686,085. Making bars; continuous casting-machines; shearing. HUNTER DOUGLAS CORPORATION. May 11, 1951 [May 17, 1950], No. 11137/51. Classes 83 (i), 83 (ii) and 83 (iv) A continuous casting-machine comprises a pair of endless chains of articulated mould blocks which co-operate to form a travelling horizontal endless mould with a uniform cavity, means for circulating coolant through passages in each block and a spout, for supplying molten metal, which fits snugly into the intake end of said cavity. Two chains 63, 64 engage to form two uniform cavities into which molten aluminium or other metal is delivered by two spouts 36, Figs. 4, 5, a box 35, a trough 34, a reservoir 32 and a melting furnace 31. The moulds of the upper chain 63 have plates 67 secured to their end faces to engage and aline the moulds of the lower chain 64. Each mould has a number of parallel bores 66, Fig. 6, for cooling water near its mould face and a stiffening rib 70. The moulds are carried by two chains one link 71 of each being bolted to each mould and the pivot pins 73 thereof extend beyond the chains to carry rollers 74 which run on the edges of plates 75 carried by bolts 81 &c., from a support 80. Water from a tank 170 is forced by a pump 164 through couplings 160, pipes 154, Fig. 15, chambers 153 of the distributers 150, flexible pipes 175, leading to alternate moulds where it passes through the bores 66, flexible pipes 185 leading to the other moulds and through their bores 66, flexible pipes 191, chambers 152 of the distributers 150 outer pipes 144, outer part of the couplings 160 and pipes 162 back to the tank 170. This has a cold water supply 171 and hot water overflow 172. The chain moulds are driven by sprockets 61 on shafts 85 rotated by toothed gearing 95, &c., and a motor 112, the shafts 85 being mounted eccentrically in sleeves 88 which can be oscillated for adjustment. The other ends of the chain moulds are engaged by similar sprockets 62 which are not driven. The motor 112 also rotates the distributers 150, through a shaft 123 and chain gearing 126, and rolls 223, for feeding the cast bars, through gearing 114. The rolls 223 are also supplied with cooling water by a pipe 242, and are driven at a speed corresponding to the speed of the mould blocks less the linear rate of thermal contraction of the bar between the point of solidification and said rolls. Each spout 36 is lined with refractory material 195, Fig. 11, made in halves, and has a refractory lip 197 which is a loose fit in the mould cavity and has diverging bores 216. The cast strips are guided by vertical rollers 220, 221 and 250. The advancing ends of the cast bars pass through flying shears 28 and into an oven 30 and when they engage and close a switch at the far end of the oven this actuates a solenoid-operated valve causing pressure fluid to flow into a cylinder 253, Fig. 16, causing the piston 263 to rise and press a spring clamp 271 against the cast bars B, thus holding them against a cutter block 255 rigid with the frame 252 which is thus caused to travel on rails 261 at the same speed as the bars. A cutter 266, carried by the piston 263, also moves up and severs the clamped bars. When this operation is completed one of the bars cut off strikes the plunger 280 of a normally closed switch 281 in the circuit of the solenoid which is thus de-energized causing the piston 263 and the clamp 271 &c. to fall. The flying shears now being free runs back to its starting position owing to a slight incline in the rails 261. Spring-pressed oiled pads 286, Fig. 4, clean and lubricate the mould cavity. In starting operations the spouts 36 are blocked off and molten metal is allowed to fill the box 35 and overflow through a notch 283 into pig moulds until the parts are hot enough. The blocking means are removed and the metal flows into the mould up to a plug therein which travels with the casting and falls off. To stop operations the tap hole of the furnace 31 is closed and when the box 35 is empty keys holding the spouts 36 are pulled out and these travel through the machine.