Quench roll including helically wrapped support

A quench roll for a quench unit of a roller conveyor type system for tempering glass sheets, said quench roll comprising:

• an elongated shaft that extends transversely to the direction of conveyance through the quench unit and which has a rotational axis so as to convey glass sheets supported by the shaft upon driving thereof about said rotational axis;
• an elongated support that is wrapped about the shaft in a helical configuration;
• said support including a metallic core having opposite ends that are secured to the shaft;
• and the support having an outer covering of a synthetic organic polymer that is stable at a sufficiently high temperature so as to be capable of supporting a hot glass sheet on the shaft upon cooling thereof at the quench unit.

A quench roll for a quench unit of a roller conveyor type system for tempering glass sheets, said quench roll comprising:

• an elongated shaft that extends transversely to the direction of conveyance through the quench unit and which has a rotational axis so as to convey glass sheets supported by the shaft upon driving thereof about said rotational axis;
• said shaft having opposite ends including round friction drive surfaces of the same diameter as each other;
• said shaft also having an intermediate portion of a round cross section with a smaller diameter than the end drive surfaces;
• an elongated support that is wrapped about the intermediate portion of the shaft in a helical configuration;
• said support including a core having opposite ends that are secured to the shaft;
• and the support having an outer covering of a nonmetallic material that is stable at a sufficiently high temperature so as to be capable of supporting a hot glass sheet on the shaft upon cooling thereof at the quench unit.

A quench roll for a quench unit of a roller conveyor type system for tempering glass sheets, said quench roll comprising:

• an elongated shaft that extends transversely to the direction of conveyance through the quench unit and which has a rotational axis so as to convey glass sheets supported by the shaft upon driving thereof about said rotational axis;
• an elongated support that is wrapped about the shaft in a helical configuration;
• said support including a metallic core having opposite ends;
• a pair of connections that respectively secure the opposite ends of the core to the shaft;
• at least one of the connections including a helical tension spring that tensions the core;
• and the support having an outer covering of a synthetic organic polymer that is stable at a sufficiently high temperature so as to be capable of supporting a hot glass sheet on the shaft upon cooling thereof at the quench unit.

A quench roll for a quench unit of a roller conveyor type system for tempering glass sheets, said quench roll comprising:

• an elongated shaft that extends transversely to the direction of conveyance through the quench unit and which has a rotational axis so as to convey glass sheets supported by the shaft upon driving thereof about said rotational axis;
• said shaft having opposite ends including round friction drive surfaces of the same diameter as each other;
• said shaft also having an intermediate portion of a round cross section with a smaller diameter than the end drive surfaces;
• an elongated support that is wrapped about the intermediate portion of the shaft in a helical configuration;
• said support including a metallic core having opposite ends;
• a pair of connections for respectively securing the opposite ends of the metallic core to the shaft;
• at least one of said connections including a helical tension spring having one end connected to the associated end of the core and another end secured to the shaft such that the core is tensioned in its helical configuration about the shaft;
• the support having an outer covering of a synthetic organic polymer that is stable at a sufficiently high temperature so as to be capable of supporting a hot glass sheet on the shaft upon cooling thereof at the quench unit;
• and the helical configuration of the support having an outer diameter equal to the diameter of the friction drive surfaces.

A quench roll for a quench unit of a roller conveyor type system for tempering glass sheets, said quench roll comprising:

• an elongated shaft that extends transversely to the direction of conveyance through the quench unit and which has a rotational axis so as to convey glass sheets supported by the shaft upon driving thereof about said rotational axis;
• said shaft having opposite ends including round friction drive surfaces of the same diameter as each other;
• said shaft also having an intermediate portion of a round cross section with a smaller diameter than the end drive surfaces;
• an elongated support that is wrapped about the intermediate portion of the shaft in a helical configuration;
• said support including a metallic core of metal strands;
• a pair of connectors respectively secured to opposite ends of the core;
• a pair of spring connections for respectively securing the connectors at the opposite ends of the metallic core to the shaft;
• each connection including a helical tension spring having one end attached to the connector of the associated end of the core and another end secured to the shaft such that the core is tensioned in its helical configuration abou the shaft;
• the support having an outer covering of a synthetic organic polymer that is stable at a sufficiently high temperature so as to be capable of supporting a hot glass sheet on the shaft upon cooling thereof at the quench unit;
• and the helical configuration of the support having an outer diameter equal to the diameter of the friction drive surfaces.