Abstract: Methods are provided for forming a plurality of air diffusers from a single fiberglass and foil blank. At an automated pre-forming station upstream of a molding station, a blank has pressed therein two air diffuser patterns at a middle portion, two patterns at a first catercorner portion and two patterns at a second catercorner portion and the pressing of each set of two patterns occurs substantially simultaneously to prevent the foil from delaminating from the fiberglass. Thereafter, the blank is fed to a molding station that applies a significantly larger pressing force and heats the blank to form six air diffusers. Perforations are cut in the blank to facilitate separation of the air diffusers in a trimming station downstream of the molding station. Preferred pressing of air diffuser patterns occurs with pneumatic actuated male and female air diffuser pattern molds that are sequentially operated in accordance with a desired pattern.

Abstract: Methods are provided for forming a plurality of air diffusers from a single fiberglass and foil blank. At an automated pre-forming station upstream of a molding station, a blank has pressed therein two air diffuser patterns at a middle portion, two patterns at a first catercorner portion and two patterns at a second catercorner portion and the pressing of each set of two patterns occurs substantially simultaneously to prevent the foil from delaminating from the fiberglass. Thereafter, the blank is fed to a molding station that applies a significantly larger pressing force and heats the blank to form six air diffusers. Perforations are cut in the blank to facilitate separation of the air diffusers in a trimming station downstream of the molding station. Preferred pressing of air diffuser patterns occurs with pneumatic actuated male and female air diffuser pattern molds that are sequentially operated in accordance with a desired pattern.

Abstract: The apparatus includes a bushing, a cooling assembly, a sizing applicator, a glass filament gathering pad and a winder. A tip section of the bushing is provided with rows of tips having orifices from which streams of molten glass are attenuated into filaments. The tip section is recessed within an insulated frame that supports the bushing so that the insulated frame reflects heat back to the outer tip rows. The glass filaments are drawn from the bushing tips by the winder with the gathering pad functioning to gather the filaments together into a strand which is wound on the winder. Finned cooling tubes or a combination of finned cooling tubes and finless cooling tubes are located beneath the bushing in proximity to and between at least some of the rows of tips to maintain a more uniform temperature among the glass globules issuing from the tips in the various rows. The cooling tubes and fins are fabricated of an alloy having a major portion of palladium and a minor portion of ruthenium.