Patent ID: 8113018

Claim:
A forehearth for conveying a molten glass forming material to a glass forming apparatus, said forehearth comprising: a flow block over which said molten glass forming material flows toward an end opening, said flow block defining a plurality of openings therethrough for the passage of said molten glass forming material from said forehearth to at least one bushing of said glass forming apparatus, wherein said plurality of openings include at least a first opening and said end opening which is located downstream of said first opening and adjacent an end wall of said forehearth; and a weir rigidly fastened to and extending upwardly from said flow block such that said weir is entirely submerged in said molten glass forming material, said weir being supported on said flow block at a position between said first opening and said end opening to block a lower portion of said flow of molten glass forming material so that only an upper portion of the flow of said molten glass forming material is permitted to flow over said weir and reach said end opening for discharge therethrough, wherein said weir forces said molten glass forming material at said bottom portion of said flow of molten glass forming material towards said upper portion of said flow of molten glass forming material, and wherein said flow of said molten glass forming material has a transverse width, said weir being disposed across said transverse width and formed to direct the flow of said molten glass forming material away from a central portion of the transverse width of said weir.