Stone trap and method of using for making glass fibers
AssigneePPG Industries, Inc.
InventorEugene D. McEathron
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Fiber glass forming bushings are described which contain baffle arrangements which are positioned below the bushing flange and direct glass flows inside the bushing to trap stones in the molten glass. The baffles are arranged to divert glass entering the bushing in inward and upward directions to give the stones ample time to settle on the baffles before the glass reaches the bushing orifices.
Claims13
In the formation of glass fibers comprising feeding molten glass fromm a forehearth to a bushing having a plurality of nozzles or tips through which the glass flows to form the fibers the improvement comprising feeding a stream of molten glass downwardly from the forehearth to the bushing, dividing the downwardly flowing stream into two components, passing one of the components to a baffle surface and causing the glass in that stream to abruptly change directions so that it flows in a upward direction for a height and distance sufficient to cause dense solids contained therein to settle at the baffle surface, changing the direction of the upwardly flowing glass to a downward flow with the other downwardly flowing stream and causing that resulting stream of downwardly flowing glass to be passed to a second baffle surface, passing the glass from the second baffle surface upwardly for a distance sufficient to cause any dense solid contaminants therein to settle on said baffle surface and redirecting the glass downwardly to the bushing nozzles and passing the glass through the nozzles to form glass fibers.
A fiber glass forming bushing comprising an electrically heated container having four sides and a bottom, a plurality of tips on the bottom communicating with the interior of the container and through which molten glass may flow, a flange around the sides of the container at the top of the sides, means to attach the bushing to a forehearth opening, an elongated first baffle inclined upwardly from all sides of the bushing toward the center and defining an opening in the central portion of the bushing interior for the admission of molten glass therethrough, a second baffle member below said first baffle and spaced therefrom, said second baffle member having sidewalls sloped upwardly to a point adjacent to but below said first baffle to thereby define a narrow passage between the first baffle and the sides of said second baffle which communicates with the bottom of said container and means to maintain said first and second baffles spaced from each other as molten glass passes over their surfaces, and both baffles being positioned below the bushing flange.
A fiber glass forming bushing comprising an electrically heated container having four sides and a bottom, a plurality of tips on the bottom communicating with the interior of the container and adapted to pass molten glass therethrough, a flange around the sides of the container at the top thereof, means to attach the bushing to a forehearth opening, an elongated U-shaped baffle having the sides inclined upwardly away from the bottom of the bushing defining an opening in the central portion of the bushing interior for the admission of molten glass therethrough, a second baffle member located below said first baffle and spaced therefrom, said second baffle member having sidewalls spaced inwardly from the bushing sides parallel to the floor of said first baffle member and defining a central opening between in the center portion of the baffle member in communication with the bushing bottom, the central opening of the wall of the second baffle member on the floor of the first baffle member forming a narrow opening for the passage of glass from the sides of the bushing towards the center both said baffles being positioned below the bushing flange and means to maintain the baffles spaced from each other as glass contacts their surfaces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.