Apparatus and process for extruding glass fibers

Abstract

Abstract DISCLOSED HEREIN ARE APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR EXTRUDING FIBERS FROM MATERIAL SUCH AS GLASS. THE BASIS FOR ENABLING THE REALIZATION OF HIGH PRODUCTION OF GLASS FIBERS IN A PRACTICAL AND EFFICIENT MANNER ARE SET FORTH, INCLUDING PRESSURES INVOLVED, SIZES AND LENGTHS OF ORIFICES, PROBLEMS OF SEPARATION, AND OTHER PARAMETERS. THE BUSHING CONFIGURATIONS DISCLOSED, SUCH AS TUBULAR, HEMISPHERICAL AND OTHER SHAPES, ENABLE THE BUSHING TO WITHSTAND THE PRESSURES AND TEMPERATURES INVOLVED WITHOUT REQUIRING EXCESSIVELY THICK BUSHINGS, AND ENABLE SEPARATION AND TEMPERATURE UNIFORMITY WITHOUT BUSHING DEFORMATION AND ELONGATION OF ORIFICES. ADDITIONALLY, SPECIFIC FORMS OF BUSHINGS AND FEEDER APPARATUS ARE DISCLOSED, INCLUDING A TUBULAR FORM OF BUSHING TO WHICH SOLID GLASS MAY BE APPLIED. ALONG WITH THE DISCLOSED APPARATS, METHODS AND FIBER GLASS PRODUCTION ARE DISCLOSED WHEREIN ORIFICES SUFFICIENTLY CLOSELY SPACED ARE USED SO THAT GLASS EGRESSING THEREFROM WOULD TEND TO COALESCE WHEN ONLY A NOMINAL PRESSURE HEAD IS USED, BUT THE PRESSURE IS INCREASED TO OVERCOME THE EFFECT OF SURFACE TENSION TO CAUSE SEPARATION OF THE GLASS INTO DISCRETE STREAMS, AND THEN THE PRESSURE MAY BE REDUCED BUT MAINTAINED SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO PREVENT COALESCING WHILE STILL MAINTAINING SEPARATION OF THE STREAMS AT A HIGH FLOW RATE.

Inventors

• 👤 Edward T Strickland
• 👤 Homer C Amos

Bibliographic Details