Continuous casting machine for forming a lead alloy strip of large thickness

Continuous casting machine for forming a lead alloy strip of large thickness, which comprises:

• a support structure (2) resting on the ground;
• a rotating drum (4) mounted rotatably on said support structure, being rotated by driving means about a horizontal axis of rotation (Y), provided with an outer peripheral surface (7) having, formed therein, an annular seat (8) defined by a bottom surface (9) and by two side shoulders (90), depending on the shape of the continuous strip to be obtained and with a thickness in the range of 8-18 mm;
• a vat (10) for containing a molten lead alloy bath, which vat (10) receives said molten lead alloy from supply means, is sealingly engaged on the peripheral surface (7) of said rotating drum (4) in a first angular position around said rotating drum (4), is provided with at least one through-opening for a flow of molten lead alloy into said annular seat (8), which is continuously filled during the rotation of said rotating drum (4);
• cooling means (23), acting on said rotating drum (4) so as to keep it at a temperature below the melting temperature of said lead alloy, said molten lead alloy solidifying inside said annular seat (8) before reaching a second angular position (203) around said rotating drum (4), where said lead alloy is extracted from said annular seat (8) in the form of a continuous strip of solidified lead alloy;
• wherein it further comprises:
• a fixed shoe (11) rigidly connected to said support structure (2), extending from said vat (10) along an arc around said rotating drum (4), with an inner surface (13) directed towards said arc-shaped rotating drum (4) with a concave curvature corresponding to the convex curvature of the outer surface (7) of said rotating drum (4) and sealingly engaged, in a sliding relationship, on the shoulders (90) of said annular seat (8);
• heating means (26) acting on said shoe along at least an initial section (27) thereof which extends from said vat (10), said means heating, to a temperature higher than the melting temperature of the lead alloy, the free surface of the lead alloy contained in said annular seat (8) so as to allow flowing thereof with low friction on the inner surface (13) of said shoe (11).