Method and apparatus for forming fibers

Claim 1

APPARATUS OF THE CHARACTER DISCLOSED, IN COMBINATION, A SHAFT MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL AXIS AND OF RELATIVELY SMALL DIAMETER FORMED WITH A CONICALLY-SHAPED PORTION, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID SHAFT A RELATIVELY HIGH SPEED, MEANS FOR DELIVERING MOLTEN FIBER-FORMING MATERIAL ONTO THE CONICALLY-SHAPED PORTION OF THE SHAFT AT A REGION OF REDUCED DIAMETER WHEREBY THE MATERIAL IS CONVEYED LENGTHWISE ALONG THE CONICALLYSHAPED SURFACE TOWARD ONE END OF SAID SHAFT TO A DISCHARGE ZONE AND DELIVERED OUTWARDLY FROM THE SURFACE BY CENTRIFUGAL FORCES OF ROTATION, MEANS FOR DIRECTING HEAT ONTO THE CONICALLY-SHAPED PORTION OF THE SHAFT, MEANS FORMED ON THE SHAFT AT THE DISCHARGE ZONE ADAPTED TO SUBDIVIDE THE MATERIAL INTO STREAMS, AND MEANS SURROUNDING THE SHAFT FOR PROJECTING A GASEOUS ATTENUATING BLAST INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OUTWARDLY MOVING MATERIAL OF THE STREAMS TO FORM THE MATERIAL INTO FIBERS.

Claim 3

A METHOD OF FORMING FIBERS FROM HEAT-SOFTENABLE MINERAL MATERIAL INCLUDING ESTABLISHING A SUPPLY OF MOLTEN MINERAL MATERIAL, DELIVERING A STREAM OF THE MOLTEN MATERIAL ONTO A SMALL DIAMETER REGION OF A CONE-SHAPED SURFACE, ROTATING THE SURFACE ABOUT A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL AXIS TO CAUSE A THIN FILM OF THE MOLTEN MATERIAL TO FLOW ALONG THE SURFACE, INDUCTIVELY HEATING BY ELECTRIC ENERGY THE SURFACE AND FILM OF MATERIAL THEREON, PROJECTING THE MATERIAL AWAY FROM THE CONE-SHAPED SURFACE BY CENTRIFUGAL FORCES, AND ENGAGING THE PROJECTED MATERIAL BY A HIGH VELOCITY ANNULAR GASEOUS BLAST TO ATTENUATE THE PROJECT MATERIAL TO FIBERS.

Claim 4

A METHOD OF FORMING FIBERS FROM HEAT-SOFTENABLE MINERAL MATERIAL INCLUDING ESTABLISHING A SUPPLY OF MOLTEN MINERAL MATERIAL, DELIVERING A STREAM OF THE MOLTEN MATERIAL ONTO A SMALL DIAMETER REGION OF A CONE-SHAPED SURFACE, ROTATING THE SURFACE ABOUT A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL AXIS TO CAUSE A THIN FILM OF THE MOLTEN MATERIAL TO FLOW ALONG THE SURFACE, INDUCTIVELY HEATING BY ELECTRIC ENERGY THE SURFACE AND FILM OF MATERIAL THEREON, PROJECTING THE MATERIAL AWAY FROM THE CONE-SHAPED SURFACE BY CENTRIFUGAL FORCES, AND ENGAGING THE PROJECTED MATERIAL BY A HIGH VELOCITY ANNULAR GASEOUS BLAST TO ATTENUATE THE PROJECT MATERIAL TO FIBERS.