Method and apparatus for collecting fibrous material

In a method for collecting fibrous mineral material of the type in which molten mineral material is supplied to rotating spinners, the molten mineral material is discharged from the orificed peripheral wall of said spinners as mineral fibers, the mineral fibers are turned down into downwardly moving veils, and the fibers are collected on a collection surface positioned beneath said spinners, the improvement comprising positioning gas discharge nozzles beneath said spinners, said discharge nozzles comprising downwardly converging inlet surfaces, downwardly diverging outlet surfaces, and gas discharge slots intermediate said inlet surfaces and said outlet surfaces, discharging flows of gases from said gas discharge slots substantially parallel to said veil to expand said veil to the width of said collection surface, and controlling the distribution of the fibrous material on the collection surface by controlling the expansion of the individual veils of fibers.

Apparatus for collecting fibrous mineral material of the type in which molten mineral material is supplied to a spinner, the molten mineral material is discharged from the orificed peripheral wall of said spinner as mineral fibers, the fibers are turned down into a downwardly moving veil, and the fibers are collected on a collection surface positioned beneath said spinner, the improvement comprising a gas discharge means positioned beneath said spinner, said gas discharge means having a downwardly converging inlet surface, a downwardly diverging outlet surface and a downwardly directed gas discharge slot intermediate said inlet surface and said outlet surface for discharging a flow of gases substantially parallel to said veil to expand said veil to the width of said collection surface.