US 2015/0232368 A1 · TWO-STAGE GRAVITY PRESS

Abstract

Apparatus for shaping at least one glass sheet wherein a lower press ring and an upper press ring are configured to clamp a perimeter section of the glass sheet between the lower press ring and the upper press ring. The apparatus also includes an inner press at least partially disposed within the upper press ring and configured to shape at least a section of the glass sheet inside the perimeter section of the glass sheet, including forming by use of applied vacuum. The inner press may include openings that apply vacuum in selected areas of the inner press to vacuum form the ply within the selected areas. To control the ply on the upper press assembly, vacuum that is applied through passageways in the upper press ring to the gap between the upper press ring and the inner press is controlled through a seal in the gap. The upper press ring includes pivotal joints that increase adjustability of the forming surface of the upper press ring to the face surface of the inner press. The inner press is fixed to a top plate so that the inner press and the top plate move together. The inner press is moveable within limits with respect to the upper press ring. As a suspension assembly and the top plate are lowered, guides on the top plate engage reciprocal counterparts on the carrying frame to laterally align the upper press ring to the lower press ring. Stops on the upper press ring engage stops on the carrying frame to limit the descending vertical movement of the upper press ring. Thereafter, the inner press descends under gravity force as the inner press moves vertically downward through the upper press ring. After the upper press ring contacts the stop on the carrying frame to arrest vertical descent of the upper press ring, the suspension assembly decouples from the top plate and the inner press continues to move downwardly under gravity forces to shape the center part of the ply. The vertical descent of the inner press is arrested when the top plate contacts the upper press ring. In this way, the outer press ring and the lower press ring clamp the ply before the inner press shapes the center of the ply in response to gravity forces on the inner press. To unclamp the ply, the suspension assembly is vertically raised to cause the suspension assembly to re-couple with the top plate. The suspension assembly first moves the inner press upwardly as rods that are threaded into the upper press ring pass through holes in the top plate. When stops on the rod ends engage the top plate, further upward vertical movement of the suspension assembly lifts the upper press ring together with the inner press.

Claims34

Dependent claims

For use in connection with a furnace and a shaping station to shape a transparency having at least one ply, the apparatus comprising:

a. a frame that includes at least one frame stop said frame being laterally moveable through said furnace;
b. a lower press ring that is supported on said frame and that defines an upwardly facing clamping surface for supporting at least one ply;
c. a two-stage gravity press that is laterally positioned at said shaping station, said two-stage gravity press being vertically moveable with respect to said lower press ring at times when said lower press ring is located at said shaping station, said two-stage gravity press including:
i. an upper press ring having a body that defines a closed inside surface, an upper contact surface, and a downwardly facing clamping surface, said upper press ring also having at least one stop and at least one extension with an upper stop on said extension, said upper press ring being vertically moveable to and from a clamping position at which said at least one stop of said upper press ring contacts said at least one frame stop at said clamping position where said upper press ring cooperates with said lower press ring to clamp said at least one ply between the upwardly facing clamping surface of the lower press ring and the downwardly facing clamping surface of said upper press ring, said upwardly facing clamping surface and said downwardly facing clamping surface clamping a band of said at least one ply that is adjacent the perimeter of said at least one ply;
and
a second stage gravity press that is at least partially located laterally within the closed inside surface of said upper press ring, said second stage gravity press defining a downwardly facing press surface with a surface contour that corresponds to a selected finish contour of an area of said at least one ply, said second stage gravity press being moveable with respect to said upper press ring between a first position at which said second stage gravity press contacts the upper stop of said upper press ring and a second position at which said second stage gravity press contacts the upper contact surface of said upper press ring;
and
d. a suspension assembly that is selectively coupled to said second stage gravity press, said suspension assembly being vertically moveable to raise and lower said upper press ring at times when said at least one stop of said upper press ring is apart from said at least one frame stop, the end of said suspension assembly also being vertically moveable to raise said second stage gravity press from said second position.

5 more elements

Apparatus for use in connection with a furnace that includes a conveyor and a shaping station for shaping at least one ply of a transparent glazing, said apparatus comprising:

a. a frame that includes frame stops and that is moveable to the shaping station according to the travel of the conveyor;
b. a lower press ring that is supported on said frame and that defines an upwardly facing clamping surface;
c. a two-stage gravity press that is positioned at said shaping station and that is vertically moveable with respect to said lower press ring, said two-stage gravity press including:
i. a first stage gravity press ring that defines an upper contact surface and that includes at least one upper stop and at least one lower stop, said first stage gravity press ring also defining a closed inner side and a downwardly facing clamping surface that opposes the upwardly facing clamping surface of said lower press ring, said first stage gravity press ring being vertically moveable with respect to said lower press ring to clamp a band of said at least one ply that is adjacent the perimeter of said at least one ply between the upwardly facing clamping surface of the lower press ring and the downwardly facing clamping surface of the first stage gravity press ring at times when the lower stops of said first stage gravity press ring contact said frame stops;
and
ii. a second stage gravity press that is at least partly located laterally within the first stage gravity press ring, said second stage gravity press defining a downwardly facing surface that defines a selected finish contour corresponding to an area of said at least one ply that is located laterally inside the band of said at least one ply that is clamped between the clamping surface of the lower press ring and the clamping surface of the first stage gravity press ring, said second stage gravity press being vertically moveable with respect to said first stage gravity press ring between a first position at which said second stage gravity press contacts said upper stop of said first stage gravity press ring and a second position at which said second stage gravity press engages the contact surface of said first stage gravity press ring;
and
d. a suspension assembly having an end that is coupled to said second stage gravity press, the end of said suspension assembly being vertically moveable to control the vertical position of said first stage gravity press ring at times when the at least one lower stop of said first stage gravity press ring are positioned apart from said frame stops, and to control the vertical position of said second stage gravity press with respect to said first stage gravity press at times when the at least one lower stop of said first stage gravity press ring contacts said frame stops and said second stage gravity press is moved vertically in a direction from said second position to said first position.

5 more elements

Apparatus for shaping at least one ply at a forming station that is used in connection with a furnace, said apparatus comprising:

a. a carrying frame that has at least one frame stop, said carrying frame being moveable to and from the forming station;
b. a lower press ring that is secured to said carrying frame, said lower press ring defining a lower clamping face;
c. an upper press ring that includes an upper stop and a lower stop, said upper press ring also having a body that defines a press contact surface, an inner side and an upper clamping face that opposes the lower clamping face of said lower press ring at times when said carrying frame is located at said forming station;
d. a second stage gravity press that defines a forming surface that is located laterally inside the inner side of said upper press ring, said second stage gravity press being vertically moveable with respect to said upper press ring between a first position wherein said second stage gravity press is in contact with the upper stop of said upper press ring and a second position wherein the second stage gravity press is in contact with the press contact surface of said upper press ring;
and
e. a suspension member that is selectively coupled to said second stage gravity press such that said suspension member vertically suspends said second stage gravity press and said upper press ring at times when the lower stops of said upper press ring are vertically apart from said at least one frame stop of said carrying frame, and such that said suspension member decouples from said second stage gravity press at times when the lower stops of said upper press ring are in contact with said at least one frame stop of said carrying frame and the second stage gravity press moves in the vertical direction from said first position to said second position such that said second stage gravity press shapes said at least one ply in response to gravity forces on said second stage gravity press.

3 more elements

Apparatus for forming at least one ply, said apparatus comprising:

a. a carrying frame that includes at least one frame stop and that also includes the first part of at least one locator that has first and second parts;
b. a lower press ring that is secured to said carrying frame, said lower press ring defining an upper surface for supporting at least one ply;
c. a top plate, the second part of said at least one locator being connected to said top plate, said second part cooperating with the first part of at least one locator to laterally position said top plate with respect to said carrying frame;
d. an upper press ring that defines an inner side and a clamping face, said upper press ring also including at least one stop that engages at least one frame stop of said carrying frame to define a lower limit position for the vertical movement of said upper press ring with respect to said carrying frame;
e. an inner press that is rigidly connected to said top plate and that is located laterally inside the inner side of said upper press ring, said inner press defining a forming face and being vertically moveable with respect to said upper press ring;
and
f. a suspension member that is coupled to said top plate such that, at times when said at least one stop of said upper press ring engages said at least one frame stop of said carrying frame, said inner press moves vertically upward with respect to said upper press ring in response to the vertical upward movement of said suspension member.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Two-stage gravity press

Life of this patent

Two-stage gravity press

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims34