Abstract: A bushing assembly/support structure arrangement is provided. The arrangement comprises a bushing assembly and a support structure. The bushing arrangement includes a bushing main body comprising at least first and second side walls and a tip plate extending between the side walls. The tip plate contains a plurality of orifices through which molten mineral material flows prior to being attenuated into fibers. The bushing assembly further comprises a first support rail coupled to the main body first side wall, and at least one first bracket having an intermediate member coupled to the main body first side wall. The support structure comprises a bushing frame, and at least one first support strap. The support strap has a first end fixedly coupled to the bushing frame and second end extending toward a first location on the support rail adjacent the first bracket for supporting the bushing assembly.

Abstract: This invention pertains to apparatus and process for making core/clad glass fibers. The apparatus includes a central tube or receptacle connected at the top to a pressure controller and terminating in a reduced section; a side tube or receptacle positioned at about the level of the upper portion of the central tube; an outer tube or receptacle disposed around the bottom portion of the central tube terminating in a smaller section which is concentric with and spaced directly below the section of the central tube; a side arm connecting the side tube and the outer tube; and furnaces around the side, outer, and the reduced sections of the central and the outer tubes.

Abstract: A plurality of different structural members for reinforcing a plate-like structure, such as a bushing tip plate for intended use in forming fibers from a fluid material supplied to a bushing assembly, are disclosed. Each reinforcing member includes a body having a first portion for attachment to the structure and a second portion having a profile with a variable height including at least one apex. The body may be integrally formed of a single piece of material, or two or formed from more separate pieces of material bonded or secured together. The body may be T-shaped, L-shaped, or F-shaped in cross-section. The second portion of the body may have an inverted V-shaped profile, an inverted W-shaped profile, or an arcuate profile. The at least one apex may be located at the midpoint or elsewhere along the length of the body.

Abstract: A fiberizing apparatus for converting molten material into continuous fibers having an improved internal support structure to minimize high temperature creep and sagging of the tip plate or orifice plate is disclosed. The preferred internal support structure is welded to the sidewalls and the top surface of the tip plate and is comprised of a plurality of internal intersecting supports that form a diamond shaped structure. A method of fiberizing a molten material using the fiberizing apparatus is also disclosed.

Abstract: A bushing including a terminal ear and a method of manufacturing the bushing are disclosed. The bushing includes a bushing body which can include side plates, end plates, a bottom plate, and terminal ears coupled to the bushing body. Clamps are attached to the terminal ears to supply electrical current to the bushing to maintain the glass inside in a liquid state. Each terminal ear includes an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion is coupled to a side plate of the bushing. A clamp is attached to the lower portion of the terminal ear. The upper and lower portions are oriented at an angle with respect to each other. Support portions are provided along the side edges of the upper portions of the terminal ears. Support portions stiffen the terminal ear, thereby increasing its resistance to bending and fatigue stresses. Support portions do not contact the bushing and therefore do not directly conduct current to the bushing.

Abstract: The invention is directed to the production of optical fibers from optical fiber preforms using flow physics. The present methods provide for the “drawing” of an optical fiber preform using focusing of the preform by a surrounding fluid, e.g. a heated gas.

Abstract: A bushing tip plate support assembly for a bushing in a filament forming apparatus is disclosed. The support assembly improves the flatness of the tip section within the spans between the external support and the center support. The filament forming apparatus includes a bushing having a bottom plate from which nozzles or tips depend. The disclosed support assembly is an improvement on the internal support assemblies in conventional bushings because it has several functions. The support assembly includes two vertical dividers mounted in the bushing. The bottom ends of the dividers are welded to the tops of tip plate gussets in the bushing. The dividers are attached to side plates of the bushing as well. An upper portion of each divider serves as an upper side wall for the bushing and defines part of the throat of the bushing into which the molten glass flows. The dividers also include middle and lower portions with perforations through which the glass in the bushing may flow.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a bushing baseplate, and to a bushing baseplate. The bushing baseplate is characterized in that it comprises tips (18) constituted by hollow tubular elements of outside diameter slightly smaller than the inside diameter of holes (16) in the plate (12) forming the bushing baseplate, which tips are subjected to a step of being expanded radially relative to their axes. The method is simpler and less expensive.

Abstract: A precious metal bushing used for fiberizing molten glass through nozzles protruding from the lower surface of an orifice plate in the bottom of the bushing requires a substantially reduced investment in precious metal by having very short sidewalls and endwalls such that the distance from the bottom surface of a flange at the top of the bushing to the top surface of the orifice plate is more than about 0.2 inch, but less than about 0.65 inch and preferably less than about 0.5 inch.

Abstract: A glass-fiber bushing including a bottom tip-plate and side walls surrounding the bottom tip-plate forming a container for molten glass. The bottom tip-plate including a plurality of tips arranged to permit molten glass to flow there through to produce a multiplicity of individual molten glass streams from which glass fibers may be formed. The glass-fiber bushing includes at least one tip-plate thermocouple having a platinum tube housing, a pair of thermocouple wires transversing the tube housing and terminating in a weld junction. The tube housing, thermocouple wires and the weld are attached directly to the tip-plate such that the thermocouple junction is formed directly at the tip-plate surface.

Abstract: This invention relates to a high throughput glass fiber production system and process to provide optimum glass delivery to the glass fiberizing bushing and enhanced glass production of textile fibers or filaments of glass. The fiberizing system includes dual melters which feed the molten glass through various screens within a high throughput feed bushing positioned below the melters to reduce seeds and condition the glass. The feed bushing directs the molten glass into a dual flow diverter for supplying the molten glass into the optimum location of the glass fiberizing bushings placed below the dual flow diverter.

Abstract: An insulating flow block having a plurality of bores extending therethrough to permit the flow of molten fiberizable material through the block, a bushing assembly having a bushing block with one or more bores extending through a peripheral region thereof to divert a portion of a supply of molten fiberizable material from a central region of the bushing block to the peripheral region of the bushing block, and a bushing positioned in general registry with the bore of the peripheral region of the bushing block to facilitate the flow of molten fiberizable material to a peripheral region of the bushing is disclosed.

Abstract: A core/clad glass optical fiber is made by melting a core glass rod and a adding glass rod in separate crucibles which are not concentric with respect to each other and the respective core and cladding glass melts passed out of contact with each other to a glass melt contacting zone proximate a fiber drawing orifice in which the cladding glass surrounds the core glass and a core/clad glass fiber is drawn. This process enables the clad glass fiber to be drawn directly from core and cladding glass rods without the need for a preform or forming a melt from glass chards or chunks, thereby reducing the cost of producing the fiber and also producing a glass clad optical fiber of high purity and excellent concentricity. Chalcogenide glass fibers having a concentricity of 100% have been made.

Abstract: A glass fiber forming bushing assembly wherein the bushing is supported by a frame is disclosed wherein portions of the frame are angled outwardly and downwardly. The result is a larger amount of insulating refractory between the bushing and the frame at the plane of the tip plate at the bottom of the bushing. This provides more uniform thermal conditions across the bushing. Structural integrity is provided by protrusions extending from the angled side frame portions into the refractory.

Abstract: A bushing including a tip plate having an orifice region including orifices to permit flow of a molten fiberizable material therethrough; a reservoir for supplying molten fiberizable material to the orifices; and a substantially planar perforated plate positioned within the reservoir generally parallel to and substantially coextensive with the orifice region of the tip plate, the perforated plate including a central region and a peripheral region surrounding the central region, each of the central region and the peripheral region of the perforated plate having a plurality of openings to permit flow of molten fiberizable material therethrough, wherein average head loss of molten material flowing through the central region of the perforated plate is greater than average head loss of molten material flowing through the peripheral region of the perforated plate.

Abstract: A multi-screen mixing apparatus for installation in a fiber-forming bushing used in the manufacture of glass fibers. The multi-screen mixer attaches to the walls of the bushing, and includes a first screen having openings therein through which the glass flows and a second screen having openings through which the glass flows longitudinally spaced from the openings in the first screen such that the molten glass must flow in a non-linear path as it passes through the screens. Additional screens can be added to cause additional flow diversion to further mix the molten glass.

Abstract: A heat-absorbing finshield assembly, which is located adjacent the discharge area of a furnace for producing glass fibers, includes fins spaced along a fluid-cooled manifold such that the fins extend between, but not in contact with, the molten glass fibers emerging from the furnace. The fins may have microfins in their bases which are in contact with the cooling fluid. The fins also may be of variable thicknesses relative to each other along the manifold to absorb different quantities of heat from the emerging fibers.

Abstract: A bushing base plate comprised of a bushing base raw plate containing a circular or irregular aperture having inner surfaces and inner diameters; and a hollow tube having outer surfaces and out diameters which is inserted into the aperture and bonded thereto by thermal diffusion. Prior to insertion of the tube in the aperture, the outer diameters are greater than the inner diameters, thereby producing a pressing force between the outer surfaces of the tube and the inner surfaces of the aperture.

Abstract: A bushing assembly for forming fibers from a supply of molten fiberizable material has: (a) a bushing block having an insulating body with a bore extending therethrough and (b) an electrically conductive bushing positioned adjacent to the bushing block to receive molten fiberizable material from the bore. The bushing includes a flange having bonded to an upper surface thereof a primary layer of an electrically insulating material with a bulk density of greater than 2.0 grams per cubic centimeter. The electrically insulating material is positioned adjacent to the liner on the lower surface of the body of the bushing block and is in contact with the molten fiberizable material.

Abstract: A backup structure for a pipe for feeding a molten substance of high temperature has a pipe and a thermal insulation material surrounding the pipe wherein the pipe is provided with a plurality of projections on its outer periphery at predetermined intervals, and each of the productions is held at its both sides by the thermal insulation material.

Abstract: A spinner for centrifuging mineral fibers from molten mineral material is disclosed. The spinner includes a generally annular peripheral wall, the peripheral wall having a plurality of apertures formed therethrough, and a plurality of eyelets mounted in the apertures, each eyelet having multiple orifices formed therethrough.

Abstract: The disclosed method of making a glass body by a sol/gel process comprises electrochemically assisted release of the gel body from the mold in which the body was formed. More specifically, the method involves gelation of a sol in a mold that comprises a first conductor member, with a second conductor member also being in contact with the sol and/or gel, and causing the flow of a current between the first and second conductor members, with the first member being the cathode. In consequence of the current flow a substantially liquid lubricating layer that facilitates removal of the gel body from the melt exists at the cathode/gel interface.

Abstract: The invention provides a nozzle tip for manufacturing a glass fiber having a deformed cross-section which is of a large deformation ratio in the cross-section. A plurality of projected edges are provided to extend downwardly from the distal end of a nozzle tip at its outer periphery. Molten glass coming out of an orifice is separated at an outlet of the orifice into a flow descending from the orifice center and flows descending along inner walls of the projected edges, and the flow descending from the orifice center is attracted toward the flows descending along the inner walls of the projected edges. As a result, a glass fiber having a deformed cross-section is produced which is protruding in its portions corresponding to the projected edges. The cross-section of the glass fiber produced by using the present nozzle tip has a deformation ratio not less than 2.3.

Abstract: A holding member holding an optical connector is set in a rotary member such that the optical axis of the optical connector is at a predetermined inclination angle to the axis of rotation of the rotary member. An end face of the optical connector is then brought into contact with a polishing member. Then, the rotary member and polishing member are driven for rotation by drive means to polish the end face of the optical connector into an inclined convex spherical surface.