GB1015110A - Glass batch feeding apparatus and method - Google Patents

Abstract

<PICT:1015110/C1/1> <PICT:1015110/C1/2> A method of feeding raw glass batch and cullet to a glass melting furnace, including rotating a compartmented elongated cylindrical surface in a counterclockwise direction about its longitudinal axis and depositing the raw glass making materials into the compartments as they pass a stationary feed source, is characterized by separately depositing the cullet upon the raw batch in the said compartments, and thereafter delivering said materials in a continuous layer upon molten glass in the charging end of a furnace. The raw materials are fed to a hopper 28 having a front wall, opposite side walls and an inclined rear wall, an inclined partition substantially parallel to the rear wall dividing the hopper 28 into a large front compartment 29 for raw batch and a smaller rear compartment 30 for cullet. The compartments 29 and 30 have outlets 57, 65 at their lower ends in close proximity to a feed roll 37 divided into compartments 41. Raw batch is fed from a hopper 26 into the front compartment 29 and from thence through opening 57 into compartments 41 of the counterclockwise rotating roll 37. A bin 100 holds cullet which is delivered through at least two outlets in its base on to as many individual endless-belt type conveyers 101. These convey the cullet into the rear compartment 30. Cullet is discharged through opening 65 on to the batch material already in compartments 41 of roll 37. The cullet is forced and compacted against the batch by an adjustable gauge plate 68. Each conveyor 101 is individually controllable so that different quantities of cullet can be fed across the width of the compartment 30 and thus across the charging end of the furnace. A channel member 66 near the opening 65 of the rear compartment provides means for passing a coolant such as water to prevent the cullet from softening whilst still in the hopper 28. Also the core 38 of the feed roll 37 is so constructed that a coolant under pressure, such as water, may be passed therethrough.