Patent ID: 8899224

Claim:
A submerged combustion melting apparatus, comprising: a melting chamber for containing a molten pool of material being melted, said melting chamber having an orifice formed in a wall thereof below a surface of the molten pool; and a burner positioned at the orifice to inject a flame into the melting chamber below a surface of the molten pool; the burner comprising: a first tube having a first longitudinal bore; a second tube having a second longitudinal bore, said second tube being disposed within said first longitudinal bore such that an annular space is defined between the second tube and the first tube; and a nozzle formed at a tip of the second tube, said nozzle comprising a plurality of side holes formed therein, said side holes being slanted outwardly relative to a longitudinal axis of the nozzle and being in communication with the second longitudinal bore; protuberances formed on the nozzle, wherein each of said protuberances correspond laterally in position to the first a one of said side holes, and wherein each of the plurality of protuberances is provided by a corner of a polygonal flange attached to the tip of the second tube.