FORCED CONVECTION HEATING FURNACE AND METHOD FOR HEATING GLASS SHEETS

摘要

A furnace (10) and method for heating conveyed glass sheets within a housing (12), consisting of side walls (14a, 14b) and a floor (15) includes forced convection heaters (24) spaced along the direction of conveyance both below and above a roll conveyor (20) consisting of rolls (22). Each forced convection heater (24) includes a gas burner assembly generally adjacent one of the housing side walls (14a, 14b) and has a delivery tube (52) with an inner end (62) through which products of combustion are supplied to the housing heating chamber (18) at a location intermediate its side walls. A hot gas distributor (38) of each forced convection heater (24) includes an inlet (40) that is spaced from the inner end (62) of the gas burner assembly delivery tube (52). An outer end (56) of each delivery tube (52) is located at a housing side wall (14a or 14b). A burner control (60) controls the operation of each burner.