Apparatus for manufacturing glass ribbon on a molten metal bath

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING A GLASS RIBBON COMPRISING MEANS FOR FORMING A GLASS RIBBON IN A HIGHLY PLASTIC STATE, A TANK CONTAINING A BATH OF MOLTEN MATERIAL WHICH IS INERT TO AIR, THE GLASS RIBBON BEING FED ONTO THE BATH OF MOLTEN MATERIAL AND ADVANCED THEREON, MEANS FOR CONTROLLING COOLING OF THE RIBBON IN SAID TANK BETWEEN A FIRE POLISHING TEMPERATURE AND A TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE MELTING POINT OF THE MOLTEN MATERIAL, A SECOND TANK ADJACENT THE FIRST TANK, SAID SECOND TANK CONTAINING A BATH OF MOLTEN MATERIAL HAVING A LOWER MELTING POINT THAN THE MATERIAL IN THE FIRST SAID TANK, SAID RIBBON BEING FED FROM THE FIRST TANK ONTO THE BATH OF MOLTEN MATERIAL IN THE SECOND TANK, A SOLID PLATE INERT TO GLASS AT THE OPERATING TEMPERATURES IN SAID TANKS, SAID PLATE BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND TANKS AND HAVING AN UPPER SURFACE ON WHICH THE GLASS RIBBON PASSES, SAID UPPER SURFACE BEING SOMEWHAT ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE BATHS IN THE TANKS, MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE COOLING OF THE RIBBON IN SAID SECOND TANK SUCH THAT THE RIBBON IS REMOVED THEREFROM AT A TEMPERATURE AT WHICH THE RIBBON CAN BE MECHANICALLY ENGAGED WITHOUT BEIENG DAMAGED, AND MECHANICAL MEANS FOR ENGAGING THE RIBBON AT ITS EXIT FROM THE SECONDARY BATH FOR ADVANCING THE RIBBON.