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Permanent-magnetic hydrodynamic methods and apparatus stabilize a moving, flexible, thin-gauge, heat-conducting, magnetically soft ferromagnetic casting belt against thermal distortion while moving along a mold cavity being heated at its front surface by heat coming from molten metal being cast whil

Permanent-magnetic hydrodynamic methods and apparatus stabilize a moving, flexible, thin-gauge, heat-conducting, magnetically soft ferromagnetic casting belt against thermal distortion while moving along a mold cavity being heated at its front surface by heat coming from molten metal being cast while being cooled at its reverse surface by flowing pumped liquid coolant. Hydro-magnetic devices are arranged in an array wherein flows of pumped coolant pass through fixedly throttling passageways feeding pressure pockets facing the belt's reverse surface. These pockets are shown rimmed by magnetic pole faces. Coolant issues from the pressure pockets as fast-moving films radiating therefrom and travelling in gaps between the belt's reverse surface and the pole faces. These films cool the belt and apply hydrodynamic forces levitating the belt spaced from the pole faces while the belt is stabilized in even condition by powerful reach-out magnetic attraction forces reaching out from these pole faces and extending across the gaps to the moving belt. Pumped liquid coolant is twice throttled: once in feeding into the pressure pockets and once again in flowing out from the pockets escaping over the pole faces which rim the pockets. A hydro-magnetic array includes powerful permanent magnets formed of unique permanent-magnetic material in magnetic circuits in the array providing reach-out magnetic attraction having unusual characteristics critical to successful operation of disclosed embodiments of the invention. A hydro-pillow array without magnets may be positioned downstream from the hydro-magnetic array.

대표청구항 ▼

[ We claim:] [1.] A method for stabilizing and cooling an endless, flexible, thin-gauge, heat-conducting casting belt containing magnetically soft ferromagnetic material which travels along a mold space wherein molten metal is cast, the casting belt having a front surface facing toward the mold spac

[ We claim:] [1.] A method for stabilizing and cooling an endless, flexible, thin-gauge, heat-conducting casting belt containing magnetically soft ferromagnetic material which travels along a mold space wherein molten metal is cast, the casting belt having a front surface facing toward the mold space and having a reverse surface facing away from the mold space, said method comprising the steps of:applying to the casting belt reach-out magnetic attraction from an array of magnetically soft ferromagnetic pole members having pole faces arranged in a coplanar array facing toward the reverse surface of the casting belt by magnetizing said pole members by positioning in magnetic association with said pole members permanent magnets capable of providing sufficient reach-out magnetic attraction to the casting belt for suitably stabilizing the casting belt; andsimultaneously applying to the reverse surface of the casting belt a multiplicity of flows of pumped liquid coolant issuing adjacent to the pole faces, said flows levitating the casting belt spaced by gaps from the pole faces and said flows travelling through the gaps between the reverse surface of the casting belt and the pole faces. [33.] Apparatus for stabilizing and cooling an endless, flexible, thin-gauge, heat-conducting casting belt containing magnetically soft ferromagnetic material which travels along a mold space wherein molten metal is cast, the casting belt having a front surface facing toward the mold space and having a reverse surface facing away from the mold space, said apparatus comprising:a multiplicity of hydro-magnetic devices;each hydro-magnetic device including a pole member of magnetically soft ferromagnetic material having a pole face;said pole faces being positioned in a coplanar array faceable toward the reverse surface of the casting belt;each hydro-magnetic device including at least one pressure pocket faceable toward the reverse surface of the casting belt adjacent to the pole face and including a passageway for feeding pumped liquid coolant into the pressure pocket;a plurality of permanent magnets, at least one of said magnets being in magnetic association with each of said pole members for magnetizing said pole members with their pole faces having alternate North and South polarity in said array; andsaid magnets providing sufficient reach-out magnetic pull on the casting belt toward the pole faces for suitably stabilizing the casting belt in even condition while hovering upon pumped liquid coolant issuing from the pressure pockets and available for travelling through gaps between the reverse surface of the casting belt and the pole faces.