US3545530A

US3545530A - Horizontal continuous casting mold

Info

Publication number: US3545530A
Application number: US734332A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph J Ciochetto
Original assignee: Koppers Co Inc
Current assignee: Raymond Kaiser Engineers Inc
Priority date: 1968-06-04
Filing date: 1968-06-04
Publication date: 1970-12-08
Anticipated expiration: 1987-12-08

Description

United States Patent [72] Inventor Joseph .I. Clochetto [56] References Cited Allison Park, Pennsylvania UNITED STATES PATENTS P 734,332 3,321,008 5/1967 Jones 164/280X [22] Med 1968 3,349,835 10/1967 Muller 164/260X [451 E 3,467,168 9/1969 Charman, Jr. 164/83X [73] Ass1gnee Koppers Company, Inc.

a corporation f D l Primary ExammerJ. Spencer Overholser Assistant Examiner-R. Spencer Annear Attorneys-Sherman H. Barber and Olin E. Williams [54] HORIZONTAL CONTINUOUS CASTING MOLD 8 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

v 164/83 ABSTRACT: The horizontal mold for use in continuous cast [51] Int. Cl. B22d 27/08 ing includes a stationary first portion and a movable second 3 [50] Field of Search 164/71, 82, portion which is resiliently mounted and vibrates vertically to 83, 260, 280, 283 impact the cast strand formed in the mold.

HORIZONTAL CONTINUOUS CASTING MOLD BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to improvements in continuous metal casting and, more particularly, to an improved mold for use in the horizontal continuous casting machine.

Horizontal continuous casting offers many features and advantages over conventional vertical continuous casting, and over curved mold, or so-called low head, type of continuous casting machine. I

Among the many features and advantages is that the horizontal mold obviates the need for deep pits, or excessively high towers to accommodate vertical continuous casting equipment. Further, in a horizontal continuous casting machine, there is no need to provide curved apron structures or the bending equipment associated'with the curved mold type of continuous casting machines.

Heretofore, horizontal continuous casting has experienced some problems related to the design of the mold and mold cooling. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the mold of the present invention, however, overcomes the difiiculties heretofore experienced with horizontal continuous casting molds in a simple and effective manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The mold of the invention comprises a fixed first sleeve portion that is in communication with a vessel containing molten metal which flows into the sleeve and forms a cast strand. A second portion of the mold is open at the top, but is closed with a cover to which is mounted apparatus ,to vibrate the cover vertically so that it impacts the cast strand.

For a furtherunderstanding of the invention and for features and advantages thereof, reference maybe made to the following description taken in conjunction with the drawing which shows for the purpose of exemplification one embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

The fixed sleeve first portion 35 is supported on a flat plate 43 (FIG. 2) having parallel vertical side members 45, that are suitably bracketed to the bottom plate 43 and that have a bolt 47 extending therethrough to lock and secure the mold 31 in place. The internal cooling passages 41 have inlet 49 and outlet 51 connections to admit and discharge cooling fluid respectively.

The second open trough portion 37 of the mold also has a plurality of internal fluid cooling passages 41 with inlet 49 and outlet 51 connections thereto. Further, the second Open trough portion 37 is provided with a cover 38 that is vertically movable; being restrained laterally by-the side walls 3% of the mold.

From FIG. 2, it will be noted that the cover 38 is provided with a plurality of horizontally extending pins or rods 53 that cooperate with the upper end of resilient members, such as the compression springs 55 shown in FIG. 2. The springs 55 reside in sockets 57 in the side walls 39b and thereby support the weight of the cover portion 38.

The cover portion 38, as viewed in. FIG. 1, is rounded at the left-hand end 59 and is tangent to, and slopes upwardly away FIG. 1 is a sectional elevational schematic view of a portion I DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to FIG. 1, molten metal 11 teems from ladle 13,

containing a quantity of molten metal, into a vertical tundish 15. The tundish 15 is generally narrow and tall, as suggested in FIG. 1, and is provided'at the bottom with a side outlet 17. The top of the tundish is closed by a horizontal cover 19, through which a tube 21 extends and which is connected to degassing and pressure control equipment (not shown). The tundish is also provided with a bottom outlet 23 that is opened only in emergency, when it is necessary to.remove molten metal from the tundish and also to provide an opening for using an oxygen lance to melt chilled metal or other undesirables to clean out the tundish; such molten metal 11 flowing into an emergency receptacle 25, shownschematically in position below the bottom outlet 23. The tundish 15 is fixedly mounted to suitable structural support members 27, such as are suggested in FIG. 1. V r

The side outlet 17 mates with a female end 29 on a horizontal continuous casting mold 31. A suitable sealing substance 33 is provided between the female end 29 and the tundish 17 to seal the joint therebetween.

The mold 31 includes a fixed first portion 35 which is in the form of a sleeve, and second portion 37 which is in the form of an open trough. e

The fixed sleeve first portion 35 is opened ended and includes a bottom 39a, sides 3% and top 390 walls that are cooled by water flowingthrough internal cooling passages 41.

preferably. The vibrator 61 may be of the mechanical, electrical, or hydromechanical type, as preferred.

In operation, molten metal 11 flows from the tundish 15 into the fixed sleeve first portion 35 of the mold 31, and cooling water flowing in the internal passages 41 removes heat from the walls of the mold. A suitable starter bar of the type, described in copending Pat. application Ser. No. 743,730, filed July 10, 1968, which application is owned commonly with this present application, may be used to close the open end of the first portion 35 of the mold and withdraw a cast strand 63 from the mold.

As the newly formed strand passes beneath the movable cover portion 38, the vibrator 61 is actuated. The vibrator moves the cover portion 38 upwardly and downwardly in rapid successive strokes so that the cover impacts the strand 63 repeatedly.

The cast strand 63, as it emerges from the mold, is cooled by water emitted from a plurality of spray nozzles 65 located adjacent the exit end of the mold 31.

A set of pinch rolls 67, or any other preferred type of apparatus suitable for withdrawing the cast strand 63, may be used to withdraw the cast strand from. the mold.

Those skilled in the art will recognize the many novel features and advantages in the invention described herein. Among the more significant features and advantages are:

The vibrating cover portion of the mold that prevents wedging or binding of the cast strand in the mold. The cast strand is first formed when the molten metal is chilled to a temperature below the liquids, and a thin skin, formed around the molten metal, becomes thicker as the skin becomes cooler. As the skin becomes thicker and the molten metal becomes cooler, the strand would normally tend to shrink away from the mold walls. But, since the strand is moving horizontally, it can only shrink away from the top and sides of the mold. It remains in contact with the bottom walls because the weight of the metal in the strand. urges it into continuous contact with the bottom'wall of the mold.

This continuous contact effects faster cooling along the bottom surface which means a thicker skin the bottom. A thicker skin produces more shrinkage and, more shrinkage on the bottom produces an arching upward of the cast strand.

Such arching upward will occur in the trough portion of the mold where the cast strand will tend to raise the mold plate 38 to resist binding, but since the vibrator attached to this cover provides the impact necessary to straighten the strand and provide the same surface area contact as the bottom surface, the rate of cooling of the strand will be substantially equal on the top and bottom with subsequent ease of removal from the mold. 1

Such arching upward, however, is resisted 'by the action of the vibratory cover of the mold acting on the strand. Thus, the arching upward would be considerably reduced.

Further, the vibrations induced. in the cast strand by the vibrating cover prevent sticking of the cast strand to the walls of the mold. Heretofore, sticking of the strand in the mold has been one of the difficulties experienced in horizontal continuous casting apparatus found in the prior art,

it should be noted that theapparatus described herein may be varied somewhat from a true horizontal .position to any degree of slope that might be feasible for a' better yield, depending on the cross section of the strand,.'to obtain an end without too much scrap that must be removed.

Also, it is favorable to position the mold on a sliding frame that could be moved in position with the tundish by hydraulic, pneumatic, or mechanical means, and then locked suitably in place. I

Although the invention has been described herein with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only as an example and that the scope of the invention is defined, by what is hereinafter claimed.

1. A horizontal mold for forming a continuous cast strand comprising:

a. a fixed sleeve first portion having apassage therethrough;

b. means to connect said sleeve first portion to a vessel containing molten metal which flows into said sleeve and forms therein said cast strand; 7

c. a fixed second portion integrally joined to said sleeve first portion and having an open top;

d. a movable cover portion disposed on said second portion;

and

e. apparatus mounted to said cover for vibrating said cover in rapid successive strokes so that said cover impacts said cast strand repeatedly.

2. The invention of claim 1 including:.

a. means to cool said first and second mold portions; and b. means to cool said cover portion 1 Y 1 3. The invention of claim .1 including a plurality of resilient members supporting said cover portion respect to said second mold portion. r

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein: a. said resilient members include springs residing in cavities in said second mold portion; and b. means on said cover engaging said springs and supporting said cover.

5. The invention of claim 2 including means to cool said cast strand after it leaves said mold.

6. The invention of claim -4 including means to withdraw said strand from said mold.

7. A continuous casting apparatus comprising:

a. a vertical tundish for receiving and holding a quantity of molten metal; 1

b. a horizontal continuous casting mold communicating with said tundish, said mold including:

i. a fixed sleeve first portion having a passage therethrough,

ii. means connecting said sleeve first portion to said tundish so that said molten meta'l flows into said sleeve and forms therein a cast strand, Y

iii. a fixed second portion integrally joined to said sleeve first portion and having an open top,

iv. a movable cover portion resiliently mounted to said second portion,

v. apparatus mounted to said cover for vibrating said cover in rapid successive strokes so that said cover impacts said cast strand repeatedly,

vi. means to cool said first and second mold portions, and

vii. means to cool said cover portion;

c. means to cool said cast strand after it leaves said mold;

d d. r eans to withdraw said strand from said mold. 8. A horizontal system for the continuous casting of metal comprising:

a. an elongated trough having a flat horizontally extending bottom with vertically upright walls at either side and with first and second open ends;

b. a cover spaced from said bottom and resiliently attached to said walls to close the top of said trough;

c. means for supplying molten metal to the first open end of said trough; r

(1. means for supplying a coolant to said trough whereby said metal tends to solidify;

e. means for withdrawing the solidified metal from the second end of said trough; and

f. means for vibrating said cover in rapid" successive strokes so that said cover impacts said cast strand repeatedly to facilitate the travel of said metal through said trough.