Methods and apparatuses for conveying flexible glass substrates

An apparatus for redirecting a glass ribbon assembly from a first glass conveyance path to a second glass conveyance path, the apparatus comprising:

• a glass ribbon assembly source for providing the glass ribbon assembly comprising a flexible glass substrate that includes a first surface and a second surface that extend laterally between a first edge and a second edge, a first handling tab affixed to the first edge, and a second handling tab affixed to the second edge, wherein the first handling tab and the second handling tab extend above and below the flexible glass substrate and define a handling surface envelope;
• a primary roll member located downstream of the glass ribbon assembly source, the primary roll member comprising a first cylindrical contact surface and a second cylindrical contact surface spaced apart from the first cylindrical contact surface along a roller element axis, wherein the flexible glass substrate of the glass ribbon assembly is free to flex out of the handling surface envelope while remaining spaced apart from the primary roll member when the glass ribbon assembly is directed around the primary roll member;
• the first glass conveyance path extends from the glass ribbon assembly source to the primary roll member, wherein the first cylindrical contact surface and the second cylindrical contact surface of the primary roll member are tangential to the first glass conveyance path;
• and
• the second glass conveyance path extends from the primary roll member in a downstream direction, wherein the first cylindrical contact surface and the second cylindrical contact surface of the primary roll member are tangential to the second glass conveyance path and the second glass conveyance path is non-planar with the first glass conveyance path.

A method of redirecting a glass ribbon assembly from a first glass conveyance path to a second glass conveyance path, the method comprising:

• conveying the glass ribbon assembly in a conveyance direction on the first glass conveyance path, the glass ribbon assembly comprising a flexible glass substrate that includes a first surface and a second surface that extend laterally between a first edge and a second edge, wherein the first surface and the second surface define a handling surface envelope in which the flexible glass substrate is positioned when the first surface and the second surface are planar;
• supporting the glass ribbon assembly on a primary roll member that comprises a first cylindrical contact surface and a second cylindrical contact surface spaced apart from the first cylindrical contact surface along a roller element axis, wherein the glass ribbon assembly is supported by the first and second cylindrical contact surfaces at positions proximate to the first edge and the second edge of the flexible glass substrate such that the flexible glass substrate is free to flex out of the handling surface envelope while remaining spaced apart from a primary roll member at positions between the first cylindrical contact surface and the second cylindrical contact surface when the flexible glass substrate is directed around the primary roll member;
• and
• directing the glass ribbon assembly around the primary roll member such that the glass ribbon assembly is redirected along from the first glass conveyance path to the second glass conveyance path.