US3208112A - Metal casting method and apparatus - Google Patents

Description

p 1965 A. w. SCRIBNER 3,208,112

METAL CASTING METHOD AND APPARATUS Original Filed Nov. 1, 1961 I NVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,208,112 METAL CASTING METHOD AND APPARATUS Albert W. Scribner, 6 Country (Hub Road, Darien, Conn. Original application Nov. 1, 1961, Ser. No. 149,378, now Patent No. 3,120,037, dated Feb. 4, 1964. Divided and this application Oct. 31 1963, Ser. No. 320,069 9 Claims. (Cl. 2257.5)

This invention relates to the continuous casting of metal and the like so as to form elongated strip type products. This application is a divisional application of my copending parent application Ser. No. 149,378 filed November 1, 1961, for Continuous Casting; now US. Patent $7 3,120,037.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel method and apparatus for continuous casting of metal whereby a rapid plurality of successive impact working strokes are applied to the side of the work metal that is progressively hardened while moving through an open ended casting passage.

One object of the instant invention is to provide a novel method and apparatus for continuously casting metal whereby a plurality of mold parts are oscillated at high speed so as to more efficiently conduct the work metal through an open ended casting passage defined by said mold parts.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel method and apparatus for continuously casting metal whereby forming and feeding forces are applied to the sides of the work metal by the high speed intermittent contact of an operative mold casting surface with the said sides of the work metal.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the disclosure progresses.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a sectional side elevational view illustrating one embodiment of the instant invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating a modified version of the FIG. 1 apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view in partial section illustrating a portion of the apparatus of FIG. 1.

The continuous casting system shown in FIG. 1 contemplates the provision of a pair of cooperating casting members that are mounted for vibratory type movement whereby the linear or arcuate cyclic oscillations thereof serve to feed, cool and form the molten metal to be cast. The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 comprises a pair of cooperating tubular casting rolls or drums 10 and 11 that are mounted for rotation about their respective axes 12 and 13 and also for independent timed planetary or eccentric movement about the respective axes 14 and 15 as illustrated by the dotted line circles. The eccentricity between the axes of rotation and planetation have been exaggerated here for the purpose of clarity; the actual eccentricity being in the order of a fraction of an inch.

The rolls 10 and 11 are rotatably mounted in eccentrically disposed apertures formed in the bearing bushings and 21, FIG. 3, which in turn are rotatably mounted in the side frames 23 that are secured to a container 24. The bushings 20, 21 are rotatably interconnected by suitable gears 25 and 26 which are driven by a motor 27 through a suitable pinion 28 and in this manner the rolls 10, 11 may be planetated in synchronism. Each roll is also adapted to be rotatably driven about their respective axes by means of a motor 30 through suitable gearing such as 31 and universal joints 32. Thus a controlled separate rotative driving or braking force may be applied to rolls 10, 11 during planetation thereof. The planetary movement of rolls 10, 11 serves to impart a continuous series of working strokes or impacts to the side of the work metal that is progressively moving through the casting passage effectively defined by the operational peripheral casting surfaces of said rolls. Thus the work metal is progressively hardened, formed, reduced and fed along the casting passage. The rolls 10, 11 may be provided with suitable end flanges, or stationary frame mounted flanges may be used, to close the gap between the respective ends of said rolls thereby completing the closed sectional profile of the casting passage of the mold means. A driven pair of pinch rolls 33, 34 rotatably mounted on the side frames serve to apply a tension force to the metal strip leaving the casting station.

The rolls 10, 11, which may be provided with suitable cooling means, are disposed over the container 24 so as to be slightly immersed in the reservoir of molten metal 35 during their working strokes, and molten metal 35 may be maintained at a substantially constant level by overflow means 36. The direction of planetation is indicated by arrows 37 while the direction of rotation of rolls 1!), 11 is respectively opposite as indicated by arrows 38. The relative rates of planetation and rotation of each roll may be such that the net peripheral speed of the outer roll surface produces a true rolling or rocking movement as the roll swings upwardly while in contact with the Work metal 40 between said rolls. Said relative speeds may be adjusted so that the operative roll surfaces impart a net upward or downward frictional force to the roll contacting skin surfaces of the freezing metal 40 by means of said driving or braking forces as applied to rolls 10, 11 by motor 30 and gearing 31, 32. As the rolls swing through each cyclic eccentric movement a small portion of work metal is thereby gathered and the minute pumping action of the eccentn'cally moving rolls tends to feed the metal up between the rolls. This eccentric movement also tends to percussively form the freezing work metal 40 and to thereafter force the metal through the roll gap. The speed of planetation is made high enough to overcome the tendency of the work metal 40 to fall back between the intermittent gathering actions of the eccentrically moving rolls, these speeds being in the order of 10 to 30 cycles or revolutions per second or higher. During the periodic short time intervals that the rolls surfaces are out of contact with the work metal 40 a cooling gas from nozzles 41 may circulate around the rolls. The bottom of container 24 may be contoured as shown and provided with cooling passages 42 or similar means to help in cooling the central part of the work metal 40.

The phase relation between roll planetary movement may be varied, and one or more of the various rotational and planetary directions may be reversed so that various combinations of phase and direction of roll movement may be obtained. One of the rolls 10, 11 may be provided with end flanges and the roll surfaces may be roughened or slightly grooved to increase the gathering and pumping action mentioned above. The rotational speed and/or planetary speed for one roll may be different from that of the other roll. Also the eccentricity of the respective roll movement may be different.

A modification of the apparatus of FIG. 1 is illustrated in FIG. 2. Here the larger diameter roll 11a, which may have a suitable cooling means is mounted for rotational movement only. The smaller flanged roll ltla is mounted for rotational and planetary movement as above described for rolls 10 or 11, the degree of eccentricity or the radius of planetation of the outer surfaces of roll 10:; being substantially the same as the effective radius of the larger roll 11a. Instead of being mounted for circular oscillation as in FIGS. 1 and 3 the casting rolls may be oscillated through closed loop rectangular type or linear strokes as illustrated by arrows 43 and 44 of FIG. 1. Also the work metal may be fed to the top of rolls 10, 11. In place of either roll 10a or 11a a stationary anvil may be used having a concave cylindrical surface which cooperates with the other roll so as to form an arcuately extending casting station.

While several embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous variations and modifications may be made in the particular construction without departing from the underlying principles of the invention. It is therefore desired by the following claims to include within the scope of the invention all such variations and modifications whereby substantially the results of the invention may be obtained by the use of substantially the same or equivalent means.

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of continuously casting metal: comprising the steps of providing a source of work metal;

establishing an open ended casting passage through which said work metal may pass in being progressively cast;

positioning at least one casting roll so as to effectively define a portion of said casting passage;

progressively admitting work metal to said casting passage;

rapidly translating said casting roll relative to said work metal so that said casting roll successively rolls over the side of the work metal in said casting passage whereby rapid successive rolling work strokes are applied to the work metal that is progressively passing through said casting passage, the rolling advance of said casting roll during said rolling work strokes thus being substantially independent of any bodily advancing movement of the work metal then in said casting passage; and

progressively withdrawing cast work metal from said casting passage. 7

2. The method defined by claim 1: additionally comprising controlling said translational movement of said casting roll so that the latter swings successively into and out of engagement with the said side of the work metal in said casting passage while moving through a substantially closed loop path whereby the successive rolling work strokes of said casting roll occur in the same rolling direction.

3. The method defined by claim 1: additionally comprising controlling the translating movement of said casting roll so that the latter oscillatably rolls back and forth over the side of the work metal passing through said open ended casting passage.

4. The method defined by claim 1: additionally comprising applying a superimposed rotational torque to the casting roll during the rolling work strokes of the latter whereby longitudinal forces may be applied by said casting roll to the said side of the work metal passing through said casting passage.

5. The method defined by claim 1: additionally comprising positioning a second casting roll in opposed cooperating relation with respect to the first mentioned roll so as to effectively define another portion of said casting passage; and

controlling the motion of said second roll whereby a succession of mutually timed roll working forces may be applied to opposite sides of said work metal passing through said casting passage.

6. In an apparatus for continuously casting metal:

a frame;

a pair of casting members operatively supported by said frame in opposed and cooperating relation so as to define at least a portion of an open ended casting passage, at least one of said casting members comprising a casting roll;

the supporting means for said casting roll including,

bearing means for supporting said casting roll for rotational movement about the roll axis, and

mounting means carried by said frame for supporting said bearing means so that said casting roll may partake of a planetary movement;

drive means for swinging said casting roll through its planetary movement so that rolling work strokes may be applied to the work metal in said casting passage; and

torque applying means for applying a superimposed rotational torque to said casting roll during the said planetary movement thereof whereby longitudinal forces may be applied by said casting roll during said rolling work strokes to the side of the work metal that is in said casting passage.

7. Apparatus as defined by claim 6 wherein the other of said casting members comprises a second casting roll, and wherein the said planetary movement of the first mentioned casting roll occurs in a plane that is substantially parallel to the plane of movement of the work metal through said casting passage.

8. In an apparatus for continuously casting metal:

a frame;

a plurality of bearing members rotatably mounted on said frame;

a pair of opposed and cooperating casting rolls rotatably mounted in said bearing members, the axes of each of said casting rolls and the associated bearing members being eccentrically offset whereby each of said casting rolls is capable of partaking of simul taneous rotational and planetary movement;

the cooperating operative surfaces of said opposed casting rolls defining at least a portion of an open ended casting passage;

means for rotatably interconnecting the related bearing members for mutually timed rotational movement; and

drive means for rotatably driving said bearing members whereby said casting rolls are thereby planetated in timed relation and are arcuately swung towards and away from each other so as to substantially simultaneously impart successive rolling work strokes to the opposite sides of the work metal moving through said casting passage.

9. Apparatus as defined by claim 8: additionally comprising torque applying means for applying a superimposed rotational torque to said casting roll during the said planetary movement thereof whereby longitudinal forces may be applied by said casting roll to the side of the work metal that is in said casting passage.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS J. SPENCER OVERHOLSER, Primary Examiner.

MARCUS U. LYONS, Examiner,

Claims (2)

1. A METHOD OF CONTINUOUSLY CASTING METAL; COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PROVIDING A SOURCE OF WORK METAL; ESTABLISHING AN OPEN ENDED CASTING PASSAGE THROUGH WHICH SAID WORK METAL MAY PASS IN BEING PROGRESSIVELY CAST; POSITIONING AT LEAST ONE CASTING ROLL SO AS TO EFFECTIVELY DEFINE A PORTION OF SAID CASTING PASSAGE; PROGRESSIVELY ADMITTING WORK METAL TO SAID CASTING PASSAGE; RAPIDLY TRANSLATING SAID CASTING ROLL RELATIVE TO SAID WORK METAL SO THAT SAID CASTING ROLL SUCCESSIVELY ROLLS OVER THE SIDE OF THE WORK METAL IN SAID CASTING PASSAGE WHEREBY RAPID SUCCESSIVE ROLLING WORK STROKES ARE APPLIED TO THE WORK METAL THAT IS PROGRESSIVELY PASSING THROUGH SAID CASTING PASSAGE, THE ROLLING ADVANCE OF SAID CASTING ROLL DURING SAID ROLLING WORK STROKES THUS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY INDEPENDENT OF ANY BODILY ADVANCING MOVEMENT OF THE WORK METAL THEN IN SAID CASTING PASSAGE; AND PROGRESSIVELY WITHDRAWING CAST WORK METAL FROM SAID CASTING PASSAGE.

6. IN AN APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY CASTING METAL; A FRAME; A PAIR OF CASTING MEMBERS OPERATIVELY SUPPORTED BY SAID FRAME IN OPPOSED AND COOPERATING RELATION SO AS TO DEFINE AT LEAST A PORTION OF AN OPEN ENDED CASTING PASSAGE, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID CASTING MEMBERS COMPRISING A CASTING ROLL; THE SUPPORTING MEANS FOR SAID CASTING ROLL INCLUDING, BEARING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID CASTING ROLL FOR ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT ABOUT THE ROLL AXIS, AND MOUNTING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID FRAME FOR SUPPORTING SAID BEARING MEANS SO THAT SAID CASTING ROLL MAY PARTAKE OF A PLANETARY MOVEMENT; DRIVE MEANS FOR SWINGING SAID CASTING ROLL THROUGH ITS PLANETARY MOVEMENT SO THAT ROLLING WORK STROKES MAY TORQUE APPLYING MEANS FOR APPLYING A SUPERIMPOSED ROTATIONAL TORQUE TO SAID CASTING ROLL DURING THE SAID PLANETARY MOVEMENT THEREOF WHEREBY LONGITUDINAL FORCES MAY BE APPLIED BY SAID CASTING ROLL DURING SAID ROLLING WIRK STROKES TO THE SIDE OF THE WORK METAL THAT IS IN SAID CASTING PASSAGE.

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