Method and apparatus for inserting a pouring pipe into a mold of a continuous casting machine

An apparatus for inserting a pouring pipe into a mold of a continuous casting machine and beneath a casting opening of a metallurgical vessel, comprising:

• a conveyor mounted adjacent an upper opening of the mold and comprising guide means for guiding the pouring pipe from a substantially horizontal starting position outside of the mold to a substantially vertical waiting position wherein a lower end of the pouring pipe is inserted through the upper opening of the mold, and an upper end of the pouring pipe is offset from but substantially aligned with the casting opening of the metallurgical vessel, such that the pouring pipe in the waiting position can be subsequently pushed into a substantially vertical pouring position wherein the upper end of the pouring pipe is directly beneath the casting opening in the metallurgical vessel and the lower end of the pouring pipe remains inserted through the upper opening of the mold;
• transporting means for transporting the pouring pipe along said guide means from said starting position to said waiting position;
• pusher means for pushing the pouring pipe from said waiting position into said pouring position;
• wherein a head plate is provided at the upper end of the pouring pipe;
• wherein a guide plate is provided at a bottom wall of the metallurgical vessel;
• wherein a plurality of contact strips are mounted beneath said guide plate such that a gap is formed between said guide plate and said contact strips;
• and
• wherein said pusher means is operable to push the pouring pipe from said waiting position to said pouring position such that said head plate is forced into said gap between said guide plate and said contact strips.

A method of inserting a pouring pipe into a mold of a continuous casting machine and beneath a casting opening of a metallurgical vessel, comprising the steps of:

• providing a conveyor in a region adjacent an upper opening of the mold;
• mounting the pouring pipe on the conveyor in a substantially horizontal starting position outside of the mold;
• transporting the pouring pipe along said conveyor from said substantially horizontal starting position to a substantially vertical waiting position wherein a lower end of the pouring pipe is inserted through the upper opening of the mold, and an upper end of the pouring pipe is offset from but substantially aligned with the casting opening of the metallurgical vessel, such that the pouring pipe in the waiting position can be subsequently pushed into a substantially vertical pouring position wherein the upper end of the pouring pipe is directly beneath the casting opening in the metallurgical vessel and the lower end of the pouring pipe remains inserted through the upper opening of the mold;
• and
• wherein said step of mounting the pouring pipe comprises mounting the pouring pipe to a truck and mounting said truck on said conveyor.

An apparatus for inserting a pouring pipe into a mold of a continuous casting machine and beneath a casting opening of a metallurgical vessel, comprising:

• a conveyor mounted adjacent an upper opening of the mold and comprising guide means for guiding the pouring pipe from a substantially horizontal starting position outside of the mold to a substantially vertical waiting position wherein a lower end of the pouring pipe is inserted through the upper opening of the mold, and an upper end of the pouring pipe is offset from but substantially aligned with the casting opening of the metallurgical vessel, such that the pouring pipe in the waiting position can be subsequently pushed into a substantially vertical pouring position wherein the upper end of the pouring pipe is directly beneath the casting opening in the metallurgical vessel and the lower end of the pouring pipe remains inserted through the upper opening of the mold;
• transporting means for transporting the pouring pipe along said guide means from said starting position to said waiting position;
• pusher means for pushing the pouring pipe from said waiting position into said pouring position;
• wherein said transporting means comprises a displacement mechanism including an actuating rod mounted for movement along said guide means;
• wherein said conveyor further comprises a truck means for receiving the pouring pipe, said truck means including a pair of spaced apart rollers;
• wherein said guide means comprises a pair of spaced apart guideways adapted to receive said pair of rollers, respectively;
• and
• wherein said actuating rod is mounted for movement along one of said guideways.

An apparatus for inserting a pouring pipe into a mold of a continuous casting machine and beneath a casting opening of a metallurgical vessel, comprising:

• a conveyor mounted adjacent an upper opening of the mold and comprising guide means for guiding the pouring pipe from a substantially horizontal starting position outside of the mold to a substantially vertical waiting position wherein a lower end of the pouring pipe is inserted through the upper opening of the mold, and an upper end of the pouring pipe is offset from but substantially aligned with the casting opening of the metallurgical vessel, such that the pouring pipe in the waiting position can be subsequently pushed into a substantially vertical pouring position wherein the upper end of the pouring pipe is directly beneath the casting opening in the metallurgical vessel and the lower end of the pouring pipe remains inserted through the upper opening of the mold;
• transporting means for transporting the pouring pipe along said guide means from said starting position to said waiting position;
• and
• wherein said guide means comprises a pair of vertically spaced apart guideways extending from said starting position to said waiting position.