Apparatus for positioning glass sheets for forming

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10011514-B2
Application number	US-201414489882-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2014
Priority date	Oct 17, 2011
Publication date	Jul 3, 2018
Grant date	Jul 3, 2018

Abstract

Apparatus ( 54 ) for positioning performed glass sheets for further forming includes positioners ( 55 ) that are moved slower than the speed of glass sheet conveyance to provide rotational adjustment of a glass sheet into alignment above a forming mold ( 52 ) under the operation of a controller ( 78 ). The forming mold ( 52 ) is moved upwardly for the forming in a pressing manner against a downwardly facing upper mold ( 58 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for positioning a heated glass sheet for forming, comprising:
a roll conveyor including rolls that provide an upwardly concave conveying shape for conveying a heated glass sheet horizontally at a conveyor speed in a path along a direction of conveyance;
a conveyor drive that drives the roll conveyor;
an upwardly facing forming mold having an upwardly concave curved shape and an open center, and the forming mold also having a peripheral shape that corresponds to the periphery of the glass sheet as well as having a downstream portion along the direction of conveyance;
a pair of positioners laterally spaced at a location along the direction of conveyance in the path of the conveyed glass sheet and located within the open center of the forming mold for movement between upstream and downstream positions as the glass sheet is moved above the forming mold;
a positioner drive for moving the pair of positioners along the direction of conveyance, and supports for the positioners permit movement thereof vertically between an upper position to contact the glass sheet and a lower position that allows the glass sheet to move over the positioners; and
a controller configured to operate the conveyor drive and the positioner drive to: (a) convey the heated glass sheet horizontally on the roll conveyor at a decelerating conveyor speed in a direction of conveyance along a path toward a vertically aligned position above a forming mold; (b) move the pair of positioners while in their upper position along the direction of conveyance at a decelerating speed that is slower than the conveyor speed such that the conveyed glass sheet contacts the positioners for a sufficient time to provide rotational adjustment of the glass sheet on the roll conveyor to correct any rotation from a design rotational position with respect to the forming mold; (c) continue to decelerate the speed of conveyance and accelerate the speed of the positioners while in their upper position until the speed of the conveyor and the speed of the positioners are the same as each other and then continuing to increase the relative speed of the positioners with respect to the speed of the conveyance so the positioners move faster than the conveyor speed and the conveyed glass sheet and the positioners move out of contact with the glass sheet in preparation for the glass sheet moving over and into vertical alignment with the forming mold; (d) after the speed of the conveyor and the speed of the positioners are the same as each other, the increase of the relative speed of the positioners with respect to the speed of conveyance is provided by continuing to decelerate the speed of the conveyor and accelerating the speed of the positioners but at a greater rate of acceleration than before the positioners move out of contact with the glass sheet; and (e) after the positioners move out of contact with the glass sheet, move the positioners downwardly to their lower position so the glass sheet can move over the positioners and over the forming mold into vertical alignment with its peripheral shape.

2. Apparatus for positioning a heated glass sheet for forming as in claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to operate the conveyor drive and the positioner drive so the speed of the conveyor and the speed of the positioners are decelerated at the same rate as each other prior to the glass sheet contacting the positioners.

3. Apparatus for positioning a heated glass sheet for forming as in claim 1 further including a mold actuator for moving the forming mold upwardly to lift the moving glass sheet from the conveyor for forming.

4. Apparatus for positioning a heated glass sheet as in claim 1 further including an upper mold that cooperates with the forming mold to press form the glass sheet.

5. Apparatus for positioning and forming a heated glass sheet, comprising:
a roll conveyor including rolls that provide an upwardly concave conveying shape for conveying a heated glass sheet horizontally at a conveyor speed in a path along a direction of conveyance;
a conveyor drive that drives the roll conveyor;
an upwardly facing peripheral forming mold having an open center and an upwardly concave curved shape that corresponds to the periphery of the heated glass sheet, and the forming mold having a downstream portion;
a lower mold actuator for moving the forming mold upwardly to form the glass sheet;
an upper mold located above the forming mold;
an upper mold actuator for moving the upper mold downwardly to cooperate with the forming mold to press form the glass sheet;
a pair of positioners located within the open center of the forming mold adjacent its downstream portion and spaced laterally along the direction of conveyance in the path of the heated glass sheet and movable between upstream and downstream positions as the glass sheet is moved above the forming mold;
a positioner drive for moving the pair of positioners along the direction of conveyance, and supports for the positioners for movement vertically between an upper position to contact the glass sheet and a lower position that allows the glass sheet to move over the positioners; and
a controller configured to operate the conveyor drive, the positioner drive, and the mold actuators so: (a) the pair of positioners are initially moved along the direction of conveyance at a slower speed than the conveyor speed, while both the speed of the conveyor and the speed of the positioners decelerate at the same rate as each other, such that the positioners contact the conveyed glass sheet to provide rotational adjustment thereof; (b) the speed of the conveyor then continues to decelerate and the speed of the positioners while in their upper position is accelerated until the speed of the conveyor and the speed of the positioners are the same as each other; (c) the relative speed of the positioners while in their upper position is increased with respect to the speed of conveyance by continuing to decelerate the speed of the conveyor and accelerating the speed of the positioners so the positioners then move faster than the conveyor speed so as to move out of contact with the glass sheet in preparation for the glass sheet moving into vertical alignment with the forming mold, (d) the lower mold actuator then moves the forming mold upwardly and the upper mold actuator moves the upper mold downwardly to cooperatively press form the glass sheet; and (e) after the positioners move out of contact with the glass sheet, move the positioners downwardly to their lower position so the glass sheet can move over the positioners and over the forming mold into vertical alignment with its peripheral shape.

6. Apparatus as in claim 1 further including a final processing station located downstream along the direction of conveyance.

7. Apparatus as in claim 6 further including a final processing station located downstream along the direction of conveyance.

Assignees

• Glasstech Inc

Inventors

• Nitschke David B
• Nitschke Dean M
• Lechner Daniel P

Classifications

• C03B23/03 Primary

  by press-bending between shaping moulds · CPC title

• C03B2225/02

  Means for positioning, aligning or orientating the sheets during their travel, e.g. stops · CPC title

• C03B35/16 Primary

  by roller conveyors · CPC title

• C03B11/16

  Gearing or controlling mechanisms specially adapted for glass presses · CPC title