Equipment for the removal of billets after casting

Equipment for lifting billets of aluminium out of a casting pit and transferring the billets to a transport device after a casting operation, the equipment comprising:

• a lifting device including a gripping device for retaining one or more of the billets, the lifting device being arranged so that it can move over a casting pit and lift and move the billets,
• the lifting device comprising a U-shaped lifting frame having upright legs connected to a step, each of the legs being connected at a lower end to a wheeled chassis or wheeled bogie;
• and
• a billet positioner extending from the casting pit to the transport equipment, wherein the billet positioner comprises a ramp that is rotatably supported at an upper end so that the ramp can be rotated from an inclined position to a horizontal position,
• wherein the lifting device is arranged to lift the billets and move the billets into contact with the ramp, which can then be rotated to the horizontal position to permit the billets to be transported along the ramp in the direction of the transport equipment.