Semicontinuous casting apparatus

A holding furnace 1 is connected through a closed metal feeding system 3 to a pneumatic metal supply means 2 on which is mounted a mould 6 with a cooling system. The mould cooling system has a device 8 for forcing out a liquid coolant from the mould 6 by compressed gas. A dummy bar 9 has a central head 10 which accommodates a heating element 11 and an adjustable valve 12 for admitting an inert gas to the interior of a casting 26 being formed. The casting withdrawal system has two casting withdrawal mechanisms 15 and 16 alternately cooperating with the dummy bar 9, of which the mechanism 15 is operated to pull out the casting 26 from the mould 6 for a distance not smaller than the length of the casting 26 minus the length of the mould; the mechanism 16 being effective to pull out the casting 26 from the mould 6 for a distance not smaller than the length of the mould 6. The apparatus can be used in the production of solid and hollow castings by a semicontinuous process in which the castings are drawn up from a mould.