Adjustable width continuous casting mold

Apparatus for adjusting the width of a continuous casting mold formed of a pair of spaced apart, substantially parallel, rigid, plate-like members, forming opposed casting faces, and side members arranged between the mold members at the opposite sides thereof to provide a roughly rectangular shaped, in cross-section, open ended casting cavity for continuous casting of metal therethrough, comprising:

• at least one of said side members being located a distance inwardly of the adjacent edges of the mold members, and bolt-like members extending between the mold members, between said one side member and its adjacent mold member side edges, and loosely holding the two mold members together and towards said one side member;
• a spring means arranged between the bolt-like members and at least one of the mold members for normally forcing said one mold member towards the other for clamping the mold members against said one side member and for normally resisting separation of the two mold members, but permitting limited separation of the two mold members for releasing th clamping of said one side member against the resistance of said spring means;
• a mounting block supported between the mold members and outwardly of said one side member and adjustable length connector members interconnecting said mounting block and said one side member;
• pressure members mounted upon said mounting block for engaging and for selectivly exerting a separating pressure upon the mold members for overcoming the force of the spring means and thereby releasing the side member, whereby said one side member may be adjusted inwardly or outwardly of the mold casting cavity for adjusting the width of said casting cavity and said pressure members may be released for reclamping said one side member between the mold members.