Patent GB-1272222-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to the manufacture of glass having desired surface characteristics
IPC: C03C21/00
Filed: 1968-08-30
Abstract: 1,272,222. Treating glass surfaces. PILKING- TON BROS Ltd., A. S. ROBINSON, J. LAWRENSON and E. R. ORMESHER. 19 Aug., 1969 [30 Aug., 1968], No. 41595/68. Heading C1M. In the manufacture of glass, the temperature of the glass is regulated by contacting a surface thereof with a body of molten metal clinging to a locating member positioned adjacent the glass surface and regulating the temperature of the body independently of the temperature of the glass to maintain a temperature differential between the molten body and the glass which it contacts. A number of different constructions of locating bar are disclosed with either heating or cooling thereof. As shown in Fig. 2, with float glass sheet 10 formed on molten metal 1, the locating bar 23, to which a body 21 of molten material clings and is in contact with the surface of the sheet 10, depends by bars 26 from a water-cooled hollow beam 27 and has raised ends 25 resting on the side walls 5 of the tank containing the molten metal 1. The bar 23 is heated from the secondary winding of a heavy duty power transformer 28 by which alternating current passes through the bar. Control of migration of ions from the molten material 21 to the glass 10 is effected by direct current with an electrode 29 dipping into the molten metal 1, the electrode 29 and end 25 of bar 23 being connected to a D.C. supply 30. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the locating member is a copper strip 38 of dovetail formation which slides in a groove in a shoe 32 secured to a composite hollow beam 35, 33 and 36 by bolts 34 and flexible copper strips 37 through which the shoe 32 and strip 38 are cooled by water through the hollow beam 35, 33, 36. The strip 38 is engaged by knurled wheels 39 to draw the strip slowly through the shoe 32 so that the strip 38, to which the body 21 of molten material clings, is continuously renewed. In a modification, the strip may be hollow and water-cooled. In a further modification, Figs. 20, a bar 30, to which the body 21 clings, is keyed into a shoe 32 and has a gulley in which molten metal 54 such as tin is placed and this is cooled direct by cooled tubes 70, 71 so that it solidifies. Further variations are disclosed. In all these embodiments, D.C. current is used to control migration of ions from the body 21 to the glass. As an alternative to using D.C. current, the apparatus may be used in oxidizing conditions for control of ion migration. As shown in Fig. 21, two locating members 78 with bodies 77 of molten material may be used to cool the margins 75, 76 of a sheet 73 of glass floating on a bath 1. Each member 78 is of hollow metal, e.g. copper, with a central partition (79) so that cooling fluid circulates as through pipes 82, 83. Materials used for the locating bars may be copper, tungsten, molybdenum or cobalt and for the molten material, gold or gold alloys, coppertin, copper-lead, silver-bismuth or cobaltbismuth alloys. For example, for blue coloration, molten cobalt-bismuth alloy is used with a cobalt bar or for ruby red, copper-tin alloy with a copper bar. Specifications 1,151,853, 1,211,854 and 1,216,679 are referred to. Apart from sheet glass, the invention may be used with hollow glass articles such as moulded insulators or half-bricks, curved glass sheets such as windscreens or T.V. tube face plates.