Method of controlling glass fiber forming operation

Claim 2

IN THE COATING OF GLASS FIBERS WHEREIN GLASS FIBERS ARE DRAWN AT HIGH SPEEDS FROM A MOLTEN GLASS SOURCE, COATED WHILE BEING DRAWN AT HIGHT SPEED AND PASSED THROUGH A HIGH TEMPERATURE DRYING ZONE TO REMOVE MOISTURE THEREFROM AFTER COATING AND WHEREIN THE FIBERS HAVE BEEN GATHERED PRIOR TO THEIR ADMISSION TO THE DRYING ZONE INTO A PLURALITY OF SMALL STRANDS, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING GATHERING THE SAID PLURALITY OF SAMLL GLASS STRANDS INTO A SINGLE CONSOLIDATED STRAND AFTER COATING AND PASSING THE SINGLE CONSOLIDATED STRAND THROUGH SAID DRYING ZONE WHEN THE SPEED OF SAID INDIVIDUAL STRANDS PASSED THROUGH SAID DRYING ZONE IS BELOW A VALUE DURING COATING WHICH WOULD DAMAGE SAID INDIVIDUAL STRANDS DURING DRYING, TO THEREBY PERVENT DAMAGE TO SAID INDIVIDUAL STRANDS.

Claim 3

In a fiber glass forming operation wherein a plurality of filaments are drawn from a fiber glass bushing, passed over an applicator which applies an aqueous coating thereon and wherein the filaments are then gathered into a multiplicity of individual fiber glass strands containing a multiplicity of glass filaments in each of said strands and wherein said strands so formed are passed through a high temperature drying zone operating at a temperature of between 300* and 800*C. and wherein said strands are traveling through said zone at a rate of speed such that substantial damage to the coating can occur at said temperatures, the improvement comprising gathering said strands into a single unitary strand and passing that unitary strand through the drying zone until the rate of travel of said unitary strand passing through said drying zone has reached a speed such that damage to the coating is avoided on the individual strands and then releasing the consolidated strand to reinstitute passage through the drying zone of the individual multiple fiber glass strands.

Claim 4

In a fiber glass forming operation wherein a plurality of filaments are drawn from a fiber glass bushing, passed over an applicator which applies an aqueous coating thereon and wherein the filaments are then gathered into a multiplicity of individual fiber glass strands containing a multiplicity of glass filaments in each of said strands and wherein said strands so formed are passed through a high temperature drying zone operating at a temperature of between 300* and 800*C. and wherein said strands are traveling through said zone at a rate of speed such that substantial damage to the coating can occur at said temperatures, the improvement comprising gathering said strands into a single unitary strand and passing that unitary strand through the drying zone until the rate of travel of said unitary strand passing through said drying zone has reached a speed such that damage to the coating is avoided on the individual strands and then releasing the consolidated strand to reinstitute passage through the drying zone of the individual multiple fiber glass strands.

Claim 5

In the coating of glass fibers wherein glass fibers are drawn at high speed from a molten glass source, coated while being drawn at high speed, consolidated into a multiplicity of small strands each containing a multiplicity of fibers and the strands are passed through a high temperature drying zone, the improvement comprising passing said multiplicity of strands through said oven at speeds in excess of 1,000 feet (304 meters) per minute while maintaining the oven at temperature between 300* and 800*C., immediately consolidating said multiplicity of strands into a single unitary strand whenever said speed of said multiplicity of strands falls below 1,000 feet (304 meters) per minute to thereby protect said multiplicity of strands from damage during their passage through said oven, and reestablishing said multiplicity of strands from said consolidated strand when the speed of said consolidated strand reaches 1,000 feet (304 meters) per minute.

Claim 6

In the coating of glass fibers wherein glass fibers are drawn at high speed from a molten glass source, coated while being drawn at high speed, consolidated into a multiplicity of small strands each containing a multiplicity of fibers and the strands are passed through a high temperature drying zone, the improvement comprising passing said multiplicity of strands through said oven at speeds in excess of 1,000 feet (304 meters) per minute while maintaining the oven at temperature between 300* and 800*C., immediately consolidating said multiplicity of strands into a single unitary strand whenever said speed of said multiplicity of strands falls below 1,000 feet (304 meters) per minute to thereby protect said multiplicity of strands from damage during their passage through said oven, and reestablishing said multiplicity of strands from said consolidated strand when the speed of said consolidated strand reaches 1,000 feet (304 meters) per minute.

Claim 7

The method of claim 3 wherein said strands are coated with an elastomeric coating.

Claim 8

In the process for preparing a strand of glass fibers for use in reinforcing an elastomeric or resin matrices wherein glass fibers are drawn from a molten glass source, the fibers are coated with a heat curable elastomeric or resin coating, the fibers are then formed into a plurality of glass fiber strands each containing a multiplicity of fibers, said plurality of strands are passed through an oven operating at temperatures sufficient to remove moisture therefrom and at least partially cure said coating the improvement comprising passing said multiplicity of strands through said oven as a single consolidated strand until the speed of travel has reached at least 1,000 feEt (304 meters) per minute, separating the consolidated strand into a multiplicity of strands as separate strands when the consolidated strand reaches a speed of 1,000 feet (304 meters) per minute and drying the multiple strands traveling at these speeds.

Claim 9

In the process for preparing a strand of glass fibers for use in reinforcing an elastomeric or resin matrices wherein glass fibers are drawn from a molten glass source, the fibers are coated with a heat curable elastomeric or resin coating, the fibers are then formed into a plurality of glass fiber strands each containing a multiplicity of fibers, said plurality of strands are passed through an oven operating at temperatures sufficient to remove moisture therefrom and at least partially cure said coating the improvement comprising passing said multiplicity of strands through said oven as a single consolidated strand until the speed of travel has reached at least 1,000 feEt (304 meters) per minute, separating the consolidated strand into a multiplicity of strands as separate strands when the consolidated strand reaches a speed of 1,000 feet (304 meters) per minute and drying the multiple strands traveling at these speeds.

Claim 10

In the process for preparing a strand of glass fibers for use in reinforcing elastomeric or resin matrices wherein glass fibers are drawn from a molten glass source, the fibers are coated with a heat curable elastomeric or resin coating, the fibers are gathered into a multiplicity of glass fiber strands, each strand containing a multiplicity of fibers and wherein said multiplicity of glass fiber strands are passed through an oven at temperature sufficient to at least partially cure said coating and at speeds such that said strands are not damaged by the oven temperatures, the improvement comprising consolidating said multiplicity of glass fiber strands in the oven into a unitary strand when the speed of travel of the said multiplicity of strands falls below a speed at which damage will not occur for a given oven temperature and maintaining said multiplicity of glass fiber strands as a single unitary strand until a safe speed of travel through the oven at said given temperature is reestablished.

Claim 11

In the process for preparing a strand of glass fibers for use in reinforcing elastomeric or resin matrices wherein glass fibers are drawn from a molten glass source, the fibers are coated with a heat curable elastomeric or resin coating, the fibers are gathered into a multiplicity of glass fiber strands, each strand containing a multiplicity of fibers and wherein said multiplicity of glass fiber strands are passed through an oven at temperature sufficient to at least partially cure said coating and at speeds such that said strands are not damaged by the oven temperatures, the improvement comprising consolidating said multiplicity of glass fiber strands in the oven into a unitary strand when the speed of travel of the said multiplicity of strands falls below a speed at which damage will not occur for a given oven temperature and maintaining said multiplicity of glass fiber strands as a single unitary strand until a safe speed of travel through the oven at said given temperature is reestablished.