Patent ID: 9061936
Filing Date: 2015-06-23
Classification: C03B,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A fiberizing system comprising a bushing for making fibers from molten glass, the bushing comprising at least one sidewall and a tip plate having nozzles or tips protruding from the bottom surface, and a plurality of metal cooling tubes mounted beneath and close to the tips on the tip plate for containing flowing cooling water and providing cooling for the molten glass as it exits the tips during both the fiberizing and hanging modes, the improvement comprising two sets of a plurality of nozzles, each set supplied by a manifold connected to one or more sources of cooling gas, each set of the plurality of nozzles being located at least about 11 inches below to about 24 inches below the bottom surface of the tip plate and on each side of the tip plate, the two sets providing two cooling air flows upward towards the tip plate, the two sets of a plurality of nozzles having centerlines within about 4 to 10 inches of a vertical extension of the centerline of the tip plate, but out of the path of fibers, beads, and primary fibers coming from the tip plate, an on/off valve being attached to each cooling air source for each manifold, a breakout sensor and a control system that opens each valve upon sensing a breakout and closes each valve near the time the sensor again signals a desired fiberization mode, the system being capable of keeping the throughput of molten glass during each hanging mode to remain within 97 to 103 percent of the throughput during the fiberization mode and of keeping the electric power to the bushing during the hanging mode to within +/−1 percent of the amount of electric power going to the bushing during the fiberization mode further comprising an actuator for moving the metal cooling tubes quickly from a fiberizing position in an upward direction to be closer to the tips, a hanging position, upon receiving a breakout signal from the breakout sensor and for quickly moving the cooling tube back downwardly to a fiberizing position near the time the sensor again signals a desired fiberization mode, a distance of movement in the range of about 0.01 inch to about 0.2 inch.