Method and apparatus for producing and collecting fibers

Claim 5

The method according to claim 2 wherein the stream of heat-softened material offset from the axis of the spinner engages the floor region of the spinner rotating in a direction generally opposed to the direction of flow of the stream of the material.

Claim 10

The method according to claim 5 wherein the jets of gas are jets of compressed air.

Claim 15

Apparatus for forming fibers of heat-softened fiber-forming material including, in combination, support means, a hollow spinner having an imperforate floor portion and an orificed peripheral wall mounted by the support means, the axis of the spinner being disposed at an acute angle with respect to a horizontal plane, means for delivering a stream of the heat-softened material into the spinner, the acute angle of the spinner axis being such that the heat-softened material engages the imperforate floor portion of the spinner, means for rotating the spinner to project primary filaments of the material from the orifices in the spinner wall, means attenuating the primary filaments to fibers whereby the attenuated fibers move downwardly in column formation and generally parallel with the axis of the spinner, a moving fiber-collecting conveyor, and nozzle means disposed beneath the column of fibers, said nozzle means delivering streams of gas into engagement with the fibers for entraining and conveying the fibers downstream of the moving conveyor for collection on the moving conveyor, said nozzle means being adjustable for varying the distribution of the fibers transversely of the moving conveyor.

Claim 16

Apparatus for forming fibers of heat-softened fiber-forming material including, in combination, support means, a hollow spinner having an imperforate floor portion and an orificed peripheral wall mounted by the support means, the axis of the spinner being disposed at an acute angle with respect to a horizontal plane, means for delivering a stream of the heat-softened material into the spinner, the acute angle of the spinner axis being such that the heat-softened material engages the imperforate floor portion of the spinner, means for rotating the spinner to project primary filaments of the material from the orifices in the spinner wall, means attenuating the primary filaments to fibers whereby the attenuated fibers move downwardly in column formation and generally parallel with the axis of the spinner, a moving fiber-collecting conveyor, and nozzle means disposed beneath the column of fibers, said nozzle means delivering streams of gas into engagement with the fibers for entraining and conveying the fibers downstream of the moving conveyor for collection on the moving conveyor, said nozzle means being adjustable for varying the distribution of the fibers transversely of the moving conveyor.

Claim 17

The combination according to claim 9 wherein the gas delivered from the nozzle means is compressed air.

Claim 18

Apparatus for forming and collecting fibers of heat-softened glass including, in combination, support means, a hollow spinner having an orificed peripheral wall region and an imperforate floor portion mounted on tHe support means for rotation about an axis at an acute angle with respect to a horizontal plane, means for delivering a stream of heat-softened glass into the spinner onto the imperforate floor portion of the spinner, means for rotating the spinner to project primary filaments of the glass from the orifices in the spinner wall region, means delivering an annular gas stream into engagement with the primary filaments attenuating the filaments to fibers and conveying the fibers away from the spinner in directions generally parallel with the axis of the spinner, a moving conveyor means for collecting the fibers, and nozzle means disposed beneath the spinner projecting air streams into engagement with the moving fibers entraining and conveying the fibers lengthwise and downstream of the conveyor means and distributing the fibers laterally of the conveyor means.

Claim 19

Apparatus for forming and collecting fibers of heat-softened glass including, in combination, support means, a hollow spinner having an orificed peripheral wall region and an imperforate floor portion mounted on tHe support means for rotation about an axis at an acute angle with respect to a horizontal plane, means for delivering a stream of heat-softened glass into the spinner onto the imperforate floor portion of the spinner, means for rotating the spinner to project primary filaments of the glass from the orifices in the spinner wall region, means delivering an annular gas stream into engagement with the primary filaments attenuating the filaments to fibers and conveying the fibers away from the spinner in directions generally parallel with the axis of the spinner, a moving conveyor means for collecting the fibers, and nozzle means disposed beneath the spinner projecting air streams into engagement with the moving fibers entraining and conveying the fibers lengthwise and downstream of the conveyor means and distributing the fibers laterally of the conveyor means.

Claim 20

Apparatus for forming and collecting fibers of heat-softened glass including, in combination, support means, a plurality of fiber-forming intrumentalities mounted by the support means, each instrumentality including a rotatable spinner having an orificed peripheral wall region and an imperforate floor portion, each of the spinners being rotatable about an axis disposed at an acute angle with respect to a horizontal plane, means for rotating the spinners, means for deivering a stream of heat-softened glass onto the imperforate floor portion of each of the rotating spinners, projecting primary filaments of the glass through orifices at the orificed wall region of each of the spinners under the influence of centrifugal forces of rotation of the spinners, means attenuating the primary filaments from each spinner to fibers whereby the attenuated fibers in column formation from each spinner move downwardly and generally parallel with the axes of the respective spinners, a moving foraminous fiber-collecting conveyor, nozzle means projecting jets of compressed air substantially horizontally and beneath the angularly moving columns of fibers in directions downstream of the columns of the fibers whereby the jets of compressed air engage the fibers of the columns to deflect the fibers in directions generally parallel with and downstream of the moving fiber-collecting surface, said nozzle means being arranged whereby the jets of compressed air distribute the fibers lengthwise and transversely of the moving conveyor on which the fibers are collected.

Claim 21

Apparatus for forming and collecting fibers of heat-softened glass including, in combination, support means, a plurality of fiber-forming intrumentalities mounted by the support means, each instrumentality including a rotatable spinner having an orificed peripheral wall region and an imperforate floor portion, each of the spinners being rotatable about an axis disposed at an acute angle with respect to a horizontal plane, means for rotating the spinners, means for deivering a stream of heat-softened glass onto the imperforate floor portion of each of the rotating spinners, projecting primary filaments of the glass through orifices at the orificed wall region of each of the spinners under the influence of centrifugal forces of rotation of the spinners, means attenuating the primary filaments from each spinner to fibers whereby the attenuated fibers in column formation from each spinner move downwardly and generally parallel with the axes of the respective spinners, a moving foraminous fiber-collecting conveyor, nozzle means projecting jets of compressed air substantially horizontally and beneath the angularly moving columns of fibers in directions downstream of the columns of the fibers whereby the jets of compressed air engage the fibers of the columns to deflect the fibers in directions generally parallel with and downstream of the moving fiber-collecting surface, said nozzle means being arranged whereby the jets of compressed air distribute the fibers lengthwise and transversely of the moving conveyor on which the fibers are collected.

Claim 22

The combination according to claim 12 wherein the axis of each of the spinners is disposed at an acute angle of about 45* with respect to a horizontal plane.

Claim 23

Apparatus for forming and collecting fibers of heat-softened glass including, in combination, support means, a plurality of fiber-forming instrumentalities mounted by the support means, each instrumentality including a rotatable spinner having an orificed peripheral wall region and an imperforate floor portion, each of the spinners being rotatable about an axis disposed at an acute angle with respect to a horizontal plane, means for rotating the spinners, means for delivering a stream of heat-softened glass onto the imperforate floor portion of each of the rotating spinners, projecting primary filaments of the glass through orifices at the orificed wall region of each of the spinners under the influence of centrifugal forces of rotation of the spinners, means attenuating the primary filaments from each spinner to fibers whereby the attenuated fibers in column formation from each spinner move downwardly and generally parallel with the axes of the respective spinners, a moving foraminous fiber-collecting conveyor, nozzle means projecting jets of compressed air substantially horizontally and beneath the angularly moving columns of fibers in directions downstream of the columns of the fibers whereby the jets of compressed air engage the fibers of the columns to deflect the fibers in directions generally parallel with and downstream of the moving fiber-collecting surface, said nozzle means being arranged whEreby the jets of compressed air distribute the fibers lengthwise and transversely of the moving conveyor on which the fibers are collected, a receptacle disposed beneath and extending lengthwise of the foraminous conveyor, transverse partitions disposed in the receptacle providing a plurality of individual chambers, suction blower means, tubular means establishing communication of the suction blower means with each of the chambers providing reduced pressure in each of the chambers effective to collect the fibers on the conveyor, and valve means associated with the tubular means for individually regulating the amplitude of reduced pressure in each chamber.

Claim 24

Apparatus for forming and collecting fibers of heat-softened glass including, in combination, support means, a plurality of fiber-forming instrumentalities mounted by the support means, each instrumentality including a rotatable spinner having an orificed peripheral wall region and an imperforate floor portion, each of the spinners being rotatable about an axis disposed at an acute angle with respect to a horizontal plane, means for rotating the spinners, means for delivering a stream of heat-softened glass onto the imperforate floor portion of each of the rotating spinners, projecting primary filaments of the glass through orifices at the orificed wall region of each of the spinners under the influence of centrifugal forces of rotation of the spinners, means attenuating the primary filaments from each spinner to fibers whereby the attenuated fibers in column formation from each spinner move downwardly and generally parallel with the axes of the respective spinners, a moving foraminous fiber-collecting conveyor, nozzle means projecting jets of compressed air substantially horizontally and beneath the angularly moving columns of fibers in directions downstream of the columns of the fibers whereby the jets of compressed air engage the fibers of the columns to deflect the fibers in directions generally parallel with and downstream of the moving fiber-collecting surface, said nozzle means being arranged whEreby the jets of compressed air distribute the fibers lengthwise and transversely of the moving conveyor on which the fibers are collected, a receptacle disposed beneath and extending lengthwise of the foraminous conveyor, transverse partitions disposed in the receptacle providing a plurality of individual chambers, suction blower means, tubular means establishing communication of the suction blower means with each of the chambers providing reduced pressure in each of the chambers effective to collect the fibers on the conveyor, and valve means associated with the tubular means for individually regulating the amplitude of reduced pressure in each chamber.