US3903955A

US3903955A - Horizontal continuous casting apparatus with reciprocatory gate

Info

Publication number: US3903955A
Application number: US410293A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jacques Antoine; Robert Alberny; Jacques Michelet
Original assignee: Institut de Recherches de la Siderurgie Francaise IRSID
Current assignee: Institut de Recherches de la Siderurgie Francaise IRSID
Priority date: 1972-11-06
Filing date: 1973-10-26
Publication date: 1975-09-09
Anticipated expiration: 1992-09-09
Also published as: FR2213121A1; DE2355015A1; IT998836B; SE383272B; FR2213121B1; BR7308394D0; ATA931073A; LU68739A1; JPS49134527A; ES420293A1; GB1437101A; BE806885A; AT333453B; CA1005966A; AU6182773A

Abstract

In apparatus for the continuous horizontal casting of metals, which comprises a vessel communicating through a lateral orifice located in the vicinity of the bottom thereof with the inlet end of an ingot mold, from which the molded product is removed substantially continuously, a reciprocatory gate is provided for closing the vessel orifice and cutting of passage of the molten metal from the orifice into the mold.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Antoine et al.

14 1 Sept. 9, 1975 HORIZONTAL CONTINUOUS CASTING APPARATUS WITH RECIPROCATORY GATE [75] Inventors: Jacques Antoine,

Longeville-les-Metz; Robert Alberny; Jacques Michelet, both of Metz, all of France [73] Assignee: Institut de Recherches de la Siderurgie Francaise (IRSID), St. Germain-en-Laye, France [22] Filed: Oct. 26, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 410,293

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 6, 1972 France 72.39113 [52] US. Cl 164/281; 164/259 [51] Int. Cl B22d 11/10 [58] Field of Search 164/82, 281, 282; 222/DIG. 7

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 311,902 2/1885 Lewis 222 512 x 3,685,705 8/1972 Cessna 222/561 x FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 239,979 5 1965 Austria 164/281 Primary Examiner-Robert D. Baldwin Attorney, Agent, or FirmKurt Kelman [57] ABSTRACT In apparatus for the continuous horizontal casting of metals, which comprises a vessel communicating through a lateral orifice located in the vicinity of the bottom thereof with the inlet end of an ingot mold,

from which the molded product is removed substantially continuously, a reciprocatory gate is provided for closing the vessel orifice and cutting of passage of the molten metal from the orifice into the mold.

2 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures HORIZONTAL CONTINUOUS CASTING APPARATUS WITH RECIPROCATORY GATE The present invention relates to apparatus for the continuous horizontal casting of metals, which term includes metal alloys, especially ferrous alloys such as steel.

Apparatus for the continuous horizontal casting of metals generally comprises a vessel adapted to receive the metal in the molten state defining in the vicinity of its lower end a lateral orifice located adjacent and in communication with an open-ended ingot mold the form of which determines the cross-section of the case product. Generally, the cast product is extracted from the mold by mechanical means, passage of the molten metal from the vessel to the mold taking place most often through a refractory conduit integral with a wall of the vessel and penetrating into said mold at one of the ends of the latter.

When carrying out continuous horizontal casting operations, casting must be temporarily interrupted while the vessel contains molten metal, whenever the ingot mold must be replaced in order to change the crosssection of the cast product, or for some other reason, for example repair of the ingot mold. Preliminary emptying of the vessel must then be carried out and this leads to a drop in the total output of the apparatus. Furthermore, fortuitous tap-holes may come into being downstream of the vessel, all of the molten metal contained in the vessel then running out by gravity, the contingency possibly involving serious disturbances in the casting shop.

The object of this invention is to provide improvements in such apparatus, especially in regard to the constructive arrangements of the refractory conduit connecting the vessel to the ingot mold, with a view to improving the conditions in which the apparatus is used in steelworks.

According to the invention, we provide in an apparatus for the continuous horizontal casting of metals, which comprises a vessel communicating through a lateral orifice located in the vicinity of its lower end with an ingot mold from which the molded product is removed substantially continuously, a member for closing the vessel orifice and located upstream of the mold relative to the direction in which the product is extracted.

The apparatus according to the invention enables the molding operations to be stopped no matter how full the vessel may be and whatever the reason necessitating the stoppage, without involving unwanted emptying of the vessel. Indeed, the closing member located upstream of the ingot mold enables the supply of molten metal to the mold to be interrupted and, thus, any necessary operation may be undertaken. This confers upon the molding process flexibility and reliability not heretofore obtainable with existing procedures.

The present invention will be better understood on reading the following description given by way of example with reference to a now preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section through a continuous molding apparatus according to the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a sectional view through part of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

In FIG. 1 there is shown a continuous casting apparatus comprising essentially a reservoir or supply vessel 1 receiving the molten metal and including a lateral orifice 2 located in the side wall close to the bottom of the vessel, this orifice being provided in a nozzle of refractory material, and a horizontal ingot mold 4 open at its ends. The open inlet end of mold 4 is adjacent and in communication with lateral orifice 2 in vessel 1. The vessel is provided with a device of a type known per se for heating and circulating the metal, this device including channel 26 for circulating and induction heating the metal in the vessel. Moreover, porous plug 27 is disposed in the bottom of the vessel for insufflation of an inert gas. Besides, the vessel is furnished with fluid-tight cover 28 so as to enable the establishment above the molten metal of a protective atmosphere, the metal being introduced into the vessel in a manner known per se through conduit 29 which can be closed and is capable of being put in communication with a feed ladle protected from the atmosphere.

The ingot mold may be of any type and is constituted in the illustrated embodiment merely by way of example by a double-walled copper casing associated with boxes for the introduction and evacuation of a cooling liquid so as to constitute a structure known in the art by the term water-jacket. The passage of the molten metal from the vessel to the ingot mold is effected through connecting conduit 5 which, on the one hand, opens at one end into vessel 1, in axial alignment with lateral orifice 2 and, on the other hand, opens into the open inlet end of the ingot mold. In accordance with the invention, the passage of the molten metal from the vessel to the ingot mold can be interrupted by a closing device described in detail hereinafter.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, connecting conduit 5 is shown as a device 6 of a type similar to the devices known as valved nozzles in the art of casting of metals, which is interposed between vessei 1 and ingot mold 4. The device 6 includes movable closing member or gate 7 guided for reciprocating movement between two fixed plates 8 and 9, the former of which is supported against one of the ends of nozzle 3, and the latter of which is associated with nozzle 10 cooperating with the inlet end of the ingot mold in a manner which will be explained hereinafter. Plate 8 has a central orifice of the same cross-section as, and co-axial with, lateral orifice 2 and thus makes up a part of connecting conduit 5. The plate 8 is centered in relation to nozzle 3 and is applied in a fluid-tight manner against the latter by a removable metallic clamping plate 11 affixed to vessel 2 by cottering and provided with a bearing surface 12 cooperating with a peripheral shoulder in plate 8. The plate 9 is also provided with a central orifice of the same cross-section as, and co-axial with, lateral orifice 2 and also makes up a part of connecting conduit 5. The plate 9 is centered in relation to the lateral orifice by means of a movable metallic clamping plate 13 itself centered in relation to plate 11 by a machined internal bearing surface 14 enabling axial sliding movement in cooperation with a corresponding machined external bearing surface of fixed clamping plate 11. The movable plate 13 is provided with a bearing surface 15 cooperating with a peripheral shoulder in plate 9.. The clearance between the two clamping plates 11 and 13 is regulated by threaded tie rods 16 one end of each of which is fixed to plate 11 and the other ends of which are engaged in bores in the periphery of movable plate 13 and are screwed into nuts 21.

The movable closing member or gate. "I is of generally parallelipedal shape and is provided with an orifice 17 which can be brought into alignment with lateral orifice 2 in the vessel by displacement of member 7 by the operation of jack 18. The movable member or gate 7 is guided during its displacement by

metallic guides

19 and 20 integral with clamping plate 1 1 and is displaced in skew notches 30 and 31 made, respectively, in the facing surfaces of plates 8 and 9. The skew notches 30 and 31 enable the dimension of the closing member to be reduced in the direction of the casting and, consequently, the drop in temperature of the metal while it is passing through connecting conduit 5 to be limited, because of the fact that gate 7 is partially embedded in the plates. The gate 7 is clamped between plates 8 and 9 by tightening nuts 21 on threaded tie rods16, with interpositioning of compression springs between the nuts and plate 13, the compression force being transmitted by respective bearing surfaces 12 and 15 of plates 11 and 13, so as to enable closing member '7 to be reciprocated while ensuring tightness to the molten metal between the plates and member 7.

The nozzle 10 has an orifice 22 of the shape of a truncated cone, the smaller end of which faces towards lateral orifice 2 in the vessel and is of the same crosssection as this orifice, and the larger end of which faces towards the ingot mold, being of a cross-section similar to the cross-section of the ingot mold and preferably smaller than the latter cross-section. The nozzle is shaped externally so as to be engaged in a recess 23 of the shape of a truncated cone formed in plate 9 and presents facing towards the ingot mold a part 24 also of the shape of a truncated cone bearing on a bearing surface of corresponding conicity of the ingot mold. The nozzle may be clamped between plate 9 and the ingot mold by the action of a jack 25 held at constant pressure and associated with the ingot mold in such a way as to ensure the tightness of the connecting conduit 5 at the zones where the nozzle 10 is joined, respectively, with plate 9 and with the ingot mold. The ingot mold is guided by slide bars (not shown). The force of application of the ingot mold against nozzle 10 is transmitted by plate 9 to gate 7. it will therefore be obvious that the clamping force of the plates against the gate is the resultant of the compression force of the springs between nuts 21 and plate 9, and the force corresponding to the pressure in jack 25 when the ingot mold is in the operative position. in the event of the ingot mold being detached, the clamping force is produced solely by the compression springs.

The plates 8 and 9, movable closing member 7 and nozzle 10 are made of a refractory material having rela tively low heat transmission characteristics so as to avoid premature partial solidification in connecting conduit 5. The selected material may be an aluminous refractory, zirconium oxide or boron nitride, the'latter material being particularly useful for nozzle lit) on account of its very low thermal conductivity and the relatively greater remoteness of this constituent part of the device in relation to vessel 2. A further advantage of boron nitride is that the molten metal does not wet this material, which avoids the molten metal being Caught at the inlet to the ingot mold. Other materials having similar properties may, however, be used for nozzle 10.

In the course of a casting operation, the metal is introduced into the vessel in a continuous manner through conduit or pipe 29, it being possible to adjust the temperature of the metal in the vessel by means of induction heating device 26, this device moreover enabling circulation of the metal to be brought about, which promotes the raising of embedded materials to the surface; this latter phenomenon is intensified by the bubbling activity induced in the interior of the metal by the insuftlation of an inert gas through porous plug 27, another efiect of this bubbling activity being to make homogenuous the temperature in the interior of the metal contained in the vessel. The maintenance of an inert atmosphere above the metal enables the avoidance of any oxidation of the metal. The product formed in the ingot mold is extracted in a continuous manner at the downstream end of the apparatus, it being possible to vary the speed of extraction cyclically, as is known in the art.

At the time of an interruption in the casting procedure, closing member 7' is displaced so as to cut off the passage of the molten metal from the vessel to the ingot mold. After extraction of the metal contained in the ingot mold and in the part of conduit 5 located between the closing member and the ingot mold, it is possible to proceed with the disengagement of the ingot mold through operation of jack 25. it is also possible to proceed with the replacement of nozzle 10, either if it is worn out or in order to make its internal shape suitable to the shape of the ingot mold when a change in the cross-section of the cast product is desired. As the metal in conduit 5 is in the molten condition during a period while the apparatus is in operation, the shape of the cross-section of this conduit at the end of nozzle 3 in alignment with lateral orifice 2 in the vessel is independent of the shape of the cross-section of the cast product, the transition from one cross-section to the other being effected in a progressive manner by orifice 22 in nozzle 10. The metal which may be contained in the vessel during the course of a period when the casting process is interrupted may be maintained at a desired temperature as long as is necessary by keeping the induction heating device in operation, this enabling a subsequent casting operation to proceed without loss of metal.

What we claim is:

1. in an apparatus for the continuous horizontal casting of a molten metal, which comprises a vessel receiving the molten metai, the vessel including a bottom and side wall, and the vessel side wall defining a lateral orifice in the vicinity of the vessel bottom, a horizontally extending ingot mold having an open upstream end and an open downstream end whence a cast metal product is removed, and a means for passing the molten metal from the lateral orifice into the open upstream end of the ingot mold, the means comprising a connecting conduit between the lateral orifice and the open upstream end of the ingot mold, and a movable closing gate defining an orifice mounted in the connecting conduit for cutting off passage of the molten metal from the lateral orifice to the ingot mold: the combination of two plates wherebetween the gate is held for reciprocating displacement in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of the lateral orifice, the orifice in the gate having an axis substantially perpendicular to said direction and each of the plates having a central orifice coaxial withthe lateral orifice, one of the plates being affixed to the side wall of the vessel, with the central orifice thereof in alignment with the lateral orifice,

the other one of the plates beingmounted for axial glid-v tral orifice in the other plate to the open upstream end of the ingot mold.

2. In the apparatus of claim 1, the plates having skew notches, and the gate being of generally parallelipedal shape and being supported in the skew notches for reciprocal displacement.

Claims

1. In an apparatus for the continuous horizontal casting of a molten metal, which comprises a vessel receiving the molten metal, the vessel including a bottom and side wall, and the vessel side wall defining a lateral orifice in the vicinity of the vessel bottom, a horizontally extending ingot mold having an open upstream end and an open downstream end whence a cast metal product is removed, and a means for passing the molten metal from the lateral orifice into the open upstream end of the ingot mold, the means comprising a connecting conduit between the lateral orifice and the open upstream end of the ingot mold, and a movable closing gate defining an orifice mounted in the connecting conduit for cutting off passage of the molten metal from the lateral orifice to the ingot mold: the combination of two plates wherebetween the gate is held for reciprocating displacement in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of the lateral orifice, the orifice in the gate having an axis substantially perpendicular to said direction and each of the plates having a central orifice coaxial with the lateral orifice, one of the plates being affixed to the side wall of the vessel, with the central orifice thereof in alignment with the lateral orifice, the other one of the plates being mounted for axial gliding movement in respect to the one fixed plate, the other plate having a first bearing surface for centering the other plate in respect of the one plate during the gliding movement, and a nozzle mounted between the other plate and the upstream end of the ingot mold, the other plate having a second bearing surface for centering the nozzle in respect of the other plate, the nozzle having an axial orifice flaring outwardly from the central orifice in the other plate to the open upstream end of the ingot mold.