US 4,830,649 A · Method & apparatus for bending glass sheets

Abstract

An apparatus and method for bending glass sheets. In a first embodiment a heated glass sheet is moved into a bending section by rollers which are retracted to drop the heated glass sheet onto a mold where the glass sheet sags into a desired bent shape, then quenched between quench heads and lifted off the bending mold up to the upper quench head by air pressure, the rollers then close beneath the glass sheet and the glass sheet is deposited onto the rollers for conveying to a cooling station. In a second embodiment, the hot bent glass sheet is transferred on a mold from a bending section by a first shuttle to a position between the quench heads for quenching then removed from the mold by blowing air through the lower quench head until the glass sheet contacts an upper second shuttle which is transported to a blow-up section where the sheet is lowered onto a roller conveyor to a cooling section. In a third embodiment, the heated bent glass sheet is transferred on a mold by a shuttle between quench heads for quenching and then transferred to a blow-up section where the glass sheet is lifted against a cooling head while a shifting roll conveyor is moved underneath to receive and convey the glass to a cooling section.

Claims32

Dependent claims

Apparatus for bending glass sheets by drop forming, comprising

a forming station,
bending mold means in the forming station for bending the glass sheet,
forming station roller means in the forming station for moving the glass sheet in the forming station,
roller rotating means for rotating the forming station roller means,
means for retracting the forming station roller means from beneath the glass sheet to open a gap and drop the glass sheet onto the bending mold means for sag bending the glass sheet to conform to the shape of the mold means,
and means for quenching the bent glass sheet in the mold means.

3 more elements

Apparatus for bending glass sheets by drop forming, comprising

a forming station for receiving a hot softened glass sheet from an oven,
bending mold means in the forming station for bending the glass sheet,
forming station roller means in the forming station for moving the glass sheet in the forming station,
roller rotating means for rotating the forming station roller means,
means for retracting the forming station roller means from beneath the glass sheet to open a gap and drop the glass sheet onto the bending mold means for sag bending the glass sheet to conform to the shape of the mold means,
means for quenching the bent glass sheet in the mold means,
a cooling section next to the quenching means,
cooling means in the cooling section for cooling the bent glass sheet so that it can be handled,
means for moving the bent glass sheet from the quenching means through the cooling section,
an oven section next to the forming station for heating the sheet of glass to a hot, softened condition,
means for stopping the glass sheet at a desired position in the forming station over the bending mold means,
means for lifting the quenched glass sheet from the mold means and elevating it above the level of forming station roller means,
means for closing the gap in the forming station roller means by moving the forming station roller means from retracted to closed position,
means for dropping the quenched glass sheet onto the forming station roller means for further transport,
the quenching means including upper and lower quench heads between which the hot glass sheet is positioned during quenching,
means for blowing air from the quench heads onto the surfaces of the glass sheet to quench it,
means for elevating the upper quench head after quench to a position above the level of the forming station roller means,
air means for blowing the quenched glass sheet against the bottom of the upper quench head to hold the glass sheet above the forming station roller means,
means for dropping the quenched glass sheet from the upper quench head onto the forming station roller means for further transport,
the roller rotating means including a roll rotation chain attached to the forming station rollers,
said roll rotation chain, when powered to move, causing the forming station roller means to rotate and transport the hot softened glass sheet into the forming station, and
said roll rotation chain, when stopped, causing the forming station roller means to rotate towards the center of the forming station while the forming station roller means are being pulled apart quickly by the retracting means, so that no sliding and no marking occurs on the underside of the glass sheet as the glass sheet is dropped from the forming station roller means onto the bending mold means,
the retracting means including pull-out roll transport chains attached to the forming station rollers for pulling the forming station rollers apart quickly from underneath the glass sheet,
means for oscillating the bending mold means while quenching the glass sheet,
the gap closing means including pull-out roll transport chains attached to the forming station roller means,
and the quenching means being located in the forming station.

23 more elements

Apparatus for bending glass sheets by drop forming, comprising

a bending section for receiving a hot softened sheet of glass from an oven,
a bending mold in the bending section for receiving and bending the glass sheet,
bending station roller means in the bending section for moving the glass sheet in the bending section,
means for retracting the bending section roller means from beneath the glass sheet to open a gap and drop the glass sheet onto the bending mold to sag bend the glass sheet to conform to the shape of the mold,
a quench section next to the bending section for quenching the bent glass sheet,
a first shuttle which supports the bending mold and is provided with means for travel between the bending section and the quench section,
quenching means in the quench section for quenching the glass sheet,
a blow-up section next to the quench section at right angles to the bending section,
a cooling section next to the quench section for cooling the quenched glass sheet so it may be handled,
glass sheet lifting means in the quenching section for lifting the quenched glass sheet from the mold,
a second shuttle at right angles to the first shuttle for receiving the lifted quenched glass sheet,
means for moving the second shuttle and quenched glass sheet from the quench section to the blow-up section,
transport means in the blow-up and cooling sections below the glass sheet for transporting the bent glass sheet,
means for releasing the bent quenched glass sheet from the second shuttle and depositing it on the transport means below it,
means for stopping the travel of the glass sheet in a position over the mold in the bending station,
an oven section next to the bending section for heating the sheet of glass to a hot, softened condition,
means for oscillating the glass sheet in the quench section,
mold lifting means operatively connected to the first shuttle for supporting the bending mold just below the level of the bending station roller means when the glass sheet is being bent and for supporting the mold in a lower position when moving the mold and glass sheet out of the bending section,
the quenching means including upper and lower plurality of wafer-like channels and spaces between channels to achieve a pattern of high density air jets and to allow spent air to escape horizontally through the ends of spaces between channels,
said glass sheet lifting means including a damper pivotally mounted in an air inlet to an upper quench head that controls the air pressure differential between the upper quench head and a lower quench head to hold the glass sheet against the upper quench head,
and the second shuttle moving means including glass sheet holding means for holding the glass sheet against the second shuttle in the blow-up section including a blow-up blower that blows air through a blow-up head to hold the glass sheet against the second shuttle.

18 more elements

Apparatus for bending glass sheets by drop forming, comprising

a bending section for receiving a hot softened sheet of glass from an oven,
a bending mold in the bending section for receiving and bending the glass sheet,
bending section roller means in the bending section for moving the glass sheet in the bending section,
means for retracting the bending section roller means from beneath the glass sheet to open a gap and drop the glass sheet onto the bending mold to sag bend the glass sheet to conform to the shape of the mold,
a quench section next to the bending section,
means in the quench section for quenching the bent glass sheet,
a blow-up section next to the quench section, blow-up means in the blow-up section for blowing air against the bottom of the quenched glass sheet for lifting the quenched glass sheet from the mold and holding the glass sheet against an upper cooling head,
a shuttle which supports the bending mold and is provided with means for travel through the bending, quench, and blow-up sections,
shifting roller conveyor means for shifting a roller conveyor beneath the quenched glass sheet as it is held against the upper cooling head in the blow-up section,
release means for releasing the quenched bent glass sheet from the upper cooling head onto the shifting roller means which conveys the glass sheet to the cooling section,
and cooling means in the cooling section for cooling the quenched glass sheet.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method & apparatus for bending glass sheets

Life of this patent

Method & apparatus for bending glass sheets

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims32