The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 12, 1999
Filed:
Jul. 24, 1998
John Dompas, Olen, BE;
Stanley E Aylward, Fairfax, VT (US);
R William Hazelett, Colchester, VT (US);
Hazelett Strip-Casting Corporation, Colchester, VT (US);
Abstract
Edge-dam blocks assembled with their upstream faces in keyed mating interengagement with downstream faces of adjacent blocks form an endless edge dam revolvable in a preselected path for defining a boundary of a moving-mold casting region. The edge dam keeps molten metal in the casting region. Upstream and downstream faces of adjacent blocks have mutually complementary shapes for minimizing intrusion of molten metal between abutting blocks. Keying engagement between abutting blocks prevents relative translational slippage of blocks toward or away from molten metal. An abuttable face on each block has at least one protrusion such as an integral elongated key extending perpendicularly to a casting belt associated with the casting region, or the protrusion includes two round pins having projecting tapered ends. Another abuttable face has a recess such as a keyway for snugly receiving a key on an adjacent block or has two tapered recesses for snugly receiving two tapered projections of an adjacent block. External edges and root fillets of keys (and shoulders and root fillets of keyways) are radiused with radii in a range between about 1.2 and about 3 millimeters. Blocks' lower surfaces are shown having slots for receiving a tension member. A key's lower end may be undercut near the slot for relieving stress concentration. A pair of parallel undercut fillets are shown extending along opposite sides of a key. They have a radius in a range from about 3 to about 5 millimeters.