Patent ID: 6907755

Claim:
A device for producing glass gobs, comprising: a membrane body including a gas outlet surface and an opposite surface, wherein the membrane body includes a porous material for permitting passage of compressed gas through pores of the membrane body to levitate the glass gobs above the gas outlet surface of the membrane body; at least one gas channel, formed in the membrane body and larger in cross section than the pores therein and configured to introduce compressed gas into the membrane body and to pass the compressed gas across the membrane body, the gas channel not extending to the gas outlet surface of the membrane body; the at least one gas channel is embedded in the porous material of the membrane body and is positioned at a distance from the outlet surface of the membrane body such that the compressed gas introduced through the at least one gas channel may pass through the membrane body and out the outlet surface to levitate the glass gobs above the gas outlet surface of the membrane body.