Owens-illinois, Inc.

Glasstech, Inc.

Glasstech International L.p.

Eustace H Mumford

Dean M Nitschke

David B Nitschke

George W Irwin

Jack I Perry

Paul D Ducat

Thomas J Zalesak

Mace L Odneal

Robert D Caswall

Dexter H McMaster

Joseph O Kramer

Karl-Heinz Dicks

Apparatus ( ) and a method for forming heated glass sheets in a heated chamber ( ) of a housing ( ) includes an upper mold support assembly ( ) for supporting an upper mold ( ) within the heated chamber for cyclical vertical movement between upper and lower positions. A lower mold shuttle ( ) supports a lower mold ( ) for cyclical movement between an idle position horizontally spaced from the upper mold and a use position below the lower mold. The apparatus also includes a lower mold support assembly ( ) to which the lower mold is cyclically transferred from the lower mold shuttle ( ) to provide support thereof while permitting horizontal alignment with the upper mold upon each cycle of downward movement to form a heated glass sheet between the molds. The lower mold shuttle ( ) is supported by vertically movable rollers ( ) to provide the transfer between the lower mold shuttle and the lower mold support assembly ( ). A quench station ( ) includes a quench shuttle ( ) that moves a quench ring ( ) to receive the formed glass sheet from the upper mold ( ) and to then move the formed glass sheet between lower and upper quench modules ( ) of the quench station for quenching.

Apparatus and method for forming heated glass sheets

Apparatus ( ) and a method for forming heated glass sheets in a heated chamber ( ) of a housing ( ) includes an upper mold support assembly ( ) for supporting an upper mold ( ) within the heated chamber for cyclical vertical movement between upper and lower positions. A lower mold shuttle ( ) supports a lower mold ( ) for movement between an idle position horizontally spaced from the upper mold and a use position below the lower mold. The apparatus also includes a lower mold support assembly ( ) to which the lower mold is transferred from the lower mold shuttle ( ) to provide support thereof while permitting horizontal alignment with the upper mold upon each cycle of downward movement to form a heated glass sheet between the molds. The lower mold shuttle ( ) is supported by vertically movable rollers ( ) to provide the transfer between the lower mold shuttle and the lower mold support assembly ( ). A quench station ( ) includes a quench shuttle ( ) that moves a quench ring ( ) to receive the formed glass sheet from the upper mold ( ) and to then move the formed glass sheet between lower and upper quench modules ( ) of the quench station for quenching.

Method for forming heated glass sheets

A method for roll forming a heated glass sheet utilizes a forming conveyor ( ) including forming rolls ( ) that are pivotally moved upwardly between horizontal rolls ( ) of a horizontal conveyor ( ) on opposite sides of a centerline (C/L) of the horizontal conveyor to rollingly engage the heated glass sheet above a plane of conveyance of the horizontal conveyor at its centerline to roll form the glass sheet in cooperation with a forming press ( ) having rotatable forming members ( ) that rollingly engage the heated glass sheet from above. A second set of forming rolls ( ) cooperates with the first set of forming rolls ( ) to provide the roll forming. First and second sets of roll cradles ( ) are mounted by pivotal supports ( ) on associated first and second carriages ( ) and moved by first and second actuators ( ). Lateral movement of the carriages ( ) provides versatility in the glass sheet shapes that can be formed.

Method for roll forming glass sheets

A method for heated mold changing at a forming station ( ) is performed by apparatus ( ) in a heated chamber ( ) where heated glass sheets are cyclically formed. A switching station ( ) is located adjacent the forming station ( ). An unloading station ( ) and a mold preheating station ( ) are each located adjacent the switching station. An unloading cart ( ) is initially movable from the loading station ( ) to the switching station ( ) and then to the forming station ( ) to receive one or more heated molds from the forming station and is subsequently moved from the forming station back through the switching station to the unloading station to permit unloading of each heated mold. A loading cart supports a second mold or a pair of molds for heating within the mold preheating station ( ) and is movable from the mold preheating station to the switching station ( ) and then to the forming station for mold loading.

Apparatus and method for mold changing in heated glass sheet forming station

A mold assembly (,) for cyclically forming heated glass sheets includes a lower mold (,) having an upwardly oriented mold face (,) and an upper mold face having a downwardly oriented mold face (,) that opposes the upwardly oriented mold face of the lower mold to form a heated glass sheet during movement of the molds toward each other. Alignment guides (,) align the molds (,) with each other as necessary during movement of the molds toward each other. Detachable connectors (,) detachably connect the molds to each other for installation and are disconnectable to permit the molds to be used for glass sheet forming. In one embodiment, the detachable connectors (,) are latches that include a latch member (,) and a keeper (,), and in another embodiment the detachable connectors are retainers (,) engageable and disengageable from the molds to provide their detachable securement. The upper mold (,) includes a support plate (,) having mounting portions (,) and mounting guide portions (,) for providing alignment during mounting.

Method for installing mold assembly

A glass sheet quench station loader (42) and method for installing a quench module set (44) of lower and upper quench modules (46,48) includes a quench carriage (440) of a horizontally opening U shape that receives the quench modules for the loading. Mounts (446,454) mount the quench modules for movement to the quench station (40) and for subsequent movement from the quench station to permit installation of another quench module set for another production run. The quench loader (42) includes an overhead crane (447) and an overhead railway (448) along which the crane moves to move the quench carriage (440) and the quench modules mounted thereby to and from the quench station.

Method for installing glass sheet quench module set

A forming station (26) for roll forming a heated glass sheet include a forming conveyor (62) including forming rolls (66) that are moved upwardly between horizontal rolls (46) of a horizontal conveyor (44) on opposite sides of a centerline (C/L) of the horizontal conveyor to rollingly engage the heated glass sheet above a plane of conveyance of the horizontal conveyor at its centerline to roll form the glass sheet in cooperation with a forming press (80) having rotatable forming members (82) that rollingly engage the heated glass sheet from above. A second set of forming rolls (68) cooperates with the first set of forming rolls (66) to provide the roll forming. First and second sets of roll cradles (76,90) are mounted by pivotal supports (128,142) on associated first and second carriages (154,156) and moved by first and second actuators (78,92). Lateral movement of the carriages (154,156) provides versatility in the glass sheet shapes that can be formed.

Apparatus for roll forming glass sheets

Apparatus (32) and a method for heated mold changing at a forming station (24) in a heated chamber (22) where heated glass sheets are cyclically formed. A switching station (318) is located adjacent the forming station (24). An unloading station (320) and a mold preheating station (322) are each located adjacent the switching station. An unloading cart (324) is initially movable from the loading station (320) to the switching station (318) and then to the forming station (24) to receive one or more heated molds from the forming station and is subsequently moved from the forming station back through the switching station to the unloading station to permit unloading of each heated mold. A loading cart supports a second mold or a pair of molds for heating within the mold preheating station (322) and is movable from the mold preheating station to the switching station (318) and then to the forming station for mold loading.

Apparatus for mold changing in heated glass sheet forming station

A mold support assembly (28) includes a support (164) located within a heated chamber (22) and having a construction that reduces thermal expansion. A vertical guide (170) located externally of the heated chamber has a vertically movable connection (172) to the support (164) to permit vertical movement thereof at a horizontally fixed location. A mold support (174) for supporting a mold that provides forming of heated glass sheets is supported on the support (164) by support mounts (176) and is positioned by positioners (178,180) that provide a thermally stable center. The support (164) is constructed as a tubular support having fluid inlet (166) and a fluid outlet (168) through which a liquid coolant flows to reduce thermal expansion.

Mold support assembly for heated glass sheet mold

Quench loader for installing glass sheet quench module set

A mold assembly (34) for cyclically forming heated glass sheets includes a lower mold (36) having an upwardly oriented mold face (356) and an upper mold face having a downwardly oriented mold face (56) that opposes the upwardly oriented mold face of the lower mold to form a heated glass sheet during movement of the molds toward each other. Alignment guides (122,124) align the molds (36,38) with each other as necessary during movement of the molds toward each other. Detachable connectors (362) detachably connect the molds to each other for installation and are disconnectable to permit the molds to be used for glass sheet forming. In one embodiment, the detachable connectors (362) are latches that include a latch member (364) and a keeper (366), and in another embodiment the detachable connectors are retainers (370) engageable and disengageable from the molds to provide their detachable securement. The upper mold (38) includes a support plate (372) having mounting portions (374,376) and mounting guide portions (378,380,382) for providing alignment during mounting.

Mold assembly for forming heated glass sheets

A support and actuating mechanism (30) includes an actuator (244) mounted adjacent a vertical post (242) of a framework (236) and also includes a plurality of connectors (246) extending from the actuator to a mold support assembly (28) located within a heated chamber (22) of a housing (20) to perform forming of heated glass sheets. Each connector (246) includes a vertical connector rod (248) that extends upwardly from the actuator, an upper pivot link (254) connected to the vertical connector rod (248) and to a horizontal connector rod (258), a sector wheel (264) connected to the horizontal connector rod (258), and a flexible member (268) that extends from the sector wheel (264) to a mold support rod (270) that supports the mold support assembly (28) to provide vertical movement thereof under the operation of the actuator. The sector wheels (264) are preferably constructed as sprockets and the flexible members (268) are chains received by the sprockets. The actuator (244) includes a counterbalance (272) that includes a gas cylinder (274) and a pressurized gas reservoir (280).

Support and actuating mechanism for mold support assembly used for

A glass sheet forming apparatus (20) for continuously forming a heated glass sheet includes a roller conveyor (30) defined by a plurality of interposed first and second conveyor rolls (32,34). The first conveyor rolls (32) are mounted in a plane defined by X and Y axes for conveying the glass sheet. The second conveyor rolls (34) include independent first and second roll portions (36,38). At least one of the roll portions (36) is movable in the plane to establish rotation of the roll portion (36) with respect to a Z direction. The second conveyor rolls (34) are mounted in a plane defined by X' axis. A first actuator (44) moves the movable roll portions (36) so that part of the movable rolls (36) are elevated above the X' axis and above the first conveyor rolls (32) whereby the roller conveyor (30) becomes non-planar and a heated glass sheet is formed as a result of the non-planar conveyor shape and upward action of the second conveyor rolls (34).

Glass sheet forming method and apparatus

A positioning device (10) is disclosed for catching a hot glass sheet (12) without relative motion between the glass sheet (12) and positioning device (10) as it arrives at a topside support device (14) in a glass sheet heating furnace (18). The positioning device (10) includes a first actuator (30) for actuating longitudinal movement of the glass sheet (12) and a second actuator (32) for actuating transverse movement of the glass sheet (12) for decelerating, and positioning the glass sheet (12) during deceleration, to an accurate stationary position relative to the topside support device (14).

Device for positioning hot glass sheets

A device (10) for registering together two cooperable glass article handling components (12,14) is disclosed as including a first registering member (16) on one of the handling components and a second registering member (18) on the other component. The registering members (16,18) are movable toward one another in a direction of registration A,A' and one of the registering members includes fixedly spaced rollers (20) for engaging the other registering member with rolling contact to provide registration between the handling components (12, 14) during glass article handling.

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Ottawa Lake, MI, United States of America

Eustace H Mumford