METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CHOPPING FIBERS

摘要

A method and apparatus for chopping glass fibers during formation is disclosed. The glass fibers are drawn from cones of molten glass by attenuation and sized with an aqueous sizing composition. The attenuation is provided by a pair of rotating circumferentially juxaposed wheels; one wheel having a knurled surface contacting a second smooth flexible surfaced wheel. As the glass fibers are attenuated by these two wheels, they are also cut or chopped by passing the fibers between a second smooth surfaced wheel and a juxaposed cutting head thereby forming particulate glass fiber bundles of uniform length. The particulate glass fibers are dropped onto a two-stage vibratory conveyor; the first stage operating at a higher amplitude than the second stage. During the second stage conveying operation the glass fiber bundles are reduced in moisture content by applying heat to the fibers. The glass fiber bundles are collected by providing a foraminous section at the end of the vibratory conveyor through which the particulate glass fiber bundles pass through and into a collecting device.