A method and apparatus of continuously casting thin strip by controlling roll crown is provided. The apparatus for continuously casting thin strip by controlling roll crown includes at least two expansion rings positioned within and adjacent a cylindrical tube and spaced within 450 mm of edge portions of the cast strip formed on opposite end portions of casting rolls during a casting campaign. Alternatively or in addition, the apparatus includes at least one expansion ring within the cylindrical tube at a position corresponding to center portions of the cast strip formed on the casting rolls during a casting campaign. Each expansion ring has at least one heating element and an insulating coating thereon and is adapted to increase in radial dimension causing the cylindrical tube to expand changing roll crown of the casting surfaces of the casting rolls and thickness profile of the cast strip during casting.

A shoe for dispensing a molten metal such as lead into a mold cavity of a rotating drum to continuously cast a web of a plurality of serially connected grids or battery composite electrodes of a carbon fiber material with a cast metal conductor. The shoe may have at least one elongate orifice slot in a face confronting the drum, a molten metal supply passage communicating with the orifice slot and an excess molten metal return slot opening into the confronting face downstream of the supply slot relative generally to the direction of rotation of the drum.

A shoe for dispensing a molten metal such as lead into a mold cavity of a rotating drum to continuously cast a web of a plurality of serially connected grids or battery composite electrodes of a substrate material with a cast metal conductor. The shoe may have at least one elongate orifice slot in a face confronting the drum, a molten metal supply passage communicating with the orifice slot and an excess molten metal return slot opening into the confronting face downstream of the supply slot relative generally to the direction of rotation of the drum.