Apparatus for melting glass

Claim 1

IN A GLASS PRODUCING FURNACE HAVING A MELTING CHAMBER FOR THE CONTINUOUS PRODUCTION OF MOLTEN GLASS, WHICH INCLUDES A REAR AND WALL, OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS AND A BOTTOM WALL, PLURAL RADIANT HEAT PORTS ALONG SAID SIDE WALLS ABOVE THE MOLTEN GLASS IN SAID CHAMBER AND SPACED FROM SAID REAR END WALL, SAID PORTS INCLUDING BURNERS FOR HEATING THE GLASS AND SUBJECTING IT TO CONVECTION CURRENT AGITATION, BATCH FEEDING MEANS ALONG SAID REAR END WALL FOR FEEDING RAW GLASS MAKING MATERIAL ONTO THE SURFACE OF THE MOLTEN GLASS ADJACENT THE END WALL OF SAID CHAMBER TO PRODUCE A BLANKET OF RAW MATERIAL ON THE MOLTEN GLASS, THE IMPROVEMENT THEREIN COMPRISING GASEOUS BUBBLER MEANS FOR INTRODUCING GASEOUS BUBBLES INTO THE BOTTOM REGION OF THE MOLTEN GLASS BENEATH THE AREA OF ADMISSIONS OF THE RAW GLASS MAKING MATERIALS SO AS TO PASS BUBBLES UPWARDLY THEREIN TO THE SURFACE OF THE MOLTEN GLASS AND CREATE RISING CURRENTS IN THE MOLTEN GLASS IN A REGION THEREOF ADJACENT SAID END WALL, SAID BUBBLER MEANS COMPRISING A BUBBLER MOUNTED IN SAID BOTTOM WALL AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE MOLTEN GLASS IN SAID CHAMBER IN A RELATIVELY CLOSELY SPACED HORIZONTAL RELATION TO SAID END WALL COMPARED WITH SAID HORIZONTAL SPACING BETWEEN SAID RADIANT HEAT PORTS AND SAID END WALL, AND SAID BUBBLER UNDERLYING THE IMMEDIATE AREA OF FEEDING THE RAW MATERIALS TO SAID BLANKET, THE RISING CURRENTS OF SAID MOLTEN GLASS INHIBITING THE TENDENCY OF THE RAW MATERIALS OF SAID BLANKET TO SINK IN THE GLASS NEAR SAID AREA OF FEEDING SAME BY CREATING PREDOMINANTLY UPWARD CURRENTS IN THE MOLTEN GLASS IN SAID AREA.