Patent DE-102010044606-A1 (DE)
Title: Feeding a liquid metal in a continuous casting plant, comprises transporting filled casting ladles to a distributor to accommodate the ladles on the distributor, and emptying each of these casting ladles in the distributor
IPC: B22D11/10
Filed: 2010-09-07
Abstract: The method comprises transporting filled casting ladles (2, 2a) to a distributor (7) of a continuous casting plant to accommodate the ladles on the distributor, continuously emptying each of these casting ladles in the distributor, removing the empty casting ladles from the distributor, and beginning the liquid feed from each next ladle in the central area of the distributor before full emptying of the preceding ladle in the same distributor. The step of emptying the casting ladles in the distributor after removing the preceding empty ladle in the distributor is done in a horizontal movement. The method comprises transporting filled casting ladles (2, 2a) to a distributor (7) of a continuous casting plant to accommodate the ladles on the distributor, continuously emptying each of these casting ladles in the distributor, removing the empty casting ladles from the distributor, and beginning the liquid feed from each next ladle in the central area of the distributor before full emptying of the preceding ladle in the same distributor. The step of emptying the casting ladles in the distributor after removing the preceding empty ladle in the distributor is done in a horizontal movement, where the ladles are held above the distributor. The liquid-metal is fed from the ladle below the level of the liquid metal in the distributor through a sprue, which is located in a lid of the distributor in the form of a longitudinal slit having a width greater than the diameter of a casting tube (5) of the casting ladle. The sprue returns to its starting position before the end of the emptying the casting ladle, and is used in the beginning of the emptying step up to the removal of the preceding casting ladles from the distributor. The continuous emptying of the next casting ladle by the sprue to feed the liquid metal from the casting ladle in the distributor is carried out over the entire length of the sprue in such a way that the slow horizontal movement of the casting ladle is achieved with intermediate pauses or without breaks in directions of thin rims of the distributor. The sprue present in the lid of the distributor: changes its position to corresponding flap at some area approaching the casting tube of the casting ladle, where the flap opens at this area and automatically closes when the casting tube leaves the specified area; and allows the emptying of the casting ladle in the distributor by shedding under the level. The sprue uses all of the slit length for emptying the casting ladle in the distributor by shedding under the level. The end faces of the slit are arranged adjacent to the two narrow rims of the distributor, and the distance (L) between the narrow rims is selected by the shedding under the level by a condition of simultaneous emptying in the distributor by the longitudinal sprue of the two casting ladles. An independent claim is included for an apparatus for feeding a liquid metal in the continuous casting plant.