A mold oscillation apparatus for curved-type continuous casting machines

Abstract

 An apparatus 10 serves to oscillate a mold 1 for curved-type continuous casting machines, and comprises a base frame 3 detachably mounted on a structure 8, a bracket 4 secured to the base frame and having a fulcrum corresponding to a center 0, of curvature for a path la of cast metal in the mold 1, an oscillation lever 2 having its one end pivotally mounted at the fulcrum to the bracket 4, and an oscillation drive lever 6, to which the other end of the oscillation lever 2 is pivotally mounted at a loading point 0₂. The mold 1 is detachably fixed to the oscillation lever 2 as by bolts 11 with its center 0, of curvature corresponding to the fulcrum of the bracket 4. The oscillation drive lever 2 is swingingly driven by a drive motor through a reduction gear 7, so that the mold 1 can oscillate about the center 0, of curvature.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to an apparatus for oscillating a mold for curved-type continuous casting machines, and more partiuclarly to an apparatus for oscillating a mold having a small radius of curvature.

[0002] In order to prevent cast strands from sticking to molds in continuous casting, there have been conventionally employed measures in which a mold in curved-type continuous casting machines is caused to oscillate by a stroke along a locus having a radius R of curvature. In these measures, precision for the locus of oscillation having a radius R of curvature must be strict to some extent in order to reduce surface defects on cast strands to the minimum. To this end, it is necessary to devise constructions or mechanisms for ensuring precision of locus having a radius R of curvature in oscillation of molds. In the prior constructions or mechanisms, guide rolls or single lever are utilized. However, these prior art constructions or mechanisms involve various problems such as the reduction in precision due to abrasion of guide surfaces and the difficulty in ensuring precision of locus due to the fact that position of fulcrum for the single lever is shifted upon deformation of the building structure to a part of which the fulcrum of the single lever is ₃ecured. Another problem involved in the prior art constructions or mechanisms resides in that repair or maintenance of driving mechanism and the like must be performed in a small area within the continuous casting machine.

[0003] It is an object of the invention to solve the above problems involved in the prior art constructions or mechanisms.

[0004] It is another object of the invention to provide an apparatus in which precision of oscillation for a mold is ensured for a long period of time and which can be completely repaired from the outside.

[0005] It is a further object of the invention to provide an apparatus which is advantageously applied to continuous casting machines with a small radius of curvature.

[0006] The invention as claimed provides:

An apparatus for oscillating a mold for curved-type continuous casting machines, said apparatus comprising a base frame having a fulcrum corresponding to a center of curvature for a path of cast strands in said mold and detachably mounted on a structure; an oscillation lever having its one end pivotally mounted at said fulcrum to said base frame; an oscillation drive means operatively connected to the other end of said oscillation lever and fixed to said base frame.

[0007] An illustrated apparatus of the invention is basically a single lever type constriction to ensure motion along a perfect circular arc, and comprises a base frame of adequate rigidity, an oscillation lever mounted at its fulcrum on said base frame, a cam mechanism for oscillation mounted on said base frame, and a drive motor mounted on said base frame, said base frame being detachably mounted on a structure which in turn is securedly supported on a concrete foundation.

[0008] An apparatus according to the present invention can be advantageously incorporated into a curved-type continuous casting machine having a small radius of curvature since it becomes compact in construction due to the fact that the length of the oscillation lever is reduced with smaller radius of curvature.

[0009] In one aspect of the invention, the oscillation lever has its center of oscillation corresponding to the center of curvature of a mold, so that the mold oscillates about the center of curvature to provide an accurate circular arc, thereby saving the trouble of locating the center of curvature of the mold anywhere on the building where the continuous casting machine is mounted. According to the invention, the center of curvature of a mold is immune from any displacement which would be caused by distortion of the building in the prior art, so that the mold can oscillate along an accurate circular arc.

[0010] In another aspect of the invention, a mold having its center of curvature fixed thereto can be attached to a continuous casting machine only by mounting a base frame on a structure, and various elements prvoided on the base frame can be completely repaired at a location away from the continuous casting machine to improve an efficiency of repair work.

[0011] One way of carrying out the invention is described in detail below with reference to the drawing which illustrates only one specific embodiment and is an elevational view of apparatus constructed according to the invention.

[0012] Referring now to the drawing, there is shown an apparatus for oscillating a mold 1 of a curved-type continuous casting machine (not shown). The apparatus is generally designated by numeral 10, and comprises an oscillation lever 2 for the mold 1, a base frame 3, a bracket 4 secured to said base frame, an oscillation cam shaft 5 rotatably mountd on said base frame, an oscillation drive lever 6 oscillatorily mounted on said cam shaft, a reduction gear 7 for oscillation drive, and a drive motor (not shown). These components constitute an integral oscillation unit. The mold 1 has a path la for cast strands, which path has a radius of curvature R, and is detachably secured to the oscillation lever 2 by bolts 11 such that a center O₁ of curvature of the path la corresponds to a fulcrum at which the oscillation lever 2 is pivotally mounted on the bracket 4. The oscillation lever 2 is also pivotally attached at a loading point 0₂ to the oscillation drive lever 6 to oscillate about the fulcrum, that is, the center O₁ of curvature. The loading point 0₂ is located on a line passing through the center O₁ of curvature. The oscillation drive lever 6 is swingingly driven by the oscillation cam shaft 5 which is in turn driven by the drive motor (not shown) through the reduction gear 7 for oscillation drive.

[0013] The oscillation unit thus constructed is provided at the underside of the base frame 3 with a plurality of positioning liners 3a, through which the unit is positioned on top support surfaces 8a of a structure 8 and is detachably secured to the structure 8 by means of cotter pins 12. The structure 8 is rigidly mountd on a concrete foundation 9.

[0014] While this invention has been described in conjunction with a preferred emodiment thereof, it is obvious that modifications and changes therein may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention, as defined by the claims appended hereto.

Claims

1. An apparatus 10 for oscillating a mold 1 for curved-type continuous casting machines, said apparatus comprising a base frame 3 having a fulcrum corresponding to a center O₁ of curvature for a path la of cast strands in said mold and detachably mounted on a structure 8; an oscillation lever 2 having its one end pivotally mounted at said fulcrum to said base frame; an oscillation drive means operatively connected to the other end of said oscillation lever and fixed to said base frame.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said oscillation drive means comprises an oscillation drive lever 6, to which the other end of said oscillation lever 2 is pivotally mounted.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 or 2 wherein said base frame 3 comprises a bracket 4, to which the one end of said oscillation lever is pivotally mounted.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said mold 1 of the curved-type continuous casting machine is detachably fixed to said oscillation lever 2.

Drawing