Novelis, Inc.

Rejean LeBlanc

Daniel Godin

Kevin Michael Gatenby

Edward S Luce

Eric Lees

Eric Robert Lees

Edward Stanley Luce

Exemplary embodiments of the invention provide a casting apparatus for continuously casting a metal strip article (e.g. a twin-belt metal caster or a twin-block metal caster). The apparatus has a casting cavity defined between a pair of moving elongated opposed casting surfaces, and the casting cavity has an entrance and an exit aligned in a direction of casting. The casting cavity is also provided with a molten metal injector at its entrance, the injector having an internal metal channel including a downstream opening for introducing molten metal into the casting cavity, and a pair of side dams at each lateral side of the casting cavity for confining molten metal from the injector within the cavity. At least one of the side dams comprises an elongated element that is movable laterally relative to the direction of casting during a casting operation. The elongated element extends in the direction of casting from the injector longitudinally between the casting surfaces at least to a downstream position within the casting cavity where the metal adjacent the element is laterally self-supporting.

Continuous casting apparatus for casting strip of variable width

Exemplary embodiments of the invention provide a side dam for a continuous metal casting apparatus having elongated opposed casting surfaces forming a casting cavity. The side dam has an elongated upstream part and an elongated downstream part that are mutually laterally pivotable, and a smooth metal-contacting side surface extending continuously from an upstream end to a downstream end of the side dam. The surface has regions thereof formed on the upstream part and the downstream part. Mutual pivoting of the upstream part and the downstream part of the side dam enables the regions of the smooth metal-contacting side surface to be moved out of mutual coplanar alignment. The side dams can therefore be used to form either a convergent or divergent casting cavity to assists the casting procedure and to enhance the properties of the cast article.

Stationary side dam for continuous casting apparatus

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Jonquiere, Canada

Rejean LeBlanc