Glass manufacturing – Processes – Glass preform treating
Patent
1995-05-10
1997-06-24
Czaja, Donald E.
Glass manufacturing
Processes
Glass preform treating
65106, 65107, 65146, 65258, 65273, 65281, 65286, 65289, 65361, C03B 2502
Patent
active
056413343
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method in a sequential bending furnace for bending glass sheets. A furnace for applying the method includes a sequence of successive sections, at least some of which are provided with heating elements for applying a thermal effect to a glass sheet to be bent for heating and bending it sequentially in the sections. The furnace is further provided with a sequence of successively arranged carriages or the like, fitted with wheels or other conveying elements and mounted on a transfer track or a like. The glass sheets to be bent are laid to be supported by bending molds or the like associated with the carriages or the like. The furnace is further accompanied by a transfer mechanism for carrying the carriages or the like simultaneously forward in the furnace into a section further away in the advancing direction of the carriages for the next bending operation.
As for the prior art, reference is made e.g. to Finnish patent 68390. This patent discloses a solution which is essentially consistent with the presently known state of the art.
The present invention is particularly a result of the ever increasing demands set on the current production technology. The currently applied production technology requires an improved smoothness for and control over movements of the carriages as well as an extremely precise parking accuracy. In particular, the carriages may not be allowed to move during the bending cycles effected in the sections. In addition, especially the transfer mechanism must be readily serviceable without interfering with the actual bending process. It is especially the demands for parking accuracy as well as for preventing the uncontrolled movements of carriages during the bending sequences effected in the sections which require that a thermal expansion effect caused by temperature fluctuations must not interfere with operation of the transfer mechanism or parking accuracy of the carriages. The above problems are abundant in sequential bending furnace designs according to the prior art. Thus, as a whole, the production technology is far from being controlled and continuous to the extent required by the investments made in production technology or engineering.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of this invention is to eliminate as totally as possible the above problems in sequential bending furnaces. In view of achieving the above object, the method is primarily characterized in that a transfer of the carriages or the like is effected as follows: transfer assemblies for building a transfer mechanism, each transfer assembly comprising member or a like included in the carriage and communicating with the exterior of the furnace in such a manner that the first locking element is located outside the furnace, direction of the carriages or the like and located in alignment with essentially all successive jointly operated carriages and fitted outside the furnace, and arranged in the longitudinal direction of the transfer and locking rod at fixed spaces in a manner to provide a transfer and locking force transmitting relationship with the first locking elements included in the carriages, whereby downstream in the traveling direction of the carriages essentially by operating at least one transfer assembly, the first and second locking elements being in the relationship transmitting a transfer force in at least one transfer assembly, transfer assemblies are returned to a transfer commencing position in such a manner that at least one transfer assembly is in the locking position during the return actions, and returned to the position for commencing the transfer of carriages are clamped to the first locking elements included in the carriages or the like for the next transfer of carriages or the like between the sections.
The above-described methodical and technical solution provides several benefits. First of all, the transfer assemblies, and thus the entire transfer mechanism, are located essentially completely outside a furnace whereby the furnace temp
REFERENCES:
patent: 2452488 (1948-10-01), Paddock et al.
patent: 2933180 (1960-04-01), Dixon et al.
patent: 3301374 (1967-01-01), Proctor
patent: 4289521 (1981-09-01), Schymura
patent: 4497645 (1985-02-01), Peltonen
patent: 4688668 (1987-08-01), Ookuba et al.
Kianta Esko
Salonen Rauno
Colaianni Michael Philip
Czaja Donald E.
Lamino Oy
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