Efficient assembly of insulating glass windows

The apparatus of claim 23 additionally comprising a second registration station comprising:

• a) first and second pivotable supports, wherein a first pivotable support is fixed and a second of the pivotable supports is mounted for translation with respect to the first pivotable supports;
• b) a drive coupled to the pivotable supports for moving the pivotable supports from a first open orientation to a second closed orientation wherein first and second IGU components of an insulating glass unit placed on the supports are brought into engagement with each other to form an IGU;
• and
• c) a controller for adjusting a speed at which the drive pivots the supports to the second, closed orientation based on a physical parameter of the first and second IGU components.

A registration station for bringing two glass lites into registration with each other comprising:

• a) a base positioned to accept glass lites delivered by at least one conveyor and including an array of drive rollers supported by the base that are spaced across a two dimensional registration region for controllably moving the glass lites entering the registration station in a first direction;
• b) a drive coupled to the drive rollers for selectively actuating the drive rollers;
• c) one or more drive belts movably supported by the base for movement into and out of a lite engaging position for moving the glass lites within the registration region along a direction transverse to the first direction;
• d) first actuator supported by the base for moving the drive belts into and out of the lite engaging position;
• e) a belt drive for selectively actuating the belts for controlling movement of the glass lites within the registration region;
• f) a frame supported by the base for both pivoting and translation with respect to the base;
• g) a first set of one or more frame stops fixedly coupled to the frame for registering edges of a first glass lite entering the registration region of the registration station due to movement of the drive belts;
• h) a plurality of lift pads coupleable to an air source and supported by the frame for attracting the first glass lite to the frame while allowing relative movement of the first glass lite with respect to the frame in a plane generally coincident with the first glass lite;
• i) second actuator for moving the frame with respect to the base, said second actuator applying a translational movement that separates the first glass lite from the drive belts after capture of the first glass lite by the lift pads and pivots the frame to re-position the first glass lite after the first glass lite is spaced from the drive belt;
• i) one or more registration fingers attached to rakes and movably supported by the frame for contacting an edge of the first glass lite and moving said first glass lite into a registration position against the first set of one or more frame stops;
• k) a second set of one or more moveable stops that locate a reference position for other glass lites entering the registration station;
• l) a stop actuator for controllably moving the second set of stops into and out of a reference defining position;
• and
• m) a sensor for monitoring movement of one or more of the lift pads to determine a relative position of portions of the pads facing a glass lite with respect to the frame supporting the pads to control release of the glass lite from the pads after registration of the first glass lite with a second glass lite.

A registration station for use in assembling insulating glass units comprising:

• a base positioned to support glass lites delivered to a base by one or more conveyors;
• one or more drive belts movably supported by the base for movement into and out of a lite engaging position for moving the glass lites entering the registration station to an initial position with respect to the base;
• an actuator supported by the base for moving the drive belts into and out of the lite engaging position;
• a drive for selectively actuating the drive belts for controlling movement of the glass lites to said initial position;
• a lift frame supported by the base comprising:
• i) a first set of one or more frame stops for registering a position of a first glass lite entering the registration station;
• ii) a plurality of lift pads coupleable to an air source for lifting the first glass lite away from the initial position said first glass lite occupies when entering the registration station and allowing relative movement of the first glass lite with respect to the first set of one or more frame stops;
• and
• iii) one or more movable registration fingers for contacting the first glass lite and moving said first glass lite into a registration position against the first set of one or more frame stops;
• a frame actuator for moving the lift frame with respect to the base, said frame actuator applying a translational movement that separates the first glass lite from the base to leave a gap between the base and said first glass lite;
• glass lite from the base to leave a gap between the base and said first glass lite;
• a second set of one or more moveable stops for registering a combination of a second glass lite and a spacer frame within the gap between the base and the first glass lite;
• and
• a stop actuator for controllably moving the second set of moveable stops into and out of a reference defining position;
• said frame actuator bringing said first glass lite into contact with the combination of the spacer frame and the combination of a second glass lite and a spacer frame.

A registration station for use in assembling insulating glass units comprising;

• a first conveyor for moving a first glass lite along a first direction on a base positioned to accept glass lites delivered by the first conveyor and including an array of drive rollers supported by the base for controllably moving glass lites with respect to the registration station in the first direction;
• one or more drive belts movably supported by the base for movement into and out of a lite engaging position for moving glass lites within a registration region along a direction transverse to the first direction;
• a belt drive for selectively actuating the one or more drive belts for controlling movement of the glass lites within the registration region;
• and
• a lift frame assembly supported by the base, the lift frame assembly comprising:
• a frame supported by the base for at least one of pivoting and translation with respect to the base;
• a first set of one or more frame stops fixedly coupled to the frame for registering edges of the first glass lite entering the registration region of the registration station due to movement of the one or more drive belts;
• a plurality of lift pads supported by the frame for spacing the first glass lite from the base while allowing relative movement of the first glass lite with respect to the frame in a plane generally coincident with the first glass lite;
• and
• an actuator for moving the frame with respect to the base to create a gap between the first glass lite and the base.

A registration station for use in assembling insulating glass units comprising:

• a first conveyor for moving a first glass lite along a first direction on a base positioned to accept glass lites delivered by the first conveyor and including an array of drive rollers supported by the base for controllably moving glass lites with respect to the registration station in the first direction;
• a belt drive for selectively actuating one or more drive belts movably supported by the base for controlling movement of glass lites within a registration region of the registration station;
• and
• a lift frame assembly supported by the base, the lift frame assembly comprising:
• a frame supported by the base for at least one of pivoting and translation with respect o the base;
• a first set of one or more frame stops fixedly coupled to the frame for registering edges of the first glass lite entering the registration region of the registration station due to movement of the one or more drive belts;
• a plurality of lift pads supported by the frame for spacing the first glass lite from the base while allowing relative movement of the first glass lite with respect to the frame in a plane generally coincident with the first glass lite;
• one or more registration fingers attached to rakes that are movably supported by the frame for contacting an edge of the first glass lite and moving said first glass lite into a registration position against the first set of one or more frame stops;
• and
• an actuator for moving the frame with respect to the base to create a gap between the first glass lite and the base.