Centrifugal casting machine casing and cooling apparatus

A machine for centrifugally casting iron pipes comprising support means, a casing, a rotary casting mould supported on the support means and rotatable about an axis, the casing being movable in translation in a direction parallel to said axis relative to the support means between a withdrawn position and an operative position in which operative position the casing surrounds the mould substantially throughout the length of the mould, the casing having a leading end and a trailing end relative to the movement of the casing to said operative position, means for spraying cooling water onto the mould, a first duct and a second duct carried by the casing respectively adjacent the leading end and the trailing end of the casing, each duct having an oulet opening onto the interior of the casing and a transverse annular end surface defining an inlet, a third duct and a fourth duct which are fixed relative to the support means, each third and fourth duct having a transverse annular end surface defining an outlet, and forced steam suction means disposed in the third and fourth ducts, the end surfaces of the first and second ducts being respectively parallel to the end surfaces of the third and fourth ducts and positioned relative to the casing to respectively coincide with and sealingly engage the end surfaces of the third and fourth ducts in the operative position of the cashing, the end surfaces of the ducts being inclined relative to said axis in a direction to permit the end surfaces of the first and second ducts to disengage from the end surfaces of the third and fourth ducts when the casing moves to said withdrawn position, and the end surfaces of the first and third ducts being offset transversely of said axis from the end surfaces of the second and third ducts whereby the end surface of the first duct clears the end surface of the fourth duct when the casing moves to said withdrawn position.