Glass melting apparatus and method

In the method of melting glass in a melter which includes a bottom wall, a side wall and at least one discharge port located in a said wall and comprised of a corrosion resistant material whose corrosion rate increases with temperature, the steps comprising, forming a molten pool of glass within said melter, floating batch material on top of said molten pool, melting said batch material so as to add further molten glass to said pool, discharging molten glass from said melter through a said discharge port and during said melting of said glass batch material creating within said pool a finite volume of molten glass within said pool which is at a significantly higher temperature than the remainder of the molten glass within the pool, the improvement which comprises forming said finite volume of said higher temperature molten glass at a location sufficiently removed from said walls and said discharge port such that said walls and discharge port wear out at substantially the same time.

In the combination of a walled melter, a walled conditioning system having at least one heating element extending through an orifice in a wall thereof and a forehearth, said melter being connected in molten glass flow communication with said conditioning system through a discharge port located in a wall of said melter at a first end of said conditioning system and said opposite end of said conditioning system being connected in molten glass flow communication with said forehearth, the improvement comprising at least one removable heating element extending through said orifice in a wall thereof and exhaust means proximal said orifice for exhausting corrosive volatiles from above said molten glass in said conditioning system through the orifice when said removable heating element is removed therefrom.

In the method of melting, conditioning and distributing molten glass wherein said method includes the steps of providing in serial flow communication, a melter, a walled conditioner and a forehearth array, melting glass in said melter, delivering molten glass from said melter to said conditioner, providing at least one heating means located in an orifice in a wall of said conditioner, delivering said molten glass from said conditioner to said forehearth and distributing said molten glass from said forehearth, wherein the method further includes the step of removing a substantial portion of said corrosive volatiles from the atmosphere above the glass before they reach the forehearth, the improvement comprising, removing at least one of said heating means from its respective orifice, thereby to provide an open orifice in a wall of said conditioner, providing an exhaust means in exhaust functioning communication with respect to said open orifice, and exhausting corrosive volatiles from said conditioner through said open orifice.

In a system for melting glass which includes a glass melter, a conditioner, and a forehearth wherein said glass melter is so constructed to discharge molten glass to said conditioner, wherein said conditioner is so constructed as to allow molten glass to flow through said conditioner to said forehearth and enter said forehearth at a lower temperature than the molten glass entered said conditioner, the improvement comprising a glass flow diverting structure so located so as to extend into said flow of molten glass in said conditioner so as to divert molten surface glass into molten glass beneath said molten surface glass.