Rotary fiber forming method and apparatus

Apparatus for centrifugal production of fibers comprising a rotatably mounted spinner adapted with an orificed peripheral wall through which streams of molten material are centrifuged, an annular blower surrounding said spinner for attenuating said streams into fibers, said blower adapted with openings directed generally parallel to the axis of rotation of said spinner, but having a component in the tangential direction with respect to said peripheral wall, the component being oppsite the direction of rotation of said spinner, and the openings being at an angle to said axis within the range of from about 2 degrees to about 45 degrees, and one or more turbulence generating members positioned beneath said spinner and mounted for rotation therewith to increase the turbulence in a locus radially outward from and beneath said spinner, said turbulence generating members being concave in the direction of rotation of said spinner.

A method for centrifugal production of fibers comprising rotating a spinner adapted with an orificed peripheral wall to centrifuge streams of molten material, and directing the centrifuged material as fibers generally parallel to the axis of rotation of said spinner and increasing the turbulence in a locus radially outward from and beneath said spinner by rotating one or more turbulence generating members beneath said spinner, said turbulance generatng members being concave in the direction of rotation of said spinner.

A method for centrifugal production of fibers comprising rotating a spinner adapted with an orificed peripheral wall to centrifuge streams of molten material, and attenuating said streams into fibers with an annular blower surrounding said spinner by directing gas flows from openings in said blower, said gas flows being directed generally parallel to the axis of rotation of said spinner, but having a component in the tangential direction with respect to said peripheral wall, the component being opposite the direction of rotation of said spinner, and the gas flows being at an angle to said axis within the range of from about 2 degrees to about 45 degrees, and increasing the turbulence in a locus radially outward from and beneath said spinner by rotating one or more turbulence generating members beneath said spinner, said turbulence generating members being concave in the direction of rotation of said spinner.