Rotary forming unit for fine mineral fibers

Claim 2

IN AN APPARATUS FOR FORMING FINE FIBERS FRM HEAT SOFTENED VISCOUS THERMOPLASTIC MINERAL MATERIAL, SUCH AS GLASS, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING, A HOLLOW ROTOR, HAVING A MAIN FLANGE WALL WHICH HAS CONNECTED THERETO, OUTER ANNULAR SUPPORT MEANS NEAR ITS PERIPHERY, AND HAVING AN OUTER PERIPHERAL WALL ATTACHED TO SAID ANNULAR SUPPORT MEANS, SAID OUTER PERIPHERAL WALL HAVING A PLURALITY OF SUPERPOSED FILMENT FORMING ORIFICES THEREIN, SHAFT MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID ROTOR AND WITH SAID SHAFT MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID MAIN FLANGE WALL OF SAID ROTOR, AND MEANS FOR TURNING SAID ROTOR AT HIGH SPEED TO EFFECT DISCHARGE BY CENTRIFUGAL FORCE OF THE SOFTENED MINERAL MATERIAL THRU THE ORIFICES IN THE FORM OF FILMENTS, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING SAID HEAT SOFTENED MINERAL MATERIAL TO THE INTERIOR REGION OF SAID ROTOR, MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE TEMPERATURE OF PARTS OF SAID ROTOR, ANNULAR CONCENTRIC ORIFICE MEANS POSITIONED RADIALLY OUTWARD FROM THE OUTER PRIPHERAL WALL OF SAID ROTOR, AND HAVING MEANS FOR DISCHARGING GASES FROM SAID ORIFICE MEANS INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FILAMENTS AND TO CHANGE THE DIRECTION OF THEIR FLOW, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A HOLOW ROTOR STRUCTURE, IN WHICH SAID MAIN FLANGE WALL OF SAID ROTOR AND SAID OUTER ANNULAR SUPPORT, MEANS CONNECTED THERETO ARE MADE OF BASE METAL, AND IN WHICH THE MAIN AREA OF SAID OUTER PERIPHERAL WALL OF SAID ROTOR IS MADE OF CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOY MATERIAL, AND WITH SAID CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOY MATERIAL CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF PLATINUM GROUP METALS, AND WITH A PLURALITY OF SUPERPOSED FILAMENT FORMING ORIFICES THEREIN, AND WITH SAID CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOY MATERIAL WELDED TO AND REINFORCED BY SAID OUTER ANNULAR SUPPORT MEANS OF BASE METAL.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said superposed filament forming orifices are arranged in a plurality of separate circular bands, and with each band extending around said outer peripheral wall, and with a line of spacing extending between adjacent bands, and with said corrosion resistant alloy material welded to said base metal outer annular support means along said line of spacing to provide additional support to said corrosion resistant alloy material against centrifugal forces.

Claim 4

In an apparatus for forming fine fibers from heat softened viscous thermoplastic mineral material, such as glass, said apparatus comprising, a hollow rotor, having a main flange wall which has connected thereto outer annular support means near its periphery, and having an outer peripheral wall attached to said annular support means, said outer peripheral wall having a plurality of superposed filament forming orifices therein, shaft means for supporting said rotor and with said shaft means attached to said main flange wall of said rotor, and means for turning said rotor at high speed to effect discharge by centrifugal force of the softened mineral material thru the orifices in the form of filaments, means for supplying said heat softened mineral material to the interior region of said rotor, means for controlling the temperature of parts of said rotor, annular concentric orifice means positioned radially outward from the outer peripheral wall of said rotor, and having means for discharging gases from said orifice means into engagement with said filaments and to change the direction of their flow, the improvement comprising a hollow rotor structure, in which said main flange wall of said rotor and said outer annular support means connected thereto are made of base metal, and in which the main area of said outer peripheral wall of said rotor is made of corrosion resistant alloy material, and with said corrosion resistant alloy consisting essentially of platinum group metals, and with a plurality of superposed filament forming orifices therein, and with said corrosion resistant alloy welded to and reinforced by said outer annular support means, and said rotor having an inner annular wall substantially parallel to and concentric with said outer peripheral wall and spaced near thereto, said inner wall having metering orifices therein and spaced around the circumference, and said metering orifices forming the only normal outward passageway for the flow of said molten mineral material from the inner region of said rotor outward past said inner wall, and whereby the combined cross-sectional flow areas of the orifices in said inner wall restricts the flow to maintain substantial molten mineral material back of said inner wall, and with the orifices in said outer peripheral wall having sufficient cross-sectional flow area to maintain a layer of limited thickness of molten mineral material back of said outer peripheral wall, and thereby to limit the centrifugal force exerted against said outer peripheral wall by the mass of said layer of molten mineral material.

Claim 5

In an apparatus for forming fine fibers from heat softened viscous thermoplastic mineral material, such as glass, said apparatus comprising, a hollow rotor, having a main flange wall which has connected thereto outer annular support means near its periphery, and having an outer peripheral wall attached to said annular support means, said outer peripheral wall having a plurality of superposed filament forming orifices therein, shaft means for supporting said rotor and with said shaft means attached to said main flange wall of said rotor, and means for turning said rotor at high speed to effect discharge by centrifugal force of the softened mineral material thru the orifices in the form of filaments, means for supplying said heat softened mineral material to the interior region of said rotor, means for controlling the temperature of parts of said rotor, annular concentric orifice means positioned radially outward from the outer peripheral wall of said rotor, and having means for discharging gases from said orifice means into engagement with said filaments and to change the direction of their flow, the improvement comprising a hollow rotor structure, in which said main flange wall of said rotor and said outer annular support means connected thereto are made of base metal, and in which the main area of said outer peripheral wall of said rotor is made of corrosion resistant alloy material, and with said corrosion resistant alloy consisting essentially of platinum group metals, and with a plurality of superposed filament forming orifices therein, and with said corrosion resistant alloy welded to and reinforced by said outer annular support means, and said rotor having an inner annular wall substantially parallel to and concentric with said outer peripheral wall and spaced near thereto, said inner wall having metering orifices therein and spaced around the circumference, and said metering orifices forming the only normal outward passageway for the flow of said molten mineral material from the inner region of said rotor outward past said inner wall, and whereby the combined cross-sectional flow areas of the orifices in said inner wall restricts the flow to maintain substantial molten mineral material back of said inner wall, and with the orifices in said outer peripheral wall having sufficient cross-sectional flow area to maintain a layer of limited thickness of molten mineral material back of said outer peripheral wall, and thereby to limit the centrifugal force exerted against said outer peripheral wall by the mass of said layer of molten mineral material.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 3 in which said orifices in said inner wall are lined with corrosion resistant alloy consisting essentially of platinum group metals.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 3 in which said corrosion resistant alloy material in said outer peripheral wall of said rotor comprises an alloy consisting essentially of platinum and rhodium.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 3 in which grooving is formed in said corrosion resistant alloy material in said outer peripheral wall of said rotor, and with said grooving extending around the circumference to provide for thermal expansion.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 3 in which said outer peripheral wall area of said rotor which is made of said corrosion resistant alloy is divided into a plurality of lengths of arc around the circumference, and with said arc lengths welded to said outer annular support means.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 3 in which said filament forming orifices in said corrosion resistant alloy material in said outer peripheral wall of said rotor have the metal around the orifices formed in the shape of individual outwardly projecting nozzles.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 3 in which said superposed filament forming orifices are arranged in a plurality of separate circular bands, and with each band extending around said outer peripheral wall, and with a line of spacing extending between adjacent bands, and with said corrosion resistant alloy material welded to said base metal outer annular support means along said line of spacing to provide additional support to said corrosion resistant alloy material against centrifugal forces.

Claim 12

Apparatus according to claim 9 in which each said band of orifices in said outer peripheral wall has a separate partitioned off inner annular compartment immediately radially inward of it, and with each said inner annular compartment having circumferentially spaced metering orifices in that section of said inner annular wall which forms the back of said separate inner annular compartment.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 3 in which there is a supplementary outer peripheral overflow wall band positioned adjacent to said outer peripheral wall and with filament forming orifices therein, and said overflow wall band connected by passageway to receive excess molten material when the thickness of the layer of molten material back of said main outer peripheral wall exceeds a specified limit, and to discharge said excess thru said filament forming orifices as fine filaments.

Claim 14

In an apparatus for forming fine fibers from heat softened viscous thermoplastic mineral material, such as glass, said apparatus comprising, a hollow rotor, having a main flange wall which has connected thereto outer annular support means near its periphery, and having an outer peripheral wall attached to said annular support means, said outer peripheral wall having a plurality of superposed filament forming orifices therein, shaft means for supporting said rotor and with said shaft means attached to said main flange wall of said rotor, and means for turning said rotor at high speed to effect discharge by centrifugal force of the softened mineral material thru the orifices in the form of filaments, means for supplying said heat softened mineral material to the interior region of said rotor, means for controlling the temperature of parts of said rotor, annular concentric orifice means positioned radially outward from the outer peripheral wall of said rotor, and having means for discharging gases from said orifice means into engagement with said filaments and to change the direction of their flow, the improvement comprising a hollow rotor structure, having an outer peripheral wall, and with the main area of said outer peripheral wall formed of a composite sheet material comprising a lamination of corrosion resistant alloy cohesively applied to a lamination of base metal, and with said corrosion resistant alloy consisting essentially of platinum group metals, and with said alloy side facing outward, and with a plurality of superposed filament forming orifices in said outer peripheral wall and within said main area.

Claim 15

In an apparatus for forming fine fibers from heat softened viscous thermoplastic mineral material, such as glass, said apparatus comprising, a hollow rotor, having a main flange wall which has connected thereto outer annular support means near its periphery, and having an outer peripheral wall attached to said annular support means, said outer peripheral wall having a plurality of superposed filament forming orifices therein, shaft means for supporting said rotor and with said shaft means attached to said main flange wall of said rotor, and means for turning said rotor at high speed to effect discharge by centrifugal force of the softened mineral material thru the orifices in the form of filaments, means for supplying said heat softened mineral material to the interior region of said rotor, means for controlling the temperature of parts of said rotor, annular concentric orifice means positioned radially outward from the outer peripheral wall of said rotor, and having means for discharging gases from said orifice means into engagement with said filaments and to change the direction of their flow, the improvement comprising a hollow rotor structure, having an outer peripheral wall, and with the main area of said outer peripheral wall formed of a composite sheet material comprising a lamination of corrosion resistant alloy cohesively applied to a lamination of base metal, and with said corrosion resistant alloy consisting essentially of platinum group metals, and with said alloy side facing outward, and with a plurality of superposed filament forming orifices in said outer peripheral wall and within said main area.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to claim 12 in which said lamination of corrosion resistant alloy comprises an alloy consisting essentially of palladium and ruthernium.

Claim 17

In an apparatus of the character disclosed for forming fine fibers from heat softened viscous thermoplastic mineral material, such as glass, said apparatus comprising, a hollow rotor, having a main flange wall which has connected thereto outer annular support means near its periphery, and having an outer peripheral wall attached to said annular support means, said outer peripheral wall having a plurality of superposed filament forming orifices therein, shaft means for supporting said rotor and with said shaft means attached to said main flange wall of said rotor, and means for turning said rotor at high speed to effect discharge by centrifugal force of the softened mineral material thru the orifices in the form of filaments, means for supplying said heat softened mineral material to the interior region of said rotor, means for controlling the temperature of parts of said rotor, annular concentric orifice means positioned radially outward from the outer peripheral wall of said rotor, and having means for discharging gases from said orifice means into engagement with said filaments and to change the direction of their flow, the improvement comprising, a hollow rotor structure having heat insulating means interposed between said shaft means and inner members of said rotor structure, which inner members operate continuously at elevated temperatures by reason of being heated at least in part by actual contact with the flow of said molten mineral material, or by being subjected to heat radiation or conduction therefrom, said heat insulating means serving to reduce the heat loss from said inner members of said rotor structure.

Claim 18

In an apparatus of the character disclosed for forming fine fibers from heat softened viscous thermoplastic mineral material, such as glass, said apparatus comprising, a hollow rotor, having a main flange wall which has connected thereto outer annular support means near its periphery, and having an outer peripheral wall attached to said annular support means, said outer peripheral wall having a plurality of superposed filament forming orifices therein, shaft means for supporting said rotor and with said shaft means attached to said main flange wall of said rotor, and means for turning said rotor at high speed to effect discharge by centrifugal force of the softened mineral material thru the orifices in the form of filaments, means for supplying said heat softened mineral material to the interior region of said rotor, means for controlling the temperature of parts of said rotor, annular concentric orifice means positioned radially outward from the outer peripheral wall of said rotor, and having means for discharging gases from said orifice means into engagement with said filaments and to change the direction of their flow, the improvement comprising, a hollow rotor structure having heat insulating means interposed between said shaft means and inner members of said rotor structure, which inner members operate continuously at elevated temperatures by reason of being heated at least in part by actual contact with the flow of said molten mineral material, or by being subjected to heat radiation or conduction therefrom, said heat insulating means serving to reduce the heat loss from said inner members of said rotor structure.

Claim 19

Apparatus according to claim 14 in which said heat insulating means comprises fibrous insulation.

Claim 20

Apparatus according to claim 14 in which heat insulating material is interposed between said flange wall of said rotor and said shaft means.

Claim 21

Apparatus according to claim 14 in which heat insulating material is interposed between said inner members of said rotor structure and said flange wall of said rotor.