Melting of glass batch

Claim 1

A PROCESS OF PRODUCING MOLTEN GLASS FROM PARTICULATE GLASS-MAKING MATERIAL WHICH COMPRISES DELIVERING ALL THE PARTICULATE MATERIAL IN GASEOUS SUSPENSION TANGENTIALLY INTO A MELTING ZONE DEFINED BY AN OUTWARDLYEXTENDING EXTERIOR ANNULAR POCKET INCLUDING AN OUTER CYLINDRICAL WALL AND A FLOOR ADJOINING THE SAID WALL AND HAVING AN ANNULAR INNER EDGE SUBSTANTIALLY LEVEL WITH A LOWER PORTION OF SAID OUTER WALL, IN THE CYLINDRICAL UPPER PART OF A FURNACE CHAMBER, SAID POCKET OPENING TOWARD THE AXIS OF THE CHAMBER, DIRECTING THE DELIVERY OF GASES AND PARTICULATE MATERIAL TANGENTIALLY INTO AN UPPER PART OF THE POCKET AND IN THE VICINITY OF THE INNER FACE OF THE SAID CYLINDRICAL WALL AT A LOW ANGLE OF INCLINATION TO THE FLOOR OF THE POCKET, AND MAINTAINING THE PARTICULATE MATERIAL WITHIN SAID POCKET AND CIRCULATING IT IN A HELICAL PATH THEREIN AT A TEMPERATURE OF AT LEAST 1500* C. FOR A SUFFICIENT RESIDENCE PERIOD TO UNIFORMLY MELT ALL THE PARTICULATE MATERIAL WHILE IN SAID POCKET, REGULATING THE RATE OF DELIVERY OF THE PARTICULATE MATERIAL SO AS TO MAINTAIN A FLOW IN THIN LAYER FORM OF MOLTEN GLASS FROM THE POCKET DOWN THE WALL OF THE CHAMBER, AND DISCHARGING THE MOLTEN GLASS AT THE LOWER END OF THE CHAMBER.