MXPA06007917A - Casting machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The inventive casting machine andthe caterpillar casting method based thereon are characterised in that the blocks (4) forming the casting mould surround one of the casting caterpillars (2;3) in a caterpillar-like manner and are separated in a lateral direction into elements which are held together. Said elements are located on the transportation means and are maintained on one part of the periphery of the caterpillar by means of the traction force of stationary magnets on the transportation means.

Description

MACHINE OF COLADA * The present invention relates to a method for casting the crawler type according to the preamble of claim 1, to a casting machine according to the preamble of claim 4, as well as to a method for exchanging the blocks of a casting machine according to claim 28. '* Machines of this type are used for production. continuous of bars and bands, hereinafter referred to as "strands" (Strang), in particular of aluminum and its alloys, but also of other materials, for example zinc, copper, brass, and steel, as well as non-metallic materials. Procedures and devices of this type 'have already been developed in the penultimate and previous centuries. We refer the interested reader to E. Hermann's book, "Handbuch des Stranggiesssens". 1958, and the "Handbook on Continuous Casting", 1980 (Aluminum Verlag Dusseldorf). In addition to other types or constructional designs, casting machines have also been designed in which the casting mold, in which the solidification of the molten material takes place, is formed. by metal blocks arranged adjacently that span the width of the casting mold. In order to minimize the friction between the solidification casting material and the casting mold, the blocks are moved together with the originating rope with the same speed until the end of the casting mold, where they rise from the rope and separate By means of chain wheels or arcuate travel tracks, they are led to the rear side of the body of the machine, and after a new reversal or re-direction of the movement, they are returned to the entrance of the casting mold. In this case and depending on the operating conditions, the blocks may consist of an antimagnetic or ferromagnetic material, preferably copper or aluminum, as well as cast iron or steel. Casting devices of this type are known as so-called crawler-type casting machines, and are also known by the North American terminology "Machine with Caterpillar-mold" and also "Block-Caster". By means of a transmission or drive mechanism, the blocks circulate as endless caterpillars around a body of the machine; in one type or constructive design there are two machine bodies located facing each other, which are positioned in such a way that the distance between the walls facing each other in the casting mold, and holding in. The retraction of the molten material during its solidification, corresponds to the thickness of the rope to be cast. Another type or constructive design is differentiated by the fact that the machine has a single machine body - around which a caterpillar circulates, the melted material being poured on the caterpillar, and the molten material solidifies while moving on it, obtaining a rope. In this case it is preferable ... that the solidifying rope is coated with a protective gas, in order to prevent inadmissible oxidation on the free upper side of the melted material which solidifies. The following description relates in particular to machines with two machine bodies facing each other and with caterpillars. As far as the type of construction (design) and function of the bodies of magneto and caterpillars are concerned, the novelty described below also applies to those machines with a single machine body around which they circulated "n caterpillars. During the operation the molten material flows, which has been prepared in an oven, by means of a trough to a trough arranged on the inlet side of the machine, which bats extend over the width of the casting mold, and in which the level of the metal is maintained at the required height by means of a regulated feeding of the material. From here the molten material is conducted to the casting mold by means of a so-called pouring nozzle, which casting mold is delimited on its inlet side by the aforementioned nozzle, on its outlet side by the solidified cord, and on its two sides by a so-called lateral levees. In this case, the pouring direction can be vertical, horizontal or inclined. The speed of the rope exiting the casting mold depends on the material and thickness thereof as well as on the physical properties of the material of the blocks and the temperature thereof at the entrance to the casting mold. The usual thickness of the rope in the case of the caterpillar-type casting machines is 1.5 to 3 cm, preferably 2 cm. The speed of the rope exiting the machine must be adjusted and adapted correspondingly to the respective conditions and is normally from 2 to 12 m / min. After having left the machine, the rope originating in the subsequent processing steps is conducted in a known manner. During their passage through the casting mold, the blocks in contact with the casting material absorb the heat that must be evacuated therefrom, and they are cooled with an aqueous cooling medium during the passage around the bodies. of the machine. According to the experience, the thickness of the blocks, depending on the amount of heat to accumulate, is approximately three times to five times the string to be cast. For physical reasons, known caterpillar type casting machines present a great problem. Due to the unilateral heating during their travel through the casting mold the blocks react with an undesirable deformation, that is, with the presentation of a bend, which increases together with the increase in the length of the blocks. Thus, the walls of the casting mold cease to be flat, which, in the case of the construction types known up to now, causes intermediate spaces located between the wall of the mold and the solidifying cord. Said intermediate spaces cause, in addition to a non-uniform thickness of the generated rope, an uncontrollable heat flow of the casting material in the wall of the mold, which causes in the solidification material inadmissible localized thermal stresses, which can be cause of fissures not 'tolerable in the originated structure of the rope. In addition, the stop locations of the succeeding blocks lose their airtightness, resulting in recesses and burrs on the surface of the rope, since the molten material penetrates into the gaps and crevices of the mold wall. This is compounded by the problem of sealing the casting nozzles protruding in the casting chamber, and - it is absolutely necessary to avoid reverse (return) flow of the molten material. It is evident that the sealing becomes much more difficult the more the blocks are deformed. The thermal tensions rise considerably when the subsequent cooling of the blogs takes place on the areas that have previously been in contact with the molten material, which areas are now referred to as "anterior side". Depending on the magnitude of the prevailing temperature difference on the heated and cooled surfaces, the compressive and tensile stresses that occur periodically on said side may exceed the elasticity limit of the material of the blocks, which, due to the fatigue of the material that originates in the previous side of the block leads to the formation of cracks in the form of reticules, which exerts a chord influence on the surface of the product of the casting, and this makes an exchange and a subsequent elaboration mandatory. of the blocks put into service, after a relatively short period of operation. Due to the high thermal stress of the blocks, just mentioned, mentioned, they must generally be considered as wearing parts that have to be periodically replaced by post-treated or new blocks. Although the caterpillar type casting machines have verifiable advantages over other continuously operating casting processes in terms of product quality, the problems just discussed made that the machines of the construction types known up to now - with the exception of the machines described below - only served for the production of relatively narrow ropes, since the described problem increases drastically with the increase of the width of the casting mold. In the Patents of. United States Nos. 3,570,586 and 5,979,539 devices are disclosed that try to prevent rejection of the blocks also in the case of wide machines, for which beam-type blocks covering the width of the casting mold are placed, provided with strong elements of fixation on rigid steel beams that have a practically constant temperature; the moment of inertia of the cross section of said steel beams has a value that is a multiple of that of the blocks, whereby inadmissibly deformation of the blocks can be prevented predominantly. For this purpose, the cooling of the blocks during the return path is effected by spraying the walls of the mold with an aqueous coolant. This well-known concept allows an essential widening of the machine with respect to other types of construction, so that by using new or reworked blocks it is possible to obtain, for a limited time, high quality alloy aluminum ropes with a width of up to 1.8 m. This result is based on the fact that in addition to the forced conservation of the flat nature of the walls of the mold, it is possible to regulate effectively the temperature of said walls by virtue of the relatively high mass of the blocks, through the adaptation of the refrigeration, which allows an optimal solidification process of the material to be cast, so in addition to improving the quality of the product it is also possible to elaborate a wider range of metallic materials and their alloys. However, the experience accumulated over the years shows that the problems described above, related to the described concept of the embedded blocks, are solved only in part. Due to the fact that the deformation of the blocks is prevented by a variation of their temperature, they originate at the same correspondingly high internal stresses in accordance with the laws of Resistance of the Materials, which stresses are superimposed on the thermal stresses thereof. sign originated anyway in the walls of the mold, with which it accelerates massively the fatigue of the material with the concomitant formation of fissures. Since after the heating of the blocks the same area that was in contact with the casting material is sprayed with a coolant, the effect just mentioned is considerably worsened. On the other hand, the experience also shows that after a given period of operation the blocks, despite being fixed on rigid beams, suffer the presentation of distortions, with which, as mentioned above, the .-V quality of the product. The consequence of the inadmissible conditions mentioned is that the blocks have to be exchanged after a relatively short period of service or operation, which due to the strong fixation of them on the solid beams requires in each case a gre? N input of labor and with it imposes a stop (service interruption) of the installation, which in turn negatively affects the profitability of it. By virtue of the facts just explained and the experiences with caterpillar type casting machines it is evident that a. further development of the same in order to solve the problems still existing is of special significance for the industry, since the procedure of casting the case, provided with a corresponding improvement offers recognized advantages over other types, in terms of profitability , plurality of materials and alloys that can be processed, as well as product quality. It has been discovered that for a successful operation the following conditions are required: A) .- The design concept or type of the machine must be suitable for the production of very high quality ropes for each of the required industrial widths; B) .- the exchange of the blocks must be able to be carried out in a small fraction of the time that until now was necessary for it, in order to reduce to a minimum eT labor input and the downtime of the entire installation producer C) .- The service life of the blocks must rise considerably with respect to their current durability. Experience shows that the deformation of the blocks during the course of the casting mold due to the requirement of a uniform solidification process of the rope in formation, and with it the heat flow from the same towards the inside of the wall of the casting mold, can be at most one to two tenths of a millimeter, depending on the characteristics of the solidification of the casting material. During the heating or cooling of a free body, the absolute modification of mass and shape of said body as a function of its dimensions, coefficient of expansion of the material of the case, and of the corresponding thermometric conditions is physically imposed. For example, if an elongated body with a rectangular cross-section, which is the case of the blocks of the current caterpillar type casting machines, has an asymmetric temperature profile with respect to the central axis extending in the cross-section on its cross section. longitudinal direction of the body, the body will react with a deflection. While the longitudinal mass of a long body increases linearly with respect to that of a short body, the absolute mass of the deflection increases with equal cross-sectional area of the bodies and temperature profile, in a proportion that is approximately the square of the longitudinal relation of the comparative bodies. US Pat. No. 3,570,586 discloses the subdivision of the beam-like blocks, which extend over the width of the casting mold, into relatively small pieces, which in the following also are referred to as block elements, the placement of the latter in the lateral direction by means of drawbars, and the fixing of the blocks thus originated (whose rigidity is reduced with respect to that of the one-piece blocks) on rigid beams having a practically constant temperature, with which it is possible to predominantly avoid deformations during variations in the temperature of the blocks. However, this well-known construction design of the blocks proves to be too laborious, since in this case it is regularly about wearing parts to be replaced. It is also observed that during the operation, due to the permanent alternations of temperatures, shifts of the elements take place, so that the long planarity required for the blocks is not ensured. This does not achieve the expected success for this apparent solution, pcJr which should be waived for its application during the operation. On the other hand, and as previously mentioned, requires the aforementioned concept of the exchange of the blocks, a large input of labor, especially due to the release and fixation of the blocks on their beams, and a stop (interruption of production) correspondingly prolonged of the entire production line. Furthermore, due to the firm bonding of the block elements to their beams, during the temperature variations the free variation of the shape of said elements is prevented, which, as previously mentioned, causes additional internal stresses therein, and This has a negative influence on its service life. And it is here that the invention proposes a solution. The object of the invention is to create a casting machine which is able to satisfy the conditions indicated in A), B) and C), for an economically advantageous use of crawler-type casting machines. The invention achieves the stated objectives by means of a caterpillar casting process having the features of claim 1, as well as with a casting machine having the features of claim 4, and a method for exchanging the blocks of a machine of laundry, which presents the characteristics of claim 28. The advantages achieved by the invention must be seen essentially in the fact that thanks to the cast machine - according to the invention: .- the walls of the mold remain flat during the travel of the blocks through the casting space, so that the total width and length of the same result in a controlled cooling and a uniform thick of the string in formation, which is a preliminary requirement to create superior quality products with the same procedure. Alloyed material and with any of the widths required in the industry; • .- the possibility of exchanging the blocks in a fraction of the time that was necessary so far for the same, with which .- it is possible to reduce to a minimum the input of labor and the downtime of the whole of the installation during the exchange of the blocks. In a preferred embodiment it has the relation between the part, t, on which the blocks are maintained by the stationary magnets on the transport means, and the total track, U, of the corresponding casting caterpillar, a value t / U between 0.55 and 0.95. With this the advantage is achieved that. the blocks are held by the stationary magnets on the means of transport only there from where they would fall from the means of transport due to the action of gravity. From the sections in which no stationary magnet has been installed, it is possible to remove the blocks of the means of transport by a deized device, without the need to release fixing means. Further advantageous configurations of the invention are characterized in the subclaims. The invention, and the further developments thereof, are hereinafter object of further illustration on the basis of partially schematic representations of several exemplary embodiments. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view, of an embodiment of a casting machine according to the invention, with two casting caterpillars; Figure 2 is a side view of the casting mold of the embodiment shown in Figure 1, of the casting machine according to the invention; Figure 3 is a cross section with respect to the longitudinal direction through a casting caterpillar in the region of a transmission shaft with electromagnetic inversion arcs and the corresponding electrical conductors; Figure 4 is an enlarged cutout as indicated in Figure 3; Figure 5 is an enlarged cutout as indicated in Figure 3; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a frame with two block elements according to an embodiment of the casting machine according to the invention; Figure 7 is a partial section through a frame equipped with two block elements according to the embodiment shown in Figure 6 of the inventive casting machine; Figure 8 is an enlarged cut-away of the partial cut represented in Figure 7; Figure 9 is a perspective view of a crossbar with blocks according to an embodiment of the inventive casting machine; Figure 10 is an enlarged cutout in accordance with the marking E of Figure 9; Figure 11 is a side view on a block in accordance with the embodiment, shown in Figures 9 and 10, of the inventive casting machine; Figure 12 is a section along line A-A of Figure 11; Figure 13 is an enlarged cutout in accordance with the marking B in Figure 12; Figure 14 is a cross section with respect to the longitudinal direction through the lower pouring caterpillar of an embodiment of the inventive casting machine; and Figure 15 is a section along the line BB of Figure 14. The following description refers to machines with two machine bodies and tracks positioned facing each other, as well as a horizontal or slightly inclined casting direction. , but it also applies similarly for machines with a vertical or strongly inclined cast direction, and also, as far as the construction type (design) of the caterpillars and the clamping of the blocks is concerned, also for machines with a single caterpillar . The fundamental assembly of the casting machine that is described in this way can be seen in Figure 1. The liquid casting material is conducted in a usual manner to the casting mold by means of a nozzle, which mold is formed by blocks 4 that by a transmission mechanism, not shown, moves in the manner of a caterpillar around an upper casting caterpillar and a lower casting caterpillar, 2; 3. In accordance with the current state of the art, the casting mold is closed on both sides by lateral, stationary or accompanying movement dikes, p indicated in the drawing. As indicated in FIGS. 6 and 7, frames are juxtaposed, for example, with two block elements 5 adjacent to each other in the lateral direction, the possibility of thermal expansion being maintained. Each of the frames 7 comprises two crosspieces 6 of ferromagnetic material in the form of a bar arranged transversely and spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction of the casting caterpillars 2; 3, which crosspieces are held together - by transverse screw connections 23 arranged in the longitudinal direction of the casting tracks 2; 3. Between each two crosspieces 6, depending on the width of the casting space, one or more block elements 5 are inserted, such that the suspension slots 22 in the suspensions 21, laterally open, extending in the longitudinal direction, they accommodate or receive the transverse joints 23. For this purpose the lateral separations of the transverse joints 23 are so large that between the transverse joints 23 and the wall of the suspension slots 22 there remains an expansion set S in the direction lateral (Figure 8). Thanks to this configuration of the frames 7 it is ensured that the block elements 5 can expand laterally within the frames 7, without being hindered by the transverse joints 23. In addition, the block elements 5 are tapering in the area of their suspensions 21. in the longitudinal direction of the casting caterpillars 2; 3 in a manner corresponding to the separation between the bar-shaped crosspieces 6. On its lower side, the crosspieces 6 present recesses 32 by means of which they engage in the chain 10 (Figure 1).

As shown in Figures 9 to 13, the block elements 5 located laterally adjacent to each other in the frames 7, are elastically held together by draw bars 16. In the form of a block 4 extending over the entire of the width of the cast caterpillars, 2; 3. These drawbars 16 extend along the crosspieces 6. In order that the drawbars 16 can be carried in front of the block elements 5, the crossbars have a tapered configuration at their upper part. In the lateral delimitations of the blocks 4 thus juxtaposed cross the traction bars 16, each of them, an elastic support 14 applied in the frame 7 located externally. The elastic supports 14 are externally in the laterally projecting block elements 5 and have perforations 26 extending in the lateral direction, in which perforations the tension springs 15 slid out by the tension rods 16 can be received or received. In their extreme position, the draw bars 16 have a thread 27 on which the prestressing nuts 18 can be screwed. In addition, a compression part 17 is disposed between the prestressing nuts 18 and the tension springs 15. the prestressing nuts 18 are axially prestressed by the tensioning springs 15 in such a way that the elastic supports 14 are pressed laterally against the blocks 4. In this way, the block elements 5 arranged on the width of the bodies 2 are pressed together; 3: of the machine by means of a spring force and can expand laterally against the effect of the elastic forces. -,. Therefore, the invention described below consists in that the blocks 4 that extend over the width of the casting mold consist of its lateral direction in several parts, which in the following are referred to as block elements 5, which they are positioned in the frames 7 of magnetizable material and are held in such a way that they can deform unimpeded under the variations in temperature that occur, and in such a way that the juxtaposed blocks 4, as a unit, settle on means of transport in the form of chains 20 (Figure 2) preferably provided with chain rollers 10 (Figure 15), which circulate on endless tracks around the corresponding bodies of the machine, having between tracks 11 (Figure 1) of the chains 20 (Figures 2 and 3), on the lower side of the tracks 2; 3 of casting, some stationary magnets, preferably magnet rails, 12 (Figures 1 and ), and having the entry and exit sides 19a; 19b (Figure 2) of the casting mold, stationary magnet arcs, 13 (Figure 1), through which the frames 7 loaded with the block elements 5 are pulled by the chains on the traversing tracks 11, and brought on the same in such a way that the frames glide without contact on the fixed magnetized rails 12 and magnetized arches 13 fixed, it being possible to arrange several chains 20 over the width of the casting mold, having dimensioned the reciprocal separation between said chains so such that an inadmissible deflection of the frame 7 located on the chains 20 and thus of the juxtaposed blocks 4 covering the width of the casting mold is avoided, whereby, due to the reduction of the. deformation of the relatively small block elements 4, and their determined position not modifiable in the frames 7 despite the temperature variation that occurs during the run of the casting mold, regardless of its length and width, walls are formed practically flat in the mold and with which the blocks 4 sit freely on the upper side 4 of the bodies 2; 3 of the machine, and during its exchange by means of a lifting device provided with a suitable gripping or catching device can be removed or installed without the need for additional time or work for the release and fixation of the blocks 4. The size of the elements block, 5, depends on the permissible deformation during the run of the casting mold. In accordance with the present invention, on the basis of research and experience, the dimension of a block element 5, seen in the lateral direction, should not exceed 25 cm (in Figure 3: "h"). According to the present invention, the maximum distance between the supports of the frames, that is, in the present case the separation between two chains, should not exceed a dimension of 30 cm (in Figure 3: "i"). Magnetic forces must safely hold the weight of the blocks 4 on the underside of the cast caterpillars 2; 3, and the magnetized arcs 13 existing on the inlet and outlet sides 19a; 19b of the casting mold. Such a condition can only be met by precise guidance of the frames 7 carrying the blocks 4 on the magnetized rails 12 and the magnetized arc 13, since for physical reasons the separation "j" between them and the frames 7 of the blocks 4, which slide above them can only be a few tenths of mm (Figure 5). According to the present invention, the mentioned condition is satisfied since the stationary magnet arcs 13 and the arcs of the path paths 11 of the chains 20 have sliding or roller bearings, 28 and because between the chain wheels 30 20 rotary transmission shafts 29 are arranged on them at the inlet and outlet of the casting mold, whereby the required concentricity of the magnetized arcs 13 with the trajectory paths 11 of the molds are coupled with the chains 20 are positioned. chains 20, as well as their exact position referred to the cast caterpillars 2; 3 and of the chain wheels 30, so that the air gap between the magnetized arcs 13 and the blocks 4 moving above them is not affected, even if the transmission shafts 29 are run in the bodies of the machine in order to adjust the most favorable distance between the trees. According to the present invention, the lower pouring caterpillar 3 presents, in the case of machines with a horizontal or slightly sloping casting direction, on the outlet side 19b, a longer length (Figure 2: "k") that for the upper caterpillar (Figure 2; "1"), whereby also those blocks 4 located on the lower caterpillar 3 of casting can be exchanged in a manner analogous to the upper ones, without impediments, for which they are carried, by means of the transmission of the machine, step by step on the extension (Figure 2, "k" - "1"). According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an additional cooling on the outlet side of the lower pouring caterpillar 3, which acts on the upper side of the exiting rope, thereby significantly increasing the speed of the exit of the generated rope and with it the capacity of the casting machine, 1, as well as the life of the blocks 4, which is reduced correspondingly to the amount of heat they have to absorb.

The cooling effect can be effected by: blowing air on the surface of the product or by spraying a liquid cooling agent, which is removed in known manner by suction from the surface of the rope and sent back to the circuit. For the exchange of the blocks, the cooling device - preferably provided with rollers and supported on rails - is moved, in the distance required in the direction of the casting, with which access to the blocks 4 is ensured. In the case of machines with a vertical or strongly inclined casting direction, the magnetic attraction force is interrupted at the apex of the arch along a section of three to four blocks 4, so that in said section they settle freely on the chains 20 and thereby all the blocks 4 can be lifted and replaced by the corresponding subsequent transfer of the chains. According to the present invention, the exchange of the blocks 4 is characterized in that a plate suspended in a horizontal position of a lifting device, provided on its lower side with gaskets and linked with a vacuum system, is lowered onto the blocks 4. which must be exchanged, after which by activating the corresponding valves the vacuum system existing between plate and blocks is activated, so that the blocks 4 adhere by suction to the plate and can be exchanged by means of the device with only one fraction of time and labor required so far. By virtue of the use of the inventions disclosed herein, the conditions set forth in A) and B) are visibly fulfilled. It is known to use magnetic forces in casting machines for continuously running castings. In U.S. Patent No. 4,794,978, a side dock is described with dike units hingedly linked to each other, running on a closed track, the dike blocks consisting of a block holder provided with a permanent magnet and in an interchangeable block. of ferromagnetic material, with which the latter is attracted by the magnets and thus sustained on the beam. In this case, the blocks are firmly seated on the magnets that circulate throughout the entire track, and unlike the present invention, the blocks are exposed without interruption to the magnetic attraction force. It is evident that in order to exchange the blocks they have to be individually removed from their block holder, which requires the application of a corresponding force. In this case, the simultaneous exchange of several blocks is not foreseen or practically possible. Since the dike blocks must consist of a ferromagnetic material, it is impossible to apply homogeneous blocks provided with a higher thermal conduction coefficient, such as for example copper or aluminum. Unlike this known application, in the case of the present inventive solution it is not, of magnets of accompanying movement, but of fixed magnetic rails 12 on which the blocks 4 slide without contact, interrupting the magnetized rails 12 on the side top of the cast caterpillars, 2; 3, axis such that in this area the blocks 4 are not fixed in said section and settle on the chains 20 with only their own weight, thanks to which it is possible to effect an exchange in the shortest possible time. Another known application of the magnetic forces in a caterpillar-type casting machine is disclosed in DE 4121169A1 in which the blocks forming the casting mold are rotated by devices provided at both ends of the casting mold, 180 degrees from one side of the body of the machine on the track of travel in the opposite direction; Four magnets placed on a rotating cross capture the blocks and hold them during transport. Again, the construction design and the purpose of the application are clearly differentiated from those of the invention described here, in which movable magnet bodies are not used for transporting the blocks on the path of travel. In the case of the mentioned published construction design of the machine, a group exchange of the block elements has not been foreseen, nor can it be carried out. In the case of machines in which the casting mold is formed by thin steel bands of accompanying movement (in American English: "belt caster"), it is possible to counteract by magnetic forces an undesired distortion of the bands due to the heating during the run in the pouring space (British Patent No. 1 388 378, LX Pat. No. 79065). It is evident that in terms of objective and type of the known applications of magnets there is a fundamental difference with respect to the present invention. In the case of the present invention, blocks 4 which are without further fixing on the arched tracks disposed at the entrance and exit of the casting space and on the lower side of the casting caterpillars are prevented from falling.; 3. In order to achieve an essentially longer service time for the blocks 4 than in the case of the machines used hitherto, it is necessary to reduce their alternating voltages, which occur cyclically, at a minimum value. imposed by the thermal conditions, in order to retard the formation of cracks in the front side of the block 4 due to a fatigue of the material of the block. As already described above, according to the invention the blocks are held in their frames 7 in such a way that they can deform unimpeded in all three dimensions during the thermometric oscillations that occur, so that in the blocks 4 no additional damaging stresses are caused due to the external fixing forces acting on them. This delays the fatigue of the block material and prolongs the life of the block. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, cooling is provided only on the rear side of the blocks "4", so that there will always be a heat flow in the same direction, which considerably reduces the difference between the maximum and minimum temperature on the critical front side, which has the consequence that the alternating thermal stresses that occur are also reduced, thanks to which a considerable extension of the operative life is achieved (between Exchanges) with respect to the blocks whose shape can not be freely modified and which are also cooled on their front side. In accordance with known practice it is possible to further and considerably increase the operational life of the blocks 4 by providing the front side with a thermally insulating protective layer of a ceramic material. According to the present invention, a considerable extension of the operational life is achieved by providing the front side of the blocks 4 with a foil of a few tenths of mm of thickness, for example of steel or titanium, whose strength essentially exceeds that of the block material. and that by virtue of having a low thermal conductivity coefficient it also functions as a caloric rate reducer, in such a way that the maximum temperature that is presented on the surface of the underlying material is reduced. block, whereby thermal stresses are alternating periodically alternating and therefore the fatigue of the material. As was found in To precede, another extension of the service time of the blocks 4 is achieved by a secondary cooling of the cast rope on the second extension of the lower body of the machine. By applying the measures just discussed, the condition previously required in (C) is also met. The cooling system for the blocks 4 of the machine described herein, represented in Figures 14 and 15, consists in pumping the cooling fluid under pressure in a drawer incorporated in the casting caterpillars 2; 3, which covers the width of the casting caterpillars 2; 3, which fluid flows from said caisson through the coolant channels 8 'arranged on the upper side of the casting caterpillars 2; 3, parallel to the direction of the casting between the guide tracks of the chains 20, which channels have nozzles 9 distributed along their length; by means of said nozzles, the coolant jet 34 is distributed on the rear side of the blocks 4, whereby a uniform cooling thereof is obtained. According to the present invention, a plurality of the nozzles 9 are oriented in such a way that the coolant jets 34 give the blocks an impulse in the direction of the casting, or when necessary, against the direction of the casting , in order to optimize the closing force between the successive rows of the blocks, by means of the favorable direction of the casting due to the casting process, in order to prevent an undesirable flow of coolant from the caterpillars 2; 3, the hot refrigerant fluid meets in a return chamber of the cooling agent, and it is removed by suction in a known manner from the laundry caterpillars 2; 3, and, as usual in casting facilities, it is reintroduced (recycles) in a closed circuit that includes an air separator, return cooler, coolant reservoir, pumps, filter, measurement and regulation facilities, etc. It is preferable that the chains 20 carrying the blocks 4 are provided with rollers 10, in order to reduce to a minimum the friction on the track 11. In this case, the rollers 10 of at least one of the chains 20 roll on a track 31 provided with lateral guides, whereby the blocks 4 are guided laterally. The drive of the chains 20 together with the blocks 4 seated thereon takes place by the chain wheels 30 arranged on the inlet and outlet sides 19a; 19b of the casting mold, next to the track 11; the shafts 29 of said wheels are linked to a transmission whose rpm can be regulated. According to the present invention, the blocks 4 of the upper casting caterpillar 2 are driven on the outlet side 19b of the casting mold, in such a way that the blocks 4 on the lower side, that is to say in the area of the casting mold, under the effect of the weight of the blocks 4 located on the arc-shaped travel track on the inlet side, slide towards each other with a sealing effect, so which, and as a function of the friction conditions of the chains 20 on the track 11 and the tilt of the casting mold, is applied to the shaft 29a carrying the chain wheels 30, on the input side 19a, an adequate turning moment against the direction of rotation, in order to reduce the force. between the rows of the blocks arranged successively in the casting mold, at the required and admissible magnitudes. According to the present invention, the same effect is also achieved on the lower body 3 of the machine, providing that the motor shaft 29c of the chain 20 is on the inlet side 19a of the casting mold and conferring a turning moment suitable opposite to the tree 29d to be arranged on the outlet side 19b together with the chain wheels 30 shod in it, in such a way that the rows of the blocks abut one another in the area of the casting mold and thereby succeed one another continuously. Although, due to their relatively small dimensions, the block elements, 5 only change very little compared to the thermometric variations, it is necessary to keep these modifications in mind. According to the present invention, the problem is solved by making the joints of the members of the chain 26, seen in the longitudinal direction, present a play in such a way that the division of the chains 20 can be adapted to the size of the blocks 4. cold as well as the blocks 4 which are heated during the travel by the casting mold, and the toothing of the chain wheels 30. In the type of drive just described, the blocks 4, depending on their temperature on the opposite side to casting mold, casting caterpillars 2; 3, separated from each other by virtue of the play in the joints of the chains 20, whereby an intermediate space between the successive blocks 4 is originated. For this reason and in accordance with the present invention, the blocks 4 are arranged in their frame 7 displaced in a dimension "u" (Figures 6 and 15) in such a way that there is always a covering of the intermediate space, whereby in the cold zones the passage of the flow of refrigerant between the blocks 4 over the area of the refrigerant is prevented. mold. It is evident that the blocks 4 seated without fixing on the chains 20 have to be secured against a displacement - on the corresponding chain member 26. In accordance with the present invention, the chain members 26 present a toothing which suitably engages (bites) the blocks 4, thereby determining and securing the position thereof on the circulating chains 20.

Claims (28)

1. CLAIMS 1. Caterpillar casting process for a continuous production of bars and strips of metallic or non-metallic materials characterized because it is carried out in a casting mold that is formed by blocks that circulate as a caterpillar on a means of transport around a casting caterpillar and at least on a part t of the circulation path U, where they can fall from the means of transport due to gravity, on the means of transport by stationary fixed magnets. Method of casting according to claim 1, characterized in that the mold comprises an upper caterpillar and a lower casting caterpillar. Method of casting according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the ratio between the part t, on which the blocks are held on the transport medium by means of stationary magnets, and the total circulation path U, of At least one casting caterpillar, t: U, is between 0.55 and 0.95. Casting machine for carrying out the process according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the continuous production of bars and bands of metallic and non-metallic materials is done with a casting mold in which at least one of its walls consists of blocks that circulate as a caterpillar around at least one casting caterpillar, by which the blocks are seated loose on a means of transport, preferably a chain, in such a way that during the variations of The temperature can be deformed, freely in all directions, the blocks being, at least in part of the circulation path of at least one of the casting caterpillars, attracted against the tracks of travel by stationary magnets, in addition to being driven by the means of transport, so that the blocks can move without contact on the fixed magnets. 5. Casting machine according to claim 4, characterized in that the magnets are permanent magnets, or preferably electromagnets. Casting machine according to claim 5, characterized in that, as magnets, it has provided a number of separate magnets. Casting machine according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that A). the blocks extending over the width of the casting mold consist of its lateral direction in several block elements that are positioned in frames of ferromagnetic material and which are kept assembled together preferably by means of drawbars provided with tightening springs, with which can deform unimpeded during the thermometric variations that originate during the casting process; * B). the blocks assembled by the frames are seated as a unit, without mechanical fixation, on the casting caterpillars; C). between the trajectories of travel of the means of transport, on the underside of the at least one casting caterpillar, there is at least one magnetized, stationary rail, and on the inlet and outlet sides of the casting mold it is found at least one stationary magnetized arc, through which the frames, loaded with the block elements, are dragged onto the path paths and guided thereon by the transport means, in such a way that the frames can be moved without contact on the magnetized rails and the magnetic, fixed arches. Casting machine according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that several transport means, preferably chains, are arranged above the width of the casting mold, the lateral distance between them being ("i") , dimensioned in such a way that inadmissible deflection of the frames seated on the means of transport and the juxtaposed block or blocks covering the width of the casting mold is avoided., whereby, by virtue of the reduced deformation of the block elements, and by keeping them flat in the frames, the walls of the casting mold remain practically flat, independently of their length and width and the heating of the blocks. 9. Machine. casting according to any one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that the blocks, on at least a portion of the upper side of the bodies of the machine, sit freely on the means of transport, and because on the occasion of the exchange they can to be removed or assembled without an additional input of time and labor by means of a lifting device provided with a suitable catching or grasping device. Casting machine according to any one of claims 4 to 9, characterized in that the frames consist of a ferromagnetic material. 11. Casting machine according to any one of claims 4 to 10, characterized in that the means of transport are chains. Casting machine according to any one of claims 4 to 11, characterized in that the transport means are provided with rollers. 13. Casting machine according to any one of claims 4 to 12, characterized in that the length of the block elements, seen in the lateral direction, "h", is at most 25 cm. 14. Casting machine, according to any one of claims 4 to 13, characterized in that the distance, "i", between the carrying means of the frames, is at most 30 cm. 15. Machine. The laundry according to any one of claims 4 to 14, characterized in that it has a horizontal or slightly inclined casting direction and spans a lower casting caterpillar, and an upper casting caterpillar, with the lower casting caterpillar, having a length ( "K"), and presenting the upper casting caterpillar, a smaller length ("1"), and because it is arranged in such a way that the lower casting caterpillar protrudes on the exit side of the casting mold above the caterpillar lower casting, whereby it is possible to interchange without impediment the blocks located on the lower casting caterpillar, analogously to the blocks located on the upper casting caterpillar, for which they are progressively carried on the extension. 16. Casting machine in accordance with. any one of claims 4 to 15, characterized in that: a) .- the two cast caterpillars each comprise two trees, with fixed concentric chain wheels; b) .- the magnetized arcs positioned on the rotating shafts of the chain wheels by means of sliding bearings or cylinders, which ensures the required concentricity of the magnetized arcs with respect to the trajectories of travel of the means of transport , as well as the exact position required of said parts with respect to the bodies of the machine. Casting machine according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that a secondary cooling for the casting product is provided on the part of the lower casting caterpillar that protrudes beyond the upper casting cavity • v. , which cooling can be removed during an exchange of the blocks. Casting machine according to any one of claims 4 to 17, characterized in that the blocks have a rear side oriented towards the path paths, and because a cooling system is provided for said rear side of the blocks. Casting machine according to any one of claims 4 to 18, characterized in that the blocks have a front side forming the wall of the casting mold, which is provided with a thermally insulating protective layer, preferably of ceramic material. Casting machine according to any one of claims 4 to 19, characterized in that the blocks have a front side forming the wall of the casting mold, which is provided with a protective layer resistant to wear, preferably of ceramic material . Casting machine according to any one of claims 4 to 20, characterized in that - the blocks have a front side forming the wall of the casting mold, which is provided with a foil of titanium, steel, - or alloys of them, preferably with a thickness of less than 0.5 mm. Casting machine according to any one of claims 3 to 20, characterized in that a cooling device is provided for the blocks, which comprises a plurality of nozzles oriented in such a way that the blocks are conferred by the jets of cooling agent a pulse in or against the direction of the casting, in order to thereby optimize the closing force between the successive rows of blocks. Casting machine according to any one of claims 4 to 22, characterized in that it comprises a transmission or drive for the blocks, which takes place in the upper casting caterpillar on the outlet side of the casting mold, conferring on the shaft on the entry side a turning moment against the direction of travel. Casting machine according to any one of Claims 16 to 23, characterized in that it comprises a transmission for the blocks, which takes place in the lower casting caterpillar on the inlet side of the casting mold and because of the shaft arranged in the casting mold. the exit side that has the chain wheels seated in it, is conferred r * n - appropriate counter moment of rotation, so that the rows of blocks abut one another in the area of the casting mold and thereby occur . 25. Machine. casting according to any one of claims 11 to 14, characterized in that each of the chains has chain members linked together by joints, the joints having a play in the longitudinal direction, in such a way that the distribution of the chains can adapt to the dimension of the cold blocks as well as the blocks that are heated during their journey through the casting mold, and to the teeth of the chain wheels. Casting machine according to any one of Claims 4 to 25, characterized in that the blocks are arranged offset in the frames, so that an intermediate space that originates between the blocks is covered and thereby prevents the passage of the coolant on the front side of the blocks forming the wall of the casting mold. 27. Casting machine according to claim 25 or 26, characterized in that the chain members have a toothing incident on the frames of the blocks, with which the position of the same on the circulating means of transport is determined and ensured. 28. Procedure for the exchange of the blocks of a casting machine according to any one of claims 4 to 27, characterized in that it is. lowers on the blocks to exchange a suspended plate from a lifting device, provided in its lower part with gaskets and connected to a vacuum system, after which the vacuum system is activated, so that the blocks adhere to the plate by suction, and by means of the lifting apparatus it is possible to exchange them with a small portion of the time and hand input that was necessary until now.