Production of fiber glass strand

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PRODUCING CONTINUOUS GLASS FIBER STRAND WHICH COMPRISES, (A) WITHDRAWING GLASS FIBERS FROM A POOL OF MOLTEN GLASS, (B) MOVING SAID GLASS FIBERS OVER AND IN CONTACT WITH THE CURVED SURFACE OF A ROTATING CYLINDRICAL MEMBER CONNECTED TO THE DRIVE SHAFT OF A CONSTANT-SPEED MOTOR, SAID ROTATING MEMBER BEING AT A FIRST LOCATION SPACED FROM THE LOCATION OF SAID FIBER WITHDRAWAL, (C) OPERATING SAID CONSTANT-SPEED MOTOR TO APPLY A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT WITHDRAWAL FORCE ON SAID FIBERS TO WITHDRAW THE FIBERS AT A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT LINEAR RATE OF SPEED, (D) THEREAFTER AT A SECOND LOCATION SPACED FROM THE FIRST LOCATION AND THE LOCATION OF FIBER WITHDRAWAL, LAYING SAID FIBERS IN A PLURALITY OF LAYERS ON A ROTATING TUBULAR SURFACE CONNECTED TO THE DRIVE SHAFT OF A CONSTANT TORQUE ELECTRIC MOTOR, THEREBY PROGRESSIVELY INCREASING THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE AXIS OF SAID ROTATING TUBULAR SURFACE AND THE OUTERMOST LAYER OF FIBERS LAID THEREON, (E) OPERATING SAID CONSTANT-TORQUE MOTOR TO APPLY A SECOND FORCE ON SAID FIBERS OF LESS MAGNITUDE THAN SAID WITHDRAWAL FORCE TO EXERT A TENSION IN THE FIBERS THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH THEREOF BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND LOCATIONS, SAID TENSION BEING POSITIVE AND LESS THAN THAT EXERTED BY SAID WITHDRAWAL FORCE BETWEEN THE POOL OF MOLTEN GLASS AND THE SAID FIRST LOCATION, (F) DRIVING SAID CONSTANT-TORQUE MOTOR AT A CONSTANT INPUT VOLTAGE TO DECREASE SAID SECOND FORCE PROGRESSIVELY IN DIRECT PROPORTION TO THE INCREASE IN DISTANCE BETWEEN THE AXIS OF SAID ROTATING TUBULAR SURFACE AND THE OUTERMOST LAYER OF FIBERS, WHEREBY THE PRODUCT OF SAID SECOND FORCE AND SAID DISTANCE IS MAINTAINED SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT AS SAID SECOND FORCE AND SAID DISTANCE VARY.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF PRODUCING CONTINUOUS GLASS FIBER STRAND WHICH COMPRISES, (A) WITHDRAWING GLASS FIBERS FROM A POOL OF MOLTEN GLASS, (B) MOVING SAID GLASS FIBERS OVER AND IN CONTACT WITH THE CURVED SURFACE OF A ROTATING CYLINDRICAL MEMBER CONNECTED TO THE DRIVE SHAFT OF A CONSTANT-SPEED MOTOR, SAID ROTATING MEMBER BEING AT A FIRST LOCATION SPACED FROM THE LOCATION OF SAID FIBER WITHDRAWAL, (C) OPERATING SAID CONSTANT-SPEED MOTOR TO APPLY A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT WITHDRAWAL FORCE ON SAID FIBERS TO WITHDRAW THE FIBERS AT A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT LINEAR RATE OF SPEED, (D) THEREAFTER AT A SECOND LOCATION SPACED FROM THE FIRST LOCATION AND THE LOCATION OF FIBER WITHDRAWAL, LAYING SAID FIBERS IN A PLURALITY OF LAYERS ON A ROTATING TUBULAR SURFACE CONNECTED TO THE DRIVE SHAFT OF A CONSTANT TORQUE ELECTRIC MOTOR, THEREBY PROGRESSIVELY INCREASING THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE AXIS OF SAID ROTATING TUBULAR SURFACE AND THE OUTERMOST LAYER OF FIBERS LAID THEREON, (E) OPERATING SAID CONSTANT-TORQUE MOTOR TO APPLY A SECOND FORCE ON SAID FIBERS OF LESS MAGNITUDE THAN SAID WITHDRAWAL FORCE TO EXERT A TENSION IN THE FIBERS THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH THEREOF BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND LOCATIONS, SAID TENSION BEING POSITIVE AND LESS THAN THAT EXERTED BY SAID WITHDRAWAL FORCE BETWEEN THE POOL OF MOLTEN GLASS AND THE SAID FIRST LOCATION, (F) DRIVING SAID CONSTANT-TORQUE MOTOR AT A CONSTANT INPUT VOLTAGE TO DECREASE SAID SECOND FORCE PROGRESSIVELY IN DIRECT PROPORTION TO THE INCREASE IN DISTANCE BETWEEN THE AXIS OF SAID ROTATING TUBULAR SURFACE AND THE OUTERMOST LAYER OF FIBERS, WHEREBY THE PRODUCT OF SAID SECOND FORCE AND SAID DISTANCE IS MAINTAINED SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT AS SAID SECOND FORCE AND SAID DISTANCE VARY.