Glass fiber stream feeder

Claim 2

A FEEDER FOR SUPPLYING MOLTEN GLASS STREAMS IN PRODUCING GLASS FILAMENTS COMPRISING: A BOTTOM WALL HAVING OPENINGS THROUGH WHICH MOLTEN GLASS IN THE FEEDER IS DISCHARGED AS STREAMS FOR ATTENUATION INTO GLASS FILAMENTS, JOINED TOGETHER OPPOSED WALLS EXTENDING GENERALLY NORMALLY AWAY FROM THE BOTTOM WALL, AT LEAST ONE OF THE WALLS HAVING A CORRUGATED REGION TO PROVIDE AN INCREASED SURFACE AREA IN SUCH REGION FOR HEAT TRANSFER; AND MEANS FOR HEATING THE FEEDER.

Claim 3

A feeder for supplying heat-softened mineral material in a filament forming condition comprising: a chamber having an opening for supplying unmelted mineral material for conversion to a flowable heat-softened body; a bottom wall for the chamber having at least one orifice for discharging the flowable heat-softened material as a stream; joined together upstanding opposed end walls and sidewalls for the chamber extending generally normally away from the bottom wall, at least a portion of one of the opposed sidewalls having a corrugated region extending between the end walls to provide an increased surface area for heat transfer; and means for heating the feeder.

Claim 4

A feeder for supplying heat-softened mineral material in a filament forming condition comprising: a chamber having an opening for supplying unmelted mineral material for conversion to a flowable heat-softened body; a bottom wall for the chamber having at least one orifice for discharging the flowable heat-softened material as a stream; joined together upstanding opposed end walls and sidewalls for the chamber extending generally normally away from the bottom wall, at least a portion of one of the opposed sidewalls having a corrugated region extending between the end walls to provide an increased surface area for heat transfer; and means for heating the feeder.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 2 further including a perforated heating strip extending across the interior of the feeder in spaced relation above the bottom wall and wherein the raised portions are located in spaced relation further above the bottom wall than the heating strip.

Claim 6

Apparatus for producing glass filaments comprising: a feeder for supplying streams of molten glass including opposed spaced apart electrically conductive sidewalls, opposed spaced apart electrically conductive end walls that are joined to the sidewalls, an electrically conductive bottom wall joined to the sidewalls and end walls, the bottom wall having orifices for discharging molten glass as streams, an electrically conductive top wall joined to the side and end walls, the top wall including a supply opening through which glass marbles are provided to the interior of the feeder, a perforated electrically conductive heating strip extending across the interior of the feeder above the bottom wall dividing the interior into an upper marble melting region and a lower reservoir region for holding molten glass formed from the marbles, electric terminals on the end walls through which electric current is supplied to the feeder, the sidewalls being corrugated above the heating strip with elongated ridges and grooves extending between the end walls in a direction parallel to the bottom wall to provide increased heat to glass in the upper glass melting region of the feeder during heating of the feeder; and means for attenuating the streams into glass filaments.

Claim 7

Apparatus for producing glass filaments comprising: a feeder for supplying streams of molten glass including opposed spaced apart electrically conductive sidewalls, opposed spaced apart electrically conductive end walls that are joined to the sidewalls, an electrically conductive bottom wall joined to the sidewalls and end walls, the bottom wall having orifices for discharging molten glass as streams, an electrically conductive top wall joined to the side and end walls, the top wall including a supply opening through which glass marbles are provided to the interior of the feeder, a perforated electrically conductive heating strip extending across the interior of the feeder above the bottom wall dividing the interior into an upper marble melting region and a lower reservoir region for holding molten glass formed from the marbles, electric terminals on the end walls through which electric current is supplied to the feeder, the sidewalls being corrugated above the heating strip with elongated ridges and grooves extending between the end walls in a direction parallel to the bottom wall to provide increased heat to glass in the upper glass melting region of the feeder during heating of the feeder; and means for attenuating the streams into glass filaments.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 4 in which the means for attenuating the streams into glass filaments is a blower for releasing blasts of fluid media.

Claim 9

An electrically heated feeder for supplying streams of molten glass comprising: an electrically conductive bottom wall having orifices for discharging molten glass as streams; a first pair of spaced apart opposed electrically conductive walls, each of the walls extending generally normally away from the bottom wall; a second pair of spaced apart opposed electrically conductive walls, each of the second pair of walls extending generally normally away from the bottom wall and joined to the first pair of walls; and a terminal for electric current attached to each of the first pair of walls, at least one of the second pair of walls having a corrugated portion of uniform wall thickness extending between the first pair to provide an increased surface area for heat transfer.

Claim 10

An electrically heated feeder for supplying streams of molten glass comprising: an electrically conductive bottom wall having orifices for discharging molten glass as streams; a first pair of spaced apart opposed electrically conductive walls, each of the walls extending generally normally away from the bottom wall; a second pair of spaced apart opposed electrically conductive walls, each of the second pair of walls extending generally normally away from the bottom wall and joined to the first pair of walls; and a terminal for electric current attached to each of the first pair of walls, at least one of the second pair of walls having a corrugated portion of uniform wall thickness extending between the first pair to provide an increased surface area for heat transfer.

Claim 11

The feeder of claim 6 in which the corrugations extend in a direction parallel to the bottom wall.

Claim 12

The feeder of claim 6 in which the corrugations extend in a direction generally normal to the bottom wall.

Claim 13

The feeder of claim 6 in which at least one of the first pair of walls includes corrugations extending between the second pair of walls in a direction generally parallel to the bottom wall.

Claim 14

An electrically heated feeder for supplying streams of molten glass comprising: opposed spaced apart electrically conductive sidewalls; opposed spaced apart electrically conductive end walls that are joined to the sidewalls; an electrically conductive bOttom wall joined to the sidewalls and the end walls, the bottom wall having orifices for discharging molten glass as streams; an electrically conductive top wall joined to the side and end walls, the top wall including a supply opening through which glass marbles are provided to the interior of the feeder; a perforated electrically conductive heating strip extending across the interior of the feeder is spaced relation above the bottom wall to divide the interior into an upper marble melting region and a lower reservoir region for holding molten glass formed from the marbles; and electric terminals on the end walls through which electric current is supplied to the feeder, the sidewalls being uniformily thick throughout and each having an internal corrugated surface of spaced apart elongated ridges and grooves extending in a direction generally parallel to the bottom wall above the heating strip to provide increased internal heat transfer surface for glass in the upper glass melting region of the feeder.

Claim 15

An electrically heated feeder for supplying streams of molten glass comprising: opposed spaced apart electrically conductive sidewalls; opposed spaced apart electrically conductive end walls that are joined to the sidewalls; an electrically conductive bOttom wall joined to the sidewalls and the end walls, the bottom wall having orifices for discharging molten glass as streams; an electrically conductive top wall joined to the side and end walls, the top wall including a supply opening through which glass marbles are provided to the interior of the feeder; a perforated electrically conductive heating strip extending across the interior of the feeder is spaced relation above the bottom wall to divide the interior into an upper marble melting region and a lower reservoir region for holding molten glass formed from the marbles; and electric terminals on the end walls through which electric current is supplied to the feeder, the sidewalls being uniformily thick throughout and each having an internal corrugated surface of spaced apart elongated ridges and grooves extending in a direction generally parallel to the bottom wall above the heating strip to provide increased internal heat transfer surface for glass in the upper glass melting region of the feeder.

Claim 16

The feeder of claim 10 in which the elongated ridges and grooves are rounded.

Claim 17

The feeder of claim 10 in which the elongated ridges and grooves extend the entire distance between the end walls.

Claim 18

The feeder of claim 12 further including end walls each having above the heating strip an internal corrugated surface with spaced apart elongated ridges and grooves extending in a direction generally normal to the bottom wall.

Claim 19

The feeder of claim 13 in which the elongated ridges and grooves on the internal surfaces of the sidewalls and end walls are the same size.

Claim 20

The feeder of claim 10 in which the sidewalls below the heating strip each have an internal corrugated surface with spaced apart elongated ridges and grooves extending between the end walls in a direction generally parallel to the bottom wall.

Claim 21

The feeder of claim 15 in which the elongated ridges below the heating strip are smaller than the elongated ridges above the heating strip.

Claim 22

A feeder for supplying heat-softened mineral material in filament forming condition comprising: a chamber having an opening for supplying unmelted mineral material for conversion to a flowable heat-softened body; a bottom wall for the chamber having at least one orifice for discharging the flowable heat-softened material as a stream; joined together upstanding opposed end walls and side walls for the chamber extending generally normally away from the bottom wall, the interior surface of at least one of the opposed sidewalls having elongated blade-like raised portions extending in a direction generally parallel to the bottom wall to provide an increased surface area for heat transfer; and means for heating the feeder.

Claim 23

A feeder for supplying heat-softened mineral material in filament forming condition comprising: a chamber having an opening for supplying unmelted mineral material for conversion to a flowable heat-softened body; a bottom wall for the chamber having at least one orifice for discharging the flowable heat-softened material as a stream; joined together upstanding opposed end walls and side walls for the chamber extending generally normally away from the bottom wall, the interior surface of at least one of the opposed sidewalls having elongated blade-like raised portions extending in a direction generally parallel to the bottom wall to provide an increased surface area for heat transfer; and means for heating the feeder.