechanism 1 5 for moving the cooled shoes 2, the crossbar 9 acting through the members 8 and 10 moves the wedges 7 relative to the wedges 6 for a preset step sufficient for pressing the shoes 2 to the casting 3; as a result, the shoes 2 tightly clamp the casting 3 with a uniform pressure exerted along the entire length due to the uniform movement of the wedges 7 over the wedges 6.

Then the hydraulic cylinders of the drive for withdrawing the casting 3 from the mould are put into operation and acting through the rods 12, 1 3 thereof and the movable crossbar 9 withdraw the casting 3 from the mould for the preset length while the cooled shoes 2 provide an additional cooling of the casting.

The withdrawal apparatus is returned to the initial position by reversing the hydraulic cylinders of the drive for withdrawing the casting 3, the shoes 2 being preliminarily unclamped by the hydraulic drives 14 acting through the crossbar 9, the members 8 and 10, and the wedges 6 and 7.

Then the cycle is repeated.

Duration of the pause between the cycles of withdrawing the casting 3 depends on the time of forming the casting 3 in the mould.

If it is required to provide an intensive cooling of the casting 3, the shoes 2 are brought in contact with the casting 3 immediately after the apparatus has been returned to the initial position.

Due to the changed kinematics of the shoes 2, the proposed invention makes it possible to eliminate any damage to the surface of the casting 3 when the latter is withdrawn from the mould and during the idle movement of the apparatus to the initial position.

Due to a clearly defined division of the functions relative to clamping and withdrawing between the two drives, the invention guarantees the withdrawal of the casting 3 for a preset withdrawal step without any slip of the shoes 2 relative to the casting 3. Besides, in pauses between the cycles of withdrawing the casting 3 from the mould, the drive for withdrawing the casting 3 is used for performing additional operations, for example, for pressing the face portion of the skin of the casting 3 being formed in the mould to a member for providing an additional removal of heat from this face surface which further will contribute to a decrease in the force exerted for dividing the casting 3 into cutto-length sections.

The reliable regulation of pressing the shoes 2 against the casting 3 effected with the aid of the mechanisms 1 5 for moving the shoes 2 in the direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the casting 3 and owing to the pairs of the wedges 6 and 7, provides the uniform removal of heat and uniform growth of the skin along the entire perimeter of the casting 3 which eliminates distortion of the geometry of the casting 3 and improves the quality thereof.

The proposed invention allows the method of a horizontal continuous casting of the castings 3, for example, from aluminium alloys, to be effected, thereby making it possible to improve the quality of the castings 3, increase the metal yield by 3-5% and also to step up the rate of the casting by 3 to 6 times (depending upon the cross-section area of a casting).

Claims

1. An apparatus for withdrawing a casting from the mould of a continuous metal casting plant, comprising a movable housing, cooled shoes disposed along the perimeter of the casting, each of which is provided with two pairs of wedges disposed between the shoe and the housing, one of the wedges of each pair being rigidly secured on the shoe and the other wedges of each pair being connected with each other through a member adjustable in length and one of them also with a crossbar through a member of a constant length, a drive for pressing the shoes against the casting and a drive for withdrawing the casting from the mould, the crossbar being connected to rods of hydraulic cylinders of the drives.

2. An apparatus for withdrawing a casting from the mould of a continuous metal casting plant according to Claim 1, wherein are provided mechanisms for moving the cooled shoes in the direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the casting, the number of which corresponds to the number of pairs of the wedges and each of which comprises a rod with a spring, installed on the wedge rigidly secured on the shoe, and a bushing accommodating the rod adapted to be moved in the direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the casting.

3. An apparatus for withdrawing a casting from the mould of a continuous metal casting plant substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.