| 摘要 |
Method and apparatus for attenuating glass fibers. Primary glass is delivered into a primary, high termperature, high velocity gaseous blast to produce fibers that are attenuated while carried by said primary blast. While the fibers are above the minimum glass attenuation temperature, the fiber containing primary blast is subjected to opposing rows of thin, closely spaced, high speed jets that deliver fuel and oxidant at a higher speed and less rate of mass flow than said primary blast in directions essentially normal to the primary blast to increase the attentuation of the fibers and the temperature of the primary blast at one or more locations spaced downstream from the location where primary glass is delivered to said primary blast. Shields may be provided in spaced relation on opposite sides of the primary blast and closely offset from the opposing rows to limit the amount of atmospheric air that is entrained into the primary blast. Means is provided in heat exchanging relation with the shield to control the temperature of the surfaces of the shields so that fibers carried by the primary blast that engage the shields are prevented from sticking to the shields without lowering the temperature of the main body of the fibers to below the minimum temperature required for attenuation.
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