Owens-corning Fiberglas Corporation

Owens Corning Fiberglas Technology, Inc.

Advanced Glassfiber Yarns, LLC

Paul S Sanik

Eugene C Varrasso

Sheldon A Canfield

John T Beckman

Susan M Pierik

Dennis H Shreve

Ken R Johnson

A supplemental controller for a fiber glass bushing actively performs heating and cooling of a connected segment of the bushing which is otherwise controlled by a primary controller. In one embodiment, the supplemental controller performs heating by means of current injection into a connected bushing segment and cooling by means of current diversion from or around the connected bushing segment. Initial start-up and balancing operations can be performed without activation of the supplemental controller. In another embodiment of the invention, the supplemental controller heats a bushing segment by injecting current in-phase with current from the primary bushing controller and cools the bushing segment by injecting current out-of-phase with current from the primary bushing controller.

Method and apparatus for controlling heating and cooling in segments of a fiber glass bushing

A glass-fiber bushing including a bottom tip-plate and side walls surrounding the bottom tip-plate forming a container for molten glass. The bottom tip-plate including a plurality of tips arranged to permit molten glass to flow there through to produce a multiplicity of individual molten glass streams from which glass fibers may be formed. The glass-fiber bushing includes at least one tip-plate thermocouple having a platinum tube housing, a pair of thermocouple wires transversing the tube housing and terminating in a weld junction. The tube housing, thermocouple wires and the weld are attached directly to the tip-plate such that the thermocouple junction is formed directly at the tip-plate surface.

Tip-plate thermocouple

Method for controlling heating and cooling in segments at a fiber glass

A hierarchical distributive control system is disclosed. The lowest level of the system is a stand alone controller with hot plug in capability, which can accept either analog or digital signals, scale these signal with input subroutines, perform any one of a number of algorithms to produce control signals or can manually produce control signals and output these control signals as either analog or digital signals to field devices. A plurality of controllers communicates with an associated condenser over duel parallel digital communication buses with a full echo, verify communication routine. The condenser contains all records for all controllers under its supervision and can download control information into any replaced controller. A subhost is interconnected to a group of condensers and contains all records contained in all condensers under its supervision. All information can be uploaded from condensers to subhost or downloaded from subhost to condenser. In case of any failure in any subsystem, all lower level systems continue to operate. All controllers are interchangeable.

Distributed control system

An apparatus and method of sensing openings in a perforated sheet by means of electrical contact between electrically conducting surfaces positioned on opposite sides of the sheet.

Apparatus for sensing openings in sheet

A method of and apparatus for detecting the level of molten glass in a glass melting furnace comprising transmitting an electromagnetic wave towards the surface of the molten glass, detecting the electromagnetic wave reflected from the surface of the molten glass, determining the amount of time elapsed from the transmission of the electromagnetic wave to the detection of the reflected electromagnetic wave, and generating a signal responsive to the amount of elapsed time as an indication of the level of molten glass in the furnace.

Method of and apparatus for detecting the level of molten glass in a

In a communication system having a communication line with a plurality of ports to which electronic means are attached for transmitting and receiving sets of signals, a method of and apparatus for detecting a malfunction in a first electronic means associated with a first port of the plurality of ports and preventing such first electronic means from interfering with the operation of the remainder of the system when such malfunction occurs. The sets of signals comprise combinations of a first signal having a first magnitude and a second signal having a second magnitude, which is different than the first magnitude. In addition, the sets have a predetermined total number of first and second signals and always start with a second signal and end with a first signal. Each of the electronic means is adapted to provide a first signal when it is not transmitting a set of signals. The subject invention comprises: starting the timing of a predetermined period of time when the first electronic means transmits a second signal after a first signal; resetting the time period when the first electronic means transmits a first signal; inhibiting the transmission of signals transmitted by the first electronic means to the communication line if the predetermined period of time has elapsed; and providing a first signal to the communication line if the predetermined period of time has elapsed.

Method of and apparatus for detecting and circumventing malfunctions in

A method of and apparatus for detecting the level of molten glass in a glass melting furnace comprising: positioning two members in the molten glass in the furnace; supplying a source of alternating current to the members; detecting the impedance of a circuit comprising the two members and the electrical connection therebetween through the molten glass; and generating a signal responsive to the detected impedance as an indication of the level of molten glass in the furnace.

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Westerville, OH, United States of America

Paul S Sanik