Feeder system

1. A feeder system for metal casting comprising a feeder sleeve mounted on a tubular body;

the tubular body having a first end and an opposite second end and a compressible portion therebetween so that upon application of a force in use, the distance between the first and second ends is reduced;

the feeder sleeve having a longitudinal axis and comprising a continuous sidewall extending generally around the longitudinal axis that defines a cavity for receiving liquid metal during casting, the sidewall having a base adjacent the second end of the tubular body;

the tubular body defining an open bore therethrough for connecting the cavity to the casting, wherein

at least one cut-out extends into the sidewall from the base and the second end of the tubular body projects into the cut-out to a fixed depth, and

wherein the tubular body is steel having a carbon content of less than 0.05%.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the compressible portion comprises a single step or kink constituted by first and second sidewall regions.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein (i) the angle θ formed between a pair of the first and second sidewall regions is from to 60 to 90°; (ii) the angle α formed between the first sidewall region(s) and the longitudinal axis of the tubular body is from 30 to 60°; and/or (iii) the angle β formed between the second sidewall region(s) and the longitudinal axis of the tubular body is from 30 to 60°.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the compressible portion comprises an alternating series of first and second sidewall regions thereby providing multiple steps/kinks.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the alternating series of first and second sidewall regions together form four steps or kinks.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein each of the steps/kinks has a diameter measured in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and all of the steps/kinks have the same diameter.

7. The system of claim 4 , wherein each of the steps/kinks has a diameter measured in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and the diameter of the steps/kinks decreases towards the first end of the tubular body to form a frustoconical compressible portion.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the frustoconical compressible portion is inclined from the longitudinal axis at an angle of no more than 15°.

9. The system claim 1 , wherein the cut-out extends away from the base to a first depth and the tubular body projects into the cut-out to the first depth.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cut-out is a groove.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cut-out is contiguous with the feeder sleeve cavity.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the compressible portion of the tubular body is spaced from the cut-out.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the feeder sleeve is an exothermic feeder sleeve.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the feeder sleeve has a crush strength of at least 25 kN.

15. A feeder system for metal casting comprising a feeder sleeve mounted on a tubular body;

the tubular body having a first end and an opposite second end and a compressible portion therebetween so that upon application of a force in use, the distance between the first and second ends is reduced;

the feeder sleeve having a longitudinal axis and comprising a continuous sidewall extending generally around the longitudinal axis that defines a cavity for receiving liquid metal during casting, the sidewall having a base adjacent the second end of the tubular body;

the tubular body defining an open bore therethrough for connecting the cavity to the casting, wherein

at least one cut-out extends into the sidewall from the base and the second end of the tubular body projects into the cut-out to a fixed depth, and

wherein the cut-out extends away from the base to a first depth and the first depth corresponds to from 5 to 30% of the height of the feeder sleeve.