Patent EP-2386368-A1 (EP)
Inventor: SIBIET FABRICE
IPC: B22D41/40
Filed: 2010-03-19
Abstract: Tube exchange device for holding and replacing an exchangeable pouring nozzle for casting molten metal out of a vessel, comprises a frame with a casting opening, where the frame is suitable for being fixed to the lower side of a metal casting vessel and comprises a first, upper portion and a second, lower portion, joining at a middle section plane defining the plane where an inner nozzle (12) and an exchangeable pouring nozzle form a sliding contact. Tube exchange device for holding and replacing an exchangeable pouring nozzle for casting molten metal out of a vessel, comprises a frame with a casting opening, where the frame is suitable for being fixed to the lower side of a metal casting vessel and comprises a first, upper portion and a second, lower portion, joining at a middle section plane defining the plane where an inner nozzle (12) and an exchangeable pouring nozzle form a sliding contact. The upper side portion of the frame comprises means for receiving and clamping (50a,50b,50c) in place at its pouring position a bearing surface of an inner nozzle against a support portion of the upper side portion of the frame, so that the through bore of the inner nozzle is in fluid communication with the casting opening. The lower side portion of the frame comprises: (a) a passage extending along a first axis of first direction between an inlet opening and an outlet opening suitable for receiving and moving an exchangeable pouring nozzle from the inlet to the outlet, passing by a casting position in registry with the casting opening of the frame; (b) means for displacing and means (16) for guiding the exchangeable pouring nozzle from a standby position to a casting position in registry with the casting opening of the frame, and optionally for guiding it to the outlet, the guiding means running substantially parallel to the first direction; and (c) pressing means (18) aligned with the guiding means and extending substantially parallel to the first direction at the level of the pouring nozzle casting position for pressing up the exchangeable pouring nozzle at its casting position in the direction of the upper portion of the frame. At least two of the clamping means are arranged transverse to the first direction. Independent claims are included for: (1) an inner nozzle made of a refractory core material for casting molten metal from a metallurgical vessel, and suitable for being mounted on the upper portion of a pouring tube exchange device, the inner nozzle comprising: (a) a substantially tubular portion with an axial through bore fluidly connecting an inlet opening to an outlet opening; and (b) a plate comprising a first, contact surface normal to the axial through bore and comprising the outlet opening, and a second surface opposite to the first contact surface joining the wall of the tubular portion to the side edges defining the perimeter and thickness of the plate, where the inner nozzle plate comprises three separate bearing elements jutting out of the side edges, each bearing element comprising a bearing ledge facing in the direction of the contact surface and distributed around the perimeter of the plate, where the centroids of the orthogonal projections onto a plane parallel to the contact surface of the bearing ledges form the vertices of a triangle; (2) assembly of the inner nozzle and of the tube exchange device, where the inner nozzle comprises bearing elements mating the clamping means of the tube exchange device; and (3) metallic casing for cladding an inner nozzle comprising a main surface with an opening for accommodating the nozzle's tubular portion and side edges extending from the perimeter of the main surface.