APPARATUS FOR COATING FILAMENTARY MATERIAL

• US 3,831,551 A
• Filed: 04/14/1972
• Issued: 08/27/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Roger A. Kime
• Original Assignee: Roger A. Kime
• Inventors: Kime, Roger A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kaplan, Morris
• Application Number:
  US05/244,182
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 118/7,8,419,420,101,DIG.19,DIG.22 117/114R,114A,114B,114C,115
• US Class Current: 118/694
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 25/46 Metals

Abstract

Method and apparatus for coating fibers of glass and the like with a liquid such as molten aluminum. The fibers are passed through a lip of the molten metal which projects from an upper edge of a vessel which holds a body of the molten metal. The coated fibers are then passed over a heated wiper to more uniformly distribute the molten metal on the fibers before the metal hardens. An automatic control is provided for maintaining a substantially constant molten metal level in the vessel as the metal is applied to the fibers.

Claims

1. Apparatus for coating fibers with a material in a liquid state comprising, in combination, a vessel for holding the liquid material, said vessel having a straight horizontal side portion, and means for supplying the material to the vessel at a rate for maintaining the liquid material at a desired level just above said side portion, said material supplying means including means for continuously supplying the material to the vessel at a rate faster than the material is normally applied to the fibers when the liquid material level is below the desired level and means for continuously supplying the material to the vessel at a rate slower than the material is normally applied to the fibers when the liquid material level is above the desired level whereby, through surface tension, the liquid material defines a lip projecting from said side portion for coating the fibers when such fibers are passed through such lip.

2. Apparatus for coating fibers with a material in a liquid state, as set forth in claim 1, and including means positioned below and parallel to such lip of liquid material for wiping the fibers after they are coated to more uniformly coat the fibers with the liquid material.

3. Apparatus for coating fibers with a material in a liquid state, as set forth in claim 2, and including means for heating the material in said vessel to maintain the material in a liquid state, and means for heating said wiping means.

4. Apparatus for coating fibers with a material in a liquid state, as set forth in claim 1, and including means for disabling said material supplying means when the material in said vessel is above a predetermined dangerously high level, and means for disabling said material supplying means when the material in said vessel is below a predetermined dangerously low level.

5. Apparatus for coating glass fibers with metal comprising, in combination, a vessel for holding molten metal, means for heating metal in said vessel to a molten state, means for supplying metal to said vessel at an average rate to maintain a desired surface level for the molten metal, said vessel having a wall with an upper edge spaced below the desired surface level for the molten metal, a dam extending upwardly from said upper wall edge and spaced inwardly from an exterior edge of said upper wall edge, said dam having an uppermost edge spaced below and parallel to the desired surface level whereby the molten metal can flow over said dam to form a lip projecting from said exterior edge as a consequence of the surface tension of the molten metal, a ceramic wiper spaced below and parallel to such lip of molten metal, and means for electrically heating said wiper to above the melting temperature of the metal whereby, when glass fibers are passed through such lip and over said wiper, such fibers are coated with the metal.

6. Apparatus for coating glass fibers with metal, as set forth in claim 5, wherein said vessel includes a concave surface tension recess formed in said vessel parallel to and adjoining said exterior edge, said surface tension recess lying between said exterior edge and said wiper to prevent the molten metal from flowing onto said wiper.

7. Apparatus for coating glass fibers with metal, as set forth in claim 6, wherein said means for supplying metal to said vessel includes means for continuouSly feeding wire formed from the metal into said vessel, means for sensing the surface level of the molten metal in said vessel, and means responsive to the sensed surface level for controlling the wire feed rate to maintain the molten metal at substantially the desired surface level.

8. Apparatus for coating glass fibers with metal, as set forth in claim 7, wherein said control means causes said feed means to feed wire at a rate faster than the metal is normally applied to the fibers when the surface level is below the desired surface level and at a rate slower than the metal is normally applied to the fibers when the surface level is above the desired surface level whereby the average wire speed rate corresponds to the rate at which the metal is applied to the fibers.

9. Apparatus for coating glass fibers with metal, as set forth in claim 8, and including means for disabling said feed means when the deviation of the sensed surface level from the desired surface level exceeds a predetermined tolerance.