Production of fibers from thermoplastic material, particularly glass fibers

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING FIBERS FROM THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL COMPRISING A CENTRIFUGE HAVING A PERIPHERAL WALL PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF ROWS OF ORIFICES FOR DISCHARGING THE MATERIAL THERETHROUGH BY CENTRIFUGAL FORCE, A COMBUSTION CHAMBER ADJACENT TO AND SURROUNDING SAID PERIPHERAL WALL AND PROVIDED WITH AN OUTLET OPENING FOR DIRECTING HOT ATTENUATING COMBUSTION GASES ACROSS THE ENTIRE HEIGHT OF SAID PERIPHERAL WALL TO DRAW OUT THE FIBERS ISSUING THEREFROM, AND MEANS FOR SURROUNDING SAID HOT COMBUSTION GASES WITH AN ADDITIONAL ANNULAR CURTAIN OF HEATED GASES OR FLAMES CLOSELY ADJACENT TO SAID FIRST-MENTIONED COMBUSTION GASES TO SHIELD SAID COMBUSTION GASES FROM COOLING BY THE INDUCTION OF EXTERNAL AIR TO MAINTAIN A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM TEMPERATURE ALONG THE ENTIRE HEIGHT OF SAID PERIPHERAL WALL AT THE POINTS OF EXIT OF SAID FIBERS, SAID LASTMENTIONED MEANS COMPRISING AN ANNULAR PLATE WITHIN SAID COMBUSTION CHAMBER ABOVE SAID OUTLET OPENING AND PROVIDED WITH RADIALLY GRADED APERTURES INCREASING IN CROSSSECTION FROM THE INTERIOR TO THE EXTERIOR TO PERMIT THE ADDITIONAL HEATED GASES ON THE EXTERIOR TO ACQUIRE A HIGHER VELOCITY THAN THE HOT COMBUSTION GAS ADJACENT TO SAID PERIPHERAL WALL.