Method of and apparatus for the production of a fire-polished glass strip

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF A FIRE-POLISHED GLASS STRIP, COMPRISING FORMING A CONTINUOUS STRIP OF GLASS, MELTING IN A TANK A SUBSTANCE WHICH IS OF GREATER DENSITY THAN THE GLASS AND WHICH IS INERT WITH RESPECT TO THE GLASS AND WITH THE MATERIAL OF THE TANK AT THE WORKING TEMPERATURES, DRIVING SAID CONTINUOUS STRIP LONGITUDINALLY ON THE MOLTEN SUBSTANCE BY APPLYING TO THE GLASS STRIP IN CONTACT WITH THE MOLTEN SUBSTANCE AT SEVERAL LOCATIONS AT WHICH THE GLASS STRIP IS FLOWABLE, THE PRESSURE OF HORZONTAL ROTATING DRIVING ROLLERS OVER THE ENTIRE WIDTH OF SAID STRIP TO THERBY THIN SAID STRIP, SAID ROLLERS BEING NON-ADHERENT WITH THE GLASS AND HAVING THEIR AXES EXTENDING IN PLANES PERPENDICULAR TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE STRIP, MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE OF A PART OF SAID BATH AND OF THE ATMOSPHERE ABOVE IT AT A VALUE PRODUCING FIRE POLISH ON THE GLASS, COLLING SAID BATH AND SAID ATMOSPHERE IN THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE STRIP UNTIL THE SURFACE OF THE STRIP IS SUFFICIENTLY SOLODIFIED AND CAN BE ENGAGED WITHOUT DAMAGE TO THE SURFACE OF THE STRIP, AND MECHANICALLY CONVEYING THE THUS COOLED GLASS STRIP BY ENGAGING THE STRIP AFTER THE SAME HAS LEFT THE BATH.