Tooling for producing a metal product by feed casting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10814378-B2
Application number	US-201716069224-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2017
Priority date	Jan 29, 2016
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

A tooling for producing a metal product by feed casting, including a mold having a preheater, an ingot mold ( 10 ), a movable bottom that moves in a main direction X and a transition ring interposed between the preheater and the ingot mold ( 10 ). The tooling has a clamping ring ( 12 ) transmitting a clamping force (F 1 ) to the transition ring ( 11 ) oriented towards the ingot mold ( 10 ), a holding mechanism that positively locks the clamping ring ( 12 ), and an axial relief mechanism configured to vary between an inactive state in which the holding mechanism exerts a holding force (F 2 ) on the clamping ring ( 12 ) such that the clamping ring ( 12 ) exerts the clamping force (F 1 ) on the transition ring ( 11 ) and an active state in which the axial relief mechanism resists the action applied by the holding mechanism on the clamping ring in the inactive state.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tooling for manufacturing a metal product by hot top casting, including a mold, said tooling comprising:
a hot top through which a metal in liquid state is poured,
an ingot mold in which solidification of the metal occurs, equipped with a support with integrated cooling,
a movable base moving in a main direction, parallel to a main axis of the ingot mold,
a transition ring interposed between the hot top and the ingot mold,
wherein the tooling comprises a clamping ring able to transmit a clamping force to the transition ring oriented towards the ingot mold in the main direction, a holding mechanism ensuring positive locking of the clamping ring and able to exert a holding force on the clamping ring directed towards the transition ring along the main direction, and an axial load-shedding mechanism configured to vary between an inactive state in which the holding mechanism exerts said holding force on the clamping ring so that the clamping ring exerts said clamping force on the transition ring, and an active state in which the axial load-shedding mechanism opposes an action applied by the holding mechanism on the clamping ring in the inactive state in order to release the clamping ring in an axial direction and to allow removal of the clamping ring from the mold such that the transition ring is withdrawn in the main direction on an opposite side to the ingot mold.

2. The tooling according to claim 1 , wherein the holding mechanism comprises a locking ring able to transmit the holding force to the clamping ring and biasing means continuously loading the locking ring in the main direction towards the clamping ring according to a compressive force such that in the inactive state of the axial load-shedding mechanism, the locking ring loaded by the biasing means according to said compressive force exerts said holding force on the clamping ring.

3. The tooling according to claim 2 , wherein the locking ring and the clamping ring are integral with each other.

4. The tooling according to claim 2 , wherein the locking ring is an independent part of the clamping ring and in its active state, the axial load shedding mechanism temporarily biases the locking ring in the main direction in a direction opposite to the compressive force applied by the biasing means, without a need for a bearing of the locking ring on the clamping ring in the main direction, to allow withdrawal of the clamping ring from the mold.

5. The tooling according to claim 4 , wherein the clamping ring and the locking ring work in conjunction according to a locking/unlocking system.

6. The tooling according to claim 5 , wherein the locking/unlocking system is a bayonet system, a relative angular variation between the two rings around the main direction making it possible to vary between a first angular configuration in which the clamping ring can passes through the locking ring in the main direction in an opposite direction to the transition ring, and a second angular configuration in which the clamping ring is blocked by the locking ring along the main direction in the opposite direction to the transition ring.

7. The tooling according to claim 6 , wherein a move from the first angular configuration to the second angular configuration and vice versa is obtained by a rotational movement of the clamping ring relative to the mold around the main direction over a predetermined angular travel, the locking ring remaining fixed relative to the mold during said movement.

8. The tooling according to claim 2 , wherein the locking ring and the clamping ring are formed in a single piece.

9. The tooling according to claim 1 , wherein the locking ring is integral with a piston and the axial load-shedding mechanism comprises:
a chamber defined between said piston and the support of the ingot mold, and
a management system allowing a pressure in the chamber to be varied.

10. The tooling according to claim 9 , wherein the management system comprises:
a device for providing a controlled supply to the chamber of a fluid having a pressure, making it possible to apply to the piston a force greater than the compressive force applied to the locking ring by the biasing means, and
a device providing controlled exhaust of said fluid out of the chamber.

11. The tooling according to claim 10 , wherein the fluid is air or oil.

12. The tooling according to claim 9 , wherein the biasing means comprise a plurality of elastic compression devices angularly distributed around the main direction, each elastic compression device being interposed between the support of the ingot mold and the piston.

13. The tooling according to claim 12 , wherein each elastic compression device comprises a stack of a plurality of Belleville washers parallel to the main direction.

14. The tooling according to claim 1 , wherein the mold and the clamping ring are configured so that the clamping ring is withdrawn from the mold in the main direction.

15. The tooling according to claim 1 , wherein the clamping ring and the transition ring are integral with each other.

16. The tooling according to claim 1 , wherein the clamping ring is an independent part of the transition ring.

Assignees

• Constellium Issoire

Inventors

• Valentin Bernard
• Ballu Arnaud
• Blais Soizic

Classifications

• B22D11/04

  into open-ended moulds (B22D11/06, B22D11/07 take precedence; plants for continuous casting, e.g. for upwardly drawing the strand B22D11/14) · CPC title

• B22D11/041

  for vertical casting (B22D11/043, B22D11/049 - B22D11/059 take precedence) · CPC title

• B22D11/0401 Primary

  Moulds provided with a feed head · CPC title

• B22D11/103

  Distributing the molten metal, e.g. using runners, floats, distributors · CPC title