Method and apparatus for producing scale-free sheet metal

Abstract

A method and apparatus for strip casting sheet metal and then conditioning the surfaces of the sheet metal strip to remove iron oxide scale employs first brushing the surfaces with stainless steel brushes to remove the scale without requiring pickle and oil, and then brushing the surfaces with aluminum oxide brushes to further clean and smooth the surfaces of the cast metal strip.

1 . An apparatus for producing sheet metal that is free of iron oxide scale, the apparatus comprising:
 a ladle that is constructed to contain molten metal, the ladle being operable to pour a flow of the molten metal from the ladle;   a pair of casting rolls that are positioned to receive the flow of molten metal from the ladle, the pair of casting rolls being operable to roll the flow of molten metal between the pair of casting rolls and cool and form the molten metal into a cast strip of metal;   a pair of stainless steel rotating brushes that are positioned to receive the cast strip of metal from the pair of casting rolls, the pair of stainless steel rotating brushes being operable to brush surfaces of the cast strip of metal and remove iron oxide scale from the surfaces of the cast strip of metal producing scale-free surfaces on the cast strip of metal; and,   a pair of rotating conditioning brushes that are positioned to receive the cast strip of metal from the pair of stainless steel brushes, the pair of conditioning brushes being operable to brush the scale-free surfaces on the cast strip of metal and smooth the scale-free surfaces producing smooth, clean surfaces on the cast strip of metal.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 the pair of conditioning brushes being aluminum oxide brushes.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 the pair of stainless steel brushes having center axes of rotation on opposite sides of the cast strip of metal, and the pair of stainless steel brushes having axial lengths that traverse a width dimension of the cast strip of metal.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 the center axes of the stainless steel brushes being parallel and being positioned in a same vertically-oriented plane.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 the pair of stainless steel brushes being stainless steel wire brushes.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 the pair of stainless steel brushes being constructed of 0.012 of an inch crimped wire.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 the pair of stainless steel brushes having an outside diameter dimension from 10 to 18 inches.   
     
     
         8 . An apparatus for producing sheet metal that is free of iron oxide scale, the apparatus comprising:
 a ladle that contains molten metal and is operable to pour a flow of molten metal from the ladle;   a pair of counter-rotating casting rolls that are positioned side-by-side with a spacing between the casting rolls, the spacing between the casting rolls being positioned relative to the ladle to receive a flow of molten metal from the ladle and the counter-rotating casting rolls cooling the molten metal and forming and discharging a strip of metal from the counter-rotating casting rolls;   a pair of counter-rotating stainless steel brushes that are positioned relative to the pair of casting rolls to receive the strip of metal from the casting rolls and brush surfaces of the strip of metal and remove scale from the surfaces of the strip of metal; and,   a pair of counter-rotating aluminum oxide brushes that are positioned relative to the pair of stainless steel brushes to receive the strip of metal from the stainless steel brushes and brush the surfaces of the strip of metal and smooth the surfaces of the strip of metal.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 the pair of stainless steel brushes having center axes of rotation that extend across opposite sides of the strip of metal.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 the pair of stainless steel brushes being positioned directly opposite each other on opposite sides of the strip of metal.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 the pair of stainless steel brushes being stainless steel wire brushes.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 the pair of stainless steel brushes being constructed of 0.012 of an inch crimped wire.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 the pair of stainless steel brushes having an outside diameter dimension from 10 to 18 inches.   
     
     
         14 . An apparatus for producing scale-free sheet metal from cast strip sheet metal comprising:
 a pair of stainless steel rotating brushes positioned adjacent each other with a spacing between the brushes that is dimensioned to pass cast strip sheet metal through the spacing whereby the brushes brush surfaces of the cast strip sheet metal and remove scale from the surfaces of the cast strip sheet metal.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a pair of rotating conditioning brushes positioned adjacent each other with a spacing between the conditioning brushes that is dimensioned to receive the cast strip sheet metal from the pair of stainless steel brushes and pass the cast strip sheet metal through the spacing between the conditioning brushes to brush the surfaces of the cast strip sheet metal and produce smooth, clean surfaces on the cast strip sheet metal.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 the pair of conditioning brushes being aluminum oxide brushes.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 the pair of stainless steel brushes having center axes of rotation on opposite sides of the cast strip sheet metal, and the pair of stainless steel brushes having axial lengths that traverse a width dimension of the cast strip sheet metal.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 the center axes of the stainless steel brushes being parallel and being positioned in a same vertically-oriented plane.   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 the pair of stainless steel brushes being stainless steel wire brushes.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 the pair of stainless steel brushes being constructed of 0.012 of an inch crimped wire.   
     
     
         21 . A method of producing sheet metal that is free of scale without pickling the sheet metal, the method comprising:
 passing cast strip sheet metal between a pair of rotating stainless steel brushes to remove scale from surfaces of the cast strip sheet metal and produce scale-free surfaces on the cast strip sheet metal.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 passing the scale-free surfaces on the cast strip sheet metal between a pair of rotating conditioning brushes to smooth the scale-free surfaces of the cast strip sheet metal and produce smooth, clean surfaces on the cast strip sheet metal without pickling the cast strip sheet metal.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 using aluminum oxide brushes as the pair of conditioning brushes.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 counter-rotating the pair of stainless steel brushes.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 positioning the stainless steel brushes directly opposite each other on opposite sides of the cast strip sheet metal.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 using crimped wire brushes as the pair of stainless steel brushes.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 using brushes with outside diameter dimensions of 10 to 18 inches as the stainless steel brushes.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 passing the scale-free surfaces on the cast strip sheet metal between two pairs of rotating conditioning brushes to smooth the scale-free surfaces of the cast strip sheet metal and produce smooth, clean surfaces on the cast strip sheet metal without pickling the cast strip sheet metal.   
     
     
         29 . A method of producing sheet metal that is free of iron oxide scale without pickling the sheet metal, the method comprising:
 heating metal to produce molten metal;   pouring a flow of the molten metal between a pair of rotating casting rolls to produce a cast strip of metal;   passing cast strip sheet metal between a pair of rotating stainless steel brushes to remove iron oxide scale from surfaces of the cast strip of metal and produce scale-free surfaces on the cast strip of metal; and,   passing the scale-free surfaces on the cast strip of metal between a pair of rotating conditioning brushes to smooth the scale-free surfaces of the cast strip of metal and produce smooth, clean surfaces on the cast strip of metal without pickling the cast strip of metal.   
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , further comprising:
 using aluminum oxide brushes as the pair of conditioning brushes.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising:
 counter-rotating the pair of stainless steel brushes.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising:
 positioning the stainless steel brushes directly opposite each other on opposite sides of the cast strip sheet metal.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising:
 using crimped wire brushes as the pair of stainless steel brushes.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising:
 using brushes with outside diameter dimensions of 10 to 18 inches as the stainless steel brushes.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising:
 passing the scale-free surfaces on the cast strip sheet metal between two pairs of rotating conditioning brushes to smooth the scale-free surfaces of the cast strip of metal and produce smooth, clean surfaces on the cast strip of metal without pickling the cast strip of metal.