Method of and apparatus for melting of glass
First Claim
1. Apparatus for the melting and fining of glass comprising a receptacle for containing glass constituents including molten glass up to a glass line and glass batch above portions of said glass line;
- a first region in said receptacle adapted to receive glass batch;
a second region in said receptacle spaced horizontally from said first region and adapted to have molten glass withdrawn therefrom;
a heat source beneath the glass line in said first and second regions adapted to heat the glass;
means for distributing glass batch as a blanket over a preponderance of the upper surface of said first region;
a heat source beneath the glass line adapted to heat the glass; and
a cover for said receptacle to enclose the space above said second region, said cover having a flue for the passage of gas from beneath said cover and said cover being positioned sufficiently close to said glass line so as to reflect heat from within the glass in said second region back to the exposed upper surface of the glass in said second region to increase the fluidity of said surface to an extent to facilitate the escape of gas from said surface in said second region while thermal conditions at the exposed surface of said first region maintain a batch blanket over a preponderance of the upper surface of said first region.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A glass melting furnace in which glass can be heated by sources below its upper surface, as electrically by Joule effect, and by means above its upper surface, as by fossil fuel firing or by heat reflectors. A cold top melting mode is employed in the charging region of the furnace while the glass discharge region maintains an exposed molten, upper surface on the glass. In a disclosed embodiment a high crown over the charging region enables cold top melting and refining to be accomplished by Joule effect while flues and burner ports in that region are closed. A low crown, which may be adjustable in its height above the glass line, is provided over the discharge region to increase heating at the exposed, molten upper surface of the glass by reflection. Heating in the discharge region can be augmented by above surface heaters distributed across the crown. A flue in the discharge region carries gases from that region. The degree of heat flow from the discharge region to the charging region is controlled by an adjustable heat barrier. One form of barrier is a transverse wall mounted between the regions and arranged for adjustable elevation above the glass line. The degree of refinement of the glass in the discharge region permits use of the surface throat in furnaces where Joule effect heating provides the preponderant source of heat.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. Apparatus for the melting and fining of glass comprising a receptacle for containing glass constituents including molten glass up to a glass line and glass batch above portions of said glass line;
- a first region in said receptacle adapted to receive glass batch;
a second region in said receptacle spaced horizontally from said first region and adapted to have molten glass withdrawn therefrom;
a heat source beneath the glass line in said first and second regions adapted to heat the glass;
means for distributing glass batch as a blanket over a preponderance of the upper surface of said first region;
a heat source beneath the glass line adapted to heat the glass; and
a cover for said receptacle to enclose the space above said second region, said cover having a flue for the passage of gas from beneath said cover and said cover being positioned sufficiently close to said glass line so as to reflect heat from within the glass in said second region back to the exposed upper surface of the glass in said second region to increase the fluidity of said surface to an extent to facilitate the escape of gas from said surface in said second region while thermal conditions at the exposed surface of said first region maintain a batch blanket over a preponderance of the upper surface of said first region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
- a first region in said receptacle adapted to receive glass batch;
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6. Apparatus for the melting and fining of glass comprising a receptacle for containing molten glass up to a glass line and glass batch above said glass line;
- means for introducing glass batch into said receptacle in a first region and for discharging molten glass from a second region spaced from the first region;
a first cover for said receptacle to enclose the space above said first region;
heaters beneath the glass line in said first and second regions adapted to heat said glass;
a second cover to enclose the space above the second region, said second cover having a flue for the passage of gas from beneath said second cover, said second cover being positioned less than half the height of the first cover above the glass line and being positioned sufficiently close to said glass line so as to reflect heat developed within said molten glass in said second region back to the exposed upper surface of glass in said second region and beneath said second cover to a sufficiently greater extent than heat is reflected back to the exposed upper surface of said first region to heat the surface of said glass in the second region to increase the fluidity of said surface to an extent to promote the escape of gas therefrom while the thermal conditions at the exposed surface of said first region maintain a batch blanket over a preponderance of the upper surface of said first region. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
- means for introducing glass batch into said receptacle in a first region and for discharging molten glass from a second region spaced from the first region;
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23. The method of operating a continuous glass melting and refining furnace which comprises the steps of applying a preponderance of the heat applied to a body of molten glass beneath the upper surface of that glass;
- applying glass batch to the mass of glass constituents including the body of molten glass in a charging region remote from a withdrawal region and from a level above the molten glass;
distributing glass batch over a substantial portion of the upper surface of the body of molten glass;
withdrawing molten glass from the body of molten glass in the withdrawal region adjacent one side of the body;
maintaining a heat reflective surface in close proximity above the mass of glass constituents in the withdrawal region to reflect heat to the surface of the mass of glass constituents in thre withdrawal region beneath the heat reflective surface to an extent to maintain the upper surface of the mass of glass constituents beneath the heat reflective surface sufficiently fluid to promote the escape of gas therefrom, to maintain the upper surface essentially free of batch, and to define a leading edge of the batch blanket at its interface with an upper surface of the molten glass generally along the edge of the withdrawal region most proximate said charging region. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 40)
- applying glass batch to the mass of glass constituents including the body of molten glass in a charging region remote from a withdrawal region and from a level above the molten glass;
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39. The method of operating a continuous glass melting and refining furnace having a charge and discharge region wherein a batch blanket is maintained on the upper surface of the glass constituents in the charge region and the upper surface of the glass constituents in the discharge region is molten glass which comprises the steps of applying a preponderance of the heat applied in the charge and discharge regions to the mass of glass constituents by Joule effect;
- augmenting the Joule effect heat with heat directed toward the upper surface of the glass mass in the discharge region from above that upper surface;
imposing a barrier to heat flow between the space above the discharge region and the space above the charge regions; and
adjusting the location of the leading edge of the batch blanket proximate to the discharge region by adjusting the flow of heat past the barrier from the space above the upper surface of the glass mass in the discharge region to the space above the upper surface of the glass in the charge region.
- augmenting the Joule effect heat with heat directed toward the upper surface of the glass mass in the discharge region from above that upper surface;
Specification