Abstract: Fiberizing bushings for fiberizing molten materials including molten glass are heated by applying a voltage drop across the bushings wherein molten material flows through an array of hollow tips attached to, or integral with, a tip plate having orifices therein that generally align with channels through the hollow tips to form fibers. The uniformity of the diameter of the fibers produced is much improved by using tips of different lengths and/or tips having channels of differing ID's to compensate for unequal electrical heating and/or cooling effects of drawn-in ambient air that cools the tips on the extreme outer periphery and/or cooling or heating effects of external supports or cooling members running through the array of tips that cools or heats adjacent tips more than the interior tips.

Abstract: Fiberizing bushings for fiberizing molten materials including molten glass are heated by applying a voltage drop across the bushings wherein molten material flows through an array of hollow tips attached to, or integral with, a tip plate having orifices therein that generally align with channels through the hollow tips to form fibers. The uniformity of the diameter of the fibers produced is much improved by using tips of different lengths and/or tips having channels of differing ID's to compensate for unequal electrical heating and/or cooling effects of drawn-in ambient air that cools the tips on the extreme outer periphery and/or cooling or heating effects of external supports or cooling members running through the array of tips that cools or heats adjacent tips more than the interior tips.

Abstract: Fiberizing bushings for fiberizing molten materials including molten glass are heated by applying a voltage drop across the bushings wherein molten material flows through an array of hollow tips attached to, or integral with, a tip plate having orifices therein that generally align with channels through the hollow tips to form fibers. The uniformity of the diameter of the fibers produced is much improved by using tips of different lengths and/or tips having channels of differing ID's to compensate for unequal electrical heating and/or cooling effects of drawn-in ambient air that cools the tips on the extreme outer periphery and/or cooling or heating effects of external supports or cooling members running through the array of tips that cools or heats adjacent tips more than the interior tips.

Abstract: An apparatus for adjusting the cooling members located beneath fiberizing bushings is disclosed having the capability of moving each cooling member, or one portion of each cooling member, in a generally vertical direction, and/or in a lateral and/or tilting direction. Also disclosed is a process of using the apparatus to make fibers from molten material including molten glass.

Abstract: Methods for substantially improving the stability of a melting furnace system including bushings and cooling apparatus for converting molten mineral material to continuous fibers is disclosed. Apparatus and methods for maintaining the molten material throughput and the electrical power load on fiberizing bushings substantially constant are disclosed. The orifice plate, with or without tips or nozzles, is subjected to a more rapid rate of heat removal after the bushing breaks out than it did while the bushing was in a desired fiberizing mode. Apparatus for blowing cooling air upward onto the orifice plate during the time the bushing is breaking out and/or hanging to provide additional cooling is disclosed along with optional additional or alternative apparatus to use for optional additional or alternative cooling is also disclosed.

Abstract: Methods and systems for substantially improving the stability of a melting furnace system that includes bushings and cooling apparatus for converting molten mineral material to continuous fibers is disclosed. Apparatus and methods for maintaining the molten material throughput and the electrical power load on fiberizing bushings substantially constant are disclosed. The orifice plate, with or without tips or nozzles, is subjected to a more rapid rate of heat removal after the bushing breaks out than it did while the bushing was in a desired fiberizing mode. Apparatus that can respond quickly following a recognition that a bushing has broken out to increase cooling of the orifice plate or tip plate of a bushing is disclosed as is methods for using this apparatus to achieve the objective stated above.

Abstract: A slave node for use with a Local Interconnect Network (LIN network) receives incoming messages from the LIN network in a manner that reduces operating current, power consumption and/or operating temperature. The slave node generally includes an input circuit, an electronic processing device, associated components such as an Integrated Glass Fog Sensor (IGFS) unit, and a transmitting device all mounted on a single circuit board. The input circuit, which can either be separate from or incorporated within the electronic processing device, pre-filters an incoming message from a LIN bus such that it only wakes the transmitting device out of its low-current sleep mode when required. Stated differently, the transmitting device is removed from an incoming message path so that it is only active when it is transmitting an outgoing message.

Abstract: A fiberizing apparatus for converting molten material into continuous fibers has an internal support structure to minimize high temperature creep and sagging of a tip plate, the reinforcing structure forming at least about 16 internal cells. The hole pattern in a bushing screen is engineered such that the hole area in each screen area above each of the at least 16 cells controls the amount of molten material flowing into each cell to produce a substantially improved tip plate temperature profile and fiberizing efficiency. The preferred internal support structure is welded to the sidewalls and/or and the top surface of the tip plate and is comprised of a plurality of internal intersecting supports that form various patterns including a diamond shaped structure. The screen used in the preferred bushing has a plurality of diamond shaped hole patterns, some with different hole area per unit screen area than that of other screen areas.