Glass manufacturing – With fluid support for article or preform – Gaseous support
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-24
2001-02-27
Vincent, Sean (Department: 1731)
Glass manufacturing
With fluid support for article or preform
Gaseous support
C065S025200, C065S095000, C065S348000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06192711
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to a device with which hot glass panes, for example glass panes which have been heated for tempering to a temperature above the tempering point, can be cooled quickly to below the critical temperature, and the device is also to be suited for transport of glass panes not aligned to be standing vertically into and out of the device.
One problem in the known devices which are equipped with air cushion transport devices (air cushion walls) is that for rapid cooling (quenching) of glass panes a comparatively thick air cushion is needed, but that a thick air cushion is disadvantageous when a hot glass pane is being transported. At a short distance between the air cushion wall and the glass pane to be cooled, during quenching cold air with high pressure would be needed so that the high air throughput necessary for quenching of the glass panes associated with high flow velocities can be achieved. But this has turned out to be a problem since there is the danger that the glass pane will be pushed away from the air cushion wall by the stream of cold air from the air cushion wall.
The object of the invention is to devise a device with which hot glass panes can be easily transported and in which this device can also be used for quenching of the glass panes.
This object is achieved as claimed in the invention first of all by the device having the features of claim
1
.
Preferred and advantageous embodiments of the device as claimed in the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.
Using the device as claimed in the invention hot glass panes which have been heated to above the critical temperature can be easily transported, even if the glass panes are not aligned to be standing vertically. This is because due to the support ribs provided in the support wall provided for the device as claimed in the invention, reliable transport of the hot glass sheets is possible when the wall parts of the support wall of the device as claimed in the invention, i.e. the wall parts located between the support ribs, have a greater distance from the plane of the glass pane in order to guarantee the thicker air cushion necessary for quenching. In this case, the device as claimed in the invention can be used such that when the glass pane is being transported hot air is blown out through the outlet openings in the wall parts of the support wall of the device as claimed in the invention, i.e. the wall parts located between the support ribs, in order to form an air cushion for transport of the hot glass pane without cooling it to below the critical point.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention it is provided that the support ribs in the support wall of the device as claimed in the invention are stationary, conversely the wall parts located between the support ribs are adjustable in one direction perpendicularly to the plane of the support wall. With this embodiment of the device as claimed in the invention during transport of a hot glass pane the thin air cushion which is advantageous for reliable transport of the glass pane can be held between the support wall and glass pane, the air cushion preferably being supplied with hot air.
Here it is advantageous if hot air is routed into the area between the glass pane and the support wall especially through the movable wall parts, therefore through openings provided therein and optionally also through the stationary support ribs which are located between the movable wall parts.
As soon as the glass pane has reached a position in which it is entirely in the device, therefore entirely in front of the (air cushion) support wall, the movable wall parts can be withdrawn between the support ribs. The feed of hot air is stopped and then cold air or gas from the support ribs and/or the movable wall parts through the outlet openings provided therein is blown onto the glass pane so that the glass pane, as is necessary for tempering, is quickly cooled (quenched). For example, the movable wall parts are moved away from the glass pane by 20 to 25 mm relative to the stationary support ribs.
It can be advantageous if the narrow edges of the support ribs which are optionally made hollow, i.e. the edges facing the glass pane, are provided with correspondingly heat-resistant plastic strips. One material suitable for this purpose is an Aramid plastic (for example, “Kevlar”, trade name manufacturer: Du Pont)
Since during quenching glass panes are exposed to cold air preferably from both sides, in the device as claimed in the invention, at least on both sides of the area in which the glass pane stands during quenching, there can be means for exposing the glass pane to cold air. At least one of the two means is made here like the support wall as claimed in the invention. It is advantageous if the distance of the two means for exposing the glass pane to gas or air from one another can be changed in order to match the intermediate space to the thickness of the glass pane to be quenched.
Since for transport of a hot glass pane in one preferred embodiment a thin cushion with hot air or gas and when quenching the glass pane by exposure to cold air or gas a correspondingly thick gas cushion can be formed on both sides of the glass pane, the glass pane during quenching can remain in the transport plane so that there is no danger that the glass pane will warp.
Support of the glass pane from underneath proceeds either via conveyor rollers or via conveyor belts with slots through which the air which forms the gas cushion can emerge from the intermediate space also to underneath.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3607198 (1971-09-01), Meunier et al.
patent: 3615315 (1971-10-01), Michalik et al.
patent: 3665730 (1972-05-01), Linzer
patent: 3687648 (1972-08-01), Oulton
patent: 3756797 (1973-09-01), Akeyoshi et al.
patent: 4046543 (1977-09-01), Shields
patent: 5281249 (1994-01-01), Hampton et al.
patent: 5669954 (1997-09-01), Kormanyos
Vincent Sean
Young & Thompson
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