Method and apparatus for the continuous production of strip

An apparatus for integrated, continuous manufacture of hot rolled metallic strip from a melt comprising:

• (1) casting means for continuous production of metallic rod from the melt, said casting means including means for producing forward and reverse motion of said rod with respect to said casting means,
• (2) means cooperating with said casting means for continuously transforming the forward and reverse rod motion to a forward motion having a substantially constant forward velocity being said rod is converted to strip, and
• (3) processing means cooperating with said casting means and transforming means for continuous conversion of said rod to said hot rolled strip,
• said casting means, means for transforming forward and reverse rod motion and processing means being arranged to act on a metallic rod which is continuous from said casting means through said processing means to continuously form an integrated metallic strip.

Apparatus for integrated, continuous high speed manufacture of hot rolled metallic strip from a melt comprising:

• a stationary, up-casting chilled mold communicating with said melt for casting metallic rod;
• one or more pairs of rolls gripping said rod and driven in a controlled way to draw said rod through said mold in a pattern of forward and reverse strokes;
• a plurality of pairs of guide rolls for guiding said rod and arranged in an arcuate path for changing the direction of travel to said rod;
• one or more slack accommodating rolls arranged near the mid-point of said arcuate path and adapted to restrain said rod in a direction parallel to the axis of said slack accommodating rolls while allowing deflection of said rod in a direction perpendicular to the axis of said slack accommodating rolls thereby permitting slack through lateral deflection of said rod;
• a pair of slack control rolls disposed near the mid-point of said arcuate path and in constant communication with said rod arranged to move laterally with said rod in response to said deflection;
• a pair of variable speed driven rolls for advancing said rod, the speed of said rolls varied according to the magnitude of said deflection thereby to bound said deflection;
• a reheating device for raising the temperature of said rod for hot rolling;
• a hot rolling mill for converting said rod into said strip;
• a quench chamber for quenching said strip;
• and
• a winding means for coiling said strip.

An apparatus for intergrated, continuous manufacture of hot rolled metallic strip from a melt comprising:

• (1) casting means for continuous production of metallic rod from the melt, said casting means comprising a stationary casting chilled mold communicating with said melt, and including means for drawing said rod through said mold in a pattern of forward and reverse strokes with respect to said casting means;
• and
• (2) processing means cooperating with said casting means for continuous conversion of said rod to said hot rolled strip, said processing means comprising:
• (A) means for changing the direction of travel of said rod after emergence from said drawing means, said means for changing said direction of travel of said rod comprising a plurality of guide rolls arranged on an arcuate path thereby causing said rod to follow said arcuate path,
• (B) means permitting slack through lateral deflection of said rod, said means permitting said slack comprising one or more pairs of slack accommodating rolls arranged near the mid-point of said arcuate path which are adapted to restrain said rod in a direction parallel to the axis of said slack accommodating rolls while allowing deflection of said rod in a direction perpendicular to the axis of said slack accommodating rolls,
• (C) means for advancing said rod in the manner to control said slack, and
• (D) rolling means for converting said rod to said strip.