GB972237A - Improvements relating to glass melting - Google Patents

Abstract

972,237. Glass-melting furnaces. ELEMELT Ltd. March 27, 1962 [Dec. 31, 1960], No. 44890/60. Heading F4B. [Also in Division H5] To avoid difficulties in connection with the high voltage necessary across electrodes to melt a large mass of glass, alternating current is passed through a plurality of separate subordinate bodies of glass melt, and molten glass from these bodies is brought into confluence to form a main body constituting the required bulk supply, the number and size of the separate subordinate bodies of glass melt being such, in relation to the size of the main body, that the normal maximum requirement as to throughput can be met using less than the. total number of separate subordinate bodies of glass melt. In the furnace shown, three or more melting chambers 16 containing electrodes 19 are each connected by a duct 17 either directly or via a forehearth or refining chamber 18 containing electrodes 20 to a main chamber 10 containing electrodes 29. The lever 14 of molten glass and batch materials in the chamber 16 isabove the level 24 in the chamber 18 thus causing flow from chamber 16 to chamber 18 and over a weir, formed by the lower boundary of an opening 23, which prevents reverse flow from the main chamber 10 and also stops the normal flow if the feeding-in of new batch materials is discontinued. A gate 27 can also be lowered to restrict or stop the flow when required. In a modified construction (Fig. 3, not shown), the bottom wall 15 of the main chamber 10 is at a slightly higher level than the floor of the chamber 16 and reverse flow can be prevented and normal flow stopped only by closing the gate 27. In either arrangement each melting chamber 16 can be taken out of service in turn without affecting production. Specifications 835,201, 835,202, 835,204 and 835,205 are referred to.