Continuous casting machine with mold block assemblies interlinked by elastic hinges

US5133401A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Aluminum Company of America · US

Inventors

• Lawrence W. Cisko · Irwin, US
• Ronald Bachowski · Murrysville, US
• Joshua Liu · South San Francisco, US
• Michael M. Mohajery · Pittsburgh, US
• S. John Pien · Export, US
• Paul E. Ringbloom · Murrysville, US
• Adam J. Sartschev · Washington, US
• Albert C. Wang · Murrysville, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 25, 1991
• Grant date: Jul 28, 1992
• Expiry date: Mar 25, 2011

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B22D11/0608
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A continuous casting machine ("block caster") is provided with chain-wise interlinking of mold block assemblies. Such chain-wise interlinking maintains the mold block assemblies essentially contiguous and is essential to provide operation of a continuous casting machine essentially free of mechanical noise. Each mold block assembly is elastically independently hinged by dual parallel hingepins, spaced-apart in the casting direction (x-axis), as the mold block assembly is carried between opposed, transversely (y-axis) spaced-apart guide rails of each carriage track. The elastic hinge means compensates for variation in block-to-block (centerline) distance caused by kinematic phenomena, including thermally induced variations in the dimensions of individual blocks as a function of their position in each track during operation. Guide rollers guided in generally horizontal guide roller-ways are afforded no measurable tolerance relative to their vertical displacement, when the roller-ways are off-set. Microslitted faces of mold blocks minimizes their distortion due to thermal cycles.