Mineral fiber production method and apparatus

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PRODUCING A HOMOGENEOUS MINERAL FIBER PRODUCT FROM A STREAM OF MOLTEN SLAG COMPRISING: RECTILINEARLY PROJECTING AND FIBERIZING THE SLAG BY ENTRAINING IT IN AN ANNULARLY ARRANGED ARRAY OF STEAM JETS; PROVIDING A COLLECTING TUBE CONCENTRIC WITH THE ANNULAR ARRAY OF STEAM JETS FOR RECEIVING THE FIBERIZED MATERIAL WITH THE OPEN RECEIVING END OF THE TUBE SPACED FROM THE POINT OF ENTRY OF THE SLAG INTO THE STEAM FLOW AND HAVING A DIAMETER SOMEWHAT LESS THAN THE OF THE REMAINDER OF THE TUBE TO PROVIDE A CONICAL ENTRY SECTION; CONNECTING THE END OF SAID COLLECTING TUBE REMOTE FROM THE ENTRY SECTION TO AN INITIAL CYCLONE-TYPE CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR; DROPPING THE DISCHARGE FROM THE LOWER END OF THE CYCLONE SEPARATOR THROUGH AN UNLOADING VALVE; DRAWING OFF THE FIBERIZED MATERIAL OF LESSER MASS THROUGH A HORIZONTAL TUBE COMMUNICATING WITH THE DISCHARGE FROM THE UNLOADING VALVE; PROVIDING A CONVEYING TUBE COMMUNICATING WITH THE HORIZONTAL TUBE AND WITH THE INTAKE OF A SECOND CYCLONE-TYPE CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR; PROVIDING AIR MOVING FANS FOR ESTABLISHING SUCTION IN SAID COLLECTING TUBE, HORIZONTAL TUBE, CONVEYING TUBE AND SAID CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATORS; AND PROVIDING A MEANS FOR ACCUMULATING THE HOMOGENEOUS PRODUCT ISSUING FROM THE LOWER END OF THE SECOND CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF PRODUCING A HOMOGENEOUS MINERAL FIBER PRODUCT FROM A STREAM OF MOLTEN SLAG COMPRISING: RECTILINEARLY PROJECTING AND FIBERIZING THE SLAG BY ENTRAINING IT IN AN ANNULARLY ARRANGED ARRAY OF STEAM JETS; PROVIDING A COLLECTING TUBE CONCENTRIC WITH THE ANNULAR ARRAY OF STEAM JETS FOR RECEIVING THE FIBERIZED MATERIAL WITH THE OPEN RECEIVING END OF THE TUBE SPACED FROM THE POINT OF ENTRY OF THE SLAG INTO THE STEAM FLOW AND HAVING A DIAMETER SOMEWHAT LESS THAN THE OF THE REMAINDER OF THE TUBE TO PROVIDE A CONICAL ENTRY SECTION; CONNECTING THE END OF SAID COLLECTING TUBE REMOTE FROM THE ENTRY SECTION TO AN INITIAL CYCLONE-TYPE CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR; DROPPING THE DISCHARGE FROM THE LOWER END OF THE CYCLONE SEPARATOR THROUGH AN UNLOADING VALVE; DRAWING OFF THE FIBERIZED MATERIAL OF LESSER MASS THROUGH A HORIZONTAL TUBE COMMUNICATING WITH THE DISCHARGE FROM THE UNLOADING VALVE; PROVIDING A CONVEYING TUBE COMMUNICATING WITH THE HORIZONTAL TUBE AND WITH THE INTAKE OF A SECOND CYCLONE-TYPE CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR; PROVIDING AIR MOVING FANS FOR ESTABLISHING SUCTION IN SAID COLLECTING TUBE, HORIZONTAL TUBE, CONVEYING TUBE AND SAID CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATORS; AND PROVIDING A MEANS FOR ACCUMULATING THE HOMOGENEOUS PRODUCT ISSUING FROM THE LOWER END OF THE SECOND CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR.

Claim 5

An apparatus for producing a homogeneous mineral fiber product from a stream of molten slag comprising: means for fiberizing the slag by entraining the slag stream in an annularly configurated horizontal steam jet, a collecting tube having its open end spaced from the point of entry of the slag into the steam jet and concentrically aligned therewith for receiving the fiberized material, said receiving end of the collecting tube having a diameter somewhat less than that of the remainder thereof to provide a horizontal conical entry section, an initial cyclone-type centrifugal separator having its intake connected to the end of said collecting tube remote from said entry section, means for reducing the pressure in said collecting tube and separator to sub-atmospheric, an unloading valve receiving the discharge of the separator, a conveying tube having a horizontal portion communicating with the vertically falling discharge from said unloading valve, a second cyclone-type centrifugal separator having its intake communicating with said conveying tube, means for reducing the pressure in said conveying tube and said second separator below atmospheric, and means for accumulating the material discharged from said second separator.

Claim 6

An apparatus for producing a homogeneous mineral fiber product from a stream of molten slag comprising: means for fiberizing the slag by entraining the slag stream in an annularly configurated horizontal steam jet, a collecting tube having its open end spaced from the point of entry of the slag into the steam jet and concentrically aligned therewith for receiving the fiberized material, said receiving end of the collecting tube having a diameter somewhat less than that of the remainder thereof to provide a horizontal conical entry section, an initial cyclone-type centrifugal separator having its intake connected to the end of said collecting tube remote from said entry section, means for reducing the pressure in said collecting tube and separator to sub-atmospheric, an unloading valve receiving the discharge of the separator, a conveying tube having a horizontal portion communicating with the vertically falling discharge from said unloading valve, a second cyclone-type centrifugal separator having its intake communicating with said conveying tube, means for reducing the pressure in said conveying tube and said second separator below atmospheric, and means for accumulating the material discharged from said second separator.