Abstract: A feeder system for the production of glass filaments is rendered dripless or non-dripless on demand by controlling the pressure of the air in contact with the streams and beads of the orificed discharge wall. Preferably, the feeder is rendered non-dripless when the restart of filament formation from idled orifices is desired.

Abstract: The present invention proposes a novel apparatus and method for the manufacture of glass fibers utilizing a bushing confining a body of molten glass over an orifice plate which may or may not have depending tips. Interposed in the glass body is a plate or other device for reducing the pressure of the molten glass body over the orifice plate to a pressure no greater than atmospheric pressure. The orifices are of relatively large diameter incapable of imposing a substantial pressure drop on molten glass flowing therethrough. Each tip contains a pool of molten glass at no greater than atmospheric pressure and, during fiber attenuation, a forming cone is drawn from the pool in each tip. The cones are located in the tips, each cone is smaller than the surrounding tip and each cone is stabilized on the interior tip wall by an annular glass portion integral with the cone. The process is dripless, since upon fiber interruption at any given tip, the molten glass pool remains in the tip.

Abstract: The present invention embraces apparatus for the production of mineral fibers. A bushing for the manufacture of mineral fibers, such as glass fibers, comprises an orificed bottom wall for the passage of streams of molten mineral material therethrough for attenuation into fibers, upwardly extending sidewalls and an orificed member, positioned above the bottom wall and extending between the sidewells, for passage of the molten mineral material therethrough to the bottom wall. The ratio of the poiseuille resistance to flow of the orificed member to the poiseuille resistance to flow of the bottom wall is in the range of from about 0.5 to about 1.0.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting breakage of glass fibers comprising illuminating the fibers with electromagnetic radiation and sensing a variation in the amount of radiation scattered by the fibers as an indication of a break of said fibers.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for monitoring the average diameter of a plurality of glass fibers, comprising illuminating the fibers with electromagnetic radiation, sensing radiation scattered by the fibers and generating a signal responsive to the amount of radiation sensed as an indication of the average diameter of the fibers; such signal can be used for measurement and/or control of the fiber producing process.

Abstract: The invention relates to method and apparatus for producing fibers from heat-softened mineral material, such as glass. More specifically, this invention relates to method of and apparatus for glass fiber production using a bushing of the type having an orifice plate with a plurality of closely-spaced orifices and a flat exterior surface comprising moving a receiving member into spaced-apart relationship immediately below the orifice plate of the bushing, flowing heat-softened glass through the orifice plate to form a body of heat-softened glass between the receiving member and the orifice plate and in contact with the receiving member, and moving the receiving member with the body of glass from the orifice plate at a rate effective to form fibers.