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Dec. 20, 1949 Filed Oot. 20, 1947 PLAINTIFFS EXHIBIT JM 1045 C. D. RICHARDSON MINERAL WOOL MAKING MEANS 2,491,766 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ft cr. G. INVENTOR. C. D. g/CHARDSON B\ MTC 017057 Dec. 20, 1949 Filed Oct. 20, 1947 2 C. D. RICHARDSON MINERAL WOOL MAKING MEANS Ft cf. 2,491,766 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 / 47 Ft cf.. 4. INVENTOR. CD. RICHARDSON 7 MTC 017058 Patented Dec. 20, 1949 2,491,766 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,491,766 mineral wool making means Charles D. Richardson, Anderson, Ind. Application October 20,1947, Serial No. 780,886 4 Claims. (CL 18--2.5) 12 This invention relates to the apparatus lor wide stream nozzle or mechanical disintegrating the production of mineral wool, and more spe means. cifically to the means for mechanically dividing Another object is to provide mechanical means a stream of molten rock or slag into a number for separating a large stream of the molten ma- of streams while cooling it to a desired viscosity 6 terial into a number of sufficiently smaller and then disintegrating it by mechanical means streams for use with the usual steam nozzle for and streaming it out by passage into a high each of the streams, whereby the troubles due velocity air stream to dissipate it into fibres, to chilling are avoided and efficient operation on which are then collected and used in loose form, a large scale may be obtained. treated with a binder and formed into blocks or 10 Another object is to provide the separating bats in a well known manner, to be used for insu means as above and use the several streams with lation, or granulated in a conventional manner a common disintegrating means therefor and for specific uses where granular forms of insula common means for streaming out the disinte tion are required. grated particles by passing them into a high In the manufacture of rock or slag wool, com 15 velocity air current to dissipate them into fibres, monly known as mineral wool, the molten mate which are then cooled and collected for various rial is usually run from a cupola or other furnace insulation purposes. in a single stream which is intercepted by a blast Another object is to provide separating means of steam which disintegrates and projects the as above with means for adjusting the size of the disintegrated material into a settling or blow 20 separate streams. chamber. The nozzles commonly used for dis Another object is to make the above common integrating and projecting the molten slag can disintegrating means in the form of a long spur handle only five to seven hundred pounds of slag gear revolving at high speed and having its pe per hour. Increasing the rate of flow of the riphery intercept all the lined up streams simul- molten slag was found to produce an inferior and 25 taneously at an acute angle, and to make the unsalable product, and to increase the tempera common streaming out means in the form of ture of the settling chamber to a point so high another similar gear spaced from said disinte that any binder applied to the wool would be grating gear in a direction therefrom to catch binned out before It passed out of the chamber the disintegrated particles and stream them out into the drying oven. 30 into the path of high velocity air for dissipation Among the attempts previously made to in into fibres. crease production by dividing the stream into a Another object is to arrange the streams to number of streams for use of additional disinte move vertically downward, placing the disinte grating nozzles was the separation of a large grating gear below the source of said streams stream into two streams by letting it run into 35 and to one side thereof, and to place the stream the center of an angle iron and letting it flow ing out gear somewhat lower and to the other out of each end of the angle iron as two smaller side of said streams, causing both gears to revolve streams, then letting each of these smaller at high speed to disintegrate said streams and streams run into another angle iron for dividing each of these streams into still smaller streams, and so on until the proper size streams were obtained. For a higher Increase in production a greater number of dividers had to be used. But the number of such dividers that could be used were limited by the fact that the slag chills on these angle irons and causes trouble if too many are used. The object of the present invention is to pro vide means whereby increase and improvement 40 45 60 throw the disintegrated particles against the lower gear. Another object is to make the gears in the above apparatus both vertically and horizontally adjustable to obtain the results desired. Another object is to provide variable speed drive means for said gears whereby their speeds may be individually adjusted to suit requirements for obtaining best results. Another object is to connect the high speed air stream passage to a settling chamber or tank where the fibres are further cooled and settle in production of mineral wool can be obtained down to the floor of the tank. without running into the difficulties outlined Another object is to provide a foramlnous con above. veyor belt for the floor of said chamber or tank Another object is to use a ribbon form of stream and an opening In the wall of the tank on the for the molten material and a correspondingly 66 delivery end of said conveyor belt for moving the MTC 017059 r- c. r S,481,766 fibres accumulated thereon outside of said tank Joints 41 to a snyrcp- nf water simply for (-online- continuously during operation. and regulating-the temperature of the, material Another object is to provide a suction fan to passed Detween the rollers .as, will be more ..fully draw the air in the above apparatus through said described 'hereinafter. Similar packing gland high velocity air passage, the settling tank and 5 joints 42 connect the outlets from the rollers to its floor whereby the fibres are collected thereon a water exhaust line. and continuously moved out in a layer on said Within the space under the plate (4, two spur conveyor belt. gears 43 and 44 having a length substantially Other n.nri more specific objects .will appear in the same as the rollers 16 and 17, are mounted the following jdeteHe<fc description-of-Some dllus- 10 papally to said rollers/on racks 45 and 16 which trative apparatus based on the present Invention, are slidably mounted on the top of tank I for having reference to the accompanying drawings.- horizontal adjustment by means of control wheels wherein: '47 and 48, respectively, having threaded shanks Figure 1 is an elevatlonal view VtMiyfeiSectittn.. In engagement- with said racks. Gear 44 is set of one form of apparatus made in accordance 15 in bearings 49 on rack 46 somewhat lower than with the present Invention, the gear 43. Figures 2 and 3 are plan -views taken-at the: Gear -43.is the disintegrating gear and is ad lines 2--2 and 3--3, respectively, in Figure 1, justed inwardly far enough to intercept the Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the'tine - streams'-51 of molten material supplied by a 4--4 of Figure 2, 20 cupola or other furnacg 50 to the trough formed - !F!gure--5 Is a plan-view of a modified fonn of by rollers 16 and 17 and issuing from between rollers which may be used In the stream forming the roller straight, down at a low rate and at the or-dividing-portion-of-the--apparatus, and proper viscosity, as determined by the tempera Figure 6 Is a plan vlew of another-form of ture and,speed of rotation of the rollers. rollers that may-be used-In place thereof,-'for 25 As the gear 43 Is rotated by motor 52 mounted providing adjustability-to the size-df the-several on the same rack 45/it disintegrates the streams streams produced thereby, when the roller axes 51 and throws the disintegrated particles 63 onto are moved toward or away from-each other. the gear 44, which is suitably adjusted to-receiv.e The apparatus shown In Figure 1 comprises a these particles and streams them out due to its settling tank I having a restricted Inlet passage 30 high speed of rotation, sending them into the 2,; a floor formed-by a, foraminous conveyor belt high velocity air passing through restricted pas 3 and an outlet 4 under the floor, leading Into sageway 2, where they are dissipated into-fibres the inlet 5 of-a large -blower-6,f operated by an and cooled as they pass into the settling tank electric motor 7 and having an exhaust Con* and float down to the floor. Gear 44 is. driven veyor belt 3 operates over pulley I passed through 35 by motor 54 mounted on rack 46. Motors 52 and the iwalls of the tank -with close clearances ex 54 -are of the variable speed type, and their cept at side of the tank where-it-leaves the tank. speeds are adjusted to give best results. Here the tank,is provided with an opening .-over As already indicated, the high velocity. air the belt to..permit the . passage of la layer -of stream through passageway 2 is caused by' the fibres on the belt out of the tank. A second belt 40 suction blower 6 drawing the air through the 10 running over pulley 11, mounted on said side settling tank and its inlet 5 and exhausting it of- the tank1 a little -above the first toelt/.ects to through 8. This air as it passes through the belt form a-substantial>oeal with said-tank and to 3 also helps to form a compact layer of fibres compress the layer 12 of--fibres between .the belts thereon as it moves through the tank. Roller i and 10 as the mineral wool is delivered from 4.i pulley 11 also helps to compress the layer of said opening. fibres as It issues out of. the tank between the An angle Iron {framework-13 -holds-the-plate two belts. 14 elevated over the -top of tank -I. Plate <4 has Rollers 16 and 17 are straight Tollers and pro an opening IS in it over the-passageway 2. A pair duce a ribbon form of stream of the molten -ma of feeding rollers dO-and 17 are provided with 60 terial for disintegration by the gears. Figure 5 shafts 18 and 19 and are rotatably mounted in shows a modification of these gears. Gear 11 bearings-20 and. 21. These rollers, are-turned is_stiU the same, but gear l6^ is grooved clrcum- at a low rate (about 5 to 10 revolutions per fefenSi^^AL^lferZfi^rval!r3p`,'"prodtfeer7a minute) by the. motor 22 through reduction gear multi-stream supply to the common disintegrate unit 23,.and,gear train 24, 25, 20 and .21. Gears ss ing gears. _ - ......... 26 and 27 are designed so as to allow -a .limited ' Figure 6 shows a further modification wherein .amount of adjustment of the clearance 28 be gear 16" has deeper grooves 65 -separated by tween therollers 16 and .17. Roller 17 has flanges bands 56 of equal width. Gear 17' is shaped 29 to .form ends for the trough.formed-between complementarily by having similar grooves and the rollers above this clearance 28. 60 bands interfitting with those of roller- IS'-', The bearings 21. are loosely mounted In cross whereby adjustment of the axes of- the rollers to .slots 30 in.the plate. 14 for limited adjustment of separate them further will Increase the size of said clearance, by means of control wheel- 31 the Individual streams passing . through ,the rotatably mounted on.a.lug 32 on plate->14 and clearances 57 between the rollers. having a threaded shank .33. .cooperating with 55 It will be noted that the -disintegrating ' rolls threaded lug 34 on bracket .35. which is con can be in the form of long spin-gears or plain nected to bearings 21 by. arms.36. rolls with their surfaces roughened or knurled. Scraper plates 37, and 38 for the rollers 16. and In other words, it has been found that by the .17 respectively, may. be mounted as.shown. Plate use of rolls with smaller teeth, more efficient 37 is fastened to plate. 14 by bolts. 39. Plate 38 <70 spinning of wool can be accomplished. Is fixed to bracket 35 by bolts 40. These-scraper In further reference to Figure 4 on the draw plates remoye any .material which might, stick ing, it will be observed that the gear 44 is:ad to the rollers. justably mounted on an inclined extension :of Rollers 16 and.17 and.thelr>shatU~10 And.19 the. rack 46,- and . in addition ; to horizontal ad are .hollow and. are connected, by .packlng.^lend 75 justment with the rack, the gear can he vertically MTC 017060 2,491,766 56 adjusted on the Inclined extension, all adjust 2. Apparatus as in claim 1 characterized in ments being relative to the spin gear 43. Both that the apparatus includes a settling chamber gears 43 and 44 can be water-cooled. Many obvious modifications in the means here located below the fluted rolls and having a top entrance of restricted area and positioned rela- in described may be made without departing from 6 tive to the second fluted roll in a manner to the spirit and scope of the present invention, as present the restricted entrance in the path of the defined in the appended claims. What is claimed is: stream increments projected from the second fluted roll. 1. In apparatus for the production of mineral 3. Apparatus as in claim 2 characterized in wool from molten material, wherein the molten 10 that the settling chamber presents a downward material flows downwardly from the melting passage having the contour dimensions of the cupola at high temperatures and is formed into entrance for a material distance and then ex fine fibre filaments under relatively low tempera panded, said chamber having a traveling foram- ture values during downward travel of the mate inous bottom for collecting the falling fibres, and rial, means for cooling the material and prepar 15 suction-creating means carried by the apparatus ing it for fibre development, said means Including and positioned to be active through such bottom a pair of rotating rolls positioned on opposite to thereby create a forced downward draft sides of the flow-path of the molten material through the chamber with the speed of air move from the cupola to form a trenching path of ment greatest within such zone of restricted definite dimensions therebetween for the flowing 2o cross-sectional area. material, said rolls being relatively adjustable to 4. Apparatus as in claim 1 characterized in control the roll spacing and therefore the thick that the pair of water-cooled rolls have their ness of the stream flow-path through the rolls, surface contours relatively formed to divide the each of said rolls being internally water cooled content of the flowing stream within the trench- to provide rapid cooling action on the flowing 25 ing path into a plurality of spaced-apart streams material, the axes of the rolls extending in par of small width and located in a common plane allelism and parallel with the direction of width extending parallel with the roll axes and with the of the stream flow-path and providing a stream streams flowing to the fluted disintegrating roll flow-path of definite dimensions to control the as individuals, whereby the disintegrating roll dimensional characteristics of the onfiowing 30 will produce rows of individual particle incre stream, a fluted roll mounted for rotation below ments of the cooled molten material of generally one of the pair of rolls with the axis of said roll similar dimensions for fibre development. extending in parallelism with the axes of the pair of rolls, the fluted roll being positioned relative to the flow path of said stream as to cause the 35 roll flutes to intercept such flow to thereby pro CHARLES D. RICHARDSON. REFERENCES CITED duce disintegration of the stream form by the rotating flutes and divide the stream into indi vidual increments of relatively small dimensions, said fluted roll being adjustable as to position The following references are of record in the file of this patent: UNITED STATES PATENTS and speed of rotation, a second rotatable fluted roll mounted in the vicinity of but spaced mate rially from the disintegrating fluted roll and hav ing its axis parallel with the axis of the disinte grating roll, the respective axes of the fluted rolls being located on spaced-apart horizontal planes with the plane of the axis of the second fluted roll below that of the first fluted roll, said second fluted roll being individually adjustable as to height, said fluted rolls having individual power sources, said second fluted roll being positioned to receive and transfer stream increments from Number 2,018,478 2,150,945 2,230 272 2,243,122 2,315,735 2,318 243 2,388,935 2,398,707 2,428,810 Name Date Whittier______ ----- Oct. 22, 1935 Slayter _________ Mar. 21, 1939 Slayter __ ________ Feb. 4, 1941 Ramseyer ____ ----- May 27, 1941 Richardson__ _____ Apr. 6, 1943 McClure______ Powell_____ __ -- Nov. 13, 1945 Hawthorne et al. ___ Apr. 16, 1946 Powell________ ----- Oct. 14, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS the first fluted roll and to project the same in a general definite direction en route to a settling chamber of the apparatus wherein the fibre de velopment is completed. Number 10,836 563,653 Country Date Great Britain --------- A. D. 1889 France ________ ___Dec. 11, 1923 MTC 017061