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US 4,773,925 AGranted
Adjustable roll forming arrangement
AssigneePPG Industries, Inc.
InventorStephen J. Schultz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An adjustable roll forming arrangement for shaping heat softened glass sheets. Each end of a series of transversely curved, longitudinally spaced forming rolls are mounted on first and second longitudinally extending flexible members. The members may be adjusted so that each roll end is positioned along a desired longitudinal radius of curvature that can be modified by flexing the flexible member.
Claims20
A roll forming aparatus for shaping heat softened sheet material comprising:
- a support frame;
- longitudinally spaced, transversely extending, adjustable, forming rolls positioned on said frame to support said sheet as said sheet is conveyed thereover;
- means to adjust the transverse curvature of selected ones of said forming rolls in planes generally transverse to the direction in which said material is conveyed over said rolls;
- means to support said forming rolls on said frame along a first longitudinal radius of curvature;
- and
- means to adjust said supporting means such that said rolls are movable from along said first longitudinal radius of curvature to along a second desired longitudinal radius of curvature.
3 more elements
A method of shaping heat softened sheet material comprising:
- positioning first and second mounting portions of each of a series of longitudinally spaced, transversely extending adjustable forming rolls on first and second longitudinally extending flexible supports mounted on a support frame to support said material as it is conveyed over said rolls;
- flexing each of said flexible supports to correspond to a desired continuous arcuate path corresponding to a desired longitudinal radius of curvature for each of said rolls along said mounting portions;
- adjusting the transverse radius of curvature of said adjustable rolls in planes generally perpendicular to the direction in which said material is conveyed over said rolls;
- and
- conveying said heat softened sheet material over said series of rolls to shape said material.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.