Glass sheet acquisition and positioning mechanism for an inline system for measuring the optical characteristics of a glass sheet

A glass sheet acquisition and positioning mechanism for an inline system for measuring the optical characteristics of a glass sheet, which inline system includes a background screen including contrasting elements arranged in a pre-defined pattern, a digital camera for acquiring an image of the background screen with the glass sheet positioned between the camera and the screen at a preselected position, and which inline system is installed in a system for fabricating glass sheets including a heating station for heating the glass sheet to a temperature adequate to soften the glass for forming into a desired shape, a bending station wherein the softened sheet is formed to the desired shape, a cooling station wherein the formed glass sheet is cooled in a controlled manner, and one or more conveyors for conveying the glass sheet from station to station during processing, the acquisition and positioning mechanism comprising

• an exterior support frame mounted in proximity to the conveyor between the camera and the background screen, the exterior support frame including first and second generally horizontal rails mounted, respectively, on opposite sides of the conveyor, each of said horizontal rails having a guideway, and first and second generally vertical rails mounted, respectively, on opposite sides of the conveyor, each of said vertical rails having a guideway;
• first and second support arms, the first support arm including a first positioning guide secured to the support arm and operably connected for slidable and pivotal movement in the guideway of the first generally vertical rail and a second positioning guide secured to the support arm and operably connected for slidable and pivotal movement in the guideway of the first generally horizontal rail, the second support arm including a first positioning guide secured to the support arm and operably connected for slidable and pivotal movement in the guideway of the second generally vertical rail and a second positioning guide secured to the support arm and operably connected for slidable and pivotal movement in the guideway of the second generally horizontal rail;
• an interior support frame including,
• first and second elongate, generally parallel, spaced-apart side members,
• a cross-member extending transverse to and interconnecting the side members, thereby defining a generally u-shaped support that is open at the upstream end of the conveyor when the interior support frame is positioned in a first generally horizontal orientation in the plane of the glass sheet on the conveyor, and
• one or more locators connected to one or more of the first side member, the second side member or the cross-member on the interior support frame such that, when the interior support frame is positioned in its first orientation, the locators are positioned to catch and retain a glass sheet as it is moving on the conveyor, wherein
• each of said first and second side members including an upstream support element which is supported, respectively by the first and second support arms, and each of said first and second side members including an downstream support element which is releasably supported, respectively, by the first and second support arms, such that the first and second support arms, and the interior support frame supported thereby, may be slidably and pivotally positioned from the first generally horizontal orientation to a second, upwardly tilted orientation whereby the open end of the interior support frame is elevated from the plane of the conveyor;
• a first actuating mechanism including at least one actuator associated with at least one of the first and second support arms to contact and move the support arms, and thereby the interior support frame, at the location of the first positioning guide along the guideways of the first and second generally vertical rails to and from its first orientation to its second orientation, thereby positioning a glass sheet retained by the interior support frame in a selected orientation between the camera and the background screen;
• and
• a second actuating mechanism including at least one actuator associated with the interior support frame to contact and move the interior support frame at the location of the downstream support element guide to and from its first orientation to a third, upwardly tilted orientation in which the closed, downstream end of the interior guide frame is upwardly tilted to facilitate release of a glass sheet retained in the interior support frame for continued movement on the conveyor.

An inline apparatus for measuring the optical characteristics of a glass sheet in a system for fabricating glass sheets including one or more processing stations and one or more conveyors for conveying the glass sheet from station to station during processing, the apparatus comprising:

• a background screen including contrasting elements arranged in a pre-defined pattern,
• a digital camera for acquiring an image of the background screen,
• a glass sheet acquisition and positioning mechanism for receiving a glass sheet as it is conveyed on one of the conveyors, momentarily removing the glass sheet from the conveyor, and positioning the glass sheet in the path between the camera and the background screen so that the camera may capture an image of the pattern transmitted through the glass sheet, the acquisition and positioning mechanism including:
• an exterior support frame mounted in proximity to the conveyor between the camera and the background screen, and
• an interior support frame operably connected to the exterior support frame such that the interior support frame may be selectively positioned from a first generally horizontal orientation in the plane of the glass sheet on the conveyor to a second, upwardly tilted orientation whereby the upstream end of the interior support frame is elevated from the plane of the conveyor with the retained glass sheet positioned between the camera and the screen at the preselected position, and thereafter positioned to a third orientation for releasing the glass sheet retained in the interior support frame for continued movement on the conveyor;
• and
• a computer including logic for receiving the captured image data associated with a selected glass sheet and performing one or more processing operations using the captured image data to analyze the optical characteristics of the glass sheet.

An inline apparatus for measuring the optical characteristics of a glass sheet in a system for fabricating glass sheets including a heating station for heating the glass sheet to a temperature adequate to soften the glass for forming into a desired shape, a bending station wherein the softened sheet is formed to the desired shape, a cooling station wherein the formed glass sheet is cooled in a controlled manner, and one or more conveyors for conveying the glass sheet from station to station during processing, the apparatus including:

• a background screen including contrasting elements arranged in a pre-defined pattern,
• a digital camera for acquiring an image of the background screen,
• a glass sheet acquisition and positioning mechanism for receiving a glass sheet as it is conveyed on one of the conveyors, and momentarily removing the glass sheet from the conveyor and positioning the glass sheet in the path between the camera and the background screen so that the camera may capture an image of the pattern transmitted through the glass sheet, the acquisition and positioning mechanism comprising:
• an exterior support frame mounted in proximity to the conveyor between the camera and the background screen, the exterior support frame including first and second generally horizontal rails mounted, respectively, on opposite sides of the conveyor, each of said horizontal rails having a guideway, and first and second generally vertical rails mounted, respectively, on opposite sides of the conveyor, each of said vertical rails having a guideway;
• first and second support arms, the first support arm including a first positioning guide secured to the support arm and operably connected for slidable and pivotal movement in the guideway of the first generally vertical rail and a second positioning guide secured to the support arm and operably connected for slidable and pivotal movement in the guideway of the first generally horizontal rail, the second support arm including a first positioning guide secured to the support arm and operably connected for slidable and pivotal movement in the guideway of the second generally vertical rail and a second positioning guide secured to the support arm and operably connected for slidable and pivotal movement in the guideway of the second generally horizontal rail;
• an interior support frame including,
• first and second elongate, generally parallel, spaced-apart side members,
• a cross-member extending transverse to and interconnecting the side members, thereby defining a generally u-shaped support that is open at the upstream end of the conveyor when the interior support frame is positioned in a first generally horizontal orientation in the plane of the glass sheet on the conveyor,
• one or more locators connected to one or more of the first side member, the second side member or the cross-member on the interior support frame such that, when the interior support frame is positioned in its first orientation, the locators are positioned to catch and retain a glass sheet as it is moving on the conveyor, and
• each of said first and second side members including an upstream support element which is supported, respectively by the first and second support arms, and each of said first and second side members including an downstream support element which is releasably supported, respectively, by the first and second support arms, such that the first and second support arms, and the interior support frame supported thereby, may be slidably and pivotally positioned from the first generally horizontal orientation to a second upwardly tilted orientation whereby the open end of the interior support frame is elevated from the plane of the conveyor;
• a first actuating mechanism including at least one actuator associated with at least one of the first and second support arms to contact and move the support arms, and thereby the interior support frame, at the location of the first positioning guide along the guideways of the first and second generally vertical rails to and from its first orientation to its second orientation, thereby positioning a glass sheet retained by the interior support frame in a selected orientation between the camera and the background screen;
• and
• a second actuating mechanism including at least one actuator associated with the interior support frame to contact and move the interior support frame at the location of the downstream support element guide to and from its first orientation to a third, upwardly tilted orientation in which the closed end of the interior guide frame is upwardly tilted, thereby releasing a glass sheet retained in the interior support frame for continued movement on the conveyor;
• and
• a computer including logic for receiving the captured image data associated with a selected glass sheet and performing one or more processing operations using the captured image data to analyze the optical characteristics of the glass sheet.

A method for acquiring and positioning a glass sheet in an inline system for measuring the optical characteristics of the glass sheet, which inline system includes a background screen including contrasting elements arranged in a pre-defined pattern, a digital camera for acquiring an image of the background screen with the glass sheet positioned between the camera and the screen at a preselected position, and which inline system is installed in a system for fabricating glass sheets including one or more processing stations and one or more conveyors for conveying the glass sheet from station to station during processing, the method comprising:

• providing an exterior support frame mounted in proximity to the conveyor between the camera and the background screen;
• providing an interior support frame operably connected to the exterior support frame for movement of the interior frame to a plurality of positions;
• positioning the interior support frame in a first generally horizontal orientation in the plane of the glass sheet on the conveyor;
• capturing and retaining a glass sheet as it is transported on the conveyor;
• positioning the interior support frame in a second, upwardly-tilted orientation whereby the upstream end of the interior support frame is elevated from the plane of the conveyor with the glass sheet retained thereon to thereby position the glass sheet between the camera and the screen at the preselected position;
• positioning the interior support frame in a third orientation;
• and
• releasing the glass sheet retained in the interior support frame for continued movement of the glass sheet on the conveyor.