초록 ▼

A process and apparatus for the control of a continuous process for casting metal. The apparatus includes a mold cavity (8) formed by upper and lower movable belts (2 and 3, respectively) and side dams (6 and 7) and including an inlet opening (9). Molten metal (11) is flowed to the inlet opening fro

A process and apparatus for the control of a continuous process for casting metal. The apparatus includes a mold cavity (8) formed by upper and lower movable belts (2 and 3, respectively) and side dams (6 and 7) and including an inlet opening (9). Molten metal (11) is flowed to the inlet opening from a source (14) by conduit (12) connecting with an outlet (13). An opto-electronic device (17, 51) provides a signal which is a function of the level of the molten metal at a zone (FIG. 4) within the mold cavity and a circuit (40) responsive to the signal controls the position of a plug (15) relative to the outlet to control the flow of molten metal. The opto-electronic device includes a photosensitive element (23, 57) whose sensitivity lies essentially to radiation within the visible spectrum and only weakly responsive to infra-red radiation.

대표청구항 ▼

A process for controlling the casting of metal comprising: (a) flowing molten metal to an inlet opening of a mold cavity, said mold cavity being formed partially by moving belts including an upper and lower belt and enclosed by a pair of side dams serving as a heat sink to solidify said metal as it

A process for controlling the casting of metal comprising: (a) flowing molten metal to an inlet opening of a mold cavity, said mold cavity being formed partially by moving belts including an upper and lower belt and enclosed by a pair of side dams serving as a heat sink to solidify said metal as it traverses said mold cavity to an outlet opening, (b) exposing a photosensitive element whose range of sensitivity essentially is between 500 and 650 nanometers and only weakly responsive to infra-red radiation by an optical device removed from said cavity to radiation emanating from a zone within said cavity, said zone extending on both sides of a line of demarcation between said molten metal and a surface on one of said side dams not covered by said metal, (c) generating a signal which varies as a function of the area of said surface not covered by said molten metal whereby said signal is indicative of the level of said molten metal within said zone, and (d) using said generated signal to control one of the volume of molten metal flowing to said inlet opening and the speed of movement of said moving belts and side dams.