US2823416A - Apparatus for melting and fiberizing refractory materials - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 18, 1958 E. R. POWELL 2 APPARATUS FOR MEL-TING AND FIBERIZING REFRACTORY MATERIALS Filed Aug. 16, 1955 INVENTOR ZZWA/Ffl A? an 5,44

AWN Q NQ Q United States Patent 0 APPARATUS FOR MELTING AND FIBERIZING REFRACTORY MATERIALS Edward R. Powell, North Plainfield, N. 1., assignor to Johns-Manville Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 16, 1955, Serial No. 528,609 2 Claims. (Cl. 18-2.6)

The present invention relates to an apparatus for converting a molten raw material into fibers, the apparatus being particularly adapted for melting and fiberizing inorganic refractory materials.

Conventional apparatus for melting and fiberizing nonrefractory slags and glasses, while sometimes capable of tion.

The invention will be more fully understood and further objects and advantages thereof will become more apparent when reference is made to the following detailed description and to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a top plan view, partially in section, of a portion of the apparatus of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the apparatus as seen from the bottom in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a partial side elevation of the apparatus as seen from the right in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings there is shown an open-top pot-type metal furnace shell 2 having a portion of one side thereof extending outwardly in the upper reaches of the furnace shell to form a relatively shallow forehearth 4 connected directly to the main melting area defined by the walls of the furnace shell, there being a trough 6 and pouring lip 8 (see Fig. 3) at the front wall of exit side of the forehearth portion. Metal shell 2 and the forehearth portion 4 mounted on the front wall thereof, including the pouring lip and trough, may, if desired, be provided with water or other cooling means, in accordance with conventional practice, for example, as shown in U. S. Patent to Ramseyer No. 2,223,047.

Attached to one side of the furnace, by any convenient means, is a trunnion or pivot 10, preferably so arranged that the longitudinal axis thereof (aXis of tilt of the fur- Dace) lies substantially in alignment with the molten material exit from the furnace (outer end of trough 6). As shown in the drawing, the trough 6 preferably extends in the same general direction as the axis of tilt of the furnace, whereby, it will be apparent, tilting of the furnace results in a minimum change in direction of flow of discharged material. Trunnion 10 is supported for rotation in bearings 12 which are mounted in a fixed position on the base structure (not shown). Attached to the side of shell 2 opposite the trunnion 10 is a bracket 14 to which is secured one end of the cable 16 of any conventional hoisting means (not shown) whereby the furnace may be tilted around the longitudinal axis of the trunnion. If desired a stop or support 17 may be positioned in the path of bracket 14.

Positioned beneath the outer end of the trough is a fiberizing means 18 schematically shown, for purposes of illustration, as a multi-rotor apparatus of the type 2,823,416 Patented Feb. 18, 1958 shown in U. S. Patent to Powell No. 2,520,168. Conventionally, rotor fiberizing apparatus is mounted on a support means 20 which is pivotable about a vertical axis whereby the apparatus may be swung into and out of position beneath pouring trough 6. If desired fluid jet or other fiberizing means may be employed in lieu of the apparatus illustrated, the important feature of the invention lying not in the type of fiberizer, but in the combination which permits delivery to the fiberizer of a stream of proper fluidity for fiberization. The substantial alignment of the axis of trunnion 10 with the molten material exit of the furnace is an important feature of the present invention. With such substantial alignment, variations in the tilt of the furnace during operation will not, to any great extent, affect either (1) the angle at which the stream approaches the fiberizer, or (2) the distance traveled by the stream from the trough to the fiberizer. The angle of approach of the stream is somewhat related to the degree of spattering which will occur when the stream is intercepted by the fiberizer, this being particularly true with a rotary fiberizer, and the distance traveled by the stream in large measure dictates the amount of cooling of the stream and thus its fluidity at the time of interception.

Projecting downwardly into the pot formed by shell 2 are primary electrodes 22 preferably three in number and connected in a three phase circuit. Projecting downwardly into forehearth portion 4 are auxiliary smaller electrodes 24 preferably two in number and thus connected in a single phase circuit. All of the electrodes are preferably supported to tilt with the furnace by any convenient means, several of which would be obvious to any skilled mechanic. Also, the electrodes should be vertically adjustable in accordance with conventional practice (as shown by U. S. Patent to Hitner No. 2,122,469 and U. S. Patent to Hopkins No. 2,310,635) so that the electrodes may always be made to penetrate the molten material to the proper depth.

In operation, the furnace is charged with refractory furnish and the melting process initiated in the usual manner. A fused bath of material forms around the electrodes which are arranged to penetrate the bath as in conventional resistance heating. The refractory material adjacent the walls of shell 2 does not fuse and acts to protect the walls against the extreme heat of the bath. The molten material flows (assuming the proper furnace tilt) in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 1 from the primary melting zone around large electrodes 22 toward the secondary forehearth zone with which the primary zone communicates. The purpose of the forehearth zone is to maintain the melt at a high enough temperature at the region adjacent pouring lip 8 that a continuous stream having the proper fluidity may be fed to the fiberizing unit. The temperature of the melt, of course, depends upon the arrangement of the electrodes and the electrical power supplied, this being well understood by those skilled in the art.

Having thus described my invention in rather full detail, it will be understood that these details need not be strictly adhered to and that various changes and modifications may suggest themselves to one skilled in the art, all falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for melting and fiberizing molten material, a furnace, means mounting said furnace for tilting, a molten material exit for said furnace located in substantial alignment with the axis of tilt, said molten material exit being the discharge end of a trough extending in the general direction of said axis and fiberizing means positioned adjacent said exit.

2. Apparatus for melting and fiberizing molten mateaazaem V 3 rial, a furnace, means mounting said furnace for tilting, a molten material exit for said furnace lying on the axis of tilt, said molten material exit being the discharge end of a trough extending in the general direction of said axis and fiberizing means positioned adjacent said exit. 5

2,122,469 Hitner my 5, 1938 10 4 Ramseyer Nov. 26, 1940 Ramseyer Jan. 28, 1941 Hopkins Feb. 9, 1943 Powell Aug. 29, 1950 McMullen Aug. 17, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Feb. 24, 1954 France Feb. 17, 1954

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