Quench devices, glass tempering furnaces, and methods of utilizing same

A glass tempering system comprising:

• first means upon which glass to be tempered is loaded for conveying said glass;
• second means for heating said glass;
• a primary quench section including high flow, low suction air cooling devices for cooling the heated glass;
• a secondary quench section including air cooling devices for further cooling said glass;
• an unload section from which the finished tempered glass is removed;
• said frame means, said second means, said primary quench section, said secondary quench section, and said unload section being operably and mechanically interconnected so that said glass to be tempered is sequentially conveyed by said first means to said second means, to said primary quench section, to said secondary quench section, and finally to said unload section;
• and
• said first means for conveying said glass being arranged for reciprocal motion through said system and including control means for causing said first means to move in a first direction and then in a second reverse direction for predetermined equal periods, within a section, and also for predetermined variable periods to affect advancement of said conveying means from a load section through said quench sections and to an unload section with reciprocating movement of said conveyor within each said quench sections.

A method of heating and quenching a workpiece, comprising the steps of:

• placing a workpiece upon a load conveyor;
• moving said workpiece into a heating section for a predetermined period of time;
• moving said workpiece from the heating section into a primary quench section;
• cooling the heated workpiece in the primary quench section by subjecting the heated workpiece to the air flow produced by one or more high flow, low suction air cooling devices;
• moving said workpiece into a secondary quench section for further cooling said workpiece;
• moving said workpiece into an unload section;
• unloading the finished workpiece;
• and
• wherein said workpiece is reciprocated within said heating and said primary quench and said secondary quench sections for predetermined periods over distances substantially less than the length of the workpiece being treated.

A system for heating and quenching a workpiece, comprising:

• a furnace including an upper section and a lower section defining a horizontally elongated heating chamber;
• a plurality of heating means disposed within the upper furnace;
• first frame means for supporting said upper furnace section;
• second frame means for supporting said lower furnace section;
• a plurality of adjustable first roller support means disposed upon an upper surface of said second frame means;
• an endless flexible belt supported at least in part by said first roller support means;
• a plurality of first elongated ceramic rollers spaced along the length of said elongated heating chamber;
• said first elongated rollers being supported by said endless flexible belt, and extending into and through said heating chamber;
• said first elongated roller is being provided with non-metallic cylindrical pins frictionally retained in apertures provided in either end of said elongated rollers coaxial with the axis of said rollers;
• adjustable guide members provided with at least one elongated aperture therethrough for receiving one said cylindrical pin retained in one said first elongated roller;
• a load section including third frame means connected to said second frame means;
• a plurality of first adjustable roller support means disposed at an upper surface of said third frame means;
• said endless belt being supported upon said first adjustable roller support means;
• second elongated roller supported by said endless belt;
• said second elongated roller is being provided with ends having a pin adapted to be rotatably received through an aperture of said adjustable guide member;
• primary and secondary quench sections including a plurality of said adjustable roller support means for supporting a portion of said endless belt;
• said primary quench section including high flow, low suction air cooling devices;
• said secondary quench section including air cooling devices;
• and
• drive means for said endless belt.