Owens Corning Fiberglas Technology, Inc.

Kevin Dewayne Smith

Timothy A Sullivan

William L Streicher

Bruno Andre Purnode

Jack L Emerson

David Herman Wolf

Byron Bemis

Kenny Alan Brown

James P Tracy

A plurality of different structural members for reinforcing a plate-like structure, such as a bushing tip plate for intended use in forming fibers from a fluid material supplied to a bushing assembly, are disclosed. Each reinforcing member includes a body having a first portion for attachment to the structure and a second portion having a profile with a variable height including at least one apex. The body may be integrally formed of a single piece of material, or two or formed from more separate pieces of material bonded or secured together. The body may be T-shaped, L-shaped, or F-shaped in cross-section. The second portion of the body may have an inverted V-shaped profile, an inverted W-shaped profile, or an arcuate profile. The at least one apex may be located at the midpoint or elsewhere along the length of the body.

Reinforcement member for a bushing tip plate and related method

A bushing tip plate support assembly for a bushing in a filament forming apparatus is disclosed. The support assembly improves the flatness of the tip section within the spans between the external support and the center support. The filament forming apparatus includes a bushing having a bottom plate from which nozzles or tips depend. The disclosed support assembly is an improvement on the internal support assemblies in conventional bushings because it has several functions. The support assembly includes two vertical dividers mounted in the bushing. The bottom ends of the dividers are welded to the tops of tip plate gussets in the bushing. The dividers are attached to side plates of the bushing as well. An upper portion of each divider serves as an upper side wall for the bushing and defines part of the throat of the bushing into which the molten glass flows. The dividers also include middle and lower portions with perforations through which the glass in the bushing may flow. The openings permit the dividers to thermally mix and homogenize the glass within the bushing. The dividers provide additional tip plate support to conventional tip plate gussets and resistance to long term creep and sag of the bottom plate, especially at the point of maximum deflection of the tip plate.

Bushing tip plate support assembly for a bushing in a filament forming apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Newark, OH, United States of America

Kevin Dewayne Smith