Storage system for glass offcut
AssigneeBromer Inc.
InventorRoger MERCURE
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The storage system is for use next to a glass processing line having a loading table, a glass cutting table and a breakout table. The storage system comprises a first tilt table and a second tilt table with an intermediary conveyor extending between them. A storage rack and a laterally-movable conveyor are positioned at either ends of the storage system. The storage rack comprises a plurality of parallel storage slots. The storage slots store the glass offcuts at a substantially vertical position of less than 90 degrees with reference to the horizontal. A method of storing a glass offcut and a method of recycling glass offcuts are also disclosed. The storage system and methods allow to easily store and retrieve glass offcuts.
Claims16
A storage system for glass offcuts, the storage system being provided on one side of a glass processing line having a loading table, a glass cutting table and a breakout table, the storage system comprising:
- a first tilt table, the first tilt table having a front side and a rear side, the front side being adjacent to the breakout table;
- a second tilt table, the second tilt table having a front side and a rear side, the front side being adjacent to the loading table;
- an intermediary glass offcut conveyor extending parallel to the glass processing line, the intermediary conveyor having one end in registry with the rear side of the first tilt table and a second end in registry with the rear side of the second tilt table;
- a laterally-movable glass offcut conveyor having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the laterally-movable conveyor extending in a direction parallel to the intermediary conveyor, the proximal portion of the laterally-movable conveyor being adjacent to and located on a side of the first or the second tilt table that is opposite the intermediary conveyor;
- and
- a storage rack positioned over the distal portion of the laterally-movable conveyor, the storage rack having a plurality of slot dividers defining a plurality of parallel storage slots extending parallel to the laterally-movable conveyor, the storage slots individually storing the glass offcuts at a substantially vertical position of less than 90 degrees with reference to the horizontal.
A method of recycling an initially useless glass offcut from a glass processing line, the method comprising:
- individually receiving the glass offcut from a breakout table of the glass processing line;
- pivoting the glass offcut from a horizontal position to a substantially vertical position of less than 90 degrees with reference to the horizontal;
- moving the glass offcut using conveyors while still at the substantially vertical position of less than 90 degrees with reference to the horizontal, to a selected individual storage location;
- storing the glass offcut in the substantially vertical position of less than 90 degrees with reference to the horizontal;
- upon determining that the glass offcut is required back to the glass processing line, moving the glass offcut out of the individual storage location;
- pivoting the glass offcut back to the horizontal position;
- and
- moving the glass offcut to a loading table of the glass processing line.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.