Device for the protection of floats in glass making

Claim 1

IN A GLASS WORKING APPARATUS, A FURNACE TANK CONTAINING A FLOWING STREAM OF MOLTEN GLASS, A BARRIER MEMBER FOR SUCH STREAM SUPPORTED IN FLOATING CONDITION BY SUCH MOLTEN GLASS AND ISPOSED THERIN IN TRANSVERSE RELATION TO THE DIRECTON OF FLOW OF SUCH MOLTEN GLASS STREAM AND WITH THE UPPER END THEREOF EXTENDING ABOVE THE SURFACE OF THE MOLTEN GLASS, SAID BARRIER MEMBER BEING COMPOSED OF REFRACTORY MATERIAL SUBJECT TO THE CORROSIVE ACTION OF THE MOLTEN GLASS AND OF THE ATMOSPHERE IN THE FURNACE AND HAVING A DENSITY OLESS THAN THAT OF THE MOLTEN GLASS SO THAT SAID BARRIER MEMBER IS A SELF-FLOATING UNIT CAPABLE OF FLOATING UPRIGHT IN THE MOLTEN GLASS WITH ITS UPPER END PORTION PROJECTING ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE MOLTEN GLASS, AND MEANS FOR PROTECTING THE REFRACTORY MATERIAL IN THE UPPER PART OF SAID SELF-FLOATING MEMBER AGAINST ATTACK BY THE MOLTEN GLASS AND FURNACE ATMOSPHERE, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A PASSAGEWAY FOR A COOLING FLUID EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THROUGH THE UPPER END PORTION OF THE BARRIER MEMBER PROJECTING ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE MOLTEN GLASS TO ENABLE THE COOLING FLUID TO COOL THE UPPER PART OF THE BARRIER MEMBER ABOVE A LINE SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THE LEVEL OF THE MOLTEN GLASS, AND MEANS FOR PROVIDING IN SAID PASSAGEWAY A COOLING FLUID CAPABLE OF COOLING SUCH UPPER PART OF SAID SELF-FLOATING BARRIER MEMBER TO PROTECT THE UPPER END PORTION OF SUCH MEMBER PROJECTING ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE MOLTEN GLASS AGAINST THE FURNACE ATMOSPHERE, TO PROTECT THE PORTION OF SUCH UPPER PART THEREOF SUBMERGED IN THE MOLTEN GLASS AGAINST SUCH MOLTEN GLASS, AND TO PROTECT SUCH BARRIER MEMBER AT THE LEVEL OF THE MOLTEN GLASS AGAINST THE ACTION OF THE MOLTEN GLASS STREAM THEREON.