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US 2019/0284077 A1Published application
Vacuum Refining of Molten Glass
AssigneeOwens-Brockway Glass Container Inc.
InventorsZhongming Wang, Nicholas A. Schoenrock, Ya-Cheng Lin, Udaya K. Vempati, Earnest Iddings
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Abstract
An apparatus and method of refining molten glass are disclosed. An upstream vessel contains molten glass, a downstream vessel is arranged downstream of the upstream vessel, and vacuum refining vessels are located between the upstream vessel and the downstream vessel and are in separate, alternating fluid communication with the upstream vessel and in separate, alternating fluid communication with the downstream vessel.
Claims20
An apparatus to refine molten glass, comprising:
- an upstream vessel to contain molten glass;
- a downstream vessel arranged downstream of the upstream vessel;
- and
- a plurality of vacuum refining vessels located downstream of the upstream vessel in separate, alternating fluid communication therewith, and located upstream of the downstream vessel in separate, alternating fluid communication therewith, and wherein the refining vessels are not in direct fluid communication with one another, and wherein the refining vessels are operated in a mutually exclusive manner to provide a continuous flow of refined molten glass toward the downstream vessel.
1 more element
A process for refining molten glass including:
- (a) containing molten glass in an upstream vessel;
- (b) distributing the molten glass to a first of at least two vacuum refining vessels downstream of the upstream vessel, and vacuum refining the molten glass in the first vacuum refining vessel;
- and
- (c) discharging refined molten glass from a second of the at least two vacuum refining vessels into a downstream vessel, wherein the first and second vacuum refining vessels are in separate, alternating fluid communication with the upstream vessel, and wherein the first and second vacuum refining vessels are in separate, alternating fluid communication with the downstream vessel.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.