Title of Invention	A DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING A SIDEWALL OF A PLANT FOR THE CONTINUOUS TWIN ROLL CASTING OF THIN METAL PRODUCTS
Abstract	The present invention relates to a device for supporting a side wall (2) of a plant for the continuous twin-roll casting of thin metal products, of the type having two cooled rolls (1,1') having horizontal axes, two side walls (2) applied against the ends (3) of the rolls (l,r),said support device comprising a carriage (5) which is controUably moved in a direction parallel to the axes of the rolls (1,1), a thrust means (6) carried by said carriage (5), and a support plate (4) connected to said thrust device (6) and solidly fastened to the side wall (2), characterized in that said mounting plate (4) has at least two pads (10,10' 10", 10'") which is controUably moved in a direction parallel to the axes of the rolls (1,1') by means (11,11') which are able to apply each of said pads (10',10',10", 10"') against an end (3) of one of the rolls(l,l'). PRICE: THIRTY RUPEES.

Title of Invention

A DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING A SIDEWALL OF A PLANT FOR THE CONTINUOUS TWIN ROLL CASTING OF THIN METAL PRODUCTS

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for supporting a side wall (2) of a plant for the continuous twin-roll casting of thin metal products, of the type having two cooled rolls (1,1') having horizontal axes, two side walls (2) applied against the ends (3) of the rolls (l,r),said support device comprising a carriage (5) which is controUably moved in a direction parallel to the axes of the rolls (1,1), a thrust means (6) carried by said carriage (5), and a support plate (4) connected to said thrust device (6) and solidly fastened to the side wall (2), characterized in that said mounting plate (4) has at least two pads (10,10' 10", 10'") which is controUably moved in a direction parallel to the axes of the rolls (1,1') by means (11,11') which are able to apply each of said pads (10',10',10", 10"') against an end (3) of one of the rolls(l,l'). PRICE: THIRTY RUPEES.

Full Text	The present invention relates to a device for supporti'mg a side wall of a plant for the continuous twin-roll casting of thin metal products. More precisely, it relates to devices for the lateral containment of liquid metal in the moulds of thin-strip continuous casting machines, the casting space of which is bounded by the close lateral surfaces of two rolls having horizontal axes, the rolls being vigorously cooled internally and set in counter-rotation. In this type of machine for continuous casting, called "twin-roll casting", the industrial application of which to the casting of steel strip of approximately from 2 to 10 mm in thickness is currently in progress, the lateral containment of the liquid metal in the casting space defined by the rolls is provided by plates which are applied against the plane extremities of the rolls, called "ends", by a suitable device. These plates are usually tenned "side walls". Their central part intended to be in contact with the liquid metal is made of refrac¬tory material, as is, in general, their periphery which rubs frictionally against the rolls, progressively wearing them out. It is absolutely essential that these side walls be in contact with the rolls in as sealed a manner as possible, since infiltrations of liquid metal into their contact area would have disastrous effects on the quality of the edges of the cast strip. These would adopt a jagged shape and would be excessively brittle. They would then run the risk of separating from the rest of the strip and remain stuck to the rolls. If this sticking were to persist during one complete revolution of the rolls and if the fragments of edges were thus to penetrate into the casting space, this could give rise to serious damage to the surfaces of the rolls. At worst, these infiltrations of metal could reach as far as the outside of the machine, which would dictate stopping the casting immediately. Such sealing defects may have many causes, among which mention may be made of: - distortions of the rolls and of the side walls, due to mechanical and thermal stresses which they are exposed to, in particular at the very start of casting when a thermal regime is imposed on them; - progressive wear of the side walls or of the rolls, which is not always uniform over all their contact areas; - instantaneous wear of the side walls caused by the passage of an infiltration of solidified metal. It has already been proposed to solve these sealing problems by causing controlled wear of the side walls by controlled friction of them against the rolls. Thus, the contact surfaces of the side walls are perm¬anently being regenerated, matching them better to the possible variations in the shape of those parts of the rolls on which the side walls bear. In this regard, mention may be made of document EP-A-546,206. This teaches firstly pressing the side walls strongly against the rotating rolls before starting the casting, so as to make them match the precise initial configuration of the ends of the rolls. Next, this pressure is relaxed slight¬ly and then casting is started, temporarily reapplying a high pressure on the side walls so as deliberately to create a wear which conforms the side walls to the ends of the rolls. During casting, the side walls continue to be applied against the rolls, compensating for their wear by moving at a predetermined moderate rate. Thus, a controlled wear is caused, continuously renewing the surfaces of contact between the side walls and the rolls. French Patent Application FR 94/0831? provides an improvement to this operating mode and to those which would be derived therefrom, by providing means enabling the side walls to be slightly deformed by modulating the pressure applied to their various areas. Thus, temporary or permanent inequalities in—the forces exerted on the various parts of the side walls by the rolls are taken into account. Such inequalities may arise, for example, in the case of parasitic solidification of metal which has infiltrated between the two faces of the rolls, against which the side wall is applied, are not perfectly coplanar and orthogonal to the axes of the rolls. However, these operating modes have the drawback of imposing, on each side wall, a frictional wear which, to be sure, can be measured by means of the rate of advance, but which cannot be controlled. The wear may prove to be unnecessarily great in the case where casting progresses without any special incident. The object of the invention is to provide the operator with the means of imposing, on the side wall, a controlled wear which would not be greater them, that which would be strictly required for casting to progress correctly. Accordingly, the present invention provides a device for supporting a side wall of a plant for the continuous twin-roll casting of thin metal products, of the type having two cooled rolls having horizontal axes, two side walls applied against the ends of the rolls, said support device comprising a carriage which is controllably moved in a direction parallel to the axes of the rolls, a thrust means carried by said carriage, and a support plate connected to said thrust device and solidly fastened to the side wall, characterized in that said mounting plate has at least two pads which is controllably moved in a direction parallel to the axes of the rolls by means which are able to apply each of said pads against an end of one of the rolls. As will have been understood, the invention consists in equipping the means for supporting the side walls with at least two friction pads which can be controllably moved and each of which can bear on one of the rolls. These pads enable the loss of material by wear of the side wall to be set accurately to a very small value when the surfaces of contact between the side wall and the edges of the rolls are perfectly uniform. During casting, it is normally intended for the front face of each pad to be held permanently aligned with the front face of the side wall, or very slightly set back from the latter. If the pads are aligned on the side wall, it is these which take up the frictional force between the rolls and the side wall, the frictional wear of which becomes theoretically zero. If they are placed slightly set back from the side wall, it is only the latter which will rub frictionally against the rolls. It will there¬fore wear away, until this wear is sufficiently pro¬nounced so that the front face of the side wall becomes aligned with the front faces of the pads. The situation is then once again as in the previous case, and the wear is interrupted until the pads are once again placed set back from the side wall. This setting-back may be carried out continuously, with a rats of movement of the pads equal to the rate of wear which it is desired to impose on the side wall, or else discontinuously, in which case it is their average rate of movement, calculated over a given time interval, which must be maintained equal to the desired rate of wear. The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows, given with refer¬ence to the following figures: Figure 1, which diagrammnatically shows end views of a device according to the invention and one of the casting rolls against which one of the side walls of the twin-roll casting machine is applied; Figure 2, which shows diagrammatically the front face of a side wall, the support of which is in accordance with the invention. Figure 1 represents one side of a machine for casting between two close rolls 1, 1' which have horizon¬tal axes, are rotating and internally cooled, only one of the rolls 1 of which is visible. The other side of the machine is equipped in a similar manner. The casting space defined by the two rolls 1,1' is blocked off laterally by a side wall 2 made of refractory material, the front face of which is applied against the ends 3 of the rolls 1, 1'. The side wall 2 is fixed to a mounting plate 4 which is made of a material such as a metallic material. This mounting plate 4 is preferedaly cooled in order to prevent it from being affected by deformations of purely thermal origin. The movements and the bearing force on the rolls 1,1' of the side wall 2 are controlled by a unit which acts on the mounting plate 4 and which will be described in more detail. In a known manner, it comprises a car¬riage 5 which can be controllably moved in a direction parallel to the axes of the rolls 1, 1'. Mounted on this carriage 5 is a thrust device 6 such as a thrust cylin¬der, including a rod 7 which can be controllably moved, again in the same direction parallel to the axes of the rolls 1, 1' . In a simplified (not represented) version of the invention, this rod 7 acts directly on the mounting plate 4, and its position, conjugate with that of the carriage 5, enables the bearing force exerted by the side wall 2 on the rolls 1, 1' to be adjusted. In the most elaborate version of the invention, which deals once again with the device forming the subject of the already-mentioned French Patent Application FR S4/08319, the rod 7 drives a thrust plate 8 which is itself connected to the mounting plate 4 via a set of thrust members 9, 9', 9", 9"' such as controlled springs or thrust cylinders. These members are distributed over an area whose shape corresponds to that of the side wall 2. The function of these members is to allow a slight rearward motion of a portion of the side wall 2 when a parasitic solidifi¬cation becomes interposed between it and one of the rolls 1, 1', without thereby affecting the conditions of contact between the reet of the side wall 2 and the rolls. Reference may be made to the text of the aforementioned French patent for more details. According to the invention, in the example represented in Figures 1 and 2, the mounting plate 4 supporting the side wall 2 carries four pads 10, 10', 10", 10"'. These pads 10, 10', 10", 10"' are each equipped with a device 11, 11' which can move them controllably, in a regular or irregular manner, in order to allow them either to end up bearing on any part of the end 3 of one of the rolls 1, 1' or to be moved away from this roll. Represented by the broken lines in Figure 2 is the tract of the peripheries of the rolls 1. 1', so as to locate the positions of the pads 10, 10', 10", 10"' with respect to the rolls 1, 1' and to the side wall 2. The pads 10, 10" are put into position in the upper part of the mounting plate 4 and can bear on the edges of the ends 3 of the rolls 1, 1' just above the side wall 2. The pads 10', 10"' are put into position in the lower part of the mounting plate 4 and bear on the rolls 1, 1' along¬side the side wall 2 and near the neck. 12, that is to say the area where the separation between the rolls 1,1' is the smallest. It is clearly understood that the positions of the pads 10, 10', 10", 10"', as they have been described and represented, only constitute examples of implementation of the invention. Other positions would be conceivable and their choice depends in particular on the configuration of the mounting plate 4. The devices for moving the pads 10, 10', 10", 10"' may consist of any electrical or hydraulic actuator, for exaimple thrust . cylinders, screws, rack-type devices, etc.. These pads 10, 10', 10", 10"' may, as represented, have a plane surface of contact with the ends 3 of the rolls 1, 1'. In this case, they also preferably include means (not represented) which ensure that this contact surface is lubricated, for example by injecting oil or a powder of a solid lubricant, such as boron nitride. The frictional wear both of the rolls 1, 1' and of the pads 10, 10', 10", 10"' is thus limited. As a variant, these pads 10, 10', 10", 10"' may consist of a roller or a small wheel, in which case it is no longer necessary to provide a lubrication device. In addition to their lesser sensitiv¬ity to the frictional wear phenomena, these variants have the advantage, compared to the pads having a plane surface of contact with the roll 1, 1', of being lesE sensitive to contaminations which may be present on the ends 3 of the rolls 1, 1', because of their smallez The function of these pads 10, 10', 10", 10"' is, as was stated above, to limit the rate of wear of the side wall 2 by taking up, under normal operations, most of the frictional force between the rolls 1, 1' and the side wall 2. Thus, the frictional wear of the side wall 2 becomes virtually zero in the absence of incidents such as the appearance of parasitic solidifications which would accelerate this wear. As a variant, it is also possible to equip each mounting plate 4 with only two pads, each rxibbing fric-tionally on a different roll 1, 1' and each arranged preferably in the vicinity of the upper part of the side wall 4, for example at the position of the pads 10, 10" in Figure 2. The presence of at least two pads 10, 10', 10", 10"' per roll 1, 1', conjugate with that of the thrust plate 8 and of the thrust members 9, 9', 9", 9"', makes it possible to optimise the rate of wear of the side wall 2 over its various areas, taking into account the special events which could contribute to more pronounced wear in the vicinity of one of the rolls 1, 1' than the other. Advantage may thus continue to be taken of the possibil¬ities of slight deformation of the side wall 2 and of the mounting plate 4 which are related to the use of the thrust plate 8/thrust members 9, 9', 9", 9"' system. However, as was mentioned, the invention is also applic¬able to the case where the thrust cylinder 6 drives the moiinting plate 4 directly. Consequently, it is possible to provide a casting procedure which is as follows. Before starting casting, the front parts of the pads 10, 10', 10", 10"' are placed a few tenths of a mm set back from the front face of the side wall 2 brought into contact with the rolls 1, 1'. Then, the rolls 1, 1' are rotated, advancing the side wall 2 towards them by means of the thrust cylinder 6 so as to cause wear of the side wall 2 which shapes the side wall to the precise configuration of the ends 3 of the rolls 1, 1'. This wear is continued until the front parts of the pads 10, 10', 10", 10"' come into contact with the rolls 1, 1'. At this moment, it is no longer possible to advance the side wall 2 and it stops being worn. Casting then starts, after having possibly reduced the bearing force of the side wall on the rolls 1, 1'. During cast¬ing, either the pads 10, 10', 10", 10"' are left fixed, if it is desired for the side wall 2 to undergo no wear, or they are moved rearwards in a continuous or irregular manner at a controlled average rate, for exajnple of the order of from 2 to 10 mm per hour. This progressive rearward movement enables the surface of contact between the side wall 2 and the rolls 1, 1' to be renewed, while still keeping the wear of the side wall 2 to a moderate value, for example approximately that of the central part of the side wall 2 which is in contact with the lic[uid metal and which, consequently, undergoes essentially chemical erosion. By virtue of the invention, a moderate wear of the side wall 2 is controlled much more accur¬ately than could be achieved by using just the thrust cylinder 6. Nevertheless, if during casting sealing defects between the rolls 1, 1' and the side wall 2 were observed, there would be" the possibility of immediately moving the pads 10, 10', 10", 10"' rearwards by a few tenths of a mm and of temporarily increasing the rate of advance and the bearing force of the side wall 2 so as to ensure rapid renewal of their contact surfaces. It may also be pointed out that the systems for lubricating the pads 10, 10" contribute to the lubrica¬tion of the interfaces between the rolls 1, 1' and the side wall 2, since the edges of the rolls 1, 1', against which they bear, will immediately afterwards come into contact with the side wall 2. This is favourable to a reduction in the wear of the side wall 2. Another variant of the invention consists in using pads 10, 10', 10", 10"' (or at least some of them) made of a self-lubricating material, such as boron nitride. The application of an external lubricant on their surface which is in contact with the roll 1, 1' is then no longer necessary. In order to compensate for the wear of the pads 10, 10', 10", 10"' thus produced, the movement devices 11, 11' are designed to be able impose a steady movement in the direction of the roll 1' . This movement has to stop as soon as the for sensors, usually associated with the closest thru members 9, 9', 9", 9"' detect a relaxation of the rea tion forces exerted by the roll 1, 1' on the side wall and its mounting plate 4, since such a relaxation is t sign that the front face of the pad 10, 10', 10", 10"' question is no longer aligned with the front face of t side wall 2. The invention is, moreover, perfectly compatib with the use of side walls 2 on which, as is known, oscillatory movement in the plane of the plane faces the rolls 1, 1' may be impressed. A device for supporting a side wall (2) of a plant for the continuous twin-roll casting of thin metal products, of the type having two cooled rolls (1, 1') having horizontal axes, two side walls (2) applied against the ends (3) of the rolls (1,1'), said support device comprising a carriage (5) which is controllably moved in a direction parallel to the axes of the rolls (1, T), a thrust means (6) carried by said carriage (5), and a support plate (4) connected to said thrust device (6) and solidly fastened to the side wall (2), characterized in that said mounting plate (4) has at least two pads (10, 10', 10", 10'") which is controllably moved in a direction parallel to the axes of the rolls (1, 1') by means (11, 11') which are able to apply each of said pads (10, 10', 10", 10'") against an end (3) of one of the rolls (1,1'). The device according to claim 1, wherein the mounting plate (4) is connected to the thrust device (6) via a thrust plate (8) and via thrust members (9, 9', 9", 9"') distributed over an area of shape corresponding to that of the side wall (2). The device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said means (II, IF) consist of thrust cylinders. The device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said means (11, 11') consist of screws. The device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the said devices (11, 11') ccMisist of rack-type means. The device according to any one of the claims 1 to 5, wherein said pads (10, 10', 10", 10'") comprise means for lubricating their face intended for coming into contact with said roll. The device according to any one of the claims 1 to 5, wherein at least some of the pads (10,10', 10", 10'") are made of a self-lubricating material. The device according to any one of the claims 1 to 5, wherein said pads (10, 10', 10", 10'") consist of rollers. The device according to any of the claims 1 to 5, wherein said pads (10, 10', 10", 10'") consist of small wheels. A device for supporting a side wall of a plant for the continuous twin-roll casting of thin metal products, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Full Text

The present invention relates to a device for supporti'mg a side wall of a plant for the continuous twin-roll casting of thin metal products.
More precisely, it relates to devices for the lateral containment of liquid metal in the moulds of thin-strip continuous casting machines, the casting space of which is bounded by the close lateral surfaces of two rolls having horizontal axes, the rolls being vigorously cooled internally and set in counter-rotation.
In this type of machine for continuous casting, called "twin-roll casting", the industrial application of which to the casting of steel strip of approximately from 2 to 10 mm in thickness is currently in progress, the lateral containment of the liquid metal in the casting space defined by the rolls is provided by plates which are applied against the plane extremities of the rolls, called "ends", by a suitable device. These plates are usually tenned "side walls". Their central part intended to be in contact with the liquid metal is made of refrac¬tory material, as is, in general, their periphery which rubs frictionally against the rolls, progressively wearing them out. It is absolutely essential that these side walls be in contact with the rolls in as sealed a manner as possible, since infiltrations of liquid metal into their contact area would have disastrous effects on the quality of the edges of the cast strip. These would adopt a jagged shape and would be excessively brittle. They would then run the risk of separating from the rest of the strip and remain stuck to the rolls. If this sticking were to persist during one complete revolution of the rolls and if the fragments of edges were thus to penetrate into the casting space, this could give rise to serious damage to the surfaces of the rolls. At worst, these infiltrations of metal could reach as far as the outside of the machine, which would dictate stopping the casting immediately.
Such sealing defects may have many causes, among

which mention may be made of:
- distortions of the rolls and of the side walls, due to mechanical and thermal stresses which they are exposed to, in particular at the very start of casting when a thermal regime is imposed on them;
- progressive wear of the side walls or of the rolls, which is not always uniform over all their contact areas;
- instantaneous wear of the side walls caused by the passage of an infiltration of solidified metal.
It has already been proposed to solve these sealing problems by causing controlled wear of the side walls by controlled friction of them against the rolls. Thus, the contact surfaces of the side walls are perm¬anently being regenerated, matching them better to the possible variations in the shape of those parts of the rolls on which the side walls bear. In this regard, mention may be made of document EP-A-546,206. This teaches firstly pressing the side walls strongly against the rotating rolls before starting the casting, so as to make them match the precise initial configuration of the ends of the rolls. Next, this pressure is relaxed slight¬ly and then casting is started, temporarily reapplying a high pressure on the side walls so as deliberately to create a wear which conforms the side walls to the ends of the rolls. During casting, the side walls continue to be applied against the rolls, compensating for their wear by moving at a predetermined moderate rate. Thus, a controlled wear is caused, continuously renewing the surfaces of contact between the side walls and the rolls. French Patent Application FR 94/0831? provides an improvement to this operating mode and to those which would be derived therefrom, by providing means enabling the side walls to be slightly deformed by modulating the pressure applied to their various areas. Thus, temporary or permanent inequalities in—the forces exerted on the various parts of the side walls by the rolls are taken into account. Such inequalities may arise, for example, in the case of parasitic solidification of metal which

has infiltrated between the two faces of the rolls, against which the side wall is applied, are not perfectly coplanar and orthogonal to the axes of the rolls.
However, these operating modes have the drawback of imposing, on each side wall, a frictional wear which, to be sure, can be measured by means of the rate of advance, but which cannot be controlled. The wear may prove to be unnecessarily great in the case where casting progresses without any special incident.
The object of the invention is to provide the operator with the means of imposing, on the side wall, a controlled wear which would not be greater them, that which would be strictly required for casting to progress correctly.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a device for supporting a side wall of a plant for the continuous twin-roll casting of thin metal products, of the type having two cooled rolls having horizontal axes, two side walls applied against the ends of the rolls, said support device comprising a carriage which is controllably moved in a direction parallel to the axes of the rolls, a thrust means carried by said carriage, and a support plate connected to said thrust device and solidly fastened to the side wall, characterized in that said mounting plate has at least two pads which is controllably moved in a direction parallel to the axes of the rolls by means which are able to apply each of said pads against an end of one of the rolls.
As will have been understood, the invention consists in equipping the means for supporting the side walls with at least two friction pads which can be controllably moved and each of which can bear on one of the rolls. These pads enable the loss of material by wear of the side wall to be set accurately to a very small value when the surfaces of contact between the side wall and the edges of the rolls are perfectly uniform. During casting, it is normally intended for the front face of

each pad to be held permanently aligned with the front face of the side wall, or very slightly set back from the latter. If the pads are aligned on the side wall, it is these which take up the frictional force between the rolls and the side wall, the frictional wear of which becomes theoretically zero. If they are placed slightly set back from the side wall, it is only the latter which will rub frictionally against the rolls. It will there¬fore wear away, until this wear is sufficiently pro¬nounced so that the front face of the side wall becomes aligned with the front faces of the pads. The situation is then once again as in the previous case, and the wear is interrupted until the pads are once again placed set back from the side wall. This setting-back may be carried out continuously, with a rats of movement of the pads equal to the rate of wear which it is desired to impose on the side wall, or else discontinuously, in which case it is their average rate of movement, calculated over a given time interval, which must be maintained equal to the desired rate of wear.
The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows, given with refer¬ence to the following figures:
Figure 1, which diagrammnatically shows end views of a device according to the invention and one of the casting rolls against which one of the side walls of the twin-roll casting machine is applied;
Figure 2, which shows diagrammatically the front face of a side wall, the support of which is in accordance with the invention.
Figure 1 represents one side of a machine for casting between two close rolls 1, 1' which have horizon¬tal axes, are rotating and internally cooled, only one of the rolls 1 of which is visible. The other side of the machine is equipped in a similar manner. The casting space defined by the two rolls 1,1' is blocked off laterally by a side wall 2 made of refractory material, the front face of which is applied against the ends 3 of the rolls 1, 1'. The side wall 2 is fixed to a mounting

plate 4 which is made of a material such as a metallic material. This mounting plate 4 is preferedaly cooled in order to prevent it from being affected by deformations of purely thermal origin.
The movements and the bearing force on the rolls 1,1' of the side wall 2 are controlled by a unit which acts on the mounting plate 4 and which will be described in more detail. In a known manner, it comprises a car¬riage 5 which can be controllably moved in a direction parallel to the axes of the rolls 1, 1'. Mounted on this carriage 5 is a thrust device 6 such as a thrust cylin¬der, including a rod 7 which can be controllably moved, again in the same direction parallel to the axes of the rolls 1, 1' . In a simplified (not represented) version of the invention, this rod 7 acts directly on the mounting plate 4, and its position, conjugate with that of the carriage 5, enables the bearing force exerted by the side wall 2 on the rolls 1, 1' to be adjusted. In the most elaborate version of the invention, which deals once again with the device forming the subject of the already-mentioned French Patent Application FR S4/08319, the rod 7 drives a thrust plate 8 which is itself connected to the mounting plate 4 via a set of thrust members 9, 9', 9", 9"' such as controlled springs or thrust cylinders. These members are distributed over an area whose shape corresponds to that of the side wall 2. The function of these members is to allow a slight rearward motion of a portion of the side wall 2 when a parasitic solidifi¬cation becomes interposed between it and one of the rolls 1, 1', without thereby affecting the conditions of contact between the reet of the side wall 2 and the rolls. Reference may be made to the text of the aforementioned French patent for more details.
According to the invention, in the example represented in Figures 1 and 2, the mounting plate 4 supporting the side wall 2 carries four pads 10, 10', 10", 10"'. These pads 10, 10', 10", 10"' are each equipped with a device 11, 11' which can move them controllably, in a regular or irregular manner, in order

to allow them either to end up bearing on any part of the end 3 of one of the rolls 1, 1' or to be moved away from this roll. Represented by the broken lines in Figure 2 is the tract of the peripheries of the rolls 1. 1', so as to locate the positions of the pads 10, 10', 10", 10"' with respect to the rolls 1, 1' and to the side wall 2. The pads 10, 10" are put into position in the upper part of the mounting plate 4 and can bear on the edges of the ends 3 of the rolls 1, 1' just above the side wall 2. The pads 10', 10"' are put into position in the lower part of the mounting plate 4 and bear on the rolls 1, 1' along¬side the side wall 2 and near the neck. 12, that is to say the area where the separation between the rolls 1,1' is the smallest. It is clearly understood that the positions of the pads 10, 10', 10", 10"', as they have been described and represented, only constitute examples of implementation of the invention. Other positions would be conceivable and their choice depends in particular on the configuration of the mounting plate 4. The devices for moving the pads 10, 10', 10", 10"' may consist of any electrical or hydraulic actuator, for exaimple thrust . cylinders, screws, rack-type devices, etc.. These pads 10, 10', 10", 10"' may, as represented, have a plane surface of contact with the ends 3 of the rolls 1, 1'. In this case, they also preferably include means (not represented) which ensure that this contact surface is lubricated, for example by injecting oil or a powder of a solid lubricant, such as boron nitride. The frictional wear both of the rolls 1, 1' and of the pads 10, 10', 10", 10"' is thus limited. As a variant, these pads 10, 10', 10", 10"' may consist of a roller or a small wheel, in which case it is no longer necessary to provide a lubrication device. In addition to their lesser sensitiv¬ity to the frictional wear phenomena, these variants have the advantage, compared to the pads having a plane surface of contact with the roll 1, 1', of being lesE sensitive to contaminations which may be present on the ends 3 of the rolls 1, 1', because of their smallez

The function of these pads 10, 10', 10", 10"' is, as was stated above, to limit the rate of wear of the side wall 2 by taking up, under normal operations, most of the frictional force between the rolls 1, 1' and the side wall 2. Thus, the frictional wear of the side wall 2 becomes virtually zero in the absence of incidents such as the appearance of parasitic solidifications which would accelerate this wear.
As a variant, it is also possible to equip each mounting plate 4 with only two pads, each rxibbing fric-tionally on a different roll 1, 1' and each arranged preferably in the vicinity of the upper part of the side wall 4, for example at the position of the pads 10, 10" in Figure 2.
The presence of at least two pads 10, 10', 10", 10"' per roll 1, 1', conjugate with that of the thrust plate 8 and of the thrust members 9, 9', 9", 9"', makes it possible to optimise the rate of wear of the side wall 2 over its various areas, taking into account the special events which could contribute to more pronounced wear in the vicinity of one of the rolls 1, 1' than the other. Advantage may thus continue to be taken of the possibil¬ities of slight deformation of the side wall 2 and of the mounting plate 4 which are related to the use of the thrust plate 8/thrust members 9, 9', 9", 9"' system. However, as was mentioned, the invention is also applic¬able to the case where the thrust cylinder 6 drives the moiinting plate 4 directly.
Consequently, it is possible to provide a casting procedure which is as follows. Before starting casting, the front parts of the pads 10, 10', 10", 10"' are placed a few tenths of a mm set back from the front face of the side wall 2 brought into contact with the rolls 1, 1'. Then, the rolls 1, 1' are rotated, advancing the side wall 2 towards them by means of the thrust cylinder 6 so as to cause wear of the side wall 2 which shapes the side wall to the precise configuration of the ends 3 of the rolls 1, 1'. This wear is continued until the front parts of the pads 10, 10', 10", 10"' come into contact with the

rolls 1, 1'. At this moment, it is no longer possible to advance the side wall 2 and it stops being worn. Casting then starts, after having possibly reduced the bearing force of the side wall on the rolls 1, 1'. During cast¬ing, either the pads 10, 10', 10", 10"' are left fixed, if it is desired for the side wall 2 to undergo no wear, or they are moved rearwards in a continuous or irregular manner at a controlled average rate, for exajnple of the order of from 2 to 10 mm per hour. This progressive rearward movement enables the surface of contact between the side wall 2 and the rolls 1, 1' to be renewed, while still keeping the wear of the side wall 2 to a moderate value, for example approximately that of the central part of the side wall 2 which is in contact with the lic[uid metal and which, consequently, undergoes essentially chemical erosion. By virtue of the invention, a moderate wear of the side wall 2 is controlled much more accur¬ately than could be achieved by using just the thrust cylinder 6.
Nevertheless, if during casting sealing defects between the rolls 1, 1' and the side wall 2 were observed, there would be" the possibility of immediately moving the pads 10, 10', 10", 10"' rearwards by a few tenths of a mm and of temporarily increasing the rate of advance and the bearing force of the side wall 2 so as to ensure rapid renewal of their contact surfaces.
It may also be pointed out that the systems for lubricating the pads 10, 10" contribute to the lubrica¬tion of the interfaces between the rolls 1, 1' and the side wall 2, since the edges of the rolls 1, 1', against which they bear, will immediately afterwards come into contact with the side wall 2. This is favourable to a reduction in the wear of the side wall 2.
Another variant of the invention consists in using pads 10, 10', 10", 10"' (or at least some of them) made of a self-lubricating material, such as boron nitride. The application of an external lubricant on their surface which is in contact with the roll 1, 1' is then no longer necessary. In order to compensate for the

wear of the pads 10, 10', 10", 10"' thus produced, the movement devices 11, 11' are designed to be able impose a steady movement in the direction of the roll 1' . This movement has to stop as soon as the for sensors, usually associated with the closest thru members 9, 9', 9", 9"' detect a relaxation of the rea tion forces exerted by the roll 1, 1' on the side wall and its mounting plate 4, since such a relaxation is t sign that the front face of the pad 10, 10', 10", 10"' question is no longer aligned with the front face of t side wall 2.
The invention is, moreover, perfectly compatib with the use of side walls 2 on which, as is known, oscillatory movement in the plane of the plane faces the rolls 1, 1' may be impressed.

A device for supporting a side wall (2) of a plant for the continuous twin-roll casting of thin metal products, of the type having two cooled rolls (1, 1') having horizontal axes, two side walls (2) applied against the ends (3) of the rolls (1,1'), said support device comprising a carriage (5) which is controllably moved in a direction parallel to the axes of the rolls (1, T), a thrust means (6) carried by said carriage (5), and a support plate (4) connected to said thrust device (6) and solidly fastened to the side wall (2), characterized in that said mounting plate (4) has at least two pads (10, 10', 10", 10'") which is controllably moved in a direction parallel to the axes of the rolls (1, 1') by means (11, 11') which are able to apply each of said pads (10, 10', 10", 10'") against an end (3) of one of the rolls (1,1').
The device according to claim 1, wherein the mounting plate (4) is connected to the thrust device (6) via a thrust plate (8) and via thrust members (9, 9', 9", 9"') distributed over an area of shape corresponding to that of the side wall (2).
The device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said means (II, IF) consist of thrust cylinders.
The device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said means (11, 11') consist of
screws.
The device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the said devices (11, 11') ccMisist of rack-type means.
The device according to any one of the claims 1 to 5, wherein said pads (10, 10', 10", 10'") comprise means for lubricating their face intended for coming into contact with said roll.

The device according to any one of the claims 1 to 5, wherein at least some of the pads (10,10', 10", 10'") are made of a self-lubricating material.
The device according to any one of the claims 1 to 5, wherein said pads (10, 10', 10", 10'") consist of rollers.
The device according to any of the claims 1 to 5, wherein said pads (10, 10', 10", 10'") consist of small wheels.
A device for supporting a side wall of a plant for the continuous twin-roll casting of thin metal products, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Documents:

1453-mas-1995 others.pdf

1453-mas-1995 abstract.pdf

1453-mas-1995 claims.pdf

1453-mas-1995 correspondence others.pdf

1453-mas-1995 correspondence po.pdf

1453-mas-1995 description (complete).pdf

1453-mas-1995 drawings.pdf

1453-mas-1995 form-1.pdf

1453-mas-1995 form-26.pdf

1453-mas-1995 form-4.pdf

1453-mas-1995 petition.pdf

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Patent Number

192685

Indian Patent Application Number

1453/MAS/1995

PG Journal Number

02/2006

Publication Date

13-Jan-2006

Grant Date

26-Oct-2005

Date of Filing

09-Nov-1995

Name of Patentee

THYSSEN STAHL AKTIENGESELISCHAFT

Applicant Address

KAISER WILHELM STRASSE 100, D-47166 DUISBURG(ALLEMAGNE)

Inventors:

#	Inventor's Name	Inventor's Address
1	HUGUES LEGRAND	112 RUE JEAN JAURES 62330-MOLINGHEM
2	PIERRE DELASSUS	267 RUE DU CORNET MALO-LOCON -62400-BETHUNE

PCT International Classification Number

F16M1/026

PCT International Application Number

N/A

PCT International Filing date

PCT Conventions:

#	PCT Application Number	Date of Convention	Priority Country
1			NA