U.S. patent application number 13/245920 was filed with the patent office on 2012-04-05 for continuous-casting mold.
Invention is credited to Joerg Biechl, Egon EVERTZ, Ralf Evertz, Stefan Evertz, Hendrik Zschaber.
Application Number | 20120080159 13/245920 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44677608 |
Filed Date | 2012-04-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120080159 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
EVERTZ; Egon ; et
al. |
April 5, 2012 |
CONTINUOUS-CASTING MOLD
Abstract
A continuous-casting mold has an inner mold tube having a
plurality of side walls formed with coolant passages and a
plurality of profiles extending longitudinally on each of the side
walls and each formed with a respective plurality of longitudinally
spaced undercut grooves. An outer jacket surrounds the mold tube.
Respective connectors each have a base generally complementarily
fitting in a respective one of the grooves and a tubular and
internally threaded body projecting outward from the respective
base. Respective screws engage from outside through the jacket into
the bodies.
Inventors: |
EVERTZ; Egon; (Solingen,
DE) ; Evertz; Ralf; (Leichlingen, DE) ;
Evertz; Stefan; (Solingen, DE) ; Zschaber;
Hendrik; (Langenfeld, DE) ; Biechl; Joerg;
(Solingen, DE) |
Family ID: |
44677608 |
Appl. No.: |
13/245920 |
Filed: |
September 27, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
164/443 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B22D 11/055
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
164/443 |
International
Class: |
B22D 11/124 20060101
B22D011/124 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 2, 2010 |
DE |
102010047392.8 |
Claims
1. A continuous-casting mold comprising: an inner mold tube having
a plurality of side walls formed with coolant passages; a plurality
of profiles extending longitudinally on each of the side walls and
each formed with a respective plurality of longitudinally spaced
undercut grooves; an outer jacket complementarily surrounding the
mold tube; respective connectors each having a base generally
complementarily fitting in a respective one of the grooves and a
tubular and internally threaded body projecting outward from the
respective base; and respective screws engaged from outside through
the jacket into the bodies.
2. The continuous-casting mold defined in claim 1, wherein each of
the grooves extends transversely of the respective longitudinally
extending profile and the passages are defined between the
profiles.
3. The continuous-casting mold defined in claim 1, wherein the
bases and the grooves are of T-section.
4. The continuous-casting mold defined in claim 1, wherein each of
the tubular bodies has a frustoconically outwardly tapered outer
end.
5. The continuous-casting mold defined in claim 1, wherein the
jacket is formed by a respective side plates juxtaposed with the
side walls and each formed with an array of holes aligned with the
grooves and through which the screws engage and into which the
respective cylindrical bodies engage.
6. The continuous-casting mold defined in claim 5, wherein each
screw has a head and a shank, each of the holes being formed with
an internal restriction on which the head of the respective screw
bears.
7. The continuous-casting mold defined in claim 6 wherein each of
the holes is countersunk outward of the respective restriction,
whereby the screw heads are countersunk beneath an outer face of
the respective plate.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a mold for the continuous
casting of blooms, slabs or billets, with a mold tube surrounded by
a jacket and supported by profiles running in the longitudinal
direction and distributed over the circumference on the jacket and
connected positively to the latter via connectors, cooling passages
for the routing of cooling water being distributed over the entire
circumference between the jacket and being arranged essentially
over the entire mold length.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Continuous casting molds are reusable, downwardly open molds
for casting metal or alloys. For this purpose, the liquid metal or
liquid alloy is conducted through the mold that consists of cooled
copper plates and the metal or alloy solidifies in the desired
form.
[0003] A particular problem with continuous casting is that uniform
and careful cooling of the copper tubular mold is advantageous for
this purpose. To this effect, coolant is conducted through
prefabricated coolant passages, the coolant employed usually being
water. In this case, a uniform temperature of the coolant is
desirable, so that the mold is not damaged due to sharp local
temperature gradients. Furthermore, with a constant cooling
capacity, the casting has a higher surface quality.
[0004] Continuous casting molds of the type described above are
known, for example, from EP 2 014 393 (US 2001/0155570]and from EP
1 468 760 (U.S. Pat. No. 7,422,049). These describe connection
profiles as connectors between the mold tube and the jacket, the
connection profiles being arranged in the longitudinal direction
along the entire circumferential line. In the embodiment according
to EP 2 014 393 A1, the connection profile arranged in one piece on
the mold tube has a rounded nose, behind which a further nose of a
connection strip, connected to the jacket, is engaged. For this
purpose, a plurality of fastening screws are provided that reach
through the jacket from outside. By contrast, in the embodiment
according to EP 1 468 760 B1, there is provision for the profile
strips on the mold tube to be designed as T-profile pieces or as
dovetail profile pieces, the profile piece on the jacket being
shaped correspondingly in order to provide an appropriate
connection.
[0005] The molds described have the disadvantage, in the first
place, that manufacture or machining is relatively complicated,
thus increasing the production costs. Moreover, assembly is
comparatively complicated, since the respective strips have to be
oriented first parallel to one another and then at the correct
height, which has proved to be difficult. A particular problem,
however, is that a reduced cooling action takes place in the region
of the profile strips, thus leading to the sharp local temperature
gradients already referred to. This is also intensified in that, in
the known solutions, the cooling passages are covered on one
side.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0006] It is therefore an object of the present invention to
provide an improved continuous-casting mold.
[0007] Another object is the provision of such an improved
continuous-casting mold that overcomes the above-given
disadvantages, in particular in which as constant and as uniform a
cooling capacity as possible is afforded along the entire
surface.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] A continuous-casting mold has according to the invention an
inner mold tube having a plurality of side walls formed with
coolant passages, a plurality of profiles extending longitudinally
on each of the side walls and each formed with a respective
plurality of longitudinally spaced undercut grooves, an outer
jacket surrounding the mold tube, respective connectors each having
a base generally complementarily fitting in a respective one of the
grooves and a tubular and internally threaded body projecting
outward from the respective base, and respective screws engaged
from outside through the holes in the bodies.
[0009] In other words, according to the invention the rib-shaped
supporting profiles arranged on the outer surface of the mold are
formed with a plurality of spaced-apart undercut grooves into which
engage the connectors that also have a cylindrically tubular body
with an internal threaded bore that receives a fastening screw for
fixing the jacket. This jacket consists of a plurality of plates
that are connected indirectly to the mold tube via screws that
engage into the cylindrically tubular body, for which purpose the
latter has a corresponding threaded portion. The hollow body is
mounted positively inside the recesses on the rib-shaped supporting
profiles. The jacket plates can thereby be assembled quickly and in
a labor-saving way, since the correct positioning is already
defined by only two connection points, and the jacket plate is
prevented from being axially displaced longitudinally with respect
to the mold tube. The other fastening screws can subsequently be
fitted without difficulty.
[0010] Furthermore, the cylindrically tubular body with the
threaded bore affords a comparatively long threaded portion, so
that there is a stable connection. This is not so if the threaded
bores were to be threaded directly into the supporting profiles
that are designed to be as flat as possible and therefore offer
only a small amount of space for a threaded portion.
[0011] According to a first advantageous embodiment of the present
invention, the grooves with undercuts and the parts engaged therein
of the connectors are T-profiles or dovetail profiles. Such profile
cross sections can be produced simply, quickly and therefore
cost-effectively and, moreover, provide an optimal hold of the
connectors.
[0012] In order to make positioning even easier when the jacket
plates are being assembled, the cylindrically tubular bodies of the
connectors each have on an outer end a frustoconical outer surface
that serves as a centering aid for the jacket plate to be attached.
Furthermore, according to a further embodiment of the invention,
each jacket plate has perforations that may preferably be bores
into which the cylindrically tubular bodies of the connectors
project in the assembled state. Hence, during assembly, the jacket
plate first merely has to be positioned roughly, so that the tips
of the hollow bodies project into the perforations. When the jacket
plate is subsequently being "plugged on", it is correctly
positioned automatically. Alternatively or additionally to this,
the perforations could also be designed frustoconically inside the
jacket plates.
[0013] So that the jacket plate can be connected firmly to the mold
tube, the perforations of the jacket plate each have restrictions
with a diameter designed for passing the screw shank, but not the
screw head. Preferably, in the assembled state, the screw head
rests in a countersink of the jacket plate.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0014] The above and other objects, features, and advantages will
become more readily apparent from the following description,
reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:
[0015] FIG. 1 is an exploded illustration of a continuous-casting
mold with a mold tube and with a jacket,
[0016] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a detail of one side wall of
a mold tube,
[0017] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a detail of a supporting
profile with connectors,
[0018] FIGS. 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views of a connector, and
[0019] FIG. 6 is a section through a connection between a jacket
plate and supporting profile.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] According to a first actual embodiment of the present
invention, the mold consists of a mold tube 1 and of a jacket 2.
The mold tube 1 has supporting profiles 3 distributed over its
outer surface and extending in a longitudinal direction 4, so that
the mold tube 1 is supported via these in the jacket 2.
Furthermore, the side walls of the mold tube 1 are formed with
outwardly open cooling grooves or passages 5 that also extend in
the longitudinal direction 4 and through which a coolant flows.
[0021] FIG. 2 shows a view of a detail of one planar side wall of
the mold tube 1 with the supporting profiles 3 and with the coolant
passages 5. It can also be seen there and in a view of a detail in
FIG. 3 that a plurality of transverse spaced-apart grooves 6 with
undercuts 7 are provided at least partially on the is supporting
profiles 3. Connectors 8 engage here, each having a cylindrically
tubular body 9 with an internal threaded bore 10 that receives a
fastening screw (not illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3). In the
embodiment illustrated (FIG. 3), the groove-shaped recess 6 with
undercut 7 and the parts 13 of the connector 8 that engage here are
T-shaped. However, a dovetail connection or another positive
connection could also be provided.
[0022] As may be gathered from FIG. 1, a plurality of perforations
or holes 12 each centered on a respective axis A and through each
of which a fastening screw engages are provided on the jacket 2
that is formed by four planar plates 11 to 11'''. In order to make
it easier to push on the jacket plates 11 to 11''', the
cylindrically tubular body 9 is outwardly frustoconically tapered
at least at its outer end. Alternatively, the perforation 12 could
also be inwardly frustoconically flared at least at its inner end,
a positioning aid thus likewise being provided. Moreover,
interengaging teeth 17 are formed on the longitudinal edges of the
jacket plates 11 to 11''', so that the jacket plates 11 to 11'''
are connected to one another by dovetailing, thus constituting a
specially stable connection.
[0023] FIGS. 4 and 5 show front and side views of a single
connector 8 with its cylindrically tubular body 9 and T-shaped base
part 13.
[0024] FIG. 6 shows a diagrammatic illustration of a single
connection between a jacket plate 11 and a supporting profile 3. In
this case, the cylindrical body 9 fits in the perforation 12 and
receives a respective fastening screw 14. The projections prevent
the head 15 of the fastening screw 14 from slipping slip through
the perforation 12. A multiplicity of such connections affords a
stable and easily assembled fastener of the jacket plates 11-11'''
that all together form the jacket 2.
[0025] On account of the thermal expansion that the mold tube 1
experiences during continuous casting and of the different
expansion between the mold tube 1 and jacket 2, some play between
the cylindrically tubular bodies 9 and the corresponding bores 12
in the jacket plate 11-11''' must be allowed in calculations.
* * * * *