Side-discharge melter for use in the manufacture of fiberglass
AssigneeGuardian Fiberglass, Inc.
InventorVaughn Charles Chenoweth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electric open-top melter for use in the manufacture of mineral fibers, such as fiberglass, is provided with a side-discharge outlet. The side-discharge outlet allows the melter, conditioner/refiner, and forehearth to all be located on substantially the same level, thereby allowing molten glass to flow from the side of the melter, through the conditioning zone, and into the forehearth from which spinners produce glass fibers or the like. Isolation members are provided in the conditioning or refining area so as to enable molten glass therein to be isolated from the melter and forehearth when the molten glass level is lowered below the tops the isolation members.
Claims12
An open top electric melter system for use in the forming of glass fibers, the open top electric melter system comprising:
- a melter for holding and melting glass material therein, said melter including a water cooled shell and a walled structure having a side wall joined at its base to a substantially circular bottom wall thereby to define a substantially cylindrical electric melter, the walled structure having an open top so that atmosphere above the glass material is not heated other than by way of heat emitted from heated glass in said melter;
- electrical heating means for heating and melting the glass material in said melter so that a substantial portion of the glass material in the melter is in molten form and a top surface of the glass material in the melter is substantially unmelted and is in quasi-solid or solid form;
- said electrical heating means being located in said melter so as to be spaced from said side wall and so as to create the highest temperature in said molten glass in a selected location within said melter above and proximal the center of said substantially circular bottom wall and a lower temperature near said side wall;
- a side-discharge outlet located in said side wall of said melter, said outlet permitting molten glass from within the melter to flow out of the melter and into a conditioning area;
- wherein said side-discharge outlet includes an elongated tube comprised of a substantially corrosion resistant metal, and having an entrance end and an exit end thereby to define a molten glass flow communication path between an interior of the melter and the conditioning area and wherein said entrance end of said tube is so located as to be spaced from said selected location and proximal the said lower temperature near said side wall, whereby said side wall and said tube are structured and so located so as to corrode at substantially the same rate;
- and
- wherein said metal of said tube has a rate of corrosion which increases with temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.