Method and apparatus for simultaneously attenuating and severing glass fibers

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR ATTENUATING AND PROCESSING CONTINUOUS FIBERS INCLUDING, IN COMBINATION, MEANS FOR FEEDING STREAMS OF FLOWABLE FIBER-FORMING MINERAL MATERIAL; MEANS FOR ATTENUATING THE STREAMS TO COMPARATIVELY FINE FIBERS INCLUDING A PAIR OF RELATIVELY MOVABLE SURFACES AT LEAST ONE OF WHICH IS RESILIENTLY DEFORMABLE; SAID SURFACES BEING ENGAGED WHEREBY ADJACENT CONTACTING PORTIONS THEREOF ARE DEFORMED TO PRESENT SUBSTANTIAL AREA OF CONTACT; MEANS FOR GATHERING THE FIBERS INTO LINEAR GROUP FORMATION AND DIRECTING THE GROUP BETWEEN THE SURFACES IN THE AREA OF CONTACT, MEANS FOR MOVING THE SURFACES TO ATTENUATE THE STREAMS INTO FIBERS; MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID SURFACES ENGAGEABLE WITH THE GROUP OF FIBERS WHILE IN SAID AREA OF CONTACT FOR REDUCING THE LINEAR GROUP TO PREDETERMINED LENGTHS, SAID FIBER REDUCING OPERATION BEING EFFECTIVE IN A ZONE OF SAID AREA OF CONTACT SO THAT THE CONTINUOUS LINEAR GROUP IS CONSTANTLY IN FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SURFACES WHEREBY CONTINUOUS FIBER ATTENUATION IS OBTAINED UNAFFECTED BY THE FIBER REDUCING OPERATION.