Improvements in Method and Apparatus for Producing Mineral Wool.
Year: 1890

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Method and Apparatus for Producing Mineral
Wool.
I, WILLIAM HARRISON KENNEDY of Sycamore Street Etna Allegheny County
State of Pennsylvania United States of America Mechanic do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MINERAL WOOL,
and in what manner the same is to be used to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Heretofore so far as I am aware mineral wool has been produced by blowing a
jet or jets of steam or air against a stream of molten slag or by treating the same to
encircling jets of air or steam; by both these methods the falling slag is struck by
the steam or air when in an almost solid column the outer surface chilling quickly
by the atmosphere is not properly acted upon by said steam or air and a very con-
siderable quantity of the slag instead of being converted into fine fiber or wool is
formed into hard globes or what are known to the trade as buckshot. By my method
however the slag is spread out fan shaped in descending upon the jets of steam or air
presenting a thin sheet to the action thereof in such manner that the air or steam
issuing from the series of round inclined perforations reduce said slag to the greatest
number and smallest possible fragments of fine fiber or wool, thereby increasing the
quantity and improving the quality without increasing the power used.
I will now describe my invention so that others skilled in the art may employ the
same reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 indicates a perspective of my improved mineral wool producing
apparatus.
Figure 2 is a plan of steam chest, projecting lines indicating steam in series of
jets issuing therefrom.
Figure 3 is a front elevation of same.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of same.
Heretofore so far as I am aware in all devices used in the production of this
material the steam or air has been projected against the descending slag through
slots in the steam chest, or through flat nozzles and great care has taken to prevent
the lateral spread of the slag when subjected to the action of the air or steam thus
as heretofore stated presenting an almost solid column of slag to the action of the
jets of steam or air; and from defective action of the steam or air upon said slag pro-
ducing with the wool a considerable quantity of buckshot. By the use of my method
and apparatus this is greatly remedied and a better quality of wool produced.
Refering to the drawings A is a tank constructed of cast iron or other suitable
material and may be of any desirable size preferably large enough to contain about
15 gallons of molten slag, which flows as indicated by the arrows from the furnace
(not shown) through the run or trough a into said receiving vessel or tank. is an
overflow or discharge at one side of said tank for the purpose of regulating the
quantity of slag permitted to flow through the inclined trough B at the front of said
tank and to fall upon the jets of air or steam issuing from the series of round per-
forations formed in the front of the steam chest C which is supplied with steam or
air through the pipe c which connects said steam chest with a boiler (not shown)
or other source of supply of steam or air. Said chest is provided in its front wall
with four series of openings, D D, E E, the upper series of openings D D being
inclined or converged toward each other in a horizontal plane, and the two lower.
series of openings EE being inclined vertically to the plane or inclination of said.
upper series of openings. One of the two lower series of openings E E is inclined.
reversely to the other series of such lower openings, and said two lower series of
openings form at their juncture the apex of inclined planes. The openings constituting
one series of openings D D or E E are parallel to each other, and each series of

page_text: openings are inclined to the face of the steam chest, the inclination of the jets or
streams from the upper series of openings D D being indicated in Figure 2, and the
inclination or convergence of the streams or jets from the lower series of openings
being indicated in Figure 4. The jets or streams from the lower series of vertically
converging passages EE operate upon the stream of molten slag to spread it
horizontally out into a thin sheet; and the several series of jets or streams from
the horizontally and vertically converging passages intersect a short distance from and
in front of the steam chest as indicated in Figures 2 and 4. F is a lever pivoted at
its inner end to the lug secured upon the upper side of said tank and is adapted to
operate the scraper G which is secured thereto for the purpose of breaking or
knocking off slag which has chilled upon said schute or trough. In the practice of
my invention I form said perforations about of an inch in diameter and from the
inner jets of the upper series about 24 inches apart when said steam chest is about
5 to 6 inches long maintaining this distance in proportion as the size of the chest is
increased or decreased. The jets in either upper series respectively are parallel to
each other and converge towards the center. The lower series separately viewed form
a cresent which conjoined as shown in Figures 1 and 3 form inclined planes for the
purpose of spreading the slag or cinder laterally their entire length, the perforations
forming said lower series are also parallel to each other with an upward inclination
as to intersect the jets from the upper series a short distance from the steam chest as
shown in Figures 2 and 4.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1st. The herein described method of producing mineral wool, which consists in
subjecting liquid slag to four series of blasts or currents of air or steam, two upper
series of such air or steam currents converging towards each other in horizontal planes,
and the plane of the lower series of air or steam currents converging vertically to those
of the upper series as set forth.
2nd. The herein described method of producing mineral wool, which consists in
subjecting liquid slag to four series of blasts of air or steam, the line of flow of each
current of steam or air of each series being parallel to the other currents of the same
series, and passing through minute perforations or passages, the two upper series of
such blasts or currents converging in horizontal planes, and the lower series of blasts
or currents converging vertically to the line of the upper series of blasts as set
forth.
3rd. In the manufacture of mineral wool, the combination of a chest, means for
supplying steam or air thereto, and four series of openings of which the two upper
series are inclined towards each other in a horizontal plane, the plane of the lower
series being inclined vertically to that of the upper substantially as described.
4th. In the manufacture of mineral wool, a converting device or apparatus provided
with series of round perforations or jets, the jets of each series of which are parallel
to each other, two of the series of perforations converging in a borizontal plane, and
the other series of jets or perforations inclined vertically to that of the other series,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
5th. In the manufacture of mineral wool, a converting apparatus provided with
series of round inclined perforations or jets, the jets of each series of which are
parallel to each other, in combination with a tank for the reception of slag substantially
as described.
6th. In the manufacture of mineral wool, a converting apparatus provided with
series of round perforations or jets inclined to the face of the steam chest, the jets of
each series of which are parallel to each other in combination with a tank for the
reception of slag and a scraper, adapted to be operated by a lever for the removal of
chilled slag from the pouring trough of said tank, substantially as and for the purpose
herein described.
7th. In the manufacture of mineral wool a converting device provided with series

page_text: of perforations or jets inclined to the face of the steam chest, the lower series of
which conjoined form incline planes for the purpose of spreading the slag laterally
substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.
8th. In the manufacture of mineral wool, a converting device provided with a plurality
of series of jets or perforations, the upper series of said jets or perforations being
inclined to the face of the steam chest in horizontal planes, and the lower series of jets
or perforations being inclined in vertical planes and meeting or intersecting with the
other at a point between the inclination of the upper series of perforations or jets
substantially as described for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 5th day of September A.D. 1890.
WILLIAM HARRISON KENNEDY.