Glass manufacturing – With fluid support for article or preform – Gaseous support
Reexamination Certificate
1998-02-26
2001-09-11
Colaianni, Michael P. (Department: 1731)
Glass manufacturing
With fluid support for article or preform
Gaseous support
C065S182100, C065S182500, C065S024000, C065S025100, C065S025200, C065S025400, C432S120000, C432S194000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06286338
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to lehrs for heating and forming glass sheets and, more specifically, to a block assembly for a gas-type lehr.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known to heat and form glass sheets using a “hearth” or “lehr”. Generally, the lehr is a furnace and may be of a continuous roller-type, fixtured roller-type or gas-type. For example, a gas-type lehr has a plurality of blocks disposed beneath a plurality of radiant heaters. Each block is supported along its transverse sides by refractory slabs or support lintels mounted upon jacks. Typically, four jacks are used for each block with two jacks, one at each longitudinal end, for each lintel. The jacks are adjustable, thereby making possible manual adjustment of the vertical location of each block so that upper surfaces of the blocks can be brought into alignment with each other.
In operation of the gas-type lehr, a glass sheet is placed inside the lehr where it is heated by conventional radiation, convection and conduction heat. The glass sheet is moved along the blocks at a predetermined rate which depends on the thermal conductivity of the glass sheet to reach a temperature in its forming range. When the glass sheet is at a temperature in its forming range, the glass sheet is formed to a predetermined shape of the blocks. Once formed, the glass sheet is either quenched, annealed or tempered.
Although the above lehr has worked well, it suffers from the disadvantage that the alignment of a top contour or upper surface of the blocks is required for correctly forming the glass sheet. This requires extensive adjustment and alignment of the blocks inside the lehr which is labor intensive and costly. Another disadvantage of the above lehr is that seals are required between the longitudinal ends of the blocks which requires a separate part and is costly. As a result, there is a need in the art to provide a block assembly for alignment of the blocks prior to installation inside the lehr and to reduce or eliminate adjustment of the blocks inside the lehr.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention is a block assembly for a lehr. The block assembly includes a plurality of blocks extending longitudinally. Each of the blocks have a seal surface for mating and overlapping engagement with an adjacent one of the blocks.
One advantage of the present invention is that an improved block assembly for a lehr is provided. Another advantage of the present invention is that the block assembly has the blocks aligned at the block manufacturer prior to installation inside the lehr, thereby allowing the blocks to be simply placed in position inside the lehr. Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the block assembly reduces alignment complexity of the blocks for the lehr, resulting in less installation time, labor and cost. Still another advantage of the present invention is that the block assembly reduces or eliminates the need for seals longitudinally between the blocks.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood after reading the subsequent description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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Colaianni Michael P.
Shelton Larry I.
Visteon Global Technologies Inc.
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