Bell assemblies for glass tubing manufacturing and glass tubing manufacturing apparatuses comprising the same
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorsGilbert De Angelis, Robert Jennings Meadows, JR., David Posada-Pineda
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bell assembly for a glass tubing manufacturing apparatus includes a bell head and a support connected to the bell head. The support includes a bell shaft with an inner bore and an outer surface, and a liner positioned in the inner bore of the bell shaft. A thermal shield extends along the outer surface of the bell shaft and reduces temperature variation across a width of the bell shaft during glass tubing manufacturing.
Claims39
A glass tubing manufacturing apparatus comprising:
- a glass delivery tank for containing molten glass, the glass delivery tank comprising a delivery orifice extending through a bottom of the glass delivery tank;
- a bell head configured for forming molten glass into glass tubing, the bell head positioned at least partially beneath the delivery orifice of the glass delivery tank;
- a support connected to the bell head, the support comprising:
- a bell shaft with an inner bore and an outer surface, the bell shaft extending from the bell head through the delivery orifice of the glass delivery tank to a bell shaft support;
- and
- a thermal shield positioned around at least a portion of the outer surface of the bell shaft, the thermal shield extending through the glass delivery tank.
A method for manufacturing glass tubing comprising:
- directing molten glass into a glass delivery tank, the glass delivery tank comprising a delivery orifice extending through a bottom of the glass delivery tank;
- drawing the molten glass around a bell head located at least partially below the delivery orifice of the glass delivery tank thereby forming glass tubing, the bell head connected to a support comprising:
- a bell shaft with an inner bore and an outer surface, the bell shaft extending from the bell head through the glass delivery tank to a bell shaft support;
- and
- a thermal shield extending around at least a portion of the outer surface of the bell shaft through the glass delivery tank.
A bell assembly for a glass tubing manufacturing apparatus comprising:
- a bell head configured for forming molten glass into glass tubing;
- a support connected to the bell head, the support comprising:
- a bell shaft comprising an inner bore and an outer surface;
- a liner positioned in the inner bore of the bell shaft;
- and
- a thermal shield extending along the outer surface of the bell shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.