Apparatus for producing fibers from thermoplastic material

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING GLASS FIBERS FROM THERMOPLASIC VITREOUS MATERIAL, THE COMBINATION OF A CENTRIFUGAL BOBY HAVING A PERIPHERAL WALL PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF SUPERPOSED ROWS OF ORIFICES THEREIN AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AT ITS INTERIOR PORTION A SUPPLY OF THE THEROPLASTIC MATERIAL IN THE VISCOUS STATE, SAID BODY BEING ROTATABLE AT A SPEED SUFFICIENT TO PROJECT THE VISCOUS MATERIAL OUTWARDLY AND UNIFORMLY THROUGH SAID ORIFICES , A COMBUSTION CHAMBER LOCATED ADJACENT SAID BODY AND PROVIDED WITH A DISCHARGE OPENING HAVING WALLS SHAPED TO DIRECT THE DISCHARGE OF GASES FROM SAID CHAMBER AT HIGH TEMPERATURE AND HIGH VELOCITY IN A RING-LIKE BLAST ACROSS SAID ROWS OF ORIFICES CLOSE TO AND IN LIGHT CONTACT WITH THE PERPHERAL WALL OF SAID BODY, SAID GASES TRAVELLING AT AN ANGLE TO THE PLANE OF ROTATION OF SAID BODY WHEREBY SAID STREAMLETS OF VISCOUS MATERIAL ISSUING FROM THE ORIFICES OF THE ROTATING BODY ARE TRUNED, ENTRAINED AND DRAWN OUT INTO AN ANNULAR CURTAIN OF FINE FIBERS BY SAID GASES, AND BLOWING MEANS HAVING RADICALLY DISPOSED OPENINGS THEREIN POSITIONED BELOW SAID CENTRIFUGAL BODY, FOR DIRECTING OUTWARDLY A GASOUS MEDIUM AT SUFFICIENT VELOCITY TO ACT UPON SAID FIBERS SUBSEQUENT TO THEIR FORMATION AND INITIAL ATTENUATION, TO DIVERT SAID ANNULAR CURTAIN OF FIBERS FROM BELOW THE CENTER OF SAID CENTRIFUGAL BODY.