Importance

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Abstract

A roller conveyor furnace (12) is disclosed as including at least one gas jet pump (24) for providing forced convection heating of glass sheets during conveyance on rolls (22) of the furnace conveyor (20). A source (26) of compressed gas located externally of the furnace is communicated with the gas jet pump to supply a primary gas flow thereto and induce an amplified extent of a secondary gas flow in order to provide a combined flow of heated gas that produces the forced convection heating. Upper and lower arrays (70,72) of the gas jet pumps are disclosed as being usable separately or in cooperation with each other in one embodiment to maintain temperature uniformity and glass sheet planarity. Each array includes an associated conduit support (74,76) that mounts the gas jet pumps thereof in a spaced relationship transverse to the direction of conveyance either above or below the conveyor rolls. In another embodiment, the compressed gas supplied to the gas jet pumps (24) is heated to provide the primary source for heating the furnace. One gas jet pump utilized comprises a simple jet opening, while another pump comprises a restricted opening and a contoured surface along which the primary gas flow is guided, and a further pump includes a deflector that initially guides the primary gas flow from a restricted opening along the contoured surface.

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First Claim