Patent ID: 7628952

Claim:
In a continuous caster for molten steel conducted from a slide gate at a bottom tap hole of a ladle into a tundish along a flow path confirmed to be isolated from contaminants in atmospheric air, apparatus for establishing the flow path including the combination of: a ladle lift actuator to position such a ladle between a shroud assembling position and a ladle taping position for delivering molten steel into a tundish; a generally tubular shroud to communicate with such a slide gate for conducting molten steel from the bottom tap hole in the ladle; a manipulator including a shroud support moveable by manipulator actuators to displace the shroud into a gaseous sealing relation with the slide gate at the shroud assembling position; the manipulator actuators being operative to displace the generally tubular shroud while supported by the manipulator in the gaseous sealing relation with the slide gate as a unit with the ladle by operation of the lift actuator in a direction for establishing the ladle taping position wherein molten steel is conducted by the tubular shroud into the tundish beneath a surface of molten steel therein; a control for gaseous mediums to selectively connect a metal flow path in the shroud with a supply of an inert gas for purging the metal flow path of atmospheric air contaminants prior to receiving molten steel from the ladle and while conducting molten steel into the tundish; a source of partial vacuum, the control being operable to apply the source of partial vacuum to the metal flow path in the shroud; and a sensor responsive to the prevailing gas pressure of the applied partial vacuum by the control in the metal flow path for monitoring the integrity of the gaseous sealing relation with the slide gate.