Patent ID: 6910524

Claim:
A twin belt caster, comprising a pair of rotatably supported endless casting belts, a casting mold formed between moving casting surfaces of confronting generally planar sections of the belts, said sections having reverse surfaces opposite said casting surfaces, the casting mold having a molten metal entrance at one end and a solidified sheet article outlet at an opposite end, and a casting injector for introduction of a molten metal into the casting mold at the entrance of the casting mold, said one end and said opposite end defining a mold region between them; said caster including a cooling and guiding apparatus for at least one of said casting belts, said apparatus comprising at least one nozzle having a support surface positioned adjacent to a reverse surface of said one casting belt, but spaced from said reverse surface by an operating standoff, said support surface having a continuous elongated slot arranged transversely substantially completely across said one casting belt adapted to deliver a cooling liquid to the reverse surface of said belt in the form of an intact continuous moving liquid film, a drainage opening adapted to remove cooling liquid spaced from said continuous slot and to transfer suction to said reverse surface of said casting belt, and a vacuum system associated with said drainage opening adapted to apply suction to said drainage opening, whereby, in use, said moving liquid film and said suction serve to maintain said standoff between said support surface and said reverse surface of said casting belt at predetermined separation while cooling said belt with said liquid.