Document 2R4ENmEwrxgx9Vz8DavNQM9y7

March 21, 1939. g slayter 2,150,945 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SPINNING GLASS WOOL Original Filed March 1, 1934 <? Sheets-Sheei 1 ii q-I- y INVENTOR. BY ATTORNEY MTC 017076 March 21, 1939. g. slayter 2,150,945 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SPINNING GLASS WOOL Original Filed March 1, 1934 2 Sheets--Sheet 2 __Y' * p \ \\ v \ \ \ V* \ \ r____ \\\\\.\V\VNW\v i1 12 zz -- -ZT~ , // // -- 19 Ircj-5- Q/ iJMVENTOR. ATTORNEY MTC 017077 Patented Mar. 21, 1939 2,150,945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,150,945 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SPINNING GLASS WOOL Games Slayter, Newark, Ohio, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Owens-Coming Flberglas Cor poration, a corporation of Delaware Application March 1,1934, Serial No. 713,512 Renewed June 3, 1938 17 Claims. (CL 83--91) My invention relates to a method and appara tus for spinning molten glass or other molten, semi-liquid or viscous material. An object of the invention is to provide an ap8 paratus by which streams of molten glass or other material may be mechanically drawn or spun into fine threads or filaments by a continuous process, the filaments being accumulated in the form of wool. 10 Heretofore glass wool has been produced by a mechanical process which comprises flowing streams of molten glass, simultaneously drawing the molten or plastic glass into filaments'and winding them onto a rapidly rotating drum, and IS periodically stopping the drum and removing the accumulated spun glass therefrom. Such inter mittent operation is comparatively slow and un satisfactory for various reasons. An object of the present invention is to avoid the objections 80 and difficulties incident to such operation. For the attainment of such object, the invention pro vides a continuous method in which the streams of glass are spun or drawn out into fine filaments by a rotating drum but are not accumulated 88 thereon, the spun glass being carried beyond the drum and continuously accumulated In the form of wool. Heretofore much difficulty has been encoun tered in the manufacture of wool spun from glass, 80 slag and other materials because of the difficulty of starting the pulling action after the threads break. An object of the present Invention is to provide a spinning method and apparatus in which feeding of the material is resumed and 35 driving connections with the spinning element are automatically reestablished after a break in the strand or strands, and also to provide means which will pass any slugs or the like without in juring the apparatus or stopping the process. 40 Other objects of the invention will appear here inafter. Referring to the accompanying drawings: Pig. 1 is a rear elevation, with parts broken away and parts in section, showing an apparatus 48 constructed in accordance with the present in vention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, the fur nace and feeder being shown in section. 60 Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation through the spin ning drum and cooperating rolls. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the appa ratus. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing an adjustable 68 bearing for one of the rolls. As herein shown, the invention is adapted for spinning wool from molten glass or the like sup plied from a furnace 10 which comprises a melt ing compartment 11 and a refining compartment 12 separated by a bridge wall 13. The molten 5 glass flows from the melting compartment through a submerged channel 14 Into the refining compartment and thence forward into a feeder boot or extension 15. A plate or bushing 16 re movably mounted beneath the floor of the feeder 1 n boot IS, is provided with outlet openings IT through which the molten glass Issues in the form of small streams which, as they pass beyond the feeder outlets 17 are drawn out into filaments 18. A screen IS positioned over the outlets serves 1.1 as a strainer to prevent small stones or other for eign material entering and clogging the outlets. The apparatus for spinning or drawing the glass into fine threads or filaments, Includes a spinning element 20 in the form of a drum having 20 a shaft 21 mounted in bearings 22 on a support ing frame 21. The drum 20 is made of steel or other suitable material and is rotated by an elec tric motor 24. A drive pulley 25 on the motor shaft has a driving connection with the drum 25 through a belt 26 running over a pulley 27 on the drum shaft. Cooperating with the drum 20 are rolls 28 car ried on shafts 29 journaled to rotate in bearing blocks 30 adjustably mounted on side frame mem- 30 bers 31 secured to and forming part of the frame 21. The rolls 28 are made of material which is comparatively soft and yielding, such as rubber, rubber composition or the like. These rolls are in rolling contact with the drum 20 and friction- 35 ally driven thereby. As shown, the end portions 82 of the drum may be of slightly greater diameter than the intermediate portions and serve to space the body or intermediate portions of the drum a slight distance from the rolls. 40 The bearing blocks SO (see Rg. 5) are slidably supported between guide strips 13 and may be ad justed by adjusting screws 34 for taking up wear and causing the rolls to bear with any desired pressure against the drum 20. The bearing blocks 45 are clamped in their adjusted position by screws 85. The operation is as follows: The molten glass flows through the outlets 17 in the form of small streams and moves downward into contact with 60 the spinning drum 20 which is continuously ro tated at a high speed in a counter-clockwise di rection (Figs. 2 and 3), the threads or filaments of glass passing between the drum and the rolls 28. The frictional contact of the glass with the 88 MTC 017078 2 9,150,94ft rotating drum causes the glass as It leaves the outlets IT to be drawn or attenuated Into line fila ments which are very rapidly cooled so that they are solidified by the time they have reached the I drum 20. These filaments as they pass beyond the lowermost roll 28 leave the surface of the drum and are carried forward and accumulate In the form of wool. The driving flanges 12 Impart to the rolls 28 a somewhat higher surface speed 10 than that of the drum surface with which the strands 18 contact. This assists In guiding the strands In their normal course around the drum. The accumulating wool may be conveyed away from the spinning apparatus as by means of a lg continuously rolls IT and 8t8ra. veling conveyor 86 running over If desired, a roll 88 or rolls may be provided to run In contact with the drum for feeding there to a tempering oil, lubricating material or other 0 substance with which it may be desired to treat the wool. Such material Is In turn applled.by the drum to the strands II passing thereover. The roll 89 is preferably soft and resilient and consists of a material which will not be Injuriously affected g by the oil or other substance fed thereby. The roll 89 operates In a manner similar to Inking rolls commonly used on printing presses. If slugs 48 (Pig. 1), bubbles or other irregularities are car ried with the streams or filaments of glass to the SO spinning drum they are rolled out due to the resilience of the rolls, thus avoiding any stoppage. The number of outlets IT supplied by the feeder may be varied as desired. The diameters of the fibers of wool produced by the method herein set S| forth may be adjustably varied and controlled by varying the speed at which the spinning drum 26 is rotated, by varying the size of the outlets IT, and by varying the temperature and viscosity of the glass. An Increase In the speed of the drum 40 serves to draw the filaments out to a smaller diameter. Any reduction in the size of the out lets IT and the streams of glass flowing there through correspondingly reduces the size of the filaments. Reduction in the temperature of the 45 issuing glass increases its viscosity and slows down the rate of flow with a consequent reduction In the size of the filaments. The size of the fila ments or the fineness of the wool and other prop erties thereof may be varied by changes in the 50 formula of the glass batch. Modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of my Invention. I claim: 1. The method which comprises flowing a small 55 stream of molten or viscous mattrial through space, bringing said material in filamentary form Into contact at a tangent with a cylindrical sur face rotating at a high speed about a stationary axis, causing said material to advance in the form so of a filament over said surface in frictional con tact therewith and continuously drawing out or attenuating the material In its passage through space by the pull of the said surface, and causing the attenuated material to depart in the form of a 65 filament from said surface in a direction tan gential thereto. 2. The method which comprises flowing a small stream of molten or viscous material through space, bringing said material in filamentary form 70 into contact at a tangent with a cylindrical sur face rotating at a high speed about a stationary axis, causing said material to advance in the form of a filament over said surface in frictional con tact therewith and continuously drawing out or 75 attenuating the material In Its passage through space by the pull of the said surface, and causing the attenuated material to depart In the form of a filament from said surface In a direction tan gential thereto after moving with said surface through a fraction only of a complete revolution 6 about said axis. 3. Apparatus for spinning wool, which com prises means for flowing a stream of molten or viscous material, a spinning element having a cylindrical surface In position to contact said 10 stream, means to rotate said element at a high velocity about a horizontal axis, and to deflect and guide the material along and in fric tional contact with said surface and thereby cause said surface to frlctlonally engage said flowing 15 material and draw It into an attenuated thread. 4. Apparatus for spinning wool, which com prises means for flowing a stream of molten or viscous material, a spinning element having a cy lindrical surface In position to contact said 30 stream, means to rotate said element at a high velocity about a horizontal axis, means to deflect and guide the material along and in frictional contact with said surface and thereby cause said surface to frlctlonally engage said flowing mate- 25 rial and draw It into an attenuated thread, and means for receiving said thread and accumulating it in the form of wool. 5. Apparatus for spinning wool from a viscous material, which comprises means for flowing said 30 material In the form of a small stream, a spinning drum, means for rotating the drum at a high velocity and causing it to frlctlonally engage and draw said material out Into a fine thread or fila ment, a roll parallel with said drum and having 35 Its peripheral surface spaced a short distance from that of the drum by raised portions at the ends of the drum to provide a narrow space through which said material passes while In con tact with the drum, and means to rotate said 40 roll. 6. Apparatus for spinning wool from a viscous material, which comprises means for flowing said material In the form of a small stream, a spin ning drum means for rotating the drum at a high 43 velocity and causing It to frlctlonally engage and draw said material out Into a fine thread or fila ment, a roll parallel with said drum and having its peripheral surface spaced a short distance from that of the drum to provide a narrow space 50 through which said material passes while in con tact with the drum, and means to rotate said roll, the surface of said drum consisting of hard mate rial and the surface of said roll consisting of com paratively soft resilient material. -5 7. Apparatus for spinning wool from a molten or plastic materia] comprising, in combination, means for flowing a stream of the material, a spinning drum having Its peripheral surface of hard material, a roll of soft material parallel 00 therewith, and means for rotating said drum and roll at high speed in opposite directions, the sur faces of the drum and roll being spaced to pro vide a narrow passageway through which said material is drawn. 05 8. A container for molten glass having a row of bottom outlets through which the glass Issues, a spinning drum positioned beneath said outlets with Its surface substantially tangent to the ver tical plane of said outlets, means for rotating 70 said drum at a high velocity, and means for caus ing streams of the material issuing from said out lets to contact with the surface of the drum and be deflected from a vertical to a substantially horizontal direction of movement while In con- 75 MTC 017079 2,160,646 3 tact with said surface, said deflecting means con structed and arranged to cause the material to remain In contact with said surface for a frac tion only of a revolution of the drum and to be 5 frlctlonally drawn by the drum Into attenuated filaments. 9. The combination of means for producing a stream of molten or viscous material, a spinning drum, means to rotate it at a high speed about a 10 horizontal axis, said drum positioned with its downwardly moving surface below and substan tially tangent to the flowing stream, a series of rolls parallel with the drum and positioned one in advance of another circumferentially of the 15 drum, with their peripheral surfaces adjacent to that of the drum, and means for rotating said rolls at a high velocity. 10. The combination of means for producing a stream of molten or viscous material, a spin20 ning drum, means to rotate it at a high speed about a horizontal axis, said drum positioned with its downwardly moving surface below and sub stantially tangent to the flowing stream, a series of rolls parallel with the drum and positioned one 25 in advance of another circumferentially of the drum, with their peripheral surfaces adjacent to that of the drum, and means for rotating said rolls at a high velocity, the surface of said drum consisting of hard material and the cooperating 30 surfaces of said rolls consisting of soft resilient material. 11. The combination of a container for molten glass having a row of bottom outlet openings through which the glass Issues downwardly, a 35 spinning drum positioned below said outlets, means for rotating said drum at a high velocity about a horizontal axis, the downwardly moving surface of said drum being substantially tangent with the vertical plane of said row of outlet open40 logs, means for maintaining frictional contact between said drum and the flowing material and cause the drum to draw said material into atten uated filaments, and means for continuously re ceiving and conveying said filaments away from 15 the drum. 12. The combination of a container for molten glass having a row of bottom outlet openings through which the glass issues downwardly, a spinning drum positioned below said outlets, 5,1 means for rotating said drum at a high velocity about a horizontal axis, the downwardly moving surface of said drum being substantially tangent with the vertical plane of said row of outlet open ings, said drum operative to frlctlonally engage 55 the flowing material and draw it into attenuated filaments, means for continuously receiving and conveying said filaments away from the drum, and a series of rubber rolls having peripheral por tions in contact with the rotating surface of the drum and causing the rolls to be rotated thereby, the surfaces of said rolls being spaced from the surface portions of the drum with which the said material contacts to provide narrow passageways between the drum and rolls through which said 05 filaments are conducted. 13. The combination of means for producing a stream of molten or viscous material, a spinning drum, means to rotate it at a high speed about a horizontal axis, said drum positioned with its -q downwardly moving surface below the flowing stream, and a series of rolls parallel with the drum and positioned one in advance of another clrcum- ferentially of the drum, the drum having periph eral enlargements frlctlonally engaging and driv ing the rolls and providing narrow spaces between the drum and rolls through which said material is drawn. 5 14. The method of producing fibrous material which comprises, causing molten or viscous mate rial to Issue from a supply body in the form of a small stream, causing the material to continu ously advance through a predetermined space In 10 the form of a thin stream, directing the material in a curved path tangential to and forming a con tinuation of the path of the material through said predetermined space, applying to said material at points distributed along said curved path, a draw- 15 ing force by which tension Is applied to the por tion of said material which is moving through said space and thereby continuously drawing it out to an attenuated filament, and releasing the filament from said tension and causing It to move 20 freely through space as it passes beyond the draw ing point. 15. The method of producing fibrous material which comprises, causing molten or viscous mate rial to issue from a supply body in the form of a 25 small stream, causing the material to continu ously advance through a predetermined space in the form of a thin stream, directing the material In a curved path tangential to and forming a con tinuation of the path of the material through said 30 predetermined space, applying to said material at points distributed along said curved path, a draw ing force by which tension is applied to the por tion of said material which Is moving through said space and thereby continuously drawing it 35 out to an attenuated filament, releasing the fila ment from said tension and causing it to move freely through space as it passes beyond the draw ing point and causing the filament to solidify while still Integrally united with the supply body 40 and oncoming stream. 16. The method which comprises producing a stream of viscous material, extending the mate rial in stream formation through space to a sur face moving at a high speed, causing the material 4S to move continuously forward without appreciable lateral movement over said surface in a plane of said stream and in momentary frictional contact with the said surface, drawing and attenuating the material into a fine filament by the pull of so said surface thereon and causing the material to 0 solidify during Its movement toward said surface, and causing the filament while still integral with said stream to continuously move beyond said surface and In said plane. 17. The method which comprises flowing an uninterrupted stream of molten material through a bottom outlet in a container, rotating at a high velocity a surface spaced from said outlet, causing said stream to contact with said surface and to be gg frlctlonally drawn thereby Into an attenuated filament during its movement through space, and causing the filament to be continuously carried away from said surface and to solidify while still integrally united with the stream at said outlet, Bs and maintaining the flowing material in substan tially a single plane and moving continuously for- . ward without appreciable lateral movement throughout its flowing movement and transition to an attenuated solid filament. GAMES SLAYTER. MTC 017080