Method and apparatus for gas plating of metal on glass fibers

Claim 2

IN A METHOD OF PRODUCING METAL SHEATHED GLASS FILAMENTS THE STEPS OF CONTINUOUSLY DRAWING MOLTEN GLASS INTO THE FORM OF A PLURALITY OF FILAMENTS, SUBJECTING SAID FILAMENTS WHILE IN THE DRAWING CONDITION AND AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF DECOMPOSITION OF A GASEOUS HEAT DECOMPOSABLE METAL-BEARING COMPOUND, AND CONTINUOUSLY DRAWING THE FILAMENTS THUS HEATED TO SAID TEMPERATURE RANE AND SIMULTANEOUSLY CONTACTING THE SAME WITH A NON-OXIDIZING ATMOSPHERE OF A HEAT DECOMPOSABLE METAL-BEARING COMPOUND TO EFFECT DEPOSITION OF METAL ON SAID GLASS FILAMENTS.

Claim 3

IN COMBINATION, POT MEANS FOR HOLDING A BODY OF MOLTEN GLASS, MEANS TO DRAW GLASS FILAMENTS FROM A BODY OF MOLTEN GLASS IN SAID POT MEANS, MEANS TO HEAT SAID GLASS IN SAID POT MEANS TO RETAIN SAID BODY MOLTEN, GAS PLATING MEANS SUPPORTED BELOW SAID POT MEANS FOR THE METAL PLATING OF FILAMENTS DRAWN FROM SAID POT MEANS, SAID PLATING MEANS COMPRISING AN OUTER DOUBLE WALLED SHELL SURROUNDING AN INNER SPACING OF THE SHELL AND HAVING SPACED PLATES DEFINING THE END LIMITS OF THE SPACING, SAID PLATES AND INNER WALL OF THE SHELL FORMING A PASSAGEWAY THEREBETWEEN FOR SAID FILAMENTS, SAID SHELL HAVING THEREINTO INLET AND OUTLER CONDUITS AND ALSO HAVING IN THE INTERIOR WALL THEREOF APERTURES COMMUNICATING WITH THE SPACING AND WITH THE CONDUITS FOR THE PASSAGE OF PLATING GASES INWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY OF THE SPACING.

Claim 4

IN COMBINATION, POT MEANS FOR HOLDING A BODY OF MOLTEN GLASS, MEANS TO DRAW GLASS FILAMENTS FROM A BODY OF MOLTEN GLASS IN SAID POT MEANS, MEANS TO HEAT SAID GLASS IN SAID POT MEANS TO RETAIN SAID BODY MOLTEN, GAS PLATING MEANS SUPPORTED BELOW SAID POT MEANS FOR THE METAL PLATING OF FILAMENTS DRAWN FROM SAID POT MEANS, SAID PLATING MEANS COMPRISING AN OUTER DOUBLE WALLED SHELL SURROUNDING AN INNER SPACING OF THE SHELL AND HAVING SPACED PLATES DEFINING THE END LIMITS OF THE SPACING, SAID PLATES AND INNER WALL OF THE SHELL FORMING A PASSAGEWAY THEREBETWEEN FOR SAID FILAMENTS, SAID SHELL HAVING THEREINTO INLET AND OUTLER CONDUITS AND ALSO HAVING IN THE INTERIOR WALL THEREOF APERTURES COMMUNICATING WITH THE SPACING AND WITH THE CONDUITS FOR THE PASSAGE OF PLATING GASES INWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY OF THE SPACING.