Glass feeder tube-stirrer assembly
AssigneeOwens-Illinois Television Products Inc.
InventorWilliam F. Rehring
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The refractory tube controlling the flow of glass from a glass feeder bowl is combined with a rotary stirring device used to control surface cord into one unit, herein called a "Tubex"; thereby eliminating one of the two rotary drive mechanisms and also eliminating alignment and relative rotary speed problems. The stirrers are diamond-shaped platinum-rhodium alloy blades connected to the refractory element, preferably as three, equally-spaced stirrers at a common radius on the rotated Tubex element. A novel rotary support mounting and drive for said element is provided. The Tubex is used in TV panel glass manufacturing.
Claims17
A tube stirrer element for use in a molten glass feeder comprising a hollow unit casting of ceramic material having
- a lower hollow circular tubular segment for immersion in molten glass and rotatable therein about its longitudinal center axis,
- a coaxial hollow upper segment having a radially larger outer surface than an outer surface of said lower segment,
- said upper and lower segments defining an axial passageway,
- said casting having a shoulder region between said lower segment and upper segment,
- a recess formed in the outer surface of said upper segment above said shoulder region, and
- a stirrer assembly comprising an elongated blade and means fastened to one end of the blade and supported in said recess of the casting for supporting the blade in an axially suspended position extending from below said shoulder region substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said lower segment and spaced radially from the outer surface of said lower segment.
In combination with a molten glass feeder bowl having an outlet orifice for discharging glass,
- a tube stirrer comprising a unitary ceramic casting having a lower hollow cylindrical tube portion and an upper hollow portion, said upper portion having an outside surface extending radially outwardly from an outside surface of said lower portion,
- elongated stirrer means connected to the outside surface of said upper portion and disposed vertically alongside and spaced from the outside surface of said lower tube portion,
- a collar portion formed on the outside surface of said upper portion an upper end of said upper portion, said collar portion including a radially outwardly projecting annular lip,
- a supporting means for supporting said casting in a vertical operating position in said feeder bowl, said supporting means including a stationary annular member encircling said collar portion of said casting, an inner ring member including a radially inwardly projecting ledge, said lip of the ceramic casting being supported by said ledge, said inner ring member being supported for rotation on said stationary annular member,
- driven means attached to the inner ring member, and
- power drive means engaging said driven means for rotating said inner ring member and said ceramic casting supported thereby.
A tubex implement for rotation about its longitudinal axis in a vertical position in a molten glass feeder bowl, said tubex implement comprising
- an enlarged cylindrical portion having an upper axial end with a radially projecting lip,
- a plurality of stirrer assemblies including axially extending elongated blades attached to the enlarged cylindrical portion and depending downwardly therefrom,
- a hollow cylindrical lower portion that is coaxial and integral with the enlarged cylindrical portion and having an external surface of lesser diameter than the enlarged cylindrical portion, the external surface of said lower portion being radially spaced from said stirrer blades.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.