A ladle shroud is fixed to a coupling device for reversibly coupling an inlet orifice of said ladle shroud to a collector nozzle fixed to the outside of a bottom floor of a ladle in a metal casting installation, by means of at least a first and second elongated latch pivotally mounted on a hinge, such that the latch can pivot from a fixing position to an idle position. The idle position of the latches allows the engagement of the ladle shroud into its casting configuration about the collector nozzle, and the fixing position of the latches engages catches provided on said latches into matching fasteners located on the gate frame holding the collector nozzle.

In a device for manipulating preferably a casting tube in a changing device at the spout of a metallurgical vessel, this manipulation is performed by means of a robot having an attachable base, a carrying arm that pivots on the base and at least one extension arm mounted rotatably on the carrying arm and has a gripper, preferably for the casting tube. The base of the robot is attached alongside the vessel such that the carrying arm is pivotable to a side of the vessel into a downwardly directed position and each extension arm is movable along an underside of the vessel. This provides optimum placement of the robot, and consequently the device, so they do not impede access for personnel to the tundish on the casting platform during casting and corresponding manipulations can be carried out easily and operationally reliably with the device in an automated manner.

In a device for manipulating preferably a casting tube in a changing device at the spout of a metallurgical vessel, this manipulation is performed by means of a robot having an attachable base, a carrying arm that pivots on the base and at least one extension arm mounted rotatably on the carrying arm and has a gripper, preferably for the casting tube. The base of the robot is attached alongside the vessel such that the carrying arm is pivotable to a side of the vessel into a downwardly directed position and each extension arm is movable along an underside of the vessel. This provides optimum placement of the robot, and consequently the device, so they do not impede access for personnel to the tundish on the casting platform during casting and corresponding manipulations can be carried out easily and operationally reliably with the device in an automated manner.

A mould for casting molten metals is provided that includes a mould/shroud coupling mechanism for a shroud of a casting installation. A funnel is provided that is attached to a hollow shaft, the mould/shroud coupling mechanism includes a seat member for receiving the funnel and holding the shroud and a base member fixed to the upper surface of the mould and coupled to the seat member by at least one compliant element such that the seat member is separated from and movable relative to the base member upon application of a load onto the seat member which deforms the at least one compliant element.

The apparatus for continuous slab casting having a nozzle exchanging-holding mechanism capable of moving a submerged nozzle at the exchange of the nozzle through a moving-connecting space D of a base under a slide valve mechanism and keeping the connection between the submerged nozzle and the slide valve mechanism during the operation, and a rotation mechanism to rotate the base of the nozzle exchanging-holding mechanism, which is characterized by a fixing mechanism that fixes the submerged nozzle in the nozzle exchanging-holding mechanism by pressing the submerged nozzle toward one or both inner sides of the moving-connecting space D of the base in one or both directions perpendicular to the moving direction of the submerged nozzle during the nozzle exchange.

A metal casting installation comprises a ladle comprising an inner nozzle in fluid communication with the through-opening of a top gate plate. The installation contains a ladle shroud coupling assembly comprising a support frame comprising a bottom gate plate and a passage. The support frame is slidingly coupled to a planar bottom surface of a top gate plate of the inner nozzle of the ladle, such that the opening of the bottom gate plate can be brought in or out of registry with the through-opening of the top gate plate. A drawer frame can be can be moved through the passage of the support frame. The bore of a specifically designed ladle shroud capable of being reversibly coupled to latches can be brought into or out of registry with the opening of the bottom gate plate.

A metal casting installation comprises a ladle comprising an inner nozzle in fluid communication with the through-opening of a top gate plate. The installation contains a ladle shroud coupling assembly comprising a support frame comprising a bottom gate plate and a passage. The support frame is slidingly coupled to a planar bottom surface of a top gate plate of the inner nozzle of the ladle, such that the opening of the bottom gate plate can be brought in or out of registry with the through-opening of the top gate plate. A drawer frame can be can be moved through the passage of the support frame. The bore of a specifically designed ladle shroud capable of being reversibly coupled to latches can be brought into or out of registry with the opening of the bottom gate plate.

A coupling device is fixed to a ladle shroud for reversibly coupling an inlet orifice of said ladle shroud to a collector nozzle fixed to the outside of a bottom floor of a ladle in a metal casting installation, by means of at least a first and second elongated latch pivotally mounted on a hinge, such that the latch can pivot from a fixing position to an idle position. The idle position of the latches allows the engagement of the ladle shroud into its casting configuration about the collector nozzle, and the fixing position of the latches engages catches provided on said latches into matching fasteners located on the gate frame holding the collector nozzle.

A coupling device is fixed to a ladle shroud for reversibly coupling an inlet orifice of said ladle shroud to a collector nozzle fixed to the outside of a bottom floor of a ladle in a metal casting installation, by means of at least a first and second elongated latch pivotally mounted on a hinge, such that the latch can pivot from a fixing position to an idle position. The idle position of the latches allows the engagement of the ladle shroud into its casting configuration about the collector nozzle, and the fixing position of the latches engages catches provided on said latches into matching fasteners located on the gate frame holding the collector nozzle.

A robotized system for fixing a sliding gate valve plate to a sliding gate valve or removing a sliding gate valve plate from a sliding gate valve comprises a sliding gate valve plate, a metallurgic vessel provided with a sliding gate valve comprising a plate support frame comprising a receiving cradle suitable for receiving and locking the sliding gate valve plate, and a robot comprising a handling interface provided with gripping clamps for gripping the sliding gate valve plate. The sliding gate valve plate comprises gripping holds mating the gripping clamps of the robot, such that the robot can securely hold and handle the sliding gate valve plate.