Ppg Industries, Inc.

Stephen J Schultz

Ronald R Zito

Terry L Wolfe

George O Wehner

Robert G Frank

Michael T Fecik

George R Claassen

Richard E Wilhelm

Thomas L Waterloo

George C Newcamp

Lisa M Kahle

John F Huebner

Duane E Wiedor

Dennis S Pribish

A heat softened glass sheet is conveyed directly from a heating furnace onto an advancing conveyor belt which is supported on a scissor table. The glass sheet is advanced on the belt to a position below an upper press face. The scissor table increases the sag of the belt and the corresponding curved configuration of the supported glass sheet as it lifts the glass sheet into pressing engagement with the upper press face. During pressing, the glass sheet and belt generally conform to the shaping surface of the press face.

Belt assisted press bending

An adjustable radius conveyor roll for shaping and conveying heat softened glass sheets. Interconnected glass sheet engaging members are rotatably mounted along a flexible shaft of the conveyor roll. The ends of the roll are pivotally connected to pivoting support arms. A roll flexing arrangement includes a collar positioned at the center of the roll and a roll flexing drive to move the center of the roll in a vertical direction to adjust the curved configuration of the conveying roll.

Adjustable radius conveyor roll

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.

Adjustable roll forming arrangement

An adjustable quench for tempering hot glass sheets of varying transverse configurations, having overlapping members that seal a flexible nozzle assembly as it changes configurations. Nozzles extend from the flexible nozzle assembly towards the shaped glass sheet to be cooled such that the quenching surface formed by the head portions of the nozzles generally parallel the major surfaces of the shaped glass sheet. Each individual flexible nozzle assembly is connected to a common drive that can simultaneously flex all the nozzle assemblies.

Adjustable quench for tempering a glass sheet

A press bending apparatus includes a shaping station having an upper mold with a shaping surface having a generally concave downward elevational configuration and a lower mold with an apertured shaping surface complementing the shaping surface of the upper mold. A vacuum shuttle transfers heat softened glass sheets from a heating furnace to the shaping station where it deposits the glass sheets on the lower vacuum mold. The glass sheet is shaped between the molds. A rotating arrangement rotates the lower mold and the shaped glass sheet held thereagainst by vacuum from a first position wherein the shaping surface of the lower mold faces upward to a second position wherein the shaping surface of the lower mold faces downward. The shaped glass sheet is then deposited on a tempering ring. A rotating arrangement maintains vacuum in the lower mold as the mold rotates.

Innovative press bending of thermoplastic sheets

A furnace with the end portions of a heater supporting anchor rod embedded in the rigid sidewall insulation of the furnace. The anchor rods do not deflect under the weight of the heaters and the entire weight of the anchor rods and heaters is supported by the sidewall insulation.

Electric furnace construction

Nozzles are arranged in different densities transverse to a path of travel for glass sheets moving through a pass-through quench to facilitate removal of spent tempering medium to both lateral sides of said path of travel.

Nozzle arrangement for pass-through glass sheet tempering apparatus

This invention relates to shaping glass sheets by roll forming to either simple or complex curvatures about a single axis of bending or to compound curvatures comprising components of curvature about mutually perpendicular axes of bending by a controlled, repeatable program of roll forming without causing the glass sheets to stop their forward movement during their shaping. The apparatus used to perform this process has a minimum of moving parts, thus minimizing maintenance problems and reducing downtime for maintenance and repair.

Method and apparatus for shaping moving glass sheets by sagging followed

A conveyor roll for conveying glass sheets and a conveyor comprising a plurality of said conveyor rolls is described. Each conveyor roll comprises a curved shaft conforming to the shape of said glass sheets transverse to their path of movement. A plurality of segments of essentially cylindrical configuration is mounted around said curved shaft. The segments have loosely interfitting tongues and grooves and a cylindrically shaped surface of a material that does not mar glass. When torque is applied to one of the end segments of said conveyor rolls, the glass engaging surfaces rotate in unison to convey the curved glass sheets through a treatment station included in glass sheet treating apparatus. A spring mounted about the shaft in position to apply axial pressure against the outer axial surface of the end segment to insure positive tongue in groove engagement would tend to mar said outer axial surface and to cause the end segment to drag in the absence of the present invention. The drag on different segmented rolls is uncontrolled and may easily lead to roll marking of the major surface of the glass sheets transported by the rotating segmented rolls, particularly when different end segments are dragged to different degrees. The present invention interposes a thrust bearing, preferably one comprising a pair of washers defining a race and bearings supported within said race between the spring and the end segment of each segmented roll of the conveyor to reduce and even eliminate said drag. In addition, the thrust bearings protect the end segments from surface marking due to the springs scratching against the axial outer surfaces of the end segments. Scratching that may result in weakening said end segments is consequently reduced by the inclusion of the thrust bearings.

Apparatus for conveying glass sheets

A tweel flow control device at the entrance to a flat glass forming chamber is provided with overhead support and elevator means, preferably adapted to convey the tweel from its operative location.

Overhead mechanism for flat glass forming tweel

In a flat glass melting and forming installation, the threshold between a melting furnace and a forming chamber is supported on movable cart means to expedite installation and removal of the threshold.

Threshold cart for flat glass forming apparatus and method of use

A tweel flow control device at the entrance to a flat glass forming chamber is provided with suport means adapted for positioning the tweel in three dimensions.

Growing community of inventors

Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America

Stephen J Schultz