Process and apparatus for production of fibers from thermoplastic material, particularly glass fibers

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF PRODUCING FIBERS FROM HEATED VISCOUS THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL, WHICH COMPRISES PROJECTING THE HEATED VISCOUS MATERIAL BY CENTRIFUGAL FORCE FROM THE PERIPHERAL WALL OF A RAPIDLY ROTATING BODY HAVING A PLURALITY OF ROWS OF ORIFICES THEREIN THROUGH WHICH THE VISCOUS MATERIAL ISSUES IN FILAMENTARY FORM, DIRECTING HOT ATTENUATING COMBUSTION GASES TRANSVERSELY TO PLANES OF EMISSION OF THE FIBERS TO ENTRAIN THEREIN THE FIBERS ISSUING FROM THE ROWS OF ORIFICES, AND COMPLETELY SURROUNDING SAID LAST-MENTIONED COMBUSTION GASES WITH A HOT ANNULAR CURTAIN OF GASES HAVING A RELATIVELY LOWER VELOCITY THAN SAID COMBUSTION GASES TO PREVENT AN INDUCTION OF COLD EXTERNAL AIR TO MAINTAIN A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM TEMPERATURE ALONG THE ENTIRE HEIGHT OF SAID PERIPHERAL WALL AT THE POINTS OF EXIT OF SAID FIBERS.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF PRODUCING FIBERS FROM HEATED VISCOUS THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL, WHICH COMPRISES PROJECTING THE HEATED VISCOUS MATERIAL BY CENTRIFUGAL FORCE FROM THE PERIPHERAL WALL OF A RAPIDLY ROTATING BODY HAVING A PLURALITY OF ROWS OF ORIFICES THEREIN THROUGH WHICH THE VISCOUS MATERIAL ISSUES IN FILAMENTARY FORM, DIRECTING HOT ATTENUATING COMBUSTION GASES TRANSVERSELY TO PLANES OF EMISSION OF THE FIBERS TO ENTRAIN THEREIN THE FIBERS ISSUING FROM THE ROWS OF ORIFICES, AND COMPLETELY SURROUNDING SAID LAST-MENTIONED COMBUSTION GASES WITH A HOT ANNULAR CURTAIN OF GASES HAVING A RELATIVELY LOWER VELOCITY THAN SAID COMBUSTION GASES TO PREVENT AN INDUCTION OF COLD EXTERNAL AIR TO MAINTAIN A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM TEMPERATURE ALONG THE ENTIRE HEIGHT OF SAID PERIPHERAL WALL AT THE POINTS OF EXIT OF SAID FIBERS.

Claim 3

AN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING FIBERS FROM THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL COMPRISING A CENTRIFUGE ROTATING ON A VERTICAL AXIS AND HAVING A PERIPHERAL WALL PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF SUPERPOSED ROWS OF ORIFICES FOR DISCHARGING THE MATERIAL THERETHROUGH BY CENTRIFUGAL FORCE, A COMBUSTION CHAMBER ABOVE SAID CENTRIFUGE PROVIDED WITH AN ANNULARITY SHAPED OUTLET OPENING CLOSELY ADJACENT TO THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID PERIPHERAL WALL FOR DISCHARGING HOT ATTENUATING COMBUSTION GASES FROM THE SAID CHAMBER ACROSS SAID PERIPHERAL WALL TO DRAW OUT THE FIBERS ISSUING THEREFROM, AND A SECOND COMBUSTION CHAMBER PROVIDED WITH AN ORIFICE ASSOCIATED WITH SAID OUTLET OPENING TO PRODUCE AN ANNULAR HEATED GASEOUS STREAM OF LOWER VELOCITY THAN SAID COMBUSTION GASES AND CLOSELY SURROUNDING SAID COMBUSTION GASES, SAID SECOND COMBUSTION CHAMBER BEING FORMED IN AN EXTENSION BELOW SAID FIRST COMBUSTION CHAMBER WHICH PRESENTS A PHYSICAL BAFFLE AGAINST THE ENTRY OF COOLING AIR TO THE HOT COMBUSTION GASES ADJACENT TO THE UPPER PORTION OF THE PERIPHERAL WALL, WITH THE ORIFICE OF THE SECOND COMBUSTION CHAMBER BELOW THE LEVEL OF THE OUTLET OPENING FROM THE FIRST COMBUSTION CHAMBER TO DIRECT THE HOT GASES STREAM ISSUING THEREFROM TOWARDS THE HOT COMBUSTION GAS ADJACENT TO THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE PERIPHERAL WALL.

Claim 4

AN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING FIBERS FROM THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL COMPRISING A CENTRIFUGE ROTATING ON A VERTICAL AXIS AND HAVING A PERIPHERAL WALL PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF SUPERPOSED ROWS OF ORIFICES FOR DISCHARGING THE MATERIAL THERETHROUGH BY CENTRIFUGAL FORCE, A COMBUSTION CHAMBER ABOVE SAID CENTRIFUGE PROVIDED WITH AN ANNULARITY SHAPED OUTLET OPENING CLOSELY ADJACENT TO THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID PERIPHERAL WALL FOR DISCHARGING HOT ATTENUATING COMBUSTION GASES FROM THE SAID CHAMBER ACROSS SAID PERIPHERAL WALL TO DRAW OUT THE FIBERS ISSUING THEREFROM, AND A SECOND COMBUSTION CHAMBER PROVIDED WITH AN ORIFICE ASSOCIATED WITH SAID OUTLET OPENING TO PRODUCE AN ANNULAR HEATED GASEOUS STREAM OF LOWER VELOCITY THAN SAID COMBUSTION GASES AND CLOSELY SURROUNDING SAID COMBUSTION GASES, SAID SECOND COMBUSTION CHAMBER BEING FORMED IN AN EXTENSION BELOW SAID FIRST COMBUSTION CHAMBER WHICH PRESENTS A PHYSICAL BAFFLE AGAINST THE ENTRY OF COOLING AIR TO THE HOT COMBUSTION GASES ADJACENT TO THE UPPER PORTION OF THE PERIPHERAL WALL, WITH THE ORIFICE OF THE SECOND COMBUSTION CHAMBER BELOW THE LEVEL OF THE OUTLET OPENING FROM THE FIRST COMBUSTION CHAMBER TO DIRECT THE HOT GASES STREAM ISSUING THEREFROM TOWARDS THE HOT COMBUSTION GAS ADJACENT TO THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE PERIPHERAL WALL.