US 11,111,169 B2Granted

Mold shuttle positioning system for a glass sheet forming system

AssigneeGlasstech, Inc.

InventorsDavid B. Nitschke, Chad E. Cox, Dean M. Nitschke

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Abstract

A mold shuttle positioning system in a glass sheet forming system includes a mold mounted on a support frame. A shuttle frame including a pair of generally parallel elongate beams for receiving and supporting the mold support frame thereon. At least one support wheel assembly including a wheel and a shuttle guide is mounted in proximity to each of the shuttle beams to position and support each one of the beams as the shuttle frame is moved to position the mold supported thereon at one of multiple desired processing locations. At least one mold guide is mounted on the support surface of one of the beams for receiving and fixing the position of the mold support frame relative to the shuttle frame to align and prevent movement of the mold support frame with respect to the shuttle frame in any direction as the mold support frame is supported thereon.

Claims31

Dependent claims

A mold shuttle positioning system for positioning a hot glass sheet in multiple locations within a glass sheet heating and forming system comprising:

a mold including a surface that defines a shape to which the glass sheet is to be initially formed;
a mold support frame including at least one connection surface for mounting the mold thereon;
a movable shuttle frame that is movable in a generally horizontal direction, the movable shuttle frame including a pair of elongate beams that are generally parallel, each of the elongate beams including a support surface near one end of the elongate beam for receiving and supporting the mold support frame thereon;
at least one mold guide mounted on the support surface of one of the elongate beams for fixing position of the mold support frame relative to the movable shuttle frame to prevent movement of the mold support frame with respect to the movable shuttle frame in any direction as the mold support frame is supported thereon, and at least one other mold guide mounted on the support surface of an other one of the elongate beams for fixing the position of the mold support frame relative to the movable shuttle frame to prevent movement of the mold support frame in a first direction with respect to the movable shuttle frame, but allow movement of the mold support frame in a second direction with respect to the movable shuttle frame as the mold support frame is supported thereon;
at least one support wheel assembly mounted to position and support each one of the elongate beams as the movable shuttle frame is moved to position the mold at one of multiple desired processing locations, each support wheel assembly including a support wheel and an actuator for selectively moving the support wheel and the elongate beam supported thereon in a generally vertical direction;
and
at least one shuttle guide mounted on at least one of the support wheel assemblies associated with only one of the elongate beams for receiving the movable shuttle frame and fixing the position of the movable shuttle frame relative to the glass sheet heating and forming system to locate and prevent movement of the movable shuttle frame in a first direction with respect to the glass sheet heating and forming system, but allow movement of the movable shuttle frame in a second direction with respect to the glass sheet heating and forming system as the movable shuttle frame and mold are positioned for processing the glass sheet in multiple locations within the glass sheet heating and forming system.

4 more elements

A three stage forming station for forming a hot glass sheet with compound curvature, the three stage forming station comprising:

a downwardly facing first upper mold that has curvature in a first direction and straight line elements in a second direction transverse to the first direction, for initially forming the glass sheet with curvature in the first direction while maintaining straight line elements in the second direction, the downwardly facing first upper mold further having a vacuum chamber;
a mold support frame including at least one connection surface for mounting the downwardly facing first upper mold thereon, a mold conduit operably connected at a first location to the vacuum chamber and including an opening at a second location defining a first coupling port;
a shuttle frame including a pair of elongate beams that are generally parallel, each of the elongate beams including a support surface near one end of the elongate beam for receiving and supporting the mold support frame thereon;
a vacuum source mounted on the shuttle frame near an end of one of the elongate beams opposite the end including the support surface;
a shuttle conduit operably connected at a first location to the vacuum source and including an opening at a second location defining a second coupling port;
a connector for releasably connecting the first coupling port to the second coupling port to provide communication of a vacuum from the vacuum source through the shuttle conduit and through the mold conduit to the vacuum chamber for selectively drawing a vacuum at the downwardly facing first upper mold;
an upwardly facing lower mold, that has curvature in at least the first direction and permits glass sheet curvature in the second direction, for receiving the glass sheet from the downwardly facing first upper mold so the glass sheet is able to sag under gravity along the second direction to have some curvature in the second direction as well as curvature in the first direction;
and
a downwardly facing second upper mold, that has compound curvature and is complementary to the upwardly facing lower mold, for cooperating with the upwardly facing lower mold to press form the glass sheet with transverse curvature corresponding to the shapes of the upwardly facing lower mold and the downwardly facing second upper mold.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/773,064Filed 2 Nov 2016 · us provisional application
Priority: 2 Nov 2015
Published: US 2018/0339928 A129 Nov 2018
Granted: 7 Sep 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

C03B 17/06
Forming molten glass by flowing-out, pushing-out, extruding or drawing downwardly or laterally from forming slits or by overflowing over lips:…
C03B 23/023
Re-forming glass sheets: by bending
C03B 23/03
By bending: by press-bending between shaping moulds
C03B 23/0357
By suction or blowing out for providing the deformation force to bend the glass sheet: by suction without blowing, e.g. with vacuum or by venturi…