Apparatus for opening score lines in glass sheets
AssigneePPG Industries, Inc.
InventorRobert P. DeTorre
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Score lines or fracture lines in a glass sheet are opened by advancing the glass sheet along an article movement path into a snapping station with the score lines to be opened extending between the leading and trailing edge of the sheet as it moves along the article movement path. A moving bending moment is applied to the glass sheet along a path transverse to the article movement path. In one embodiment, the bending moment is applied to the glass sheet by a pair of spaced rotatably mounted wheels urging the sheet in a first direction as a rotatably mounted wheel urges the sheet in a second opposite direction.
Claims20
An apparatus for severing a sheet of a fracturable material, the sheet having at least one score line extending between a first and a second opposite edge which edges are transverse to a direction of advance, comprising:
- means for advancing the sheet to be severed along an article movement path into a severing station;
- means for applying a bending moment;
- means mounting said applying means at the severing station for displacing said applying means along a path transverse to the article movement path and extending from one side of the article movement path to the opposite side;
- and
- means responsive to the movement of the sheet to be severed into the severing station and acting on said displacing means to displace said applying means from one side of the article movement path to the opposite side.
An apparatus for severing a sheet of a fracturable material, the sheet having at least one score line extending between a first and a second opposite edge which edges are transverse to a direction of advance, comprising:
- means for advancing the sheet to be severed along an article movement path into a severing station;
- a rotatably mounted wheel biased toward one side of the article movement path;
- a pair of spaced rotatably mounted wheels each biased toward the opposite side of the article movement path;
- means mounting said wheel and said pair of wheels for synchronously moving said wheel and said pair of wheels along a path transverse to the article movement path with said wheel spaced from the spaced distance between said pair of wheels;
- and
- means responsive to the movement of the sheet to be severed and acting on said moving means for displacing said wheel and said pair of wheels along their respective path.
An apparatus for severing a sheet of a fracturable material, the sheet having at least one score line extending between a first and a second opposite edge which edges are transverse to a direction of advance, comprising:
- means for advancing the sheet to be severed along an article movement path into a severing station;
- means for applying a bending moment;
- a first bridge means mounted on one side of the article movement path spaced from and transverse to the article movement path;
- a second bridge means mounted on the other side of the article movement path and aligned with said first bridge means;
- said first and second bridge means supporting said bending moment applying means;
- means for displacing said bending moment applying means on said first and second bridge means along a path transverse to the article movement path;
- and
- means responsive to the movement of the sheet to be severed and acting on said displacing means to displace said bending moment applying means along its path.
An apparatus for severing a sheet of a fracturable material, the sheet having at least one score line extending between a first and a second opposite edge which edges are transverse to a direction of advance, comprising:
- means for advancing the sheet to be severed along an article movement path into a severing station;
- means for applying a bending moment;
- first bridge means mounted on one side of the article movement path spaced from and at an angle to the article movement path;
- second bridge means mounted on the other side of the article movement path spaced from and aligned with said first bridge means;
- said first and second bridge means supporting said bending moment applying means;
- means for displacing said bending moment applying means on said first and second bridge means along a path transverse to the article movement path;
- and
- means responsive to the movement of the sheet to be severed and acting on said displacing means to displace said bending moment applying means along its path.
A device for severing scored fracturable material, comprising:
- a plurality of flexible fingers;
- a wheel;
- means for moving said wheel toward and away from said plurality of flexible fingers;
- means for moving said wheel along a path spaced from said plurality of flexible fingers;
- and
- means for rotating said wheel at successive decreasing speeds as it moves along its path.
An apparatus for severing a sheet of fracturable material having at least one score line, comprising:
- means for advancing the sheet to be severed along an article movement path;
- a plurality of flexible fingers mounted on one side of the article movement path;
- means mounted on the other side of the article movement path for urging the sheet to be severed toward said flexible fingers to apply a bending moment force about the at least one score line to sever the sheet along the at least one score line.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.