Cleaning apparatus for conveyor rolls
AssigneeLibbey-Owens-Ford Co.
InventorsRoger P. King, John W. Grosskopf, Jr., Francis C. Bondelier, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus for removing uneven and crusty deposits from and burnishing the surfaces of conveyor rolls employed in the manufacture of flat glass by the float process. The cleaning apparatus is provided with a rotating annular brush which is yieldingly urged against the cylindrical surfaces of the conveyor rolls which are employed to lift a newly formed glass ribbon from a molten metal bath and convey it through an annealing lehr. The brush is reciprocably movable throughout the length of the working surfaces of the conveyor rolls.
Claims15
A cleaning apparatus for removing uneven and crusty deposits from and burnishing the cylindrical surfaces of conveyor rolls which support and convey a ribbon of glass in a direction transverse to the axes of the rolls, said apparatus comprising:
- a. a support plate;
- b. an annular cleaning device mounted on said support plate and engageable with the cylindrical surfaces of said conveyor rolls;
- c. means for rotating said annular cleaning device;
- and
- d. means for yieldingly urging said support plate in a direction perpendicularly to said conveying rolls and said annular cleaning device into engagement with the conveying surfaces of said rolls.
A cleaning apparatus for removing uneven and crusty deposits from and burnishing the cylindrical surfaces of conveyor rolls disposed in a horizontal plane which support and convey a ribbon of glass in a direction transverse to the axes of the rolls, said apparatus comprising:
- a. a rotary horizontally disposed shaft positionable parallel to the axes of said conveyor rolls;
- b. means for rotatably driving said shaft;
- c. at least one annular cleaning element mounted on and rotatable with said shaft and engageable with the cylindrical surfaces of said rolls beneath the level of said glass ribbon;
- and
- d. means for yieldingly urging said shaft toward and thus said at least one cleaning element along a path extending perpendicular to and into engagement with the cylindrical surfaces of said conveyor rolls.
A cleaning apparatus for removing uneven and crusty deposits from and burnishing the cylindrical surfaces of conveyor rolls disposed in a horizontal plane which supports and conveys a ribbon of glass in a direction transverse to the axes of the rolls, said apparatus comprising:
- a. a rotary horizontally disposed shaft positionable parallel to the axes of said rolls;
- b. a motor operatively connected to and drivingly rotating said shaft;
- c. at least one annular wire brush mounted on and rotatable with said shaft and engageable with the cylindrical surfaces of said rolls beneath the level of said glass ribbon;
- d. a slide member for supporting and moving said shaft to and fro relative to said conveyor rolls;
- and
- e. a leaf spring disposed between and connected to said shaft and said slide member for yieldingly urging said wire brush in a direction normal to and into engagement with the cylindrical surfaces of said conveyor rolls.
A cleaning apparatus for removing uneven and crusty deposits from and burnishing the cylindrical surfaces of conveyor rolls disposed in a horizontal plane which support and convey a ribbon of glass in a direction transverse to the axes of the rolls, said apparatus comprising:
- a. a rotary horizontally disposed shaft positionable parallel to the axes of said rolls;
- b. a motor drivingly connected to and rotating said shaft;
- c. at least one annular wire brush mounted on and rotatable with said shaft and engageable with the cylindrical surfaces of said rolls beneath the level of said glass ribbon;
- d. an elongated mobile track unit for placing said shaft in the position parallel to said conveyor rolls;
- e. a carriage rollable to and fro along said mobile track unit;
- f. an elevating means operatively connected between said rotatable shaft and said carriage for moving said shaft toward and away from said rolls along paths extending perpendicular thereto;
- g. at least one fluid operated power cylinder operatively connected to said elevating means for raising and lowering said elevating means relative to said conveyor rolls;
- h. a source of fluid pressure operatively connected to said power cylinder;
- and
- i. control means for regulating the flow of fluid to and from said power cylinder for yieldingly urging said at least one wire brush into engagement with the cylindrical surfaces of said conveyor rolls.
In combination, a float chamber having an exit throat and a plurality of conveyor rolls disposed in a horizontal plane which support and convey a ribbon of glass in a direction transverse to the axes of the rolls and a cleaning apparatus for individually removing uneven and crusty deposits from and burnishing the cylindrical surfaces of said conveyor rolls, said apparatus comprising:
- a. a rotary horizontally disposed shaft positionable parallel to the axes of said rolls;
- b. a motor operatively connected to and drivingly rotating said shaft;
- c. at least one annular wire brush mounted on and rotatable with said shaft and engageable with the cylindrical surfaces of said rolls beneath the level of said glass ribbon;
- d. a plurality of upstanding U-shaped elements extending parallel to the axes of said rolls, one being mounted on the floor of said exit throat beneath each roll of said plurality of rolls;
- e. a slide member positionable in a said upstanding element for supporting and reciprocably moving said shaft relative to a roll of said plurality of conveyor rolls;
- and
- f. a leaf spring disposed between and connected to said shaft and said slide member for yieldingly urging said wire brush in a direction normal to and into engagement with the cylindrical surface of the said conveyor roll.
In combination, an annealing lehr having a floor and a plurality of conveyor rolls disposed in a horizontal plane which support and convey a ribbon of glass in a direction transverse to the axes of said rolls and a cleaning apparatus for removing uneven and crusty deposits from and burnishing the cylindrical surfaces of said conveyor rolls, the combination comprising:
- a. a fixed track section mounted on the floor of said lehr between and parallel to the axes of a pair of said conveyor rolls;
- b. a mobile track unit;
- c. means for connecting an end of said mobile track unit to said fixed track unit;
- d. an elongated carriage reciprocably rollable along said mobile track unit having a portion extending outside of said lehr;
- e. a rotary, horizontally disposed shaft supported by said carriage adjacent the end opposite said outside portion of said carriage;
- f. a motor drivingly connected to and rotating said shaft and supported on said outside portion of said carriage;
- g. at least one annular wire brush mounted on and rotatable with said shaft and engageable with the cylindrical surfaces of said rolls and beneath the level of said glass ribbon when said opposite end of said carriage extends within said lehr on said fixed track section;
- h. an elevating means operatively connected between said rotatable shaft and said carriage;
- i. at least one fluid operated power cylinder mounted on said outside portion of said carriage and operatively connected to said elevator for raising and lowering said shaft relative to said conveyor rolls;
- j. a source of fluid pressure operatively connected to said power cylinder;
- and
- k. control means regulating the flow of fluid under pressure to and from said power cylinder for yieldingly urging said at least one annular wire brush into engagement with the cylindrical surfaces of said conveyor rolls.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.