Stream feeder for making glass fibers

Claim 2

AN ELECTRICALLY HEATED STREAM FEEDER FOR SUPPLYING HEATSOFTENED GLASS IN FILAMENT FORMING CONDITION COMPRISING: A CHAMBER HAVING AN OPERNING FOR SUPPLYING PORTIONS OF UNMELTED GLASS FOR CONVERSION TO A HEAT-SOFTENED FLOWABLE BODY OF GLASS: A BOTTOM WALL FOR THE CHAMBER HAVING AT LEAST ONE ORIFICE FOR DISCHARGING HEAT-SOFTENING GLASS AS A STREAM; TWO PAIRS OF OPPOSED GENERALLY UPSTANDING WALLS FOR THE CHAMBER; MEANS FOR SUPPLYING ELECTRICAL CURRENT TO THE FEEDER; AND A PERFORATED CURRENT CONDUCTING HEATING STRIP EXTENDING ACROSS THE CHAMBER IN SPACED RELATION ABOVE THE BOTTOM WALL FOR CONVERTING THE PORTIONS OF GLASS INTO A HEAT-SOFTENED FLOWABLE BODY, SUCH HEATING STRIP INCLUDING AT LEAST A PORTION SLOPING DOWNWARDLY TO ONE OF THE GENERALLY UPSTANDING WALLS, THE PORTION DEFINING AN ELONGATED CHANNEL SLOPING DOWNWARDLY TO THE ONE GENERALLY UPSTANDING WALL, THE SLOPING PORTION URGING THE GLASS PORTIONS TOWARDS SUCH ONE UPSTANDING WALL ALONG THE CHANNEL DURING GLASS MELTING.

Claim 3

An electrically heated stream feeder for supplying heat-softened glass in filament forming condition comprising: a chamber having an opening through which glass marbles are supplied thereto for melting to a heat-softened flowable body; means for supplying marbles to the chamber through the opening; a bottom wall for the chamber having orifices for discharging the heat-softened glass as streams; generally upstanding walls for the chamber; means for supplying electrical current to the feeder; and a perforated current conducting heating strip extending across the chamber between the upstanding walls in spaced relation above the bottom wall for melting the marbles, such heating strip being shaped to define an elongated channel sloping downwardly to one of the generally upstanding walls to direct the glass marbles supplied to the chamber towards such one upstanding wall during glass marble melting.

Claim 4

An electrically heated stream feeder for supplying heat-softened glass in filament forming condition comprising: a chamber having an opening through which glass marbles are supplied thereto for melting to a heat-softened flowable body; means for supplying marbles to the chamber through the opening; a bottom wall for the chamber having orifices for discharging the heat-softened glass as streams; generally upstanding walls for the chamber; means for supplying electrical current to the feeder; and a perforated current conducting heating strip extending across the chamber between the upstanding walls in spaced relation above the bottom wall for melting the marbles, such heating strip being shaped to define an elongated channel sloping downwardly to one of the generally upstanding walls to direct the glass marbles supplied to the chamber towards such one upstanding wall during glass marble melting.

Claim 5

The feeder of claim 2 in which the means for supplying marbles supplies marbles having diameters smaller than the depth and width of the channel.

Claim 6

The feeder of claim 3 in which the chamber has a top wall having the marble supply opening and where the elongated channel slopes from a location directly under the supply opening to the one upstanding wall.

Claim 7

An electrically heated stream feeder for supplying streams of molten glass comprising: a pair of opposed spaced apart current conducting sidewalls; a pair of opposed spaced apart current conducting end walls that are joined to the sidewalls; a current conducting bottom wall joined to the sidewalls and end walls, the bottom wall having orifices for discharging molten glass streams from the feeder; a current conducting top wall having a supply opening mid-way between the sidewalls and end walls through which glass marbles are supplied to the interior of the feeder for melting; electric terminals in the end walls through which electric current is supplied to the feeder for heating it to melt the glass marbles; and a perforated current conducting heating strip joined to the sidewalls and end walls and extending across the interior of the feeder above the bottom wall to divide the interior of the feeder into an upper marble melting region and a lower reservoir feed region for molten glass, the heating strip being shaped to define two side-by-side elongated channels extending between the end walls, each of the channels including two sections each inclined downwardly away from each other from a region under the marble supply opening midway between the end walls to an end wall, marbles being urged to move towards the end walls during marble melting.

Claim 8

An electrically heated stream feeder for supplying streams of molten glass comprising: a pair of opposed spaced apart current conducting sidewalls; a pair of opposed spaced apart current conducting end walls that are joined to the sidewalls; a current conducting bottom wall joined to the sidewalls and end walls, the bottom wall having orifices for discharging molten glass streams from the feeder; a current conducting top wall having a supply opening mid-way between the sidewalls and end walls through which glass marbles are supplied to the interior of the feeder for melting; electric terminals in the end walls through which electric current is supplied to the feeder for heating it to melt the glass marbles; and a perforated current conducting heating strip joined to the sidewalls and end walls and extending across the interior of the feeder above the bottom wall to divide the interior of the feeder into an upper marble melting region and a lower reservoir feed region for molten glass, the heating strip being shaped to define two side-by-side elongated channels extending between the end walls, each of the channels including two sections each inclined downwardly away from each other from a region under the marble supply opening midway between the end walls to an end wall, marbles being urged to move towards the end walls during marble melting.

Claim 9

The stream feeder of claim 5 in which the heating strip is located below the marble supply opening a sufficient distance that marbles accumulated in stacked-relation above the strip.

Claim 10

The stream feeder of claim 6 in which the inclined sections of the elongated channels are inclined such that marbles at the strip are moved substantially continuously towards the end walls during marble melting.

Claim 11

The stream feeder of claim 7 in which the sections of the elongated channels are inclined between 10*-50* below the horizontal.

Claim 12

The streAm feeder of claim 6 in which the elongated channels have a curved bottom region.

Claim 13

The stream feeder of claim 5 in which the channels extend parallel to each other.

Claim 14

The stream feeder of claim 10 in which the channels are inclined downwardly at the same angle.