By-pass conveyor
AssigneeAshton Industrial Sales Limited
InventorStephen Richard Ashton
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to an apparatus for removing articles from a continuous manufacturing line without interrupting the line comprising a pair of conveyor portions arranged in substantially parallel alignment, each having means for transporting an article along the manufacturing line and being mounted on a frame, the frame being reversibly transportable between a first and second position in a direction substantially orthogonal to the direction of travel of an article on the manufacturing line, said first and second positions corresponding with a conveyor portion being in alignment with the continuous manufacturing line.
Claims18
An apparatus for removing articles from a continuous manufacturing line without interrupting the line comprising a pair of conveyor portions arranged in substantially parallel alignment, each having means for transporting an article along the manufacturing line and being mounted on a frame, the frame being reversibly transportable between a first and second position in a direction substantially orthogonal to the direction of travel of an article on the manufacturing line, said first and second positions corresponding with a conveyor portion being in alignment with the continuous manufacturing line.
An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the manufacturing line is for the manufacture of insulating glass units.
An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein one of the conveyor portions comprises an application table.
An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein one of the conveyor portions is a vertical transport conveyor or a part of a vertical transport conveyor.
An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the frame is slideable along tracks provided beneath the manufacturing line.
An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the frame is a wheeled trolley.
An insulating glass unit production line comprising an apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims.
A method of removing articles from a continuous manufacturing line without interrupting the line comprising the steps of removing a section of the line with the article to be removed;
- and replacing the missing section with a separate section of line to complete the manufacturing line once more.
A method of applying spacer frames during manufacture of insulating glass units comprising the steps of locating a glass sheet on an application table orientated substantially vertically in a first position;
- reversibly tilting the application table to a second position whilst simultaneously moving the table forward to an application position;
- reversibly sliding a vertical transport conveyor for conveying glass sheet to the position vacated by the application table;
- applying a spacer frame to the glass sheet located on the application table whilst substantially simultaneously conveying glass sheet past the application table using the vertical transport conveyor;
- sliding the application table back to the first position simultaneously sliding and tilting the vertical transport conveyor away;
- conveying the glass sheet with a spacer frame off the application table and conveying another glass sheet onto the application table for application of a spacer frame.
A method of manufacturing insulated glass units comprising the steps of locating a glass sheet on an application table orientated substantially vertically in a first position;
- reversibly tilting the application table to a second horizontal position whilst simultaneously moving the table forward to an application position;
- reversibly sliding a vertical transport conveyor for conveying glass sheet to the position vacated by the application table;
- applying a spacer frame to the glass sheet located on the application table whilst substantially simultaneously conveying glass sheet past the application table using the vertical transport conveyor;
- sliding and tilting the application table back to the first position simultaneously sliding the vertical transport conveyor away;
- conveying the glass sheet with a spacer frame off the application table and conveying another glass sheet onto the application table for application of a spacer frame.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.