Sliding gate valve for molten metal with adjustable plates

A device for discharging smelted metal from a container, comprising;

• a first discharger plate unit, secured in use to a container comprising a first and stationary metal frame and a first and stationary refractory plate normally supported thereby and having a discharge hole;
• first mounting means for tiltably mounting the first plate unit on the container;
• a second discharger plate unit comprising a second metal frame and a second refractory plate normally supported thereby and having a discharge hole;
• second mounting means for mounting the second unit for sliding movement of the second plate along and in contact with the first and stationary plate to mutually align the holes in an opening step of the sliding movement and to place the holes out of mutual alignment in a closing step thereof, the mounting means comprising a third, normally stationary metal frame secured to the container and having elongate mutually parallel guides, the second frame having edges slidable along the parallel guides, the second mounting means also comprising means for tiltably mounting the third frame and thereby the guides and the second frame on the container;
• and
• first and second plate mounting means, each comprising a plurality of set screws threaded into a respective frame, engageable and disengageable with the respective refractory plate, sides of the respective frame sliding integrally with the respective refractory plate and having leaf springs and positioning listels co-operating with said screws to press them against edges of the respective refractory plate.