Joe B Lovelace

US Patent:

53522583, Oct 4, 1994

Filed:

Mar 31, 1993

Appl. No.:

8/040756

Inventors:

Stanley C. DeGreve - Allison Park PA
Joe B. Lovelace - Salisbury NC
E. Charles Watkins - Lexington NC
Timothy G. Mathis - Kings Mountain NC
Harry Makitka - Clemmons NC
Thomas C. Bour - Glenshaw PA
John W. Cotton - Lexington NC
Curtis L. Hanvey - Boiling Springs NC
Dennis S. Postupack - Natrona Heights PA
James V. Shivers - Shelby NC
Timothy Smith - Lexington NC

Assignee:

PPG Industries, Inc. - Pittsburgh PA

International Classification:

C03B 516

US Classification:

65474

Abstract:

The process and apparatus of the present invention enable the production of glass fiber product from scrap glass fibers. The process includes: feeding the scrap glass fibers having an average length up to around 12 inches to a glass melting tank having a pool of molten fiberizable glass, melting the scrap glass fibers without the presence of non-vitrified glass forming materials in an oxidizing environment, conditioning the melt to a formable viscosity, and forming the glass fiber from the conditioned melt where for a given glass fiber product there is a near constant pull of the melted glass from the melter. The rate of feeding of the scrap glass to the melter is sufficient to maintain the pool of melted glass with a level within the range of. +-. 35 inch (9 mm. ) over a period of eight hours.