CA1264277A - Prepress apparatus and method - Google Patents
Prepress apparatus and methodInfo
- Publication number
- CA1264277A CA1264277A CA000526133A CA526133A CA1264277A CA 1264277 A CA1264277 A CA 1264277A CA 000526133 A CA000526133 A CA 000526133A CA 526133 A CA526133 A CA 526133A CA 1264277 A CA1264277 A CA 1264277A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- assembly
- rollers
- frame
- ring
- rotation
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
Links
Classifications
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
- C03C—CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES OR VITREOUS ENAMELS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS, MINERALS OR SLAGS; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS
- C03C27/00—Joining pieces of glass to pieces of other inorganic material; Joining glass to glass other than by fusing
- C03C27/06—Joining glass to glass by processes other than fusing
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
- B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
- B32B17/00—Layered products essentially comprising sheet glass, or glass, slag, or like fibres
- B32B17/06—Layered products essentially comprising sheet glass, or glass, slag, or like fibres comprising glass as the main or only constituent of a layer, next to another layer of a specific material
- B32B17/10—Layered products essentially comprising sheet glass, or glass, slag, or like fibres comprising glass as the main or only constituent of a layer, next to another layer of a specific material of synthetic resin
- B32B17/10005—Layered products essentially comprising sheet glass, or glass, slag, or like fibres comprising glass as the main or only constituent of a layer, next to another layer of a specific material of synthetic resin laminated safety glass or glazing
- B32B17/1055—Layered products essentially comprising sheet glass, or glass, slag, or like fibres comprising glass as the main or only constituent of a layer, next to another layer of a specific material of synthetic resin laminated safety glass or glazing characterized by the resin layer, i.e. interlayer
- B32B17/10761—Layered products essentially comprising sheet glass, or glass, slag, or like fibres comprising glass as the main or only constituent of a layer, next to another layer of a specific material of synthetic resin laminated safety glass or glazing characterized by the resin layer, i.e. interlayer containing vinyl acetal
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
- B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
- B32B17/00—Layered products essentially comprising sheet glass, or glass, slag, or like fibres
- B32B17/06—Layered products essentially comprising sheet glass, or glass, slag, or like fibres comprising glass as the main or only constituent of a layer, next to another layer of a specific material
- B32B17/10—Layered products essentially comprising sheet glass, or glass, slag, or like fibres comprising glass as the main or only constituent of a layer, next to another layer of a specific material of synthetic resin
- B32B17/10005—Layered products essentially comprising sheet glass, or glass, slag, or like fibres comprising glass as the main or only constituent of a layer, next to another layer of a specific material of synthetic resin laminated safety glass or glazing
- B32B17/10807—Making laminated safety glass or glazing; Apparatus therefor
- B32B17/10816—Making laminated safety glass or glazing; Apparatus therefor by pressing
- B32B17/10825—Isostatic pressing, i.e. using non rigid pressure-exerting members against rigid parts
- B32B17/10862—Isostatic pressing, i.e. using non rigid pressure-exerting members against rigid parts using pressing-rolls
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
- B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
- B32B17/00—Layered products essentially comprising sheet glass, or glass, slag, or like fibres
- B32B17/06—Layered products essentially comprising sheet glass, or glass, slag, or like fibres comprising glass as the main or only constituent of a layer, next to another layer of a specific material
- B32B17/10—Layered products essentially comprising sheet glass, or glass, slag, or like fibres comprising glass as the main or only constituent of a layer, next to another layer of a specific material of synthetic resin
- B32B17/10005—Layered products essentially comprising sheet glass, or glass, slag, or like fibres comprising glass as the main or only constituent of a layer, next to another layer of a specific material of synthetic resin laminated safety glass or glazing
- B32B17/10807—Making laminated safety glass or glazing; Apparatus therefor
- B32B17/10899—Making laminated safety glass or glazing; Apparatus therefor by introducing interlayers of synthetic resin
- B32B17/10954—Making laminated safety glass or glazing; Apparatus therefor by introducing interlayers of synthetic resin by using an aligning laminating device
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
- B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
- B32B27/00—Layered products comprising a layer of synthetic resin
- B32B27/06—Layered products comprising a layer of synthetic resin as the main or only constituent of a layer, which is next to another layer of the same or of a different material
- B32B27/08—Layered products comprising a layer of synthetic resin as the main or only constituent of a layer, which is next to another layer of the same or of a different material of synthetic resin
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
- B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
- B32B27/00—Layered products comprising a layer of synthetic resin
- B32B27/36—Layered products comprising a layer of synthetic resin comprising polyesters
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
- B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
- B32B2605/00—Vehicles
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
- B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
- B32B2605/00—Vehicles
- B32B2605/006—Transparent parts other than made from inorganic glass, e.g. polycarbonate glazings
Landscapes
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Ceramic Engineering (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
- General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
- Materials Engineering (AREA)
- Organic Chemistry (AREA)
- Joining Of Glass To Other Materials (AREA)
- Laminated Bodies (AREA)
- Automobile Manufacture Line, Endless Track Vehicle, Trailer (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT
An apparatus and method for prepressing an assembly of stacked, superimposed glass and plastic sheets for subsequent autoclave lamination to provide a glazing. The apparatus includes a frame positioned between a delivery conveyor and a discharge conveyor and carrying prepress and support rollers. An assembly arrives on the delivery conveyor and is aligned and rotated ninety degrees before entry into the frame. The prepress rollers are rotatably mounted in pairs and attached to air cylinders which retract the rollers during entry to clear a vacuum ring which extends about the peripheral edge of the assembly such that a vacuum can be drawn on the assembly during the application of pressure and then extend the rollers into contact with an upper surface of the assembly to apply pressure thereto.
The assembly is supported from its bottom side by the support rollers which are rotatably attached to the frame and are located on either side of a plurality of drive rollers which are rotatably attached to the frame in pairs.
The drive rollers are of different diameters and are adjustably mounted on an axis of rotation which is tilted from the horizontal path of the assembly. The drive rollers are driven to move the assembly through the frame while the prepress rollers apply pressure to the assembly. The different diameters and the tilted axis of rotation compensate for different lengths of the paths of travel of the drive rollers along the surface of assemblies of curved or bent sheets.
An apparatus and method for prepressing an assembly of stacked, superimposed glass and plastic sheets for subsequent autoclave lamination to provide a glazing. The apparatus includes a frame positioned between a delivery conveyor and a discharge conveyor and carrying prepress and support rollers. An assembly arrives on the delivery conveyor and is aligned and rotated ninety degrees before entry into the frame. The prepress rollers are rotatably mounted in pairs and attached to air cylinders which retract the rollers during entry to clear a vacuum ring which extends about the peripheral edge of the assembly such that a vacuum can be drawn on the assembly during the application of pressure and then extend the rollers into contact with an upper surface of the assembly to apply pressure thereto.
The assembly is supported from its bottom side by the support rollers which are rotatably attached to the frame and are located on either side of a plurality of drive rollers which are rotatably attached to the frame in pairs.
The drive rollers are of different diameters and are adjustably mounted on an axis of rotation which is tilted from the horizontal path of the assembly. The drive rollers are driven to move the assembly through the frame while the prepress rollers apply pressure to the assembly. The different diameters and the tilted axis of rotation compensate for different lengths of the paths of travel of the drive rollers along the surface of assemblies of curved or bent sheets.
Description
~2~4277 The present invention relates generally to the production of laminated glass sheets and, more specifically, to an improved apparatus for prepressing anti-lacerative or laceration shield type glazings particularly adapted for use in automotive vehicles.
In the early stages of the automobile industry, single sheets of ordinary glass were employed as windshields. As it became evident that this type of windshield presented a considerable safety hazard, the single sheets of ordinary glass were replaced with single sheets of heat treated or tempered glass. Thereafter, as laminated safety glass was developed to reduce the severity of lacerative injuries, its use in automotive windshields greatly increased until today, when almost all automotive windshields are constructed of some type of laminated glass.
Typically, laminated glass of the type utilized in vehicle windshields consists of two sheets of glass bonded together with a thin plastic interlayer, such as a sheet of polyvinyl butyral, for example. In the event of an impact on a laminated glass windshield sufficient to break the glass, the plastic interlayer functions to bind the glass fragments together, thus reducing the risk of injury to a driver or passenger as a result of flying glass or contact with the windshield. Further developments with this type of laminated glass, such as those disclosed in United States Patent No. 3,231,461, have resulted in laminated windshields with improved penetration resistance. Consequently, with the ever growing recognition of the necessity for increased safety precautions, continuing efforts have been and are still being made to appreciably reduce the injury producing potential of automobile windshields.
Recently, it has been found that the addition of a second plastic layer bonded to the inner glass surface of the laminated windshield further increases the safety effectiveness of the windshield. This second plastic layer ~ 9 has typically been termed a protective laceration inhibiting shield since it has been found that the additional plastic layer will appreciably reduce the number and severity of lacerative injuries to persons thrown against the windshield under all impact conditions. Further, it has been found that the laceration shield, when produced under certain conditions of manufacture, improves the ability of the laminated windshield to decelerate movement of a person thrown against the windshield, while also increasing the penetration resistance of the windshield as compared to conventional laminated windshields. Also, the laceration shield reduces the amount of flying glass and thus the injury to car occupants as a result of objects that may be thrown against the windshield from overpasses or elsewhere outside the vehicle.
An example of an automotive windshield which incorporates, as part of its laminated structure, a protective laceration shield bonded to its inboard glass surface is disclosed in United States Patent No. 4,242,403.
In this patent, the laceration shield includes a penetration resisting multi-layer body consisting of an inner layer of relatively soft, extensible plastic material such as polyvinyl butyral, for example, which is adhered to the inboard surface of the windshield, an intermediate layer of more durable plastic such as polyester, and an outer coating of an abrasion resistant material.
While the effectiveness of a laminated windshield having a laceration shield is obvious, very few vehicles utilize such a windshield. The chief reason for this limited use has been the difficulty experience in trying to manufacture a windshield with a laceration shield on a production basis. In the automotive industry, the standard for windshields is very high, especially as to optical qualities, and it has been very difficult to manufacture a windshield having a laceration shield which is free of ~ 2G~Z77 optical defects. Even when the individual sheets of the laminated assembly are free from optical defects before bonding them together, it is difficult to join them and preserve the optical qualities.
One meth~d for applying a plastic layer to one surface of a single sheet of glass is disclosed in United States Patent No. 3,806,3~7. In this method, a sheet of glass, a layer of adhesive, and a layer of thin transparent plastic sheeting are assembled in a stack to produce an assembly for subsequent la~ination. A second sheet of glass (called a glass cover or forming sheet) conforming to the configuration of the sheet of glass in the stacked assembly is then placed on top of the platic sheet. The surface of $he glass forming sheet which is placed adjacent the plastic sheet is coated with a demolding agent to prevent any adhesion between the glass forming sheet and plastic sheet.
Typically, the glass forming sheet is bent on the same form as the glass sheet of the laminated assembly. Next, the spaces between the individual laminae are evacuated and the assembly is positioned in an autoclave. The autoclave applies pressure to the exterior surfaces of the assembly while heating the assembly to a temperature which causes bonding between the glass sheet and the plastic sheet.
After the assembly is removed from the autoclave, the forming sheet can be removed from the stack.
One cause of defects in laminated glass structures is air trapped between the layers. It has been found to reduce such defects if, prior to treatment in the autoclave, the assembly is pressed, or subjected to vacuum at its edges, or both. The preliminary pressing, or "prepressing"
operation, is typically performed by an apparatus having upper and lower series of pressing or nipper rollers arranged in axially parallel, tangentially contacting relation. Generally, the rollers are mounted in a cage or frame adapted to be swung arcuately from an assembly ~6~
receiving position to an assembly discharge position. It has also been found advantageous to apply a peripheral evacuation chamber less in thickness than the assembly to which it is attached enabling the evacuation chamber and assembly to pass between the prepressing rollers. Such an apparatus is disclosed in United States Patent No. 4,040,888.
One of the problems with the prior art evacuation chamber was that it required a thin flexible tape of air impervious material to seal the evacuation chamber to the laminated assembly. Then, when the prepressing was completed, the tape had to be stripped from the laminated assembly. All of this taping required time and manual labor and left a sticky residue of adhesive on both surfaces of the laminated glazing.
Furthermore, the use of the rigid tubes made processing curved assemblies extremely difficult and required the nipper rollers to be positioned a fixed distance apart less than that which would enable the most efficient prepressing operation.
According to the present invention, there is provided a method of removing air from between the interfaces of an assembly of superimposed sheets, the assembly including~ a leading edge, a trailing edge and opposed side edges comprising: enclosing the leading, trailing and opposed side edges of superimposed sheets with a continuous evacuation ring, the evacuation ring extending beyond the surfaces of the assembly and having a thickness greater than the thickness of YC/jm ~, , _ ~2~i4~
the superimposed sheets, the evacuation ring being in communication with the interfaces of the superimposed sheets and coupled to a vacuum source; applying a vacuum to the ring to withdraw air therethrough; providing a plurality of pairs of opposed rolls arranged in spaced apart relationship a distance greater than the thickness of the ring, the axes of rotation of opposed rolls lying in the same plane and the corresponding rolls of each pair having a common axis of rotation; positioning the leading edge of the sheet assembly inwardly of the evacuation ring between the spaced apart opposed rolls with the leading edge being substantially parallel with the plane including axes of rotation of the opposed rolls, the number of pairs of opposed rolls providing a length measured along the axes o~ rotation of the opposed rolls less than the distance between the inner edges of the evacuation ring enclosing the opposed side edges; effecting relative movement between the pairs of opposed rolls so that the opposed rolls enter into pressure engagement with opposite sides of the sheet assembly inwardly of the evacuation ring;
advancing the assembly between the opposed rolls while continuing to apply the vacuum to the evacuation ring until the ring at the trailing edge of the assembly is adjacent to but not yet in contact with the opposed rolls; separating the opposed rolls a distance greater than the thickness of the ring, to release the pressure engagement on the sheet assembly;
and removing the assembly from between the opposed rolls.
YC/jm 7~;' Also, according to this invention, there is provided an apparatus for prepressig assemblies of stacked sheets for subsequent lamination thereof, comprising: a frame; a delivery conveyor for supporting and advancing a horizontally disposed assembly in a generally horizontal path to one side of the frame; means for aligning the assembly for entry into the frame including a pair of spaced apart aligning arms positioned adjacent the one side of the frame for engaging a leading edge of the assembly; means mounted on the frame for applying pressure to the assembly; and means for moving the assembly through the frame and the means for applying pressure, the means for moving including a plurality of rollers of different diameter, the rollers being rotatably mounted along an axis of rotation tilted with respect to the horizontal path such that each of the rollers engages a surface of the assembly and means for driving the rollers in rotation to move the assembly through the frame and the means for applying pressure.
In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic top plan view of a prepressing apparatus in accordance with the present invention with the upper prepress rolls removed and showing an assembly in three differ~ent positions as it passes through the prepressing apparatus; Fig.
In the early stages of the automobile industry, single sheets of ordinary glass were employed as windshields. As it became evident that this type of windshield presented a considerable safety hazard, the single sheets of ordinary glass were replaced with single sheets of heat treated or tempered glass. Thereafter, as laminated safety glass was developed to reduce the severity of lacerative injuries, its use in automotive windshields greatly increased until today, when almost all automotive windshields are constructed of some type of laminated glass.
Typically, laminated glass of the type utilized in vehicle windshields consists of two sheets of glass bonded together with a thin plastic interlayer, such as a sheet of polyvinyl butyral, for example. In the event of an impact on a laminated glass windshield sufficient to break the glass, the plastic interlayer functions to bind the glass fragments together, thus reducing the risk of injury to a driver or passenger as a result of flying glass or contact with the windshield. Further developments with this type of laminated glass, such as those disclosed in United States Patent No. 3,231,461, have resulted in laminated windshields with improved penetration resistance. Consequently, with the ever growing recognition of the necessity for increased safety precautions, continuing efforts have been and are still being made to appreciably reduce the injury producing potential of automobile windshields.
Recently, it has been found that the addition of a second plastic layer bonded to the inner glass surface of the laminated windshield further increases the safety effectiveness of the windshield. This second plastic layer ~ 9 has typically been termed a protective laceration inhibiting shield since it has been found that the additional plastic layer will appreciably reduce the number and severity of lacerative injuries to persons thrown against the windshield under all impact conditions. Further, it has been found that the laceration shield, when produced under certain conditions of manufacture, improves the ability of the laminated windshield to decelerate movement of a person thrown against the windshield, while also increasing the penetration resistance of the windshield as compared to conventional laminated windshields. Also, the laceration shield reduces the amount of flying glass and thus the injury to car occupants as a result of objects that may be thrown against the windshield from overpasses or elsewhere outside the vehicle.
An example of an automotive windshield which incorporates, as part of its laminated structure, a protective laceration shield bonded to its inboard glass surface is disclosed in United States Patent No. 4,242,403.
In this patent, the laceration shield includes a penetration resisting multi-layer body consisting of an inner layer of relatively soft, extensible plastic material such as polyvinyl butyral, for example, which is adhered to the inboard surface of the windshield, an intermediate layer of more durable plastic such as polyester, and an outer coating of an abrasion resistant material.
While the effectiveness of a laminated windshield having a laceration shield is obvious, very few vehicles utilize such a windshield. The chief reason for this limited use has been the difficulty experience in trying to manufacture a windshield with a laceration shield on a production basis. In the automotive industry, the standard for windshields is very high, especially as to optical qualities, and it has been very difficult to manufacture a windshield having a laceration shield which is free of ~ 2G~Z77 optical defects. Even when the individual sheets of the laminated assembly are free from optical defects before bonding them together, it is difficult to join them and preserve the optical qualities.
One meth~d for applying a plastic layer to one surface of a single sheet of glass is disclosed in United States Patent No. 3,806,3~7. In this method, a sheet of glass, a layer of adhesive, and a layer of thin transparent plastic sheeting are assembled in a stack to produce an assembly for subsequent la~ination. A second sheet of glass (called a glass cover or forming sheet) conforming to the configuration of the sheet of glass in the stacked assembly is then placed on top of the platic sheet. The surface of $he glass forming sheet which is placed adjacent the plastic sheet is coated with a demolding agent to prevent any adhesion between the glass forming sheet and plastic sheet.
Typically, the glass forming sheet is bent on the same form as the glass sheet of the laminated assembly. Next, the spaces between the individual laminae are evacuated and the assembly is positioned in an autoclave. The autoclave applies pressure to the exterior surfaces of the assembly while heating the assembly to a temperature which causes bonding between the glass sheet and the plastic sheet.
After the assembly is removed from the autoclave, the forming sheet can be removed from the stack.
One cause of defects in laminated glass structures is air trapped between the layers. It has been found to reduce such defects if, prior to treatment in the autoclave, the assembly is pressed, or subjected to vacuum at its edges, or both. The preliminary pressing, or "prepressing"
operation, is typically performed by an apparatus having upper and lower series of pressing or nipper rollers arranged in axially parallel, tangentially contacting relation. Generally, the rollers are mounted in a cage or frame adapted to be swung arcuately from an assembly ~6~
receiving position to an assembly discharge position. It has also been found advantageous to apply a peripheral evacuation chamber less in thickness than the assembly to which it is attached enabling the evacuation chamber and assembly to pass between the prepressing rollers. Such an apparatus is disclosed in United States Patent No. 4,040,888.
One of the problems with the prior art evacuation chamber was that it required a thin flexible tape of air impervious material to seal the evacuation chamber to the laminated assembly. Then, when the prepressing was completed, the tape had to be stripped from the laminated assembly. All of this taping required time and manual labor and left a sticky residue of adhesive on both surfaces of the laminated glazing.
Furthermore, the use of the rigid tubes made processing curved assemblies extremely difficult and required the nipper rollers to be positioned a fixed distance apart less than that which would enable the most efficient prepressing operation.
According to the present invention, there is provided a method of removing air from between the interfaces of an assembly of superimposed sheets, the assembly including~ a leading edge, a trailing edge and opposed side edges comprising: enclosing the leading, trailing and opposed side edges of superimposed sheets with a continuous evacuation ring, the evacuation ring extending beyond the surfaces of the assembly and having a thickness greater than the thickness of YC/jm ~, , _ ~2~i4~
the superimposed sheets, the evacuation ring being in communication with the interfaces of the superimposed sheets and coupled to a vacuum source; applying a vacuum to the ring to withdraw air therethrough; providing a plurality of pairs of opposed rolls arranged in spaced apart relationship a distance greater than the thickness of the ring, the axes of rotation of opposed rolls lying in the same plane and the corresponding rolls of each pair having a common axis of rotation; positioning the leading edge of the sheet assembly inwardly of the evacuation ring between the spaced apart opposed rolls with the leading edge being substantially parallel with the plane including axes of rotation of the opposed rolls, the number of pairs of opposed rolls providing a length measured along the axes o~ rotation of the opposed rolls less than the distance between the inner edges of the evacuation ring enclosing the opposed side edges; effecting relative movement between the pairs of opposed rolls so that the opposed rolls enter into pressure engagement with opposite sides of the sheet assembly inwardly of the evacuation ring;
advancing the assembly between the opposed rolls while continuing to apply the vacuum to the evacuation ring until the ring at the trailing edge of the assembly is adjacent to but not yet in contact with the opposed rolls; separating the opposed rolls a distance greater than the thickness of the ring, to release the pressure engagement on the sheet assembly;
and removing the assembly from between the opposed rolls.
YC/jm 7~;' Also, according to this invention, there is provided an apparatus for prepressig assemblies of stacked sheets for subsequent lamination thereof, comprising: a frame; a delivery conveyor for supporting and advancing a horizontally disposed assembly in a generally horizontal path to one side of the frame; means for aligning the assembly for entry into the frame including a pair of spaced apart aligning arms positioned adjacent the one side of the frame for engaging a leading edge of the assembly; means mounted on the frame for applying pressure to the assembly; and means for moving the assembly through the frame and the means for applying pressure, the means for moving including a plurality of rollers of different diameter, the rollers being rotatably mounted along an axis of rotation tilted with respect to the horizontal path such that each of the rollers engages a surface of the assembly and means for driving the rollers in rotation to move the assembly through the frame and the means for applying pressure.
In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic top plan view of a prepressing apparatus in accordance with the present invention with the upper prepress rolls removed and showing an assembly in three differ~ent positions as it passes through the prepressing apparatus; Fig.
2 is a front elevational view of the prepressing apparatus shown in Fig. 1 taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and increased in scale; Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the prepressing apparatus taken along ~he line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and YC/jm ~s, "~, "~....,..
:.
~ ~6*~77 6a increased in scale and showing the upper rollers in pressure engagement with the assembly; and Fig. 4 is a rear elevatisnal view of the prepressing apparatus as if taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 and increased in scale.
Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown a portion of a production line for laminating sheet assemblies including a prepressing apparatus 10 located between a delivery or entry conveyor 11 and a take-off or discharge conveyor 12.
Assemblies to be laminated, such as the assembly 13, travel along the production line in the direction of the arrow 14.
These assemblies are typically in the form of glass and plastic sheets arranged in a sandwich-like stack.
With reference to the assembly's ultimate orientation, after lamination thereof, in a vehicle, the assembly 13, has an upper edge 15, a lower edge 16, and side edges 17 and ;8.
The stacked assembly 13 is delivered to the prepressing apparatus 10 on the delivery to the prepressing apparatus 10 on the delivery conveyor 11 which includes a parallel pair of driven belts defining an opening between YC/jm ~4~
them. The assembly 13 is supported along its downwardly facing surface by the belts, with the upper edge 15 being the leading edge.
The assembly 13 of superimposed stacked sheets approaches the prepressing apparatus 10 with the upper edge 15 and the lower edge 16 generally transverse to the direction of travel 14 of the conveyor 11. When the upper edge 15, which is the leading edge of the assembly 13 in Fig. 1, approaches the prepressing apparatus 10, the assem~ly 13 is generally centered over a rotator cup 19 which is positioned between the delivery conveyor ~elts.
This position of the assembly 13 is shown in phantom line and designated by the reference numeral 21. A pair of spaced apart aligning arms 22 and 23 are located between the belts of the conveyor 11 to engage the upper edge 15 of the assembly 13 and stop it over the rotator cup 19. The rotator cup 19 is raised into contact with the lower face of the assembly 13 and the arms 22 and 23 are retracted. the cup 19 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 20 through an approximate ninety degree arc to position the side edge 18 of the assembly 13, as shown by the solid line, between the spaced apart upper and lower pressing rollers (only the lower rollers being shown in Fig. 1 for the sake of clarity). The cup holds the assembly by vacuum and then releases and retracts when the upper rollers are lowered into pressure engagement with the assembly as will be hereinafter more fully described. The assembly 13 is then moved through the prepressing apparatus 10 and onto the discharge conveyor 12 in the discharge position shown by the phantom line 24.
During the prepressing operation and during the approach to and movement away from the prepressing apparatus 10, an evacuation or vacuum ring 25 remains attached about the peripheral edge of the assembly 13. The vacuum ring 25 is connected to a source of vacuum (not shown) by a connector hose 26. During the prepressing operation, a ~2fi~
vacuum is drawn on the ring in order to assist in the evacuation of air from between the adjacent sheets in the assembly 13. As best shown in Fig. 3, the vacuum ring 25 is generally C~shaped in cross section with the opening slightly smaller in width than the thickness of the assembly 13 to provide an air tight seal. The vacuum ring 25 and the edges of the assembly 13 form a vacuum chamber 27 which is in communication with the entire periphery of the assembly 13 and the connector hose 26.
The prepressing apparatus 10 is shown in greater detail in Figs. 2 through 4. The prepressing apparatus 10 includes a frame 30 having a lower horizontal bed 31 and an upper horizontal arm 32 each having one end attached to a ground engaging upright post 33. The bed 31 and the arm 32 are in a spaced apart parallel relationship and the other end of the bed 31 is supported by a ground engaging leg 34.
Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the upper arm 32 supports a plurality of pairs of rubber prepress rollers 35. The rollers 35 are typically mounted in pairs with each pair being pivotally attached at the center of a cross-bar 36 having its ends supported between opposite ends of a generally C-shaped yoke 37. The yoke 37 is connected to one end of a vertically extending shaft 38 having its other end attached to a piston extension 39 of an air cylinder 40.
The air c~linder 40 is mounted on a bracket 41 which is attached to the horizontal arm 32. Also mounted on the bracket 41 is a roller guide assembly 42 for positioning the shaft 38 for vertical movement between the upper position shown by the phantom lines 43 and the lower position shown by the solid lines in Fig. 3. The number and spacing of the prepress rollers 35 depend upon the width of the assembly 13 and the amount and distribution of the pressure to be applied to the assembly.
The assembly 13 is supported on top of a plurality of pairs of lower prepress or support rollers 44 which are similar in construction to the rollers 35. However, these ~26~77 g rollers are not moveable, but are fixedly attached to brackets 45 and 46 which in turn are attached to the horizontal bed 31. Thus, the assembly 13 is supported by the lower prepress rollers 44 and pressure is applied by the upper prepress rollers 35 when they are lowered into position by the air cylinders 40. The brackets 45 and 46 are spaced apart along the horizontal bed 31 on opposite sides of a plurality of drive rollers 47. The drive rollers 47 are typically mounted in pairs on a box 48 attached to an upper surface of the horizontal bed 31. Each pair of the drive rollers 47 is rotatably supported by a bracket 49.
The bracket 49 is attached to an upper end of a vertically extending threaded shaft 50 which extends throuqh an aperture 51 in an upper surface of the box 48. A pair of stop nuts 52 are threaded onto the shaft 50 with a lower one of the nuts 52 engaging the upper surface of the box 48 and an upper one of the nuts 52 locking the lower nut in position on the shaft 50. The shaft 50 is pivotally connected to the bracket 49 at pivot point 53 for a purpose which will be explained below.
A motor and gear set 54 drives a sprocket 55 which in turn drives a roller chain 56 which is designated by a dashed line. The roller chain 56 in turn drives a sprocket 57 attached to one end of a drive shaft 58. The drive shaft 58 is rotatably supported by a plurality of adjustable slotted brackets 59 which are attached to the box 48.
Attached to the shaft 58 for co-rotation therewith are a plurality of driven sprockets 60. Each of the driven sprockets 60 is associated with a pair of the drive rollers 47. Positioned between each pair of the rollers 47 is a sprocket 61 which is attached to the rollers 47 for co-rotation therewith. Each of the sprockets 60 drives an associated sprocket 61 with a chain 62.
In Fig. 4, the rollers 47 have been labeled from right to left with the letters "A" through "F". In accordance with the present invention, the rollers "A" through "F" are progressively larger in diameter and preferably are tapered to provide a frustum for the purpose of moving the assembly 13 through the prepress apparatus 10 in ar arcuate path to the discharge position 24. Since the lower edge 16 of the assembly is longer than the upper edge 15, the roller "F"
has a longer distance to travel than the roller "A" along the lower surface of the assembly 13. The different diameter rollers compensate for this difference in travel distance to prevent slippage and/or sliding between the lower surface of the assembly 13 and the drive surfaces of the rollers 47. Also, the arcuate path the assembly travels provides for more effectual pressing and prevents possible interference between the rollers and the vacuum ring 25 which can lead to the displacement thereof. In order to maintain a horizontal supporting surface for the transparent assembly 13, the axis of rotation 63 of the rollers 47 is tilted or angled with respect to horizontal with the drive roller "F" being at a lower point than the drive roller "A".
The tilting of the axis is accomplished by loosening a pair of threaded fasteners 64 which extend through elongated slots in each of the brackets 59 and are threaded into a backing plate 65. Loosening the fasteners 64 allows height adjustment on the brackets 59 and threading the stop nuts 52 in the desired direction allows the raising or lowering of the associated drive rollers 47. The drive rollers are pivoted at 53 such that the pivot points of all the drive rollers 47 can be aligned on the axis of rotation 63. The movement of the drive rollers 47 and the associated brackets 49 also causes the drive shaft 58 to be tilted such that its longitudinal axis remains parallel to the axis of rotation 63. Such movement is permitted by the adjustable brackets 59 and then the threaded fasteners 64 are tightened along with the stop nuts 52 to fix the entire assembly in place.
~64~7 From the foregoing, it is apparent that the objects of this invention have been fully accomplished. As a result of this invention, an improved apparatus is produced for prepressing glass and plastic sheets for subse~uent autoclaving and lamination in a mass production operation.
~ . ., ; ,
:.
~ ~6*~77 6a increased in scale and showing the upper rollers in pressure engagement with the assembly; and Fig. 4 is a rear elevatisnal view of the prepressing apparatus as if taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 and increased in scale.
Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown a portion of a production line for laminating sheet assemblies including a prepressing apparatus 10 located between a delivery or entry conveyor 11 and a take-off or discharge conveyor 12.
Assemblies to be laminated, such as the assembly 13, travel along the production line in the direction of the arrow 14.
These assemblies are typically in the form of glass and plastic sheets arranged in a sandwich-like stack.
With reference to the assembly's ultimate orientation, after lamination thereof, in a vehicle, the assembly 13, has an upper edge 15, a lower edge 16, and side edges 17 and ;8.
The stacked assembly 13 is delivered to the prepressing apparatus 10 on the delivery to the prepressing apparatus 10 on the delivery conveyor 11 which includes a parallel pair of driven belts defining an opening between YC/jm ~4~
them. The assembly 13 is supported along its downwardly facing surface by the belts, with the upper edge 15 being the leading edge.
The assembly 13 of superimposed stacked sheets approaches the prepressing apparatus 10 with the upper edge 15 and the lower edge 16 generally transverse to the direction of travel 14 of the conveyor 11. When the upper edge 15, which is the leading edge of the assembly 13 in Fig. 1, approaches the prepressing apparatus 10, the assem~ly 13 is generally centered over a rotator cup 19 which is positioned between the delivery conveyor ~elts.
This position of the assembly 13 is shown in phantom line and designated by the reference numeral 21. A pair of spaced apart aligning arms 22 and 23 are located between the belts of the conveyor 11 to engage the upper edge 15 of the assembly 13 and stop it over the rotator cup 19. The rotator cup 19 is raised into contact with the lower face of the assembly 13 and the arms 22 and 23 are retracted. the cup 19 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 20 through an approximate ninety degree arc to position the side edge 18 of the assembly 13, as shown by the solid line, between the spaced apart upper and lower pressing rollers (only the lower rollers being shown in Fig. 1 for the sake of clarity). The cup holds the assembly by vacuum and then releases and retracts when the upper rollers are lowered into pressure engagement with the assembly as will be hereinafter more fully described. The assembly 13 is then moved through the prepressing apparatus 10 and onto the discharge conveyor 12 in the discharge position shown by the phantom line 24.
During the prepressing operation and during the approach to and movement away from the prepressing apparatus 10, an evacuation or vacuum ring 25 remains attached about the peripheral edge of the assembly 13. The vacuum ring 25 is connected to a source of vacuum (not shown) by a connector hose 26. During the prepressing operation, a ~2fi~
vacuum is drawn on the ring in order to assist in the evacuation of air from between the adjacent sheets in the assembly 13. As best shown in Fig. 3, the vacuum ring 25 is generally C~shaped in cross section with the opening slightly smaller in width than the thickness of the assembly 13 to provide an air tight seal. The vacuum ring 25 and the edges of the assembly 13 form a vacuum chamber 27 which is in communication with the entire periphery of the assembly 13 and the connector hose 26.
The prepressing apparatus 10 is shown in greater detail in Figs. 2 through 4. The prepressing apparatus 10 includes a frame 30 having a lower horizontal bed 31 and an upper horizontal arm 32 each having one end attached to a ground engaging upright post 33. The bed 31 and the arm 32 are in a spaced apart parallel relationship and the other end of the bed 31 is supported by a ground engaging leg 34.
Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the upper arm 32 supports a plurality of pairs of rubber prepress rollers 35. The rollers 35 are typically mounted in pairs with each pair being pivotally attached at the center of a cross-bar 36 having its ends supported between opposite ends of a generally C-shaped yoke 37. The yoke 37 is connected to one end of a vertically extending shaft 38 having its other end attached to a piston extension 39 of an air cylinder 40.
The air c~linder 40 is mounted on a bracket 41 which is attached to the horizontal arm 32. Also mounted on the bracket 41 is a roller guide assembly 42 for positioning the shaft 38 for vertical movement between the upper position shown by the phantom lines 43 and the lower position shown by the solid lines in Fig. 3. The number and spacing of the prepress rollers 35 depend upon the width of the assembly 13 and the amount and distribution of the pressure to be applied to the assembly.
The assembly 13 is supported on top of a plurality of pairs of lower prepress or support rollers 44 which are similar in construction to the rollers 35. However, these ~26~77 g rollers are not moveable, but are fixedly attached to brackets 45 and 46 which in turn are attached to the horizontal bed 31. Thus, the assembly 13 is supported by the lower prepress rollers 44 and pressure is applied by the upper prepress rollers 35 when they are lowered into position by the air cylinders 40. The brackets 45 and 46 are spaced apart along the horizontal bed 31 on opposite sides of a plurality of drive rollers 47. The drive rollers 47 are typically mounted in pairs on a box 48 attached to an upper surface of the horizontal bed 31. Each pair of the drive rollers 47 is rotatably supported by a bracket 49.
The bracket 49 is attached to an upper end of a vertically extending threaded shaft 50 which extends throuqh an aperture 51 in an upper surface of the box 48. A pair of stop nuts 52 are threaded onto the shaft 50 with a lower one of the nuts 52 engaging the upper surface of the box 48 and an upper one of the nuts 52 locking the lower nut in position on the shaft 50. The shaft 50 is pivotally connected to the bracket 49 at pivot point 53 for a purpose which will be explained below.
A motor and gear set 54 drives a sprocket 55 which in turn drives a roller chain 56 which is designated by a dashed line. The roller chain 56 in turn drives a sprocket 57 attached to one end of a drive shaft 58. The drive shaft 58 is rotatably supported by a plurality of adjustable slotted brackets 59 which are attached to the box 48.
Attached to the shaft 58 for co-rotation therewith are a plurality of driven sprockets 60. Each of the driven sprockets 60 is associated with a pair of the drive rollers 47. Positioned between each pair of the rollers 47 is a sprocket 61 which is attached to the rollers 47 for co-rotation therewith. Each of the sprockets 60 drives an associated sprocket 61 with a chain 62.
In Fig. 4, the rollers 47 have been labeled from right to left with the letters "A" through "F". In accordance with the present invention, the rollers "A" through "F" are progressively larger in diameter and preferably are tapered to provide a frustum for the purpose of moving the assembly 13 through the prepress apparatus 10 in ar arcuate path to the discharge position 24. Since the lower edge 16 of the assembly is longer than the upper edge 15, the roller "F"
has a longer distance to travel than the roller "A" along the lower surface of the assembly 13. The different diameter rollers compensate for this difference in travel distance to prevent slippage and/or sliding between the lower surface of the assembly 13 and the drive surfaces of the rollers 47. Also, the arcuate path the assembly travels provides for more effectual pressing and prevents possible interference between the rollers and the vacuum ring 25 which can lead to the displacement thereof. In order to maintain a horizontal supporting surface for the transparent assembly 13, the axis of rotation 63 of the rollers 47 is tilted or angled with respect to horizontal with the drive roller "F" being at a lower point than the drive roller "A".
The tilting of the axis is accomplished by loosening a pair of threaded fasteners 64 which extend through elongated slots in each of the brackets 59 and are threaded into a backing plate 65. Loosening the fasteners 64 allows height adjustment on the brackets 59 and threading the stop nuts 52 in the desired direction allows the raising or lowering of the associated drive rollers 47. The drive rollers are pivoted at 53 such that the pivot points of all the drive rollers 47 can be aligned on the axis of rotation 63. The movement of the drive rollers 47 and the associated brackets 49 also causes the drive shaft 58 to be tilted such that its longitudinal axis remains parallel to the axis of rotation 63. Such movement is permitted by the adjustable brackets 59 and then the threaded fasteners 64 are tightened along with the stop nuts 52 to fix the entire assembly in place.
~64~7 From the foregoing, it is apparent that the objects of this invention have been fully accomplished. As a result of this invention, an improved apparatus is produced for prepressing glass and plastic sheets for subse~uent autoclaving and lamination in a mass production operation.
~ . ., ; ,
Claims (25)
OR PRIVELGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A method of removing air from between the interfaces of an assembly of superimposed sheets, said assembly including a leading edge, a trailing edge and opposed side edges, comprising:
enclosing the leading, trailing and opposed side edges of superimposed sheets with a continuous evacuation ring, said evacuation ring extending beyond the surfaces of the assembly and having a thickness greater than the thickness of the superimposed sheets, said evacuation ring being in communication with the interfaces of said superimposed sheets and coupled to a vacuum source;
applying a vacuum to said ring to withdraw air therethrough;
providing a plurality of pairs of opposed rolls arranged in spaced apart relationship a distance greater than the thickness of said ring, the axes of rotation of opposed rolls lying in the same plane and the corresponding rolls of each pair having a common axis of rotation;
positioning the leading edge of said sheet assembly inwardly of said evacuation ring between said spaced apart opposed rolls with said leading edge being substantially parallel with the plane including axes of rotation of said opposed rolls, the number of pairs of opposed rolls providing a length measured along the axes of rotation of said opposed rolls less than the distance between the inner edges of said evacuation ring enclosing the opposed side edges;
effecting relative movement between said pairs of opposed rolls so that said opposed rolls enter into pressure engagement with opposite sides of said sheet assembly inwardly of said evacuation ring;
advancing said assembly between said opposed rolls while continuing to apply said vacuum to said evacuation ring until said ring at the trailing edge of said assembly is adjacent to but not yet in contact with said opposed rolls;
separating said opposed rolls a distance greater than the thickness of said ring, to release said pressure engagement on said sheet assembly; and removing said assembly from between said opposed rolls.
enclosing the leading, trailing and opposed side edges of superimposed sheets with a continuous evacuation ring, said evacuation ring extending beyond the surfaces of the assembly and having a thickness greater than the thickness of the superimposed sheets, said evacuation ring being in communication with the interfaces of said superimposed sheets and coupled to a vacuum source;
applying a vacuum to said ring to withdraw air therethrough;
providing a plurality of pairs of opposed rolls arranged in spaced apart relationship a distance greater than the thickness of said ring, the axes of rotation of opposed rolls lying in the same plane and the corresponding rolls of each pair having a common axis of rotation;
positioning the leading edge of said sheet assembly inwardly of said evacuation ring between said spaced apart opposed rolls with said leading edge being substantially parallel with the plane including axes of rotation of said opposed rolls, the number of pairs of opposed rolls providing a length measured along the axes of rotation of said opposed rolls less than the distance between the inner edges of said evacuation ring enclosing the opposed side edges;
effecting relative movement between said pairs of opposed rolls so that said opposed rolls enter into pressure engagement with opposite sides of said sheet assembly inwardly of said evacuation ring;
advancing said assembly between said opposed rolls while continuing to apply said vacuum to said evacuation ring until said ring at the trailing edge of said assembly is adjacent to but not yet in contact with said opposed rolls;
separating said opposed rolls a distance greater than the thickness of said ring, to release said pressure engagement on said sheet assembly; and removing said assembly from between said opposed rolls.
2. The method as claimed in 1, wherein said assembly comprises at least one bent glass sheet.
3. The method as claimed in 1, wherein said assembly comprises a bent glass sheet and a plastic laceration shield sheet.
4. The method as claimed in 1, wherein said assembly comprises two bent glass sheets, an interposed plastic interlayer sheet, and a plastic laceration shield sheet.
5. A method of removing air from between the interfaces of an assembly of superimposed sheets, said assembly including a leading edge, a trailing edge and opposed side edges, comprising:
enclosing the leading, trailing and opposed side edges of superimposed sheets with a continuous evacuation ring, said evacuation ring extending beyond the surfaces of the assembly and having a thickness greater than the thickness of the superimposed sheets, said evacuation ring being in communication with the interfaces of said superimposed sheets and coupled to a vacuum source;
applying a vacuum to said ring to withdraw air therethrough;
providing a plurality of pairs of opposed rolls arranged in spaced apart relationship a distance greater than the thickness of said ring, the axes of rotation of opposed rolls lying in the same plane and the corresponding rolls of each pair having a common axis of rotation;
positioning the leading edge of said sheet assembly inwardly of said evacuation ring between said spaced apart opposed rolls with said leading edge being substantially parallel with the plane including axes of rotation of said opposed rolls, the number of pairs of opposed rolls providing a length measured along the axes of rotation of said opposed rolls less than the distance between the inner edges of said evacuation ring enclosing the opposed side edges;
effecting relative movement between said pairs of opposed rolls so that said opposed rolls enter into pressure engagement with opposite sides of said sheet assembly inwardly of said evacuation ring;
advancing said assembly between said opposed rolls in an arcuate path while continuing to apply said vacuum to said evacuation ring until said ring at the trailing edge of said assembly is adjacent to but not yet in contact with said opposed rolls;
separating said opposed rolls a distance greater than the thickness of said ring to release said pressure engagement on said sheet assembly; and removing said assembly from between said opposed rolls.
enclosing the leading, trailing and opposed side edges of superimposed sheets with a continuous evacuation ring, said evacuation ring extending beyond the surfaces of the assembly and having a thickness greater than the thickness of the superimposed sheets, said evacuation ring being in communication with the interfaces of said superimposed sheets and coupled to a vacuum source;
applying a vacuum to said ring to withdraw air therethrough;
providing a plurality of pairs of opposed rolls arranged in spaced apart relationship a distance greater than the thickness of said ring, the axes of rotation of opposed rolls lying in the same plane and the corresponding rolls of each pair having a common axis of rotation;
positioning the leading edge of said sheet assembly inwardly of said evacuation ring between said spaced apart opposed rolls with said leading edge being substantially parallel with the plane including axes of rotation of said opposed rolls, the number of pairs of opposed rolls providing a length measured along the axes of rotation of said opposed rolls less than the distance between the inner edges of said evacuation ring enclosing the opposed side edges;
effecting relative movement between said pairs of opposed rolls so that said opposed rolls enter into pressure engagement with opposite sides of said sheet assembly inwardly of said evacuation ring;
advancing said assembly between said opposed rolls in an arcuate path while continuing to apply said vacuum to said evacuation ring until said ring at the trailing edge of said assembly is adjacent to but not yet in contact with said opposed rolls;
separating said opposed rolls a distance greater than the thickness of said ring to release said pressure engagement on said sheet assembly; and removing said assembly from between said opposed rolls.
6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said assembly comprises at least one bent glass sheet with differential lengths of its two side edges.
7. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said assembly comprises a bent glass sheet and a plastic laceration shield sheet in which said assembly has differential lengths of said two side edges.
8. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said assembly comprises two bent glass sheets, an interposed plastic interlayer sheet, and a plastic laceration shield sheet in which said assembly has differential lengths of said two side edges.
9. An apparatus for prepressing assemblies of stacked sheets for subsequent lamination thereof, comprising:
a frame;
a delivery conveyor for supporting and advancing a horizontally disposed assembly in a generally horizontal path to one side of said frame;
means for aligning said assembly for entry into said frame including a pair of spaced apart aligning arms positioned adjacent said one side of said frame for engaging a leading edge of said assembly;
means mounted on said frame for applying pressure to said assembly; and means for moving said assembly through said frame and said means for applying pressure, said means for moving including a plurality of rollers of different diameter, said rollers being rotatably mounted along an axis of rotation tilted with respect to said horizontal path such that each of said rollers engages a surface of said assembly and means for driving said rollers in rotation to move said assembly through said frame and said means for applying pressure.
a frame;
a delivery conveyor for supporting and advancing a horizontally disposed assembly in a generally horizontal path to one side of said frame;
means for aligning said assembly for entry into said frame including a pair of spaced apart aligning arms positioned adjacent said one side of said frame for engaging a leading edge of said assembly;
means mounted on said frame for applying pressure to said assembly; and means for moving said assembly through said frame and said means for applying pressure, said means for moving including a plurality of rollers of different diameter, said rollers being rotatably mounted along an axis of rotation tilted with respect to said horizontal path such that each of said rollers engages a surface of said assembly and means for driving said rollers in rotation to move said assembly through said frame and said means for applying pressure.
10. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said means for aligning further includes a vacuum rotator cup which is vertically moveable to engage a lower surface of said assembly and attach thereto by vacuum, means for retracting said aligning arms, and means for rotating said cup to align said assembly for entry into said means for applying pressure.
11. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said means for applying pressure includes a plurality of vertically moveable prepress rollers mounted on said frame, and means for moving said rollers between a first position spaced from said horizontal path and a second position whereby said prepress rollers engage a surface of said assembly and apply pressure thereto.
12. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said means for moving said rollers includes an air actuated piston and cylinder, said cylinder attached to said frame and said piston attached to a vertically extending shaft having at least one of said prepress rollers rotatably attached thereto.
13. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said prepress rollers are rotatably attached in pairs to each of a plurality of vertically extending shafts connected in turn to respective pistons of air actuated piston and cylinder combinations having cylinders attached to said frame.
14. The apparatus according to claim 9 including a plurality of support rollers rotatably attached to said frame for engaging and supporting a surface of said assembly.
15. The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein support rollers are positioned on either side of said different diameter rollers.
16. The apparatus according to claim 9 including a vacuum ring enclosing all edges of said assembly.
17. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein each of said rollers is in the shape of a frustum with the bases thereof generally perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the roller.
18. An apparatus for prepressing assemblies of superimposed stacked sheets for subsequent lamination thereof, comprising:
a frame;
a plurality of prepress rollers rotatably attached to said frame;
means for moving said prepress rollers into and out of engagement with a horizontal surface of an assembly including a plurality of vertically extending shafts connected to respective pistons of air actuated piston and cylinder combinations having cylinders attached to said frame, pairs of said prepress rollers being attached to respective ones of said shafts;
a plurality of support rollers rotatably mounted on said frame for engaging an opposite surface of said assembly;
means for moving said assembly between said prepress rollers and said support rollers including a plurality of drive rollers of different diameter rotatably mounted on said frame along an axis of rotation tilted with respect to said opposite surface such that each of said drive rollers engages a portion of said opposite surface of said assembly; and means for driving said drive rollers to move said assembly between said prepress rollers and said support rollers.
a frame;
a plurality of prepress rollers rotatably attached to said frame;
means for moving said prepress rollers into and out of engagement with a horizontal surface of an assembly including a plurality of vertically extending shafts connected to respective pistons of air actuated piston and cylinder combinations having cylinders attached to said frame, pairs of said prepress rollers being attached to respective ones of said shafts;
a plurality of support rollers rotatably mounted on said frame for engaging an opposite surface of said assembly;
means for moving said assembly between said prepress rollers and said support rollers including a plurality of drive rollers of different diameter rotatably mounted on said frame along an axis of rotation tilted with respect to said opposite surface such that each of said drive rollers engages a portion of said opposite surface of said assembly; and means for driving said drive rollers to move said assembly between said prepress rollers and said support rollers.
19. The apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said means for driving includes a first sprocket driven by a drive means, a second sprocket connected to said drive rollers for rotation therewith and a chain connected between said first and second sprockets.
20. The apparatus according to claim 19 wherein each of said drive rollers is in the shape of a frustum with the bases thereof generally perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the roller.
21. An apparatus for prepressing an assembly of stacked sheets for subsequent lamination thereof, comprising:
a frame;
a plurality of prepress rollers rotatably mounted on said frame for engaging one surface of an assembly;
a plurality of support rollers rotatably mounted on said frame for engaging an opposite surface of said assembly;
a plurality of drive rollers of different diameters for engaging one of said surfaces of said assembly and moving said assembly between said prepress rollers and said support rollers;
means for rotatably attaching said drive rollers to said frame including a plurality of brackets each for rotatably supporting a pair of said drive rollers, and a threaded shaft pivotally connected to each of said brackets and supported by said frame; and means for vertically adjusting the position of said drive rollers with respect to said one surface of said assembly including a pair of stop nuts threaded onto said shaft, a lower end of said shaft, extending through an aperture formed in said frame and a lower one of said stop nuts engaging an upper surface of said frame to determine the vertical position of an associated pair of said drive rollers.
a frame;
a plurality of prepress rollers rotatably mounted on said frame for engaging one surface of an assembly;
a plurality of support rollers rotatably mounted on said frame for engaging an opposite surface of said assembly;
a plurality of drive rollers of different diameters for engaging one of said surfaces of said assembly and moving said assembly between said prepress rollers and said support rollers;
means for rotatably attaching said drive rollers to said frame including a plurality of brackets each for rotatably supporting a pair of said drive rollers, and a threaded shaft pivotally connected to each of said brackets and supported by said frame; and means for vertically adjusting the position of said drive rollers with respect to said one surface of said assembly including a pair of stop nuts threaded onto said shaft, a lower end of said shaft, extending through an aperture formed in said frame and a lower one of said stop nuts engaging an upper surface of said frame to determine the vertical position of an associated pair of said drive rollers.
22. The apparatus according to claim 21 including means for driving said drive rollers having a first sprocket driven by a drive means, a second sprocket attached to a drive shaft, a chain connected between said first and second sprockets, a plurality of adjustable brackets attached to said frame for rotatably supporting said drive shaft, means rotatably connecting said drive shaft to said drive rollers, and means for selectively adjusting said adjustable brackets to align an axis of rotation of said drive shaft with a common axis of rotation of said drive rollers.
23. The apparatus according to claim 22 wherein said means for selectively adjusting includes an elongated slot formed in each of said adjustable brackets and fastener means passing through said slots and threadably engaging said frame.
24. The apparatus according to claim 22 said means for rotatably connecting includes a plurality of third sprockets attached to said drive shaft, a plurality of fourth sprockets attached to said pairs of drive rollers, and a plurality of chains connecting each of said third sprockets to an associated one of said fourth sprockets.
25. The apparatus according to claim 22 wherein each of said drive rollers is in the shape of a frustum.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US81690186A | 1986-01-07 | 1986-01-07 | |
| US816,901 | 1986-01-07 |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1264277A true CA1264277A (en) | 1990-01-09 |
| CA1264277C CA1264277C (en) | 1990-01-09 |
Family
ID=25221894
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA526133A Expired CA1264277C (en) | 1986-01-07 | 1986-12-23 | Prepress apparatus and method |
Country Status (15)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| JP (1) | JPS62191452A (en) |
| KR (1) | KR870007079A (en) |
| AU (1) | AU585419B2 (en) |
| BE (1) | BE906146A (en) |
| BR (1) | BR8700031A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1264277C (en) |
| CH (1) | CH672760A5 (en) |
| DE (1) | DE3701135A1 (en) |
| FI (1) | FI870032A (en) |
| FR (1) | FR2592611B1 (en) |
| GB (2) | GB2185935B (en) |
| IT (1) | IT1205693B (en) |
| LU (1) | LU86729A1 (en) |
| SE (2) | SE463563B (en) |
| ZA (1) | ZA869683B (en) |
Families Citing this family (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR2618424B1 (en) * | 1987-07-23 | 1992-10-30 | Saint Gobain Vitrage | ASSEMBLY FOR MOUNTING A PAIR OF ROLLERS FOR THE CALENDERING OF SHEET WINDOWS AND CALENDER EQUIPPED WITH THIS ASSEMBLY |
Family Cites Families (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE6929022U (en) * | 1969-07-22 | 1969-11-13 | Sack Gmbh Maschf | ROLLING DEVICE FOR COLLECTING PREFERRED SPHERICALLY CURVED GLASS PANELS WITH INTERMEDIATE PLASTIC FILMS TO A PRE-LAYER |
| US3933552A (en) * | 1974-07-10 | 1976-01-20 | Ppg Industries, Inc. | Preparing transparent assemblies for lamination |
| US4040888A (en) * | 1974-07-10 | 1977-08-09 | Ppg Industries, Inc. | Apparatus for prepressing transparent laminated assemblies |
| FR2449534A1 (en) * | 1979-02-21 | 1980-09-19 | Saint Gobain | DEVICE FOR ASSEMBLING GLASS SHEETS AND / OR PLASTIC MATERIALS |
| US4347927A (en) * | 1980-06-23 | 1982-09-07 | Libbey-Owens-Ford Company | Sheet aligning apparatus |
-
1986
- 1986-12-23 ZA ZA869683A patent/ZA869683B/en unknown
- 1986-12-23 CA CA526133A patent/CA1264277C/en not_active Expired
- 1986-12-23 AU AU66902/86A patent/AU585419B2/en not_active Ceased
- 1986-12-25 JP JP61315907A patent/JPS62191452A/en active Pending
- 1986-12-29 SE SE8605576A patent/SE463563B/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1986-12-30 KR KR860011492A patent/KR870007079A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1986-12-31 BE BE0/217683A patent/BE906146A/en not_active IP Right Cessation
-
1987
- 1987-01-05 IT IT47502/87A patent/IT1205693B/en active
- 1987-01-05 FI FI870032A patent/FI870032A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1987-01-05 GB GB8700078A patent/GB2185935B/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1987-01-05 LU LU86729A patent/LU86729A1/en unknown
- 1987-01-06 FR FR8700051A patent/FR2592611B1/en not_active Expired
- 1987-01-07 BR BR8700031A patent/BR8700031A/en unknown
- 1987-01-07 DE DE19873701135 patent/DE3701135A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1987-01-07 CH CH32/87A patent/CH672760A5/de not_active IP Right Cessation
-
1989
- 1989-06-30 GB GB8915078A patent/GB2218671B/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
-
1990
- 1990-06-07 SE SE9000205A patent/SE9000205L/en not_active Application Discontinuation
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| FI870032A0 (en) | 1987-01-05 |
| DE3701135A1 (en) | 1987-07-09 |
| GB2218671B (en) | 1990-04-18 |
| GB8915078D0 (en) | 1989-08-23 |
| IT1205693B (en) | 1989-03-31 |
| BE906146A (en) | 1987-04-16 |
| BR8700031A (en) | 1987-12-01 |
| FI870032A (en) | 1987-07-08 |
| IT8747502A0 (en) | 1987-01-05 |
| FR2592611A1 (en) | 1987-07-10 |
| JPS62191452A (en) | 1987-08-21 |
| CH672760A5 (en) | 1989-12-29 |
| AU6690286A (en) | 1987-07-09 |
| GB2185935B (en) | 1990-04-18 |
| KR870007079A (en) | 1987-08-14 |
| FR2592611B1 (en) | 1989-07-28 |
| AU585419B2 (en) | 1989-06-15 |
| LU86729A1 (en) | 1987-06-02 |
| ZA869683B (en) | 1987-08-26 |
| SE9000205L (en) | 1991-07-23 |
| SE463563B (en) | 1990-12-10 |
| SE9000205D0 (en) | 1990-01-22 |
| GB2218671A (en) | 1989-11-22 |
| GB8700078D0 (en) | 1987-02-11 |
| CA1264277C (en) | 1990-01-09 |
| GB2185935A (en) | 1987-08-05 |
| SE8605576L (en) | 1987-07-08 |
| SE8605576D0 (en) | 1986-12-29 |
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| RU2315735C2 (en) | Method and device for manufacture of laminated glass | |
| US5024895A (en) | Laminate for a safety glazing | |
| US20040182493A1 (en) | Non-autoclave laminated glass | |
| JP2001521480A (en) | How to make a curved safety laminated glass plate | |
| EP0748687B1 (en) | Method of forming a glass and plastic laminate | |
| US5529654A (en) | Process forming a shaped laminate | |
| GB2119704A (en) | Process of forming multi-ply laminates | |
| DE19712145C1 (en) | Laminated glass production at reduced cost | |
| US4788911A (en) | Prepress apparatus for an assembly of stacked sheets | |
| US4347927A (en) | Sheet aligning apparatus | |
| US4865671A (en) | Prepress apparatus and method | |
| CA1264277A (en) | Prepress apparatus and method | |
| DE69723920T2 (en) | Process for the production of an infrared light reflecting laminated glass pane for cars | |
| EP0535128B1 (en) | Process forming and dimensionally stabilizing shaped laminate | |
| US5069734A (en) | Dimensional stabilizing process | |
| US7503994B2 (en) | Process for the production of multilayer polymer films | |
| US4781783A (en) | Vacuum ring for producing laminated glass | |
| CN217347090U (en) | Roller press for glass sheet combination | |
| US4834829A (en) | Vacuum ring for producing laminated glass | |
| US4832782A (en) | Vacuum ring for producing laminated glass | |
| WO2023110546A1 (en) | Windscreen with improved impact protection | |
| MXPA99008487A (en) | Process for producing a curved laminated safety glass sheet |
Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKLA | Lapsed | ||
| MKLA | Lapsed |
Effective date: 19920711 |