Method and apparatus for melting and feeding heat-softenable materials

Claim 1

APPARATUS OF THE CHARACTER DISCLOSED, IN COMBINATION, A MELTING CHAMBER ARRANGED TO RECEIVE PIECES OF HEAT-SOFTENABLE MINERAL MATERIAL, MEANS DISPOSED ADJACENT THE MELTING CHAMBER CONTAINING A BULK SUPPLY OF PIECES OF THE MATERIAL WHEREBY THE SUPPLY IS SUPPORTED BY MATERIAL IN THE MELTING CHAMBER, MEANS FOR APPLYING HEAT TO THE PIECES OF MATERIAL IN THE MELTING CHAMBER TO REDUCE THE MATERIAL TO A MOLTEN CONDITION, A FEEDER CHAMBER DISPOSED BENEATH THE MELTING CHAMBER, SAID MELTING CHAMBER BEING FORMED WITH A WALLED RESTRICTED PASSAGE THROUGH WHICH MOLTEN MATERIAL FLOWS FROM THE FEEDER, ORIFICE MEANS IN A BOTTOM WALL OF THE FEEDER THROUGH WHICH THE MOLTEN MATERIAL IS DISCHARGED IN A PLURALITY OF STREAMS, A PAIR OF SPACED UNHEATED PLATES EXTENDING FROM A REGION ADJACENT THE RESTRICTED PASSAGE INTO THE FEEDER CHAMBER TO A ZONE APPROXIMATELY AT THE LEVEL OF MATERIAL IN THE FEEDER CHAMBER, SAID PLATES PROVIDING MEANS FOR GUIDING THE MOLTEN MATERIAL FROM THE PASSAGE IN THE FORM OF CONTINUOUS THIN FILMS INTO THE FEEDER CHAMBER, TRANSVERSELY DISPOSED REINFORCING MEMBERS SPACED LENGTHWISE OF THE PLATES AND JOINED TO SAID PLATES, A CIRCUIT FOR SUPPLYING ELECTRIC CURRENT TO THE MELTING CHAMBER PROVIDING HEAT FOR MELTING THE PIECES OF MATERIAL, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO VARIATIONS IN THE AMOUNT OF MATERIAL IN THE FEEDER CHAMBER FOR VARYING THE CURRENT FLOW TO THE MELTING CHAMBER TO CONTROL THE RATE OF MELTING OF THE PIECES OF MATERIAL TO MAINTAIN A LEVEL OF MOLTEN MATERIAL IN THE FEEDER CHAMBER SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THE RESTRICTED PASSAGE.