Patent ID: 7225643

Claim:
A gas bubbler device for providing recirculation of molten glass within a glass melter apparatus, said bubbler device comprising: a) a tube member, having an upper end and a lower end adapted to be disposed within a pool of molten glass having an upper surface, said tube member including at least one lower opening through which said molten glass enters into said tube member and at least one upper opening disposed, in use, close to the upper surface of said pool of molten glass and from which said molten glass exits; b) a gas line disposed within said tube member and extending longitudinally thereof, said gas line comprising a longitudinally extending rib element affixed to a wall portion of said tube member and a lower end through which gas is released; c) a gas bubble distribution device, located adjacent to the lower end of said tube member and connected to the lower end of said gas line to release gas from said gas line into said tube member to produce gas bubbles in the molten glass within said tube member in a distributed pattern across said tube member.