Patent ID: 7392668

Claim:
A front end for a glass forming operation, the front end comprising: a channel having top and side walls, each side wall having upper portions constructed from a super structure refractory material and lower portions of said front end constructed from a contact refractory material, said super structure refractory material having a higher resistance to corrosion than said contact refractory material; said channel having an upstream end, a downstream end, at least one of said surfaces having one or more oxygen-fired burner ports therein; and one or more oxygen-fired burners angled so that the burner flame is does not directly contact the sidewalls, each oxygen-fired burner arranged to supply heat to molten glass in the channel to maintain molten glass at a desired operational temperature, the oxygen-fired burners being structured to substantially function without a source of air, the oxygen-fired burners extending through a burner port so that said oxygen-fired burners extend at an acute angle relative to at least one surface and in a plane extending between said upstream end and said downstream end and perpendicular to said least one surface, the oxygen-fired burners being disposed to direct the flame and products of combustion at a downward acute angle relative to the top wall, and to direct the flame and products of combustion along the length of the channel, the angle being such that the flame does not directly contact the sidewalls.