Twin center cooling fin for tip type bushing

An oval cooling tube for the central portion of a fiberizing bushing having a plurality of parallel cooling fins attached to the sides thereof.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
The present invention relates to a cooling tube supported beneath the 
orifice tip plate of a bushing used to make fibers from a molten material, 
such as glass. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
A well known method for making fibers from a molten material such as glass 
is described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,997,309. Although the 
cooling tubes in the patent are illustrated as being round, it is known to 
make the tubes in different shapes, such as oval, and to mount a cooling 
fin on the top of the tube. The fin is located closest to the orifice tip 
plate. As bushings became larger, it became necessary to fabricate the 
bushing in two halves and weld them together along a longitudinal center 
line. This resulted in added problems in the function of the center 
cooling tubes. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention provides a cooling tube for beneath the orifice tip 
plate of a bushing wherein the cooling tube is provided with spaced apart 
parallel cooling fins.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
In FIG. 1, there is illustrated part of a conventional bushing for holding 
molten material from which fibers are formed. The bushing 2 has an orifice 
tip plate 4 having a plurality of orifice tips 6. Supported beneath the 
orifice tip plate 4 are a plurality of cooling tubes 8. Each cooling tube 
is oval in shape and has a longitudinally extending fin 10 secured to the 
top of the tube. The bushing 2 is formed in two halves which are secured 
together by a central longitudinal weld 12. The addition of the weld 12 
makes the distance B between the two central rows of orifice tips greater 
than the normal distance A between rows of orifice tips. 
In FIG. 2, there is illustrated the cooling tube of this invention. The 
central cooling tube 14 has a cooling fin 16 secured to each side 18 and 
20. This locates the cooling fins 16 closer to the central rows of orifice 
tips so that better cooling performance may be obtained. Although the 
cooling tube 14 has been provided with two cooling fins it was not 
necessary to change the shape or size of the cooling tube.