Method and apparatus for producing a continuous glass filament mat

Claim 1

Apparatus for producing a mat of continuous glass filaments comprising: feeder means for supplying a plurality of streams of molten glass; continuation means for drawing the streams into continuous filaments; means for orienting the advancing filaments as an array of substantially parallel bundles of filaments; distribution means comprising: a first control surface and a second control surface defining an articulated chamber adapted to receive the array of advaning filaments; a first blower assembly adapted to supply a substantially planar first stream of gas into the chamber along the path of advancement of the bundles; a second blower assembly adapted to supply a substantially planar second stream of gas into the chamber along the path of advancement of the filaments, a portion of the first and second control surfaces having divergent and convergent sections defining a first fluid effect zone in said chamber adapted to create turbulence in said gaseous stream sufficient to disassociate filaments from the bundles, said first fluid effect zone being located intermediate said first blower assembly and said second blower assembly, another portion of the first and second control surfaces having divergent and convergent sections defining a second fluid effect zone in said chamber adapted to laterally extend the gaseous body formed by said first and second gaseous streams sufficient to further separate additional filaments from the bundles and to orient the separated filaments and remaining bundles as a diverging planar array; and means for collecting the filaments and bundles to form said mat.

Claim 6

A method of forming a mat of continuous glass filaments comprising: supplying a plurality of streams of molten glass; drawing the streams into continuous filaments; orienting the advancing filaments as an array of substantially parallel bundles of filaments; directing the array of bundles into a distribution means comprising: a first control surface and a second control surface defining an articulated chamber adapted to receive the array of advancing filaments; a first blower assembly adapted to supply a substantially planar first stream of gas into the chamber along the path of advancement of the bundles; a second blower assembly adapted to supply a substantially planar second stream of gas into the chamber along the path of advancement of the filaments, a portion of the first and second control surfaces having divergent and convergent sections defining a first fluid effect zone in said chamber adapted to create turbulence in said gaseous stream sufficient to disassociate filaments from the bundles, said first fluid effect zone being located intermediate said first blower assembly and said second blower assembly, another portion of the first and second control surfaces having divergent and convergent sections defining a second fluid effect zone in said chamber adapted to laterally extend the gaseous body formed by said first and second gaseous streams sufficient to further separate additional filaments from the bundles and to orient the separated filaments and remaining bundles as a diverging planar array; and collecting the filaments and bundles to form said mat.

Claim 7

A method of forming a mat of continuous glass filaments comprising: supplying a plurality of streams of molten glass; drawing the streams into continuous filaments; orienting the advancing filaments as an array of substantially parallel bundles of filaments; directing the array of bundles into a distribution means comprising: a first control surface and a second control surface defining an articulated chamber adapted to receive the array of advancing filaments; a first blower assembly adapted to supply a substantially planar first stream of gas into the chamber along the path of advancement of the bundles; a second blower assembly adapted to supply a substantially planar second stream of gas into the chamber along the path of advancement of the filaments, a portion of the first and second control surfaces having divergent and convergent sections defining a first fluid effect zone in said chamber adapted to create turbulence in said gaseous stream sufficient to disassociate filaments from the bundles, said first fluid effect zone being located intermediate said first blower assembly and said second blower assembly, another portion of the first and second control surfaces having divergent and convergent sections defining a second fluid effect zone in said chamber adapted to laterally extend the gaseous body formed by said first and second gaseous streams sufficient to further separate additional filaments from the bundles and to orient the separated filaments and remaining bundles as a diverging planar array; and collecting the filaments and bundles to form said mat.