GB1038814A - Production of continuous fibres of heat-softenable mineral material - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for the production of continuous glass fibres within an enclosed room, comprises glass feeders arranged in rows along opposite side walls of the room and associated with units for lineally attenuating the glass from the feeders into fibres and collecting the fibres below the feeders, with such units also arranged in rows along the opposite side walls, and is characterized in that means are provided for supplying air under pressure into the room from overhead air inlets extending lengthwise of the room between the rows of feeders and for exhausting the air from the room adjacent the bottoms of the side walls. Molten glass from a feeder 30, Fig. 3 (not shown) is attenuated into fibres in the usual manner on to double colletts 21a by a winder 20. Feeders 30 are arranged in rows along opposite side walls of a room 50 the attenuating units being similarly arranged in a lower room 60. Conditioned air at 1000 to 1500 c.f.m. is fed from a main duct through conduits 41a, 41b to outlets 19a, 19b on either side of both banks of feeders and to outlet 19c in the centre of the room. Louvres 35a, 35b, 35 are so angled in those outlets as to direct the air flow in the same path as the fibres, both fibres and air passing through shaped openings 23 along the sides of the floor 29 of room 50. Special troughs 17, 25 (Fig. 4, not shown) channel the air flow past the attenuating units through an opening 26 into an exhaust chamber 70 below. Here the air is exhausted to atmosphere or may be reconditioned and recirculated. The air is conditioned so that at level 50 the temperature is 80 DEG F. and the relative humidity 66%, special sensing devices being used to detect any changes. Water cooled channels 51a, 51b on either side of, and at the lower level of, the feeder orifice tips provide a cooled surface in that region and prevent heat from the feeder increasing the forming room temperature.