Apparatus for and method of continuously forming a ribbon of glass

Claim 2

IN THE MANUFACTURE OF A RIBBON OF GLASS OF PREDETERMINED WIDTH (SUCH AS 270 CMS.) FROM MOLTEN GLASS FLOWING FROM A SPOUT OF A GLASS MELTING FURNACE IN THE FORM OF A RIBBON, FORMING A POOL OF THE MOLTEN GLASS IMMEDIATELY BELOW THE SPOUT BETWEEN CONFINING MEANS OPENING TO A SHORT DIE SO THAT THE LATTER IS GRAVITY FED FROM THE POOL, THE OUTLET FROM THE DIE HAVING A WIDTH SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE INTENDED THICKNESS OF THE EVENTUAL RIBBON AND A LENGTH WHICH IS GREATER THAT THE WIDTH OF THE EVENTUAL RIBBON, ADJUSTING THE RATE OF FLOW OF MOLTEN GLASS INTO THE POOL SO THAT THE DEPTH OF THE POOL IS SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT, AND IN SUCH THAT THE RIBBON EMERGES FROM THE DIE AS A "LOW VISCOSITY" GLASS, AND VIBRATING SAID POOL CONFINING MEANS AND DIE AT SUCH FREQUENCY AND AMPLITUDE THAT THE MOLTEN GLASS CANNOT FOLLOW THEM.

Claim 3

APPARATUS FOR CONTINUALLY FORMING A RIBBON OF GLASS OF PREDETERMINED AND SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT WIDTH (SUCH AS 270 CMS.) CHARACTERIZED BY THE COMBINATION WITH A SPOUT OF A GLASS MELTING FURNACE, HAVING A GATE FOR REGULAING THE VOLUME OF FLOW THEREFROM, OF TWO DIVERGENT PLATES SPACED APART IMMEDIATELY BELOW THE SPOUT TO CONSTITUTE A VIRTUAL FUNNEL FOR THE GLASS, A SIZING DIE FORMED BY THE BOTTOM CONVERGING ENDS OF THE PLATES, FOR GLASS LEAVING THE FUNNEL, OF A LENGTH WHICH IS SHORT IN RELATION TO THE HEIGHT OF THE FUNNEL, SAID DIE PREDICATING THE EVENTUAL THICKNESS OF THE RIBBON BEING FORMED, VIBRATING MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF THE PLATES, ACTUATING MEANS THEREFOR WHEREBY THE FREQUENCY AND AMPLITUDE OF THE VIBRATIONS IMPARTED TO THE PLATES DURING THE SIZING OF THE RIBBON IS SUCH THAT THE MOLTEN GLASS BETWEEN THE PLATES AND IN THE SIZING DIE CANNOT FOLLOW THE MOVEMENTS IN THE PLATES, THE RATES OF FEEDING GLASS FROM THE SPOUT AND OF DISCHARGE FROM THE DIE BEING SUCH THAT A POOL OF SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT VOLUME IS FORMED IN THE FUNNEL THEREBY AFFORDING A GRAVITY FEED TO THE DIE.

Claim 4

APPARATUS FOR CONTINUALLY FORMING A RIBBON OF GLASS OF PREDETERMINED AND SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT WIDTH (SUCH AS 270 CMS.) CHARACTERIZED BY THE COMBINATION WITH A SPOUT OF A GLASS MELTING FURNACE, HAVING A GATE FOR REGULAING THE VOLUME OF FLOW THEREFROM, OF TWO DIVERGENT PLATES SPACED APART IMMEDIATELY BELOW THE SPOUT TO CONSTITUTE A VIRTUAL FUNNEL FOR THE GLASS, A SIZING DIE FORMED BY THE BOTTOM CONVERGING ENDS OF THE PLATES, FOR GLASS LEAVING THE FUNNEL, OF A LENGTH WHICH IS SHORT IN RELATION TO THE HEIGHT OF THE FUNNEL, SAID DIE PREDICATING THE EVENTUAL THICKNESS OF THE RIBBON BEING FORMED, VIBRATING MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF THE PLATES, ACTUATING MEANS THEREFOR WHEREBY THE FREQUENCY AND AMPLITUDE OF THE VIBRATIONS IMPARTED TO THE PLATES DURING THE SIZING OF THE RIBBON IS SUCH THAT THE MOLTEN GLASS BETWEEN THE PLATES AND IN THE SIZING DIE CANNOT FOLLOW THE MOVEMENTS IN THE PLATES, THE RATES OF FEEDING GLASS FROM THE SPOUT AND OF DISCHARGE FROM THE DIE BEING SUCH THAT A POOL OF SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT VOLUME IS FORMED IN THE FUNNEL THEREBY AFFORDING A GRAVITY FEED TO THE DIE.