Patent ID: 8251264

Claim:
Assembly of (a) a tundish for the continuous casting of molten steel and of (b) a refractory nozzle forming a passage for transferring a molten metal through the bottom wall of the tundish, the tundish having a bottom wall having an upper surface, the tundish comprising an element surrounding an inlet portion of the nozzle, the element being made from a refractory material and comprising a main orifice adapted for matching engagement with at least a portion of the outer surface of the nozzle, an exposed main surface of the element surrounding the main orifice and having a lowest level, the lowest level of the main surface of the element being lower than the top outer edge of the nozzle inlet portion, a periphery of the element having an upper face surrounding the main surface of the element, the upper face of the periphery being higher than the main surface of the element, wherein the upper face of the periphery of the element is higher than the upper surface of the bottom wall of the tundish.