Apparatuses for holding and conveying glass articles
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorThierry Luc Alain Dannoux
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In embodiments, a conveyor apparatus can include a conveyor ribbon having a length, a width, a thickness less than the width, and a plurality of receiving apertures located along the length and extending through the thickness of the conveyor ribbon. The plurality of receiving apertures are dimensioned to receive and hold a plurality of glass articles. A conveyor drive and guidance system directs the conveyor ribbon along a predefined conveyor path. The predefined conveyor path can include an immersion section and a drain section. The immersion section can be oriented to direct the conveyor ribbon into and out of an immersion station and the conveyor ribbon is rotated about a horizontal axis in the drain section after being directed out of the immersion station.
Claims25
A conveyor apparatus for holding and conveying articles comprising:
- a conveyor ribbon having a length, a width, a thickness less than the width, and a plurality of receiving apertures located along the length and extending through the thickness of the conveyor ribbon, the plurality of receiving apertures configured to receive and hold a plurality of articles;
- a conveyor ribbon drive and guidance system for directing the conveyor ribbon along a predefined conveyor path, the predefined conveyor path comprising an immersion section and a drain section, the immersion section oriented to direct the conveyor ribbon into and out of an immersion station, and the conveyor ribbon is rotated about a horizontal axis in the drain section after being directed out of the immersion section.
An ion-exchange system comprising:
- an ion-exchange tank for containing molten salt;
- a conveyor ribbon having a length, a width, a thickness less than the width, and a plurality of receiving apertures located along the length and extending through the thickness of the conveyor ribbon;
- a conveyor drive and guidance system engaged with the conveyor ribbon and directing the conveyor ribbon along a predefined conveyor path comprising an ion-exchange tank section and a drain section, wherein the conveyor ribbon extends through at least a portion of the ion-exchange tank in the ion-exchange tank section and is rotated about a horizontal axis in the drain section.
A method for processing a plurality of glass articles comprising:
- loading and retaining a plurality of glass articles into a plurality of receiving apertures of a conveyor ribbon, the conveyor ribbon extending along a predefined conveyor path comprising an ion-exchange tank section and a drain section, wherein the conveyor ribbon extends through at least a portion of an ion-exchange tank in the ion-exchange tank section and is rotated about a horizontal axis in the drain section;
- directing the conveyor ribbon with the plurality of glass articles along the ion-exchange tank section of the predefined conveyor path whereby the plurality of glass articles are submerged in the ion-exchange tank containing molten salt;
- and
- directing the conveyor ribbon from the ion-exchange tank section to the drain section wherein the conveyor ribbon with the plurality of glass articles is rotated about the horizontal axis thereby draining molten salt from the plurality of glass articles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.