Apparatus for conveying glass sheets

A conveyor roll for conveying glass sheets comprising:

• (a) a curved rigid shaft having at least a portion thereof provided with an elevational shape conforming to the transverse shape of glass;
• (b) means for supporting said curved shaft at its ends so that said curved portion extends transversely of a path of movement for said glass sheets;
• (c) a plurality of hubs of essentially cylindrical configuration mounted around said curved shaft in end to end relation with one another from one end hub at one end of said plurality of hubs to another end hub at the other end of said plurality of hubs, said hubs having loosely interfitting tongues and grooves at the axial ends of adjacent of said hubs that form loose interfitting tongue and groove couplings capable of transmitting a torque between adjacent of said hubs while permitting a limited freedom of axial movement between said adjacent hubs;
• (d) a cylindrically shaped collar of a material that does not mar glass in tightly fitting relation around each of said hubs;
• (e) means for applying a torque to one of said end hubs;
• and
• (f) means mounted around said shaft and against the other of said end hubs to bias said hubs in an axial direction sufficiently to retain a loosely fitting relation between said tongues and grooves and to enable said hubs to transmit a torque applied to said one end hub through said hubs to said other end hub, whereby said collars rotate in unison at a uniform peripheral speed.