An oscillating mold for continuously casting slabs, preferably of steel, has long side walls and short side walls freely movable relative to the long side walls, and an immersion outlet. The long side walls define a center-symmetrical casting funnel having a funnel shape which is configured such that the distance between the long side walls in the casting funnel is reduced toward the outlet end of the mold and that in the meniscus area and at least along the length of the immersion outlet the funnel shape corresponds to or follows the outer cross-sectional size of the immersion outlet. The long side walls have adjacent the casting funnel a shape which is linear and planar over the mold length and center-symmetrical and concave transversely of the mold length.

A continuous casting installation for producing thin slabs includes a laterally adjustable mold in which an immersion nozzle protrudes. In the mold there is opposite a larger crowned cross section on the charging side a cross section on the strand outlet side which is small and identically crowned in the central region. The installation further has pairs of supporting and guiding rollers which follow the mold and have a caliber adapted to the emerging crowned strand. The broad-face parts have planar-surface central parts which are arranged parallel to one another along their widths and taper toward one another in the casting direction of the strand. The broad-face parts also have planar side surfaces arranged so that they taper conically toward each other in the direction of the narrow faces. The planar-surface central plate is connected to the planar-surface side surfaces by transitional parts. The transitional parts taper toward each other in the form of a wedge and the wedge tip ends at a distance (a), measured from the upper edge of the mold, with a=0.5 to 0.8.times.L, where L=the length of the mold. The supporting and guiding rollers have a contour which corresponds to the planar-surface central plate and the planar side plates of the mold broad faces in the region of the mouth of the mold.

A mold cassette and method for continuously casting thin slabs. The cassette comprises a trough including a pair of vertically disposed, opposed broad walls and a pair of opposed narrow walls. The trough has an entry end for receiving molten material and an exit end for dispensing the material. The narrow walls are generally wider at the entry end than the exit end and are adapted for sealing engagement with the broad walls so as to prevent leakage of the material therebetween. At least one of the narrow walls is oriented at a selected tilt and adjustable at the tilt for changing the width of the slab during casting. Back edges of at least one of the adjustable narrow walls are relieved a region corresponding generally to the transition zone of the trough. This allows positioning of the narrow wall in a generally less than vertical plane during casting while maintaining the broad and narrow walls in sealing engagement with one another. At least one of the narrow walls further comprising a face plate with horizontally disposed, concave portions continuously from about the wider end to the narrower end of the plate, to accommodate deformation of solidified portions of the material without undue stress and cracking. The concave portions are preferably in proximity to the transition region such that the slab perimeter of the shell formed in the meniscus region of the slab edge is less than or equal to that exiting the mold. A multi-directional drive assembly is provided for adjusting the spacing between the narrow walls and for maintaining the tilt of at least one of the narrow walls while retaining the broad and narrow walls in sealing engagement with one another.