Abstract: A plunger assembly for a glass forming machine comprises an assembly housing (6), at which a drive (17) is in contact with a drive spindle, which is supported in an axially non-displaceable manner, via an angular gear, which drive spindle, in turn, engages with a spindle nut, the spindle nut housing (18) of which is set up via an assembly (19) by interpositioning pressing force limiters for transferring the pressing force required for a forming process to two plungers (1, 2). The assembly (19) can be displaced in a non-rotatable manner along two guide columns (7, 8), which are arranged parallel to one another in a housing-fixed manner, and the spindle nut housing (18) engages with two lateral linear guides, which are also arranged in a housing-fixed manner.

Abstract: A pressing plunger apparatus for forming a parison in a glassware forming machine by a blow-and-blow process or a press-and-blow process.

Abstract: New glass fibers having an average length of about 100 to 400 &mgr;m and an apparent density of about 1 to 0.2 g/cm3 are produced by spinning glass fibers, comprising spinning glass fibers into bundles, cooling with liquid to form wet bundles, directly cutting such bundles in the wet state, without previous drying, grinding said bundles to milled glass fibers in a high-efficiency mixer with the addition of a liquid, and then drying. The fibers are especially suited for filling polyurethanes by the PUR-RIM process.

Abstract: A method to produce fused quartz particulates from quartz sand is disclosed employing continuous withdrawal of the molten material from a furnace apparatus. The molten material is rapidly cooled as withdrawn causing thermal fracture which is followed by mechanically pulverizing the fragments to a desired particle size.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for producing vitreous optical elements by injection molding, which essentially includes the stages of: melting down a glass material into a molten state in a viscosity at or lower than a working point of the glass material; injecting molten glass under pressure into a mold cavity defined between transfer surfaces of relatively movable mold members of a mold assembly unit in communication with a sprue connecting the mold cavity with an injection port on the outer side of the mold assembly unit; and applying a predetermined pressure on the glass material in the mold cavity while cooling the mold assembly unit down to a temperature in the vicinity of yielding point of the glass material.

Abstract: To produce a free-flowing granulate which has a high bulk density and a defined particle size distribution, which generates little dust, is easy to handle, and is suitable as a starting material for quartz glass products, the mixing operation includes a first mixing phase, in which the materials to be mixed are subjected to a slow mixing action to form a coarse-grained mass, and a second mixing phase, in which the coarse-grained mass is converted to a fine-grained mass by a more intensive mixing action which grinds and compacts the grains. The content of silica powder in the materials to be mixed is adjusted at least during the second mixing phase to a value of at least 75 wt. %.

Abstract: A novel glass batch material produced from materials comprising refractory brick and one or more fluxes and an associated method, and a method of making glass utilizing the novel glass batch material. The present invention provides a method of safely and inexpensively disposing of and utilizing used refractory linings from glass melting furnaces.

Abstract: Material, such as, for example, sealed double bags of asbestos containing waste or ash from infectious waste or toxic material or radioactive waste, is transferred into a glass melt of a furnace. Gas bubbles released into the melt form a gas curtain which causes enhanced mixing of the material to accelerate the dissolution of the components of the added material. The presence of the gas bubbles reduces the cross-section of the molten glass through which current passes, which in turn increases the electrical resistance of the glass melt and therefore increases power generation of the melt or power density at constant current. A highly oxidizing hot region is produced under the location where the material is introduced into the furnace. Drawn off glass is shaped and quenched into at least two sizes of approximate spheres. The spheres are cooled sufficiently fast to be thermally tempered and have a surface compressive strength level above 5000 psi.

Abstract: A process for producing flakes of glass. The process is started by applying a solution containing an organic metal compound to a substrate. The solution is dried and peeled from the substrate. The resultant film is sintered. There is also disclosed an apparatus for producing flakes of glass. The apparatus comprises means 2 for applying solution 1 containing an organic metal compound to a substrate 3 taking the form of a loop, means 4 for drying the film created by the solution containing the organic metal compound, and means 5 for collecting flakes obtained by peeling the dried film from the substrate. The substrate forms a circulatory continuous conveyance path which passes through the applying means, the drying means, and the collecting means in succession.

Abstract: A convenient method of producing porous silica particles is disclosed. The particles produced by the method can have impurity levels in the parts-per-billion range, and can have substantially uniform size. The particles are advantageously used to produce silica-containing glass bodies such as optical fiber preforms, silica tubes, lenses, rods and the like. The method comprises forming a silica-containing sol in comminution device or forming such a sol and introducing it into a comminution device, causing a gel to form from the sol, and comminuting the gel in the comminution device such that substantially dry, porous particles result.

Abstract: The present invention provides an additive powder for coating materials or plastics, comprising a particle of a metal or glass, comprised of a particle having a thickness of 0.5 to 5 .mu.m, a minor axis/major axis of from 5 to 500 .mu.m, an aspect ratio (ratio of the major axis to the thickness) of not less than 5, and a ratio of the minor axis to the major axis, of from 1 to 10, and having the shape of a leaf as a whole. This powder can be prepared by melting a metal or glass, bringing the resulting melt to flow out from a nozzle and jetting a gas to the melt to form droplets of the melt, and bringing said droplets, before they solidify, to collied against the surface of a rotating cooling member having the shape of an cone or horn and provided in the directio of the flow of said droplets, followed by cooling to effect solidification.

Abstract: High purity fused silica particles are made by heating relatively low density silica flour in a high temperature flame. The silica flour feed rate, flame temperature, and collection zone temperature are adjusted to produce an aggregate of surface-bonded fused silica particles. The aggregate is shaped like a honeycomb and can be ground autogenously without introducing impurities into the final product.

Abstract: An aggregate is produced from waste glass which is initially crushed to a granular state and is thereafter roughened at its surfaces and rounded at its edges. This result is obtained by a grinding treatment. The aggregate can be used for concrete. It allows an excellent adhering of the cement and it gives practically no rise to the danger of injury during the handling thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus for granulating metallurgical melt, including a granulator (1) having a water supply (13), a trough (2) for supplying metallurgical melt thereto, and a rotary driven drum (3) having blades (6). A water tank (11) having an overflow device (12) is disposed under the drum (3). The granulator (1) and trough (2) are disposed in the interior of the drum (3), the lower part of the drum being disposed in the tank (11) below the overflow device (12), The apparatus is provided with a trough (22) for discharging granules from the drum (3).

Abstract: A method for forming articles which include silica-containing glass bodies, as well as the resulting articles, are disclosed. In accordance with the method, silica-containing gel particles are fused to form a glass body. In contrast to previous such methods, these particles are formed by mechanically, substantially uniformly subdividing either a substantially cohesive gel body, or an ungelled or partially gelled sol capable of yielding a substantially cohesive gel body, to form substantially uniformly sized, wet gel particles. Significantly, only substantially cohesive gel bodies which are also substantially elastic are useful in the invention, i.e., mechanical subdivision of non-elastic gel bodies results in these bodies undergoing plastic flow to yield non-particulate, pasty masses.

Abstract: A parison is molded from a gob of molten glass by first increasing the volume of the interior of a cup-shaped main mold body by an extra volume. Then the molten-glass gob is inserted through an upper opening into the interior of the main mold body. A neck mold comprising a split neck ring is closed on the main mold body so that the neck mold and the main mold body together define a mold cavity partly formed by the interior of the main mold body. A plunger is inserted through the neck mold down into the gob in the mold cavity to displace molten glass and shape the gob into a parison. The extra volume of the interior of the main mold body is then decreased to zero at the latest until the time at which the parison is finished, so that the molten glass rises in the mold cavity up to a level above the top of the main mold body. Finally the parison thus formed is demolded.

Abstract: An apparatus for converting molten glass containing radioactive waste into molded pellets or spheres comprising means for generating a flowing stream of the molten glass and a rotating wheel disposed beneath the flowing stream. The wheel is preferably mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis and has a series of mold cavities formed in the circumferential wall of the wheel, into which cavities the stream is directed by gravity. The mold cavities have flared side walls so that when the stream strikes the inclined wall it is deflected toward the center of the cavity through a focal point. The side walls of adjacent mold cavities form a knife edge at the surface of the wheel to preclude the bridging of glass from one cavity to another.