Ceramic roll drive and support mechanism and a method of using same

A method of conveying a series of glass sheets along a path of travel through a tunnel-like furnace comprising;

• supporting each glass sheet on the common upper tangential plane of a series of parallel, horizontally spaced, cylindrical, ceramic rolls;
• propelling the glass sheet along the ceramic rolls by imparting rotation to each ceramic roll about its cylindrical axis by way of a first metallic spindle engaging an end of the ceramic roll;
• maintaining each ceramic roll in axial compression by applying a yieldable compressive force to the ceramic roll by way of a second spindle engaging the opposite end of the ceramic roll;
• and maintaining the spindles in frictional engagement with the ceramic rolls by interposing friction material between an end surface at each end of each ceramic roll transverse to the axis of the roll and a parallel, adjacent surface on the respective spindle.

Apparatus for transporting a glass sheet along a path of travel through an enclosed, heated, tunnel-like furnace comprising a rotatable conveyor roll extending transversely of said path of travel for rotation about an axis extending transversely of said path, said conveyor roll comprising a ceramic roll of cylindrical configuration, an elongated recess extending longitudinally inward from each end of said ceramic roll in axial alignment therewith, a rotatable metal spindle axially aligned with each end of said ceramic roll, an alignment pin extending axially inward from each said spindle into one or the other of said recesses and axially aligned with said associated spindle and recess, one of said spindles having an outer axial end, drive means drivingly connected to said outer axial end of said one spindle to rotate the latter, means abutting the axial outer end of the other spindle to apply a yieldable compressive force in the axial direction of said ceramic roll, said ceramic roll having a pair of end surfaces extending transverse to said axial direction, a head approximately coextensive in cross section with said end surfaces at the axially end of each said spindle, a recessed surface facing axially inwardly of each said head, and a layer of friction material applied to each interface between said end surfaces of said ceramic roll and said recessed surfaces of said heads, whereby said ceramic roll rotates in unison with said spindles in axial compression therebetween when said drive means rotates said one spindle.