Wagstaff, Inc.

Wagstaff Engineering, Inc.

David A Fort

Frank E Wagstaff

Richard J Collins

As a reversal of previous practice, the annular body of the mold in the unit has an annular case at the bottom thereof, rather than at the top thereof. The case is relatively thick axially of the mold, so as to form the greater portion of the axial length of the mold body at the outer periphery thereof; and at the top thereof, the case has an annular plate thereon, which forms a pair of flanges that overhang the case and enable the metal casting unit to be lowered into an aperture of a casting table from above, and supported on top of the table at the flanges. Meanwhile, the case defines the lower end opening of the mold cavity, and the outlet for liquid coolant that is discharged onto the molten metal body as it emerges from the unit. Commonly, the case is monolithic, and also has an annular sump at the top thereof which is covered by the plate to form a chamber for the coolant in the sump. A graphite casting ring may be circumposed about the inner periphery of the case, to form a liner for the upper end portion of the cavity; and a refractory top ring may be circumposed about the upper end opening of the cavity, to form a hot top for the ring.

Annular metal casting unit

A casting unit 6 consists of a monolithic body which is annular in shape and has an annular flange 72 outturned about the axis and monolithically outstanding on the body at the outer periphery, a set of lugs 110 angularly spaced about the axis on the lower end portion of the body and monolithically outstanding in the aperture, and a circumferential groove 114 about the outer periphery of the body in the upper end portion, with mullions 20 monolithically upstanding therein, adjacent the outer periphery of the groove, to form ports 112.The groove is interconnected with the cavity 108 in the lower end portion of the body at the aperture; and passages, 126, 140, a graphite ring 16, and whatever else is required, are added to complete the unit 6 before it is supported in an aperture in a metal casting table 2, having liquid coolant discharge means 14 circumposed thereabout and a stool to support molten metal after being mated with the lugs. Where the liquid coolant discharge means take the form of a liquid coolant box, the housing 22, 24 of which defines the table, and the casting unit is upwardly inserted in the box, at an aperture 26 in the bottom, and abutted with the top of the chamber 14, a device 17 is provided for sensing leakage between the casting unit and the top of the chamber. The leakage is discharged in a passage 140 passing through one of the mullions to the bottom of the casting unit.

Metal casting unit

The mold is equipped with a casting ring 6 which is formed by clamping together four generally rectilinear wall segments 8 that are, first, arranged like the sides of a picture frame about the rabbet 52 of a rectangular case 10, and then abutted together, sash-like, at their mitered ends 80, to form a ring, the casting surface 9 of which will produce the rectangular cross-sectional outline common to sheet ingot or the like, when molten metal is fed through the ring. The clamping action is produced by a set of screws 94 at the corners 10' of the case, and after the ring 6 is clamped about a pair of spaced, axially opposing lips 54 and 60 on the case and an annular plate 14 thereabove, the plate 14 is clamped to the top of the case, to secure the ring in place and seal the axial ends of the ring against fluid flow thereacross.

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Spokane, WA, United States of America

David A Fort