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AssigneeAlcan Research and Development Limited
InventorsHerbert J. Thorburn, John A. Tracy
Estimating the term…
In the continuous casting of metal in strip form between moving belts while maintaining a flowing layer of liquid coolant between the reverse surface of a belt and mutually adjacent, guiding-surface, nozzle elements that deliver such coolant, such elements are each constituted as a cooling and guiding unit having a hexagonal face and including releasable retaining elements normally holding such face (through which coolant is projected against the belt) at desired level under spring pressure against the engaged elements. The elements, respectively with the hexagonal head and with a fixed support, are disengaged by depressing the head and turning it, thus allowing removal of the device for replacement or service. As the hexagonal heads can be arranged very closely together, except for narrow, liquid-withdrawal spaces between adjacent edges, practically complete support for a coolant layer across and along the entirety of the belt, is attainable, yet with practicality of construction of the units. The engageable elements can be so arranged and shaped as to permit slight tilting of the hexagonal head units, for even greater conformity with the requirements of belt cooling.
A belt cooling and guiding unit for continuous casting apparatus where liquid metal is cast between a pair of movable heat-conducting belts to discharge as solidified strip, said apparatus including a base structure having passages for delivering liquid coolant to a multiplicity of such units which collectively face the reverse surface of at least one belt to provide a layer of liquid coolant at said surface, comprising means providing a substantially flat guiding face having a hexagonal contour around a transverse axis and apertured for projecting liquid coolant against said reverse belt surface, means for supporting said first-mentioned means in registration with one of said base passages for coolant supply, said supporting means including means resiliently urging said first-mentioned means toward said belt surface, and mutually engageable retaining elements respectively associated with said first-mentioned means and arranged to be held with the base structure, said first-mentioned means being rotatably and longitudinally movable relative to said axis and said elements being constructed and arranged so that from a position of engagement to hold the first-mentioned means against axial displacement by the resilient means, said elements can be disengaged by depressing the first-mentioned means against said resilient means and rotating it whereby it can be removed axially, said hexagonal face being shaped so that it and like hexagonal faces can completely cover a belt-facing area with narrow openings between adjacent hexagonal edges for return of liquid coolant projected against the belt surface through the hexagonal faces, said retaining elements being mutually shaped so that in their engaged, holding position the aforesaid unit is held with its hexagonal face edges in closely aligned spacing next to the said adjacent hexagonal edges of said like hexagonal unit faces, and so that when the elements are disengaged by depressing and rotating the first-mentioned means, the hexagonal face edges of the aforesaid unit are in another position for like closely aligned spacing with the adjacent hexagonal edges of the adjacent hexagonal unit faces, to permit axial removal of the aforesaid unit through the hexagonally defined opening between the hexagonal faces of the adjacent units.
A belt cooling and guiding unit for continuous casting apparatus where liquid metal is cast in contact with at least one movable heat-conducting belt to discharge as solidified strip, said apparatus including a base structure arranged to deliver liquid coolant to a mutliplicity of such units which collectively face a reverse surface area of said belt to provide a layer of liquid coolant at said surface, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.