Method of and apparatus for the thermal conditioning of molten glass before its shaping

• US 3,231,351 A
• Filed: 06/09/1961
• Issued: 01/25/1966
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1960
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Edgard Brichard
• Original Assignee: Edgard Brichard
• Inventors: EDGARD BRICHARD
• Application Number:
  US04/116,176
• Time in Patent Office: 1,691 Days
• US Class Current: 65/85
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 15/02 Drawing glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 5/183 using thermal means, e.g. for creating convection currents
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 7/005 Controlling, regulating or measuring

Claims

1. THE METHOD OF MANUFACTURING GLASS PRODUCTS WHICH COMPRISES FORMING IN A WORKING CHAMBER HAVING A GIVEN AREA FOR A POOL OF MOLTEN GLASS OF SUBSTANTIAL THICKNESS AND FROM AN INTERIOR EXTRACTION ZONE OF WHICH A PRODUCT IS PULLED OUT OF A GIVEN WORKING TEMPERATURE, A BATH IN SAID WORKING CHAMBER SUPPORTING SAID GLASS POOL AND COMPOSED OF A MOLTEN METAL HAVING A MELTING POINT SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER THAN THE TEMPERATURE AT WHICH THE GLASS IS TO BE MAINTAINED IN THE CHAMBER, HISH THERMAL CONDUCTIVELY AND INERTNESS TO THE GLASS, THE METAL BATH BEING FORMED SO THAT IT HAS A POOL SUPPORTING SURFACE THROUGHOUT THE EXTENT OF WHICH SAID BATH IS OF A THICKNESS ENABLING THE PRODUCTION OF HEAT TRANSFER CIRVULATORY MOVEMENT, FLOWING MOLTEN GLASS DIRECTLY FROM A FURNACE TO A PART OF THE METAL BATH AT THE ENTRY END OF SAID WORKING CHAMBER AND OVER SAID METAL BATH TOWARD SAIDINTERIOR EXTRACTION ZONE, AGITAING SAID BATH OF MOLTEN METAL INTERNALLY TO CREATE A MOVEMENT THEREIN CAPABLE OF REDISTRIBUTING THE HEAT OF SAID GLASS POOL TO PROVIDE A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM TEMPERATURE IN SAID INTERIOR EXTRACTION ZONE OF THE GLASS POOL, AND GUIDING SUCH MOVEMENT OF THE MOLTEN METAL TO CAUSE IT TO FLOW IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME PLANE IN CHANNELS FORMING AT LEAST ONE CLOSED CIRCUIT OF FLOW HAVING A TORTUOUS COURSE, AND SO THAT SUCH GUIDED FLOW EXTENDS THROUGOUT SAID GIVEN AREA WITHIN WHICH IS LOCATED SAID INTERIOR EXTRACTION ZONE, WHEREBY THE HEAT EXTRACTED BY THE GUIDED FLOW OF MOLTEN METAL FROM THE HOTTER PORTIONS OF SAID GLASS POOL AS IT RECIRCULATES THROUGH SUCH TORTUOUS COUSE, IS REDISTRIBUTED TO THE COOLER PORTIONS OF SAID GLASS POOL AS AS TO PRODUCE IN SAID INTERIOR EXTRACTION ZONE OF MOLTEN GLASS A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM TEMPERATURE.

3. THE COMBINATION WITH A FURNACES FOR MELTING GLASS, OF WORKING CHAMBERS OF GIVEN AREA FOR A POOL OF MOLTEN GLASS OF SUBSTANTIAL THICKNESS AND FROM AN INTERIOR EXTRACTION ZONE OF WHICH A PRODUCT IS PULLED OUT OF AT A GIVEN WORKING TEMPERATURE, SAID WORKING CHAMBER BEING SEPARATED AT ONE END FROM THE FURNACE BY A TRANSVERSE PARTITION RISING FROM THE FLOOR OF THE CHAMBER TO A HEIGHT BELOW THE LEVEL OF THE MOLTEN GLASS FLOWING FROM THE FURNACE INTO SAID CHAMBER, SAID WORKING CHAMBER HAVING END AND SIDE WALLS DEFINING WITH SAID PARTITION A RECEPTACLE OF SAID GIVEN AREA, A BATH IN SAID RECEPTACLE SUPPORTING SAID GLASS POOL AND COMPOSED OF A MOLTEN METAL HAVING A MELTING POINT SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER THAN THE TEMPERATURE AT WHICH THE GLASS IS TO BE MAINTAINED IN THE CHAMBER, HIGH THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY AND INERTNESS TO THE GLASS, THE METAL BATH BEING FORMED SO THAT IT HAS A POOL SUPPORTING SURFACE THROUGHOUT THE EXTENT OF WHICH SAID BATH IS OF A THICKNESS ENABLING THE PRODUCTION OF HEAT TRANSFER CIRCULATORY MOVEMENT, THE MOLTEN GLASS FROM THE FURNACE FLOWING OVER SAID TRANSVERSE PARTITION AND OVER SAID METAL BATH TOWARD SAID INTERIOR EXTRACTION ZONE, MEANS FOR PULLING OUT A GLASS PRODUCT FROM THE THUS SUPPORTED GLASS POOL AT SAID INTERIOR EXTRACTION ZONE THREOF, MEANS FOR AGITATING SAID BATH OF MOLTEN METAL INTERNALLY TO CREATE A MOVEMENT THEREIN CAPABLE OF REDISTRIBUTING THE HEAT OF SAID GLASS POOL TO PROVIDE A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM TEMPERATURE IN SAID INTERIOR EXTRACTION ZONE OF THE GLASS POOL, AND MEANS FOR GUIDING SUCH MOVEMENT OF THE MOLTEN METAL TO CAUSE IT TO FLOW IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME PLANE IN CHANNELS FORMING AT LEAST ONE CLOSED CIRCUIT OF FLOW HAVING A TORTOUS COURSE, AND SO THAT SUCH GUIDED FLOW EXTENDS THROUGHOUT SAID GIVEN AREA WITHIN WHICH IS LOCATED SAID INTERIOR EXTRACTION ZONE, WHEREBY THE HEAT EXTRACTED BY THE GUIDED FLOW OF MOLTEN METAL FROM THE HOTTER PORTIONS OF THE GLASS POOL AS IT RECIRCULATES THROUGH SUCH TORTUOUS COURSE, IS REDISTRIBUTED TO THE COLLER PORTIONS OF SAID GLASS POOL SO AS TO PRODUCE IN SAID INTERIOR EXTRACTION ZONE OF MOLTEN GLASS A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM TEMPERATURE.