Patent ID: 6960317

Claim:
A control assembly for controlling reciprocal movement of a stopper relative to an orifice of a tundish for a continuous casting installation, the control assembly comprising; a shaft reciprocally mounted in a guiding assembly, means for connecting the shaft to the stopper to reciprocally move the stopper with the shaft, a motor, having a rotary drive shaft, motion converting means connected to the shaft and being selectively drivingly engageable with the motor drive shaft to convert a rotational movement of the motor drive shaft into a reciprocal movement of the shaft, means for mounting the motor so as to be relatively movable between a first rest position wherein the rotary drive shaft is disengaged relative to the motion converting means to a second position wherein the rotary drive shaft is drivingly connected with the motion converting means, and wherein, in the second engaged position, the rotary drive shaft of the motor extends substantially in a principal direction of reciprocation of the shaft.