Apparatus for feeding glass batch materials

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING A LAYER OF GLASS MAKING MATERIALS ONTO THE SURFACE OF MOLTEN GLASS AT THE FEEDING END OF A GLASS MELTING FURNACE AND ADVANCING THE GLASS MAKING MATERIAL INTO THE CLOSED MELTING FURNACE PORTION THROUGH A FEED OPENING BENEATH THE LOWER EDGE OF THE REAR WALL OF THE FURNACE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, AN ENDLESS MOVING BELT, MEANS FOR PROVIDING A CONTINUOUS SUPPLY OF GLASS CULLET ON SAID MOVING BELT, A DOWNWARDLY INCLINED TROUGH FOR CONVEYING CULLET FROM SAID MOVING BELT TO THE SURFACE OF THE MOLTEN GLASS, MEANS IN THE TROUGH FOR CONTROLLING THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF CULLET THROUGH SAID TROUGH TO EFFECT TRANSVERSE DISTRIBUTION OF THE CULLET ON THE SURFACE OF THE MOLTEN GLASS, MEANS FOR DEPOSITING A CONTINUOUS LAYER OF BATCH MATERIALS ONTO THE CULLET LAYER AS SAID CULLET LAYER IS CARRIED FORWARDLY ON THE SURFACE OF THE MOLTEN GLASS, AND A CYLINDRICAL CLOSURE MEMBER MOUNTED FOR ROTARY MOVEMENT ADJACENT SAID FEED OPENING WHEREBY THE PERIPHERAL MOVEMENT OF SAID CLOSURE MEMBER ADJACENT THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE GLASS MAKING MATERIALS WILL BE IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE MOVEMENT OF THE GLASS MATERIALS MOVING INTO SAID FURNACE THROUGH SAID FEED OPENING.