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US 4,381,934 AGranted
Glass batch liquefaction
AssigneePPG Industries, Inc.
InventorsGerald E. Kunkle, Joseph M. Matesa
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The initial step of melting glass, converting particulate batch materials to a partially melted, liquefied state, is carried out on a support surface of batch. As liquefied batch is drained from the surface, additional batch is fed onto the surface to maintain the surface substantially constant.
Claims36
A method of liquefying glass batch comprising:
- in a vessel having a cavity surrounded by sidewalls, an upper inlet end portion, and a lower outlet end portion, maintaining a lining on the interior of the sidewalls comprised of a stable layer of glass batch;
- feeding glass batch into the vessel at the inlet end portion so as to form a transient layer of glass batch on the stable layer lining;
- providing heat to the cavity to render the transient batch layer to a molten fluid which flows on the stable batch layer lining toward the outlet end and out of the vessel through an outlet opening in the outlet end portion;
- and
- replenishing the transient glass batch layer by feeding additional glass batch onto the stable batch layer at a rate sufficient to maintain the stable batch layer lining substantially constant at a sufficient thickness to thermally protect the vessel from the heat within the cavity.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.