Patent ID: 8146388

Claim:
An apparatus for drawing a glass ribbon comprising: a forming body for supplying a glass ribbon; a shroud disposed about the ribbon defining a draw chamber, the shroud comprising a first seal plate and wherein an atmosphere in the draw chamber has a first pressure P s ; an edge roll assembly comprising: a rotatable shaft extending through the shroud into the draw chamber; a contact surface disposed on the shaft that contacts an edge of the glass ribbon in the draw chamber; and a second seal plate coupled to the shaft, there being a gap between the first and second seal plates, wherein passages are formed in the first seal plate into which a gas is injected to maintain an atmosphere in the gap at a second pressure P g equal to or less than the first pressure P s , and wherein the first seal plate includes a slot through which the shaft extends into the draw chamber that allows movement of the shaft transverse to a longitudinal axis of the shaft.