Method and apparatus for producting glass beads

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING GLASS BEADS, COMPRISING A SHELL DEFINING A VERTICALLY DISPOSED CHAMBER THEREIN, MECHANICAL OPERATIVE MEANS FOR DOWNWARDLY CHARGING GROUND CULLET INTO SAID CHAMBER AND BEING MOUNTED ON THE UPPER EXTREMITY OF THE SAID SHELL AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE UPWARDLY DISPOSED END OF SAID CHAMBER, COMBUSTION MEANS FOR DOWNWARDLY DIRECTING FLAME AND HOT COMBUSTION GASES AROUND AND WITHIN THE SAID CULLET AND BEING DISPOSED IN CIRCUMFERENTIAL SPACED RELATION TO THE SAID MECHANICAL OPERATIVE MEANS, A PLURALITY OF DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED PORTS IN THE UPPER EXTREMITY OF THE SAID SHELL UNIFORMLY OUTWARDLY SPACED FROM THE SAID COMBUSTION MEANS AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE SAID CHAMBER AND UNIFORMLY DISPOSED PARALLEL TO AND INWARDLY ADJACENT THE VERTICAL SIDES OF SAID CHAMBER, AND BLOWER MEANS FOR SUPPLYING AIR TO SAID PORTS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID PORTS.

Claim 3

THE METHOD OF PRODUCING GLASS BEADS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF CHARGING GROUND CULLET DOWNWARDLY INTO A HEATED CHAMBER, SURROUNDING THE SAID CHARGED CULLET WITH FLAME AND HOT COMBUSTION GASES AT THE POINT OF CHARGE, RAISING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE SAID CULLET SUFFICIENT TO PRODUCE A PLASTIC CONDITION THEREIN, MAINTAINING THE SAID CULLET IN THE SAID PLASTIC CONDITION THROUGH SUFFICIENT FREE FALL TO PERMIT THE SAID PLASTIC CULLET TO SPHERULIZE, PROVIDING A DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED AIR CURTAIN WITHIN THE SAID CHAMBER AND CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SURROUNDING THE FREE FALL AREA OF THE SAID CULLET IN SAID PLASTIC CONDITION WHICH AIR CURTAIN IS MAINTAINED PARALLEL AND ADJACENT TO THE VERTICAL WALLS OF SAID CHAMBER AND IS OUTWARDLY SPACED FROM THE SAID FLAME AND HOT COMBUSTION GASES, COOLING THE SAID FREE FALLING CULLET FROM THE PLASTIC CONDITION TO A SOLID CONDITION IN THE SAID SPHERULIZED FORM.

Claim 4

THE METHOD OF PRODUCING GLASS BEADS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF CHARGING GROUND CULLET DOWNWARDLY INTO A HEATED CHAMBER, SURROUNDING THE SAID CHARGED CULLET WITH FLAME AND HOT COMBUSTION GASES AT THE POINT OF CHARGE, RAISING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE SAID CULLET SUFFICIENT TO PRODUCE A PLASTIC CONDITION THEREIN, MAINTAINING THE SAID CULLET IN THE SAID PLASTIC CONDITION THROUGH SUFFICIENT FREE FALL TO PERMIT THE SAID PLASTIC CULLET TO SPHERULIZE, PROVIDING A DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED AIR CURTAIN WITHIN THE SAID CHAMBER AND CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SURROUNDING THE FREE FALL AREA OF THE SAID CULLET IN SAID PLASTIC CONDITION WHICH AIR CURTAIN IS MAINTAINED PARALLEL AND ADJACENT TO THE VERTICAL WALLS OF SAID CHAMBER AND IS OUTWARDLY SPACED FROM THE SAID FLAME AND HOT COMBUSTION GASES, COOLING THE SAID FREE FALLING CULLET FROM THE PLASTIC CONDITION TO A SOLID CONDITION IN THE SAID SPHERULIZED FORM.