Patents Examined by Robert L. Lindsay, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4362541
    Abstract: The disclosure embraces a method of and apparatus for controlling or stabilizing the temperature or heat pattern at an orifice plate or feeder floor from which flow glass streams which are attenuated to fibers or filaments. More particularly the disclosure embraces a method of and apparatus for delivering streams of air or other fluid from a nozzle construction at a selected angular position into the attenuating environment and onto the feeder floor or orifice plate for cooling the glass streams and the feeder floor or orifice plate for normal attenuating operations. In event of a fiber or filament break-out or other interruption of attenuation, the angularity of the nozzle construction is changed with respect to the normal path of movement of the fibers or filaments so as to stabilize the heat pattern at the orifice plate or feeder floor and thereby facilitate restarting of normal attenuating operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1982
    Assignee: Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation
    Inventor: Thomas K. Thompson
  • Patent number: 4362543
    Abstract: A process for the manufacture of glass is disclosed. Glass batch agglomerates are formed, fed to a vertical bed preheat hopper, dried and preheated with furnace exhaust gases, and then fed to a glass melting furnace. The spent exhaust gases are electrically charged and passed through an electrified bed of granules to remove glass batch particulate from the spent gases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1982
    Assignee: Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation
    Inventor: Magnus L. Froberg
  • Patent number: 4361429
    Abstract: Method and apparatus are set forth for forming articles from molten sheet glass wherein the molten sheet glass initially substantially conforms to a mold cavity by a combination of vacuum and/or gravity, and then while still in a semi-molten condition the sheet is pressed into a finished ware article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1982
    Assignee: Corning Glass Works
    Inventors: Elmer L. Anderson, Kenneth L. Goodrich, Robert C. Hillman
  • Patent number: 4361431
    Abstract: In a method of forming a thin sheet glass by the float process, a thin layer of molten glass is formed by making molten glass flow through a sluice formed on the surface of a molten metal bath, and the glass layer is drawn lengthways of the bath to further reduce its thickness and advance while its upper surface is exposed to a cooled atmosphere. The sluice is a vertically narrow gap between the surface of the molten metal and a lower end face of a wall extending above and transversely of the molten metal bath. By shaping a lower end portion of this wall and avoiding particularly heating the molten glass in the vicinity of the sluice, it has become possible to obtain defectless sheet glass thinner than one millimeter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1982
    Assignee: Central Glass Company, Limited
    Inventors: Takayoshi Kandachi, Keizi Sueda, Minoru Suzuki
  • Patent number: 4358305
    Abstract: A hole through each of opposed walls of a combustion chamber of a glass melting apparatus and piping interconnect the chamber atmosphere to an oxygen analyzer. A sample of the chamber atmosphere is continuously moved through each of the holes and piping to the analyzer by the biasing action of the positive pressure differential between the chamber atmosphere and the ambient atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1982
    Assignee: PPG Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: George E. Sleighter
  • Patent number: 4358306
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for molding a block of a fused quartz glass by the plastic deformation of a starting block with smaller dimensions at a high temperature. The molding procedure is carried out in a graphite mold under compression at a temperature of 1700.degree. C. or higher in an atmosphere of helium at a pressure in the range, preferably, from 50 to 500 Torr. The cooling schedule as specified is also of importance in order that the molded quartz glass block is freed from any strain or cracks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1982
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Haruo Okamoto, Motoyuki Yamada
  • Patent number: 4358304
    Abstract: Volatile borates and/or fluorides are removed from the hot stack gases of a glass furnace by passing the hot stack gases up through a layer of wet pellets containing ions of an alkaline earth metal or an alkali metal. The pellets may contain solid borates and/or fluorides as part of the feed to the glass furnace, and still absorb volatile materials from the stack gases, so long as the borates and/or fluorides in the pellets are in, or are converted to a less soluble and volatile form that are the volatile materials in the stack gases. Ca(OH).sub.2 is a preferred material for converting the volatiles into an essentially nonvolatile form. Ion exchange materials, such as clay, can also be used to capture these volatiles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1980
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1982
    Assignee: Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation
    Inventor: Magnus L. Froberg
  • Patent number: 4357158
    Abstract: A gob distributor for machines for the shaping of articles of glass and other materials, which comprises basically a curved distributor scoop for each of the gobs which are supplied simultaneously by the doser, each of which scoops has its upper end aligned at all times with each respective orifice of the doser and is moved angularly in such a manner that its lower end coincides, in a predetermined order, with the upper ends of the fixed channels of the machine which conduct the gobs to the respective cavities of the individual sections of the machine; fastening means integrated in the upper end of each curved distributor scoop; a housing or support frame; a drive member and an auxiliary member which are linked movably to each other, which comprise fastening means on their inner part and which by their fastening means rotatably support the curved distributor scoops between them in a dependent linear relationship; linking means coupled to the drive and auxiliary members which oscillate on central pivots fasten
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1982
    Assignee: Investigacion FIC Fideicomiso
    Inventor: Elio M. Garza
  • Patent number: 4357154
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for collecting and handling partly fibrated material which is formed by a partial fibrating of a mineral bloom (1), whereby the partially fibrated material is collected and brought into suspension in a water bath (11) in which the un-fibrated material is separated and the fibrated material is collected and removed for the manufacture of mineral fibre products. In the water bath (11) the fibre fraction and the partially fibrated material is kept in water suspension (by 12) whereas un-fibrated and more heavy material is allowed to sink to the bottom from which such material is removed (by 13). The collecting of the fibre material just formed is preferably made by flows of water (6, 7) and while suspending the fibre material in air (by 38, 40). The separation of fibre material is made by dynamical separation in one or several stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1982
    Assignee: Rockwool Aktiebolaget
    Inventor: Willy Hartung
  • Patent number: 4357155
    Abstract: In strand forming and packaging apparatus including a molten glass stream feeder and a single-collet, dual-package winder, cam and hook means are provided between the front and rear secondary shoe means to effect automatic threading of the rear strand into the rear secondary shoe means when the operator moves the front and rear strands into operative association with the collet and threads the front strand into the front secondary shoe means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1982
    Assignee: Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation
    Inventors: Scott O. Sheeler, Howard B. Bush, Peter N. Kiproff
  • Patent number: 4356016
    Abstract: A fiberizing bushing having a plurality of cooling tube alignment members spaced from the tip plate of the bushing wherein only a small portion of the space is filled with a refractory cement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1981
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1982
    Assignee: Manville Service Corporation
    Inventors: Eric J. Brosch, William H. Sterrett
  • Patent number: 4356202
    Abstract: The invention comprises a composition in pliable sheet form for wrapping a foodstuff to provide an edible coating and a fried appearance, taste and texture upon baking comprising an intimate admixture of a fat, water and a particulate farinaceous material suspended in a pliable sheet form by a gelatin matrix. The invention also includes a method of baking a foodstuff comprising wrapping said foodstuff in said sheet material and baking the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1981
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1982
    Assignee: General Foods Inc.
    Inventor: John M. Todd
  • Patent number: 4356019
    Abstract: In order to provide mixing between the freshly melted glass and that already in a glass melting vessel for spinning glass fibre, the vessel has a lateral extension having inlets for glass beads or pellets. These fall into a reception trough and the freshly molten glass passes over a first weir to a second reception trough normally just below the level of the glass in the vessel. The glass from the trough passes over a second weir. In order to prevent a direct access to the draw bar in the aperture a further trough and weir are provided. The draw bar may have nipples which are largely embedded in the plate so as to delay the onset of cooling as the glass passes through the nipples. This reduces the required temperature of entry to the nipples and enables the use of lower grade materials, such as alloy steel or nickel chromium alloy, for the plate and nipples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1980
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1982
    Inventor: Bernard Gleeson
  • Patent number: 4356017
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for catching a partly fibrated mineral bloom which is thrown out from rotating fibrating wheels (1, 2), which are supplied with a mineral bloom. The catching of the partly fibrated mineral is made by one or several jets or flows of a liquid medium, especially water, which are directed to the fibres at an angle to the outflow direction of the fibres from the fibrating wheel or wheels (1, 2). The liquid flow or flows can be provided in one or several sets completely or partly extending round the periphery of the fibrating wheels (1, 2). The liquid flows can be flat or bowformed jets which are provided so as to completely surround the periphery of the fibrating wheels. By means of the liquid flows the partly fibrated mineral is brought away for further treatment, especially for separating fibres from non-fibrated particles, so called pearls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1981
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1982
    Assignee: Rockwool Aktiebolaget
    Inventor: Bill Ankersson
  • Patent number: 4353727
    Abstract: A mount having a flared portion is so located that it is coaxial with a straight glass tube having an unconstricted end part and that an end face of the flared portion lies slightly inwards with respect to an end face of the glass tube. Subsequently, an outer surface of the end part of the glass tube is uniformly heated, whereby the flared portion and the end part of the glass tube are melted and stuck to each other. At this time, a surface temperature of the whole glass tube except the melted and stuck portion is maintained at or above 40.degree. C. As a result, a fluorescent lamp having good lamp characteristics is fabricated by the use of the inexpensive glass tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1981
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1982
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Etsuo Urataki, Yoshio Takano, Yoshinobu Tomita, Mitsuru Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 4353724
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for fiberizing molten mineral material of the type in which molten mineral material is supplied to a spinner and centrifuged by the spinner into mineral fibers, is characterized by fiberizing the molten mineral material at a temperature below the liquidus temperature of the molten mineral material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1981
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1982
    Assignee: Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation
    Inventor: Robert L. Houston
  • Patent number: 4352686
    Abstract: Apparatus for rotating a spinner comprising a rotatable cap means, a quill upon which said spinner is mounted for rotation, and a threaded insert adapted to transmit a drive force from the rotatable cap means to the quill, where a stop means is mounted on the cap means and a ball mounted for radial movement with respect to the insert means is biased radially inwardly, and where outward radial movement of the ball causes engagement between the ball and the stop means to prevent relative movement between the insert means and the cap means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1981
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1982
    Assignee: Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation
    Inventor: E. Eugene Crosby
  • Patent number: 4351659
    Abstract: A graded index optical fiber is produced in a double crucible with an elongate heated exit nozzle. The core and cladding glasses of the fiber diffuse into one another in the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1981
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1982
    Assignee: The Post Office
    Inventors: Keith J. Beales, Clive R. Day, George R. Newns
  • Patent number: 4351656
    Abstract: A fiber glass bushing is disclosed which is formed with a corrugated bottom which provides a plurality of flat ridges on which are positioned orifices. The ridges are separated by grooves containing ceramic insulation and the bushing provided with means to support the bottom when glass is being drawn from the orifices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1981
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1982
    Assignee: PPG Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas H. Jensen
  • Patent number: 4351660
    Abstract: Method and apparatus are disclosed for forming fibers from attenuable materials, especially mineral materials such as glass, the disclosed technique including components providing for attenuation by toration, i.e., attenuation by delivering a stream of attenuable material in attenuable condition into the zone of interaction of a gaseous jet penetrating into a larger gaseous blast. The blast, jet and means for delivery of the stream of attenuable material are disclosed in an interrelationship according to which the device for generating the blast is arranged to deliver the blast in a downwardly directed path, in which the means for generating the jet is arranged to deliver the jet laterally into the blast, in which the stream of attenuable material in attenuable condition is delivered downwardly from a delivery orifice in a position between the blast generating device and the jet generating means, and in which the orifices for both the jet and the attenuable material are spaced from the blast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1981
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1982
    Assignee: Isover Saint-Gobain
    Inventors: Dominique Plantard, Gerard Langlais, Rene Fournier