Production of glass beads

Claim 1

IN THE METHOD FOR PRODUCING GLASS BEADS WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING IRREGULAR SHAPES OF POWDERED GLASS INTO A STREAM OF GASES CONTAINING OXYGEN AND A COMBUSTIBLE COMPOUND, AND MOVING AT A VELOCITY SUFFICIENT THAT THE GLASS IS CARRIED BY THE GASES INTO A COMBUSTION ZONE WHERE THE COMBUSTIBLE COMPOUND IS BURNED, THE GLASS IS FUSED AND ASSUMES A GENERALLY SPHERICAL SHAPE, AND PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION CARRY THE SPHEROIDIZED GLASS INTO A SETTLING ZONE OF GREATER DIAMETER THAN THE COMBUSTION ZONE, DISCHARGING PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION FROM THE SETTLING ZONE, AND REMOVING GLASS BEADS FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE SETTLING ZONE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING INTO THE STREAM OF GASES IRREGULAR SHAPES OF POWDERED GLASS IN INITIMATE ASSOCIATION WITH A REACTION PRODUCT OF AN ALKALI METAL COMPOUND AND A BORON ACID.