Manufacture of fiber glass

Abstract

Abstract IN THE ART OF MANUFACTURING GLASS FIBERS AND STRANDS, FIBERS ARE DRAWN FROM BUSHINGS CONTAINING A QUANTITY OF MOLTEN GLASS SUPPLIED FROM AN ELONGATED FOREHEARTH CONNECTED TO A GLASS MELTING TANK. THE FIBERS FROM EACH BUSHING ARE GROUPED INTO A STRAND AND COLLECTED ON A DRIVEN ROTATING MEMBER OF A WINDER. THE DRAWING OR FORMING ROOM IS SEPARATED AND SEALED FROM THE FURNACE HALL BY A WALL AND CEILING AND OPENS INTO THE PROCESSING ROOM OF THE FACTORY. THE ROOF OF THE FORMING ROOM IS DEFINED IN PART BY FOREHEARTH STRUCTURE. AN AIR CURTAIN SEPARATES THE FORMING ROOM FROM THE PROCESSING ROOM, THE AIR BEING DELIVERED FROM A LOCATION IN FRONT OF THE BUSHINGS BETWEEN THE ROOMS AND IN A GENERALLY DOWNWARDLY DIRECTION. AN ADDITIONAL BUT SMALLER QUANTITY OF AIR IS DELIVERED FROM A LOCATION BEHIND THE BUSHINGS, ALSO IN A GENERALLY DOWNWARDLY DIRECTION AND PAST THE MOTOR OF THE WINDER, SO AS TO COOL THE SAME. REDUCED PRESSURE ZONES ARE ESTABLISHED BY VARIABLE SPEED FANS AND DAMPERS BELOW THE FLOOR OF THE FORMING ROOM, ONE BELOW THE WINDER AND ANOTHER AT A LOCATION SPACED LATERALLY THEREFROM SUBSTANTIALLY IN LINE WITH THE AIR CURTAIN. THAT AIR WHICH IS ENTRAINED WITH THE FIBERS AND STRAND AND PASSES THE WINDER IS EXHAUSTED BELOW THE WINDER AND SUBSTANTIALLY IN LINE WITH THE PATH OF THE STRAND; A MAJOR PERCENTAGE OF THE AIR OF THE AIR CURTAIN IS EXHAUSTED AT THE OTHER LOW PRESSURE ZONE IN FRONT OF THE STRAND PATH AND IS RECIRCULATED IN THE AIR SUPPLY SYSTEM. ALL DELIVERED AIR IS DIRECTED GENERALLY DOWNWARDLY; THE FIBERS AND STRAND ENTRAIN AIR BY THEIR MOVEMENT; HOWEVER, NO AIR FROM A SUPPLY IS SPECIFICALLY DIRECTED TO THE STRANDS.

Inventors

• 👤 George B Zurheide

Bibliographic Details