Method and apparatus for processing heat-softenable mineral materials and forming filaments therefrom

摘要

Heat-softenable materials such as glass are drawn into filaments through orifices in the bottom of a chamber to which is connected a horizontally-offset auxiliary chamber communicating by way of openings near its bottom with the main chamber a substantial distance below the top. The material is melted in an electrically-heated tank 12 and is fed through apertures between guide wires 84 to an electrically-heated plate 86 terminating just below PICT:1038815/C1/1 the level of liquid in the auxiliary chamber 68 whence it passes through holes in the dividing wall 561 into the main chamber 62. The height of the liquid in the chambers is determined by a probe 94 which controls the supply of current to the tank 12. Disposed at a lower level in the main chamber is an electrically-heated perforated plate 110 to render the material more fluid and so assist in the release of gas bubbles. The filaments issuing from the nozzles 18 are cooled by fins 115 extending between rows of nozzles from pipes 114 containing cooling water. In order to provide a still greater volume of glass fed to the chamber 62, the auxiliary chamber and, if desired, the melting tank may be duplicated on the opposite side of the chamber 62.