DK173562B1 - Method and device for bending malleable sheet material - Google Patents

Description

DK 173562 B1 i

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to a method for bending malleable sheet material, wherein a sheet is moved by a series of rollers whose surfaces form a roll path and a shaping curve of the sheet, the rolls being moved so that the shaping curve is gradually changed from one in essential planar exit shape for a desired bent shape.

US 4,881,962 discloses a method of bending and curing glass sheets. A glass plate which has been heated in an oven is moved under the bend on a series of rollers which form a runway for the glass. The runway is gradually curved from a horizontal plane to a curved plane, the rollers being suspended in a device, which means that the roller axes "are displaced to lie on a circular arc. However, it is a disadvantage of this method that only cylindrical curvature plates can be manufactured.

The object of the present invention is to provide a method of the aforementioned kind in which plates can also be bent to curved shapes other than cylindrical curves.

To this end, the method according to the invention is characterized in that the rollers, when passing the plate past them, are moved in a transverse direction of the roller web, so that the shaping curve is moved along the roller track together with the plate.

In this way, the moldable plate may move as a wave across the row of rollers, the plate being able to follow the shaping curve constituted by the surfaces of the rollers 30. As the curvature of the shaping curve increases gradually, and the moldable plate constantly follows this curve, many different complex curves can be obtained, such as, for example, oval or S-shaped shapes. Furthermore, since the moldable material 35 is constantly rolling on the surfaces of the rollers and thereby supported by them, a fairly soft material can be formed without depositing undesirable marks on the surface thereof. If, after shaping, the moldable material requires a treatment, such as cooling 5 or curing, in order to maintain the obtained shape, the plate may be moved for an appropriate period of time in contact with the rollers while retaining the final desired curved shape until the plate can hold that shape. .

The method according to the invention can advantageously be used for bending heated glass. According to the invention, glass sheets with complex curves can be made which have hitherto only been possible using solid molds which are very expensive to manufacture. This has resulted in high unit prices in the manufacture of small series of glass with a special curvature. Furthermore, by constant movement of a soft glass plate on rolls, accidental bending and deposition of marks on the glass is avoided, both during the shaping and the cooling / curing, and therefore a higher optical quality is achieved than has been possible with the conventional methods.

During the bending, the shaping curve can be moved back and forth along the runway, whereby the plate can be kept in motion for the length of time required for the bending and any post-processing using a shorter runway. The plant thus becomes cheaper and it requires less space.

In an exemplary embodiment of the method, the roller web enters a cooling and / or hardening device, the shaping curve moves after shaping the glass plate along the roller path into the cooling and / or hardening device, and the glass plate remains in rolling contact with the rollers. until cooled sufficiently to be able to retain the bent shape. By using a separate cooling device, the shaping can be done in a hot area and the subsequent cooling can be done quickly thereafter in an already cold area.

In the method, the bent glass can be transported from a molding device to a separate cooling or hardened device and treated therein, while being constantly held in the obtained curved shape, thereby ensuring that the glass, after cooling, holds the desired shape with good accuracy. The glass plate may be moved back and forth throughout the said process, or only during the bending and cooling, respectively, and a shorter system may accordingly be used.

In an advantageous embodiment, in the cooling and / or hardening device on each side of the runway and along it are arranged a number of rows of cooling air nozzles directed to the runway, and the cooling-air nozzles are held before the shaping curve moves into the cooling and / or the curing device, in a retracted position, where the shaping curve can pass between the rows of cooling air nozzles, and then shifted to an active position, where the rows of cooling air nozzles follow the contour of the shaping curve while moving along with the shaping curve. curve along the runway. This allows efficient cooling and thus good curing of the glass, since the cooling air nozzles can be brought close to the surface of the glass.

The bending of the glass plate may advantageously occur in an oven, the glass plate having previously been heated to the temperature of its transformation during movement in contact with the rollers. This prevents unwanted cooling during the bending of the glass, and consequently it can be avoided to heat the glass to a higher temperature than that which may be required for subsequent curing. Such additional heating can cause deterioration of the optical quality and curing properties of the glass.

4 DK 173562 B1

The invention also relates to a device for bending malleable sheet material, having a series of rollers, the surfaces of which form a roll path for the sheet to be bent, the rollers from an initial position being mutually displaceable in a transverse direction of the rolling web to form a forming region.

The device according to the invention is characterized in that the displacement of the rollers is controlled so that the position of the shaping area is movable along the runway. Hereby, the advantages described above are obtained.

It is preferred that the speed of rotation of the rollers is controlled such that a moldable plate in contact with the rollers in the shaping region can follow this region by moving the region along the runway. In this way, the movement of the plate can be controlled by different shapes of the shaping region, for example, the plate can roll on a region in the form of a wave peak.

In one embodiment, the roller guide comprises a template surface which is slidable, partly in the transverse direction of the rollers for abutment towards the rollers, and partly in the longitudinal direction of the runway. In this way, a simple and functional control of the relative displacement and rotation of the rollers can be obtained, in that, when moving the template surface towards the rollers and in the longitudinal direction of the roll path, they can simply be caused to roll against the template surface, whereby the rollers can follow the contour of the template surface. . Thereby, the rollers achieve a movement and rotation which allows a moldable plate to roll on the rollers and achieve a shape similar to the template surface, following the movement of the template surface.

The rollers may be displaceable in the longitudinal movements of the shaping area in a direction perpendicular to the runway in its initial position, and may be preloaded in this direction towards the starting position, preferably pneumatically loaded, suitably spring loaded · The preload ensures that the rollers can follow the template surface exactly, even at high movement speed. Pneumatic preload 5 enables a preload force which is essentially independent of the displacement of the rollers, thereby obtaining a more precise unwinding of the rolling motion of the rollers.

The rollers are preferably in the form of rollers, where the template surface can lay and roll on an end region thereof.

In one embodiment, the template surface is located on one side of a flexible flat belt which is spaced between two points, for example by means of compressed air actuators, and the template surface can be curved by displacing one or more mold elements in abutment against the flat belt, preferably by means of electric motors.

If a curved shape element is used corresponding to the desired bending of the moldable plate, then it is advantageous to gradually push it against the flat band so that the band gradually engages the curved shape of the shape element during rolling on the rollers. The molding element could also be rolled directly against the rollers, but then any sharp curvature could possibly be transferred too abruptly to the moldable plate, which could adversely affect the quality of the finished product.

If several individually positionable mold elements are used side by side, the flat band allows a template surface with a continuous course, despite the discrete positions of the mold elements. By adjusting the positions of the mold elements, many different shapes of the template surface can be obtained without the need to produce a fixed template. Furthermore, the desired curvature when positioning the mold elements can be gradually adjusted during the bending of the plate so that any sharp curvature is not transferred too quickly to the moldable material. Furthermore, if the mold elements are flexibly attached to the flat strip, the template surface can achieve more complex shapes, such as S curves, the mold elements being able to both press and pull in the flat strip.

In a further embodiment, a roll together with a counter roll forms a pair of rolls between which the plate 10 can pass, the rolls of the roll pair are held by a roll holder at an adjustable distance relative to each other, and the roll holder is pivotable about the axis of the roll against which the template surface can roll. . By passing the moldable plate through such roller pairs, the plate is forced to follow the runway independently of gravity and the acceleration of the rollers. The shaping area of the runway can thereby be moved faster, whereby the shaping of the plate can be done faster. By allowing the roller holder to be pivotal, it can adapt to the inclination of the curvature of the plate. The roller spacing may be adjustable for working with different plate thicknesses.

Each roller holder may have a system, preferably in the form of two or more guide rollers, which the template surface 25 can abut, so that the orientation of the roller holder can be controlled relative to the template surface. In this way, the orientation of the roller pair can be controlled such that a line through the axis of the roller pair is perpendicular to the tangent of the moldable plate. This avoids the rollers 30 having to follow the moldable plate itself, and therefore a better quality of the finished product is obtained.

Each roller holder may further have a counterweight which can hold the roller holder in a resting position, so that the template surface can engage the system on the roller holder. When the system on the roller holder is not in contact with the template surface, the holder can swing freely and in this situation the counterweight can ensure an appropriate starting position for the roller holder, so that the template surface can engage the system when it reaches 5, regardless of the current position of the template surface.

If a portion of the runway extends through a furnace, the rollers in this section may be arranged within the furnace such that each end of the rollers protrudes through a flexible seal in a furnace wall and the template surface may engage the projecting ends. This reduces the required number of heat-resistant mechanical parts in the furnace, thereby making the device more functional and cheaper to manufacture.

In an advantageous embodiment, substantially all positions and movements can be controlled by a computer via actuators. This enables, among other things, rapid switching between different curvature shapes and optimization of movement patterns.

Alternatively, for use of a template surface, it is further possible to have the position and / or rotation of each roller be controlled by a computer, possibly by means of servo controls and / or stepper motors.

The invention will now be explained in more detail by way of examples of embodiments with reference to the schematic drawing, in which FIG. 1 shows a principle sketch of the method according to the invention for bending a moldable plate, the rollers being viewed in their axis direction, FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing of an exemplary embodiment of the method of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a production line for bending and curing glass sheets according to the invention; FIG. 4 shows the bending and curing section of the production line of FIG. 3, 8 DK 173562 B1 fig. 5 shows a template device for the bending section of FIG. 4, FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the template device of FIG. 5, 5 FIG. 7 and 8 show a roller holder for a pair of rollers, shown in two different positions FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line IX-IX through the bending device of FIG. 4, FIG. 10 shows an embodiment of a connection 10 between a molding element and the flat belt; and FIG. 11 is a sketch of a created Ion surface, which is particularly far submerged in relation to the runway.

FIG. 1 shows the basic principle of the method according to the invention, showing six successive snapshots a, b, c, d, e, f of a moldable plate 1 being bent. In the following description, the method will be described for a glass sheet which is heated to its transformation temperature, but it is clear that the method can be used for sheets of many different materials which are moldable or can be brought into a moldable state. For example, thin ductile metal sheets, rubber or hardenable plastics may advantageously be shaped by the method. The plate 1 is rolled back and forth on a series of 25 rolls 2, which initially lie in a horizontal plane, see fig. la. The plate can also be continuously rolled in the same direction, but a longer series of rollers 2 is required, depending on the plate feed rate and the length of time the bend takes. Keeping the plate 1 30 moving on the rollers 2 prevents the plate from taking shape even though it is soft. The plate is moved by rotating the rollers, but in principle it can also be moved by another suitable device, and then the rollers can be freely rotatable.

9 DK 173562 B1

During the bending of the plate 1, the rollers 2 are displaced in a vertical direction such that the rollers which at a given time lie in the shaping area below the plate form a shaping curve whose curvature 5 gradually increases. The shaping curve consists of a line connecting the points where the rollers 2 touch the plate 1 and coincide with the underside of the plate.

The plate will therefore move from side to side as if it were riding on a wave where the wave's shape gradually changes from a substantially straight line to a curved shape. In FIG. Ib is plate 1 heading to the right and it has been bent quite a bit. In FIG. lc, it is reached almost to the right side and is bent slightly more, and then moves to the left, see fig. Id where the 15 has got more curvature. In FIG. 1a, the plate has been on the left side again and is once again on the right, and in fig. lf it has achieved its final curvature.

The FIG. 1, plate 1 moves in a 20-wave valley, that is, on a shaping curve which is curved downwards, and therefore it can in principle move only as a result of the vertical displacement of the rollers, as it will constantly seek downwards as a result. of gravity, but in practice it is preferred to control the rotation of the rollers, as the movement of the plate can thereby be better controlled.

Although the rollers 2 are shown slidable in a direction perpendicular to their horizontal starting plane, they may be arranged in other ways, for example, they could be suspended in a chain, with each roll rotatable about the axis of a chain link. In this way, the rollers could be displaced both vertically and horizontally. It is essential that the shaping curve can be moved so that it moves in the direction of the runway 35 while its curvature gradually increases, so that the shaping of the glass plate can be done gently.

When plate 1 has achieved the desired curvature, see FIG. 1f, the shaping curve moves back and forth 5 while maintaining this curvature while the plate is cooled until it can maintain its final shape.

Only then does the plate leave support on the rollers 2.

In FIG. 1, the plate is moved on top of the row of rollers 10 2 and takes the form of the shaping curve due to the effect of gravity. Therefore, the rollers cannot move faster than the soft plate 1 can follow the shaping area. In FIG. 2, another embodiment of the invention is shown in which every 15 roll 2 under the glass plate 1 has an upper counter roll 3 above the glass plate. The upper roller 3 of a roller pair is connected to the lower roller 2 so that the glass plate can pass precisely between them, and the roller pairs are constantly oriented such that a line through the axes of the rollers 20 is substantially perpendicular to the tangent of the glass plate between the rollers. Thus, the upper roller 3 follows the movement of the lower roller 2, thereby ensuring that the glass plate 1 abuts the lower roller 2 and therefore follows the shaping curve without being dependent on the effect of gravity. Accordingly, the speed of movement of the shaping region can be set up, and furthermore, the shaping device can be oriented differently in the space, for example, the axes of the rollers 2, 3 could be vertical.

It is also possible to connect the upper rollers 3 to the movement of the lower rollers 2 in another way, for example the upper rollers 3 may be displaceable along the same vertical axes 4 as the lower rollers 2 follow. In this case, however, the distance between the rollers 35 in a roller pair must be varied depending on the steepness of the shaping curve as it passes the roller pair, as the glass plate will not always pass through the roller pair perpendicular to the connecting line between the roller axes.

The FIG. 2 illustrated coupling of rollers 2, 3 in a pair of rollers is preferred, however, since the contact points of the rollers with the glass plate are thereby opposite to each other relative to the glass plate, thereby obtaining a compressive force perpendicular to the glass plate. Accordingly, this pressing force will not be able to apply a possible undesirable deformation of the glass plate.

In FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a production line 5 according to the invention for bending and curing flat glass sheets 1. The production line 5 comprises, in succession from the left, an insertion section 15 6, a preheating section 7, a bending section 8, a curing section 9 and a take-out section 10. All sections 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 are crossed by a runway 11 formed by a series of of rollers 2 and forming a conveyor belt for the glass plates 1 to be bent.

In addition, each roll 2 in the bending section 8 and possibly also in other sections 6, 7, 9, 10 corresponds, as mentioned above, to an upper counter roll 3 which is not shown in the figure. In the introductory section 6, flat glass sheets to be bent can be introduced in the known manner in the cold production line as they are laid on the runway 11. A plate can be inserted at a time or possibly several side by side both in the longitudinal and transverse directions of the the runway 11, but in the following, for convenience, a single plate 1 will be referred to.

As the rollers 2 are rotated, the plate 2 is moved into the preheating section 7, where it is then moved back and forth on the rollers 2 while being heated to its transformation temperature. Here the rotation of the rollers 35 2 can be effected in various ways, for example they can be rotated by means of a chain drive, or a flat surface can be rolled over them. The latter solution is preferred, since this device, after heating, can also advantageously be used to guide the glass plate into the bending device 8, which is also an oven.

The rollers 2, 3 are formed within the furnaces 7, 8 of sintered silicon rollers, which protrude at both ends through a furnace wall 55. A flexible seal is arranged around the rollers 2, 3, for example comprising a ceramic sealing wall 56, such as the rollers 2. 3 passes through, and which can be raised and lowered by the rollers as it slides sealingly against another ceramic surface 57 which is attached to the furnace wall 55, see FIG. 9. A transport device 12 located outside the furnaces 7, 8 has a downwardly facing side which is coated with a flat rubber surface 13 which can be pressed down and moved over the protruding roll ends 36 in rolling contact therewith, the transport device 12 being slidably suspended along the runway 11 in an upper rail 15 above this roller 15. The roller ends 36 are roulette for good contact with the rubber surface, the rubber being able to be pressed down into the roulette surface during rolling, thus providing a slip-free contact and consequently a clean scrolling. Thus, when the plate 1 is heated, the transport device 12 moves from the preheating section 7 to the bending section 8 as the rollers 2 are rotated and the plate 1 therefore follows into the oven 8.

In the bending section 8, a template device 14 takes over the movement of the rollers 2, the rubber surface 13 30 of the conveyor device 12 being raised from the roller ends 36, simultaneously with or slightly before a template surface 21 of the template device 14 is lowered against them. Thereafter, the transport device 12 is returned to the insertion section 6, from which it can immediately insert another plate 35 1 into the preheating section 7 and begin the movement of this plate while preheating. The transport device 12 and the template device 14 can pass each other, with the rubber surface 13 of the transport device 12 and the template surface 21 of the template device 5 14 rolling towards the roller ends 36 at different positions in their longitudinal direction, see fig. 9. It should be noted that if the rollers 2 in the insertion section 6 and the preheating section 7 are rotated by, for example, a chain instead of the transport device 12, then the latter 10 may be omitted, since the template device 14 can be inserted into the preheating section 7 and move the glass plate 1 from there. into the bending section 8.

The template device 14 is slidably suspended along the runway 11 in a lower rail 28 extending 15 below and parallel to the upper rail 15, see FIG. 9. In the template device 14, a flat belt 18 is stretched between two rollers 16, 17 so that the underside of the belt extends parallel to and faces down to the runway 11, the ends of the belt 20 extending over the rollers 16, 17 and then connected to the pistons. in each of its compressed air actuators 19, 20, which are constantly fed with compressed air, thereby keeping the belt 18 stretched. The compressed air actuators 19, 20 can be replaced by springs or other resilient means, and by proper design thereof, the rollers 16, 17 may also be omitted. The belt 18 could instead be wound up around the rollers 16, 17, and these could then be preloaded with torsion springs.

The underside of the belt is coated with a rubber coating 30, which forms the template surface 21, which, like the rubber surface 13 of the transport device 12, can roll stably against the rolling ends protruding from the oven wall 55. The belt 18 with the rollers 16, 17 and the compressed air actuators 19, 20 are suspended in a frame 22 which 35 can be displaced by linear actuators 23, 24 vertically relative to a slider 25 which can be displaced by means of an electric motor not shown along the runway 11 on the lower rail 28.

Referring to FIG. 5, a series of linear actuators 26 driven by electric motors such as servomotors or stepper motors are arranged on the frame 5 22 along the belt 18, each of which can displace a mold element 27 in the vertical direction. The mold members 27 are secured to the upper surface of the flat belt 18 so that they can be displaced in the longitudinal direction of the belt 18 and tilted relative to the belt, for example, they can be secured by a hinge 58, a first hinge part 59 in the form of a pin of the mold element 27 engages a long hole 60 in the other a hinge portion 61 mounted on the upper surface of the flat strip 18, see FIG. 10. The elements 27 may also be connected to the flat belt 18 in other ways, for example, they may have a rounded downwardly facing surface against the belt 18. The flat belt 18 may be deformed by vertical displacement of the formula elements 27. As can be seen in FIG. 5, the template surface 21 on the underside of the band 18 at different mutual positions of the mold elements 27 can be caused to take on many different curved shapes, such as, for example, the S-curve shown. Such an S curve is not possible 25 if the mold elements 27 are not attached to the band 18 but merely abut against it.

In the bending section 8 and the subsequent curing section 9, the rollers 2 are vertically displaceable and preloaded by means of compressed air cylinders 54 towards an upper starting position where they lie in a plane in extension of the rollers in the previous sections 6, 7. The rollers 2 may also be preloaded in other ways, for example by means of springs, but with compressed air cylinders a uniform upward load can be obtained, which is independent of the current position of the roller.

When the template device 14, as mentioned above, takes over the movement of the glass plate 1 on the rollers 2, all the mold elements 27 are first adjusted to the same height position, so that the template surface 21 follows a straight line and the template surface is pressed down against the roller ends 36 by means of the actuators 23 24. The actuators 23, 24 could well be omitted, since the initial position of the template surface may be close to the rollers 2, so that a slight downward displacement of the mold elements 27 is 10 enough for the template surface 21 to engage the roller ends 36 of the rollers 2. The glass plate 1 is moved now back and forth, the template device 14 being displaced back and forth on the lower rail 28 and the mold elements 27 gradually shifted relative to each other such that they eventually assume a position where the shape of the template surface corresponds to the desired shape of the actual glass plate 1. The downward movement of the mold elements can advantageously be controlled such that each element is moved with a concn tant speed, and that all elements reach their final position during the same time period. As the template surface 21 begins to curl, the rollers 2, upon displacement downward, transfer the curved shape to the glass plate 1, the roller ends 36 continuously rolling towards the template surface as they are preloaded against it. For example, when a downwardly facing top of the template surface passes a roller face 36, then the entire roll 2 will move parallel downwardly. As the roller ends 36 roll toward the template surface, the rotational speed of each roller will vary depending on the inclination of the template surface as it passes the roller. The shape of the glass plate follows that of the template surface, and therefore the roller will have a rotational speed which also results in a clean rolling of the roller towards the glass plate.

In FIG. 6, another embodiment of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the band 18 is here resiliently suspended elastically stretched in the frame '22 in the same way as in FIG. 5. In order to produce the curved shape of the template surface 21, however, a single mold element 29 is used here in the form of a block with a bottom face 30, the 5 shape of which corresponds to the desired curved shape of the glass plate 1. Such a mold element can be manufactured cheaply and simply, for example, can be cut into plastic using a computer-controlled tool machine. The mold member 29 may be displaced vertically relative to the belt 18 10 by actuators 31. During the bending of the glass plate 1, the mold element is initially raised so high that the belt 18 extends the rectilinear and the template surface is caused to roll toward the roller ends 36, the frame 22 is lowered by actuators 23, 24.

Thereafter, the mold element 29 is gradually lowered relative to the strip 18, so that the strip eventually abuts along the entire underside 30 of the mold element 299, thereby giving the template surface 21 a shape corresponding to the shape of the underside 30 of the mold element 29. in this manner, as in the embodiment of FIG. 5 shows a gradual shaping of the plate 1. If, for example, the mold element 29 has a top 32, define "will only be gradually transferred to the shaping curve of the runway 11.

When molding certain materials, the strip 18 25 can sometimes be omitted, the lower side 30 of the mold element 29 being then gradually lowered directly against the roller ends 36.

The top 32 shown will then transfer faster to plate 1.

In order to obtain the parallel displacement of the rollers 20, it is preferred for the sake of stability that one template surface 21 rolls against the rollers 2 at both ends 36 of these, but it is also possible to use only one template surface at one end if the rollers are mounted in a stable parallel guide.

17 DK 173562 B1

FIG. 7 shows a roller holder 33 connecting a roller face 36 of the roll 2 which rolls towards the underside of the glass plate 1 with a counter roll 3 which rolls towards the top of the glass plate 1. As described above, there are 5 for each roll 2 in the bending section. attached to a counter roll 3, however, these counter rolls 3 are not shown in figures 3 to 6, nor are they required by the invention. The roller 2 is pivotally mounted at each end 36 at the upper end of a piston rod 34 in the compressed air cylinder 54, which provides the preload of the roller 2 with the starting position as described above. The roller holder 33 itself is mounted pivotally on the piston rod 34 about the axis of rotation of the roller 2.

The counter roll 3 is mounted pivotally about an axis parallel to the axis of the roll 2 and which can be parallel displaced relative to it by turning an adjusting screw 35 on the two roller holders 33 at each end 36 of the rollers 2, 3 to adjust. the gap between the 20 rollers for different glass thicknesses. The adjustment of displacement of the roller 3 relative to the roller 2 can be done in known manner, the shaft of the roller 3 can be displaced in a long hole 38 in the roller holder 33, where the screw 35 enters a shaft bushing 39 for the roller 3. In addition, the adjustment can advantage of the gap between the rollers 2, 3 is advantageously done by means of an actuator, such as an electric actuator, mounted on the roller holder 33, so that all the roller pairs can be simultaneously adjusted automatically from a central control. The roll 3 may furthermore be preloaded against the roll 2, for example, a compression spring not shown may be arranged between said shaft sleeve and the roller holder 33. The counter roll 3 is driven on the holder 33 with the roll 2 via a non-sprocket gear which is flexible with respect to it. mentioned distance adjustment 18 DK 173562 B1 between the two rollers 2, 3, so that the rollers 2, 3 always rotate at the same speed.

The flat belt 18 rolls by bending the glass plate 1 towards the roller end 36 of the roller 2 and further against two 5 guide rollers 37, 42 mounted on the roller holder 33 on each side of the roller end 36 of the roller 2. In FIG. 7, there is seen a situation where the flat belt 18 is relatively steep relative to the horizontal, and it can be seen that the guide rollers 37, 42 provide for orienting the roller holder 33 so that a line 40 through the axes of the rollers 2, 3 is perpendicular to a tangent 41 to the glass plate 1 between the rollers 2, 3 (the glass plate 1 is not shown, being behind the band 18 and following this).

In FIG. 8, there is seen a situation where the template surface 21 15 has not yet touched the roller end 36 of the roller 2, and therefore the glass plate 1 has not yet reached the rollers 2, 3. Therefore, the roller holder 33 can pivot freely and a counterweight 43, which is formed as part of the holder 33, therefore hangs down so that the guide rollers 37, 42 lie in a horizontal plane. In the illustrated situation, the template surface 21 moves from left to right in the direction of the arrow and will therefore first come into contact with the left guide roller 37, whereby the roller holder will rotate counterclockwise until the template surface 25 21 also abuts against the roller end 36 and guide roller 42, after which the holder 33 is in the position shown in FIG. 7.

If a glass plate 1 is to be bent, the shape of which has a relatively steep slope at an edge of the plate 1, 30, the roller holder 33 must rotate rapidly at the abutment of the template surface 21 against the guide rollers 37, 42, for example, the holder may have to turn from the one shown in FIG. .

8 to the position shown in FIG. 7 at the plant. However, in order to avoid this rapid turn, the template surface can be flattened without the edge of the glass plate, as indicated in FIG. 11, wherein the glass plate 1 is shown by a. For this purpose, the drawer 21 is lowered relative to the runway 11 so that the runway extends at level b, instead of level a, relative to the glass plate, which is indicated by broken lines. The inclination of the template surface 21 outside the rim of the glass plate 1, that is, between the line a and the line b, gradually decreases until the surface 21 is horizontal. Therefore, as the template surface 21 10 moves along the runway 11, the roller holders 33 will gradually assume the rotated position necessary at the edge of the glass plate. If multiple molding elements 27 are used, as in the embodiment of FIG. 5, these can be positioned so that the template surface follows a course, as shown in FIG. 11. If an embodiment with a single mold element 29 is used, as shown in Fig. 6, this element 29 must be lowered an extra piece relative to the flat strip 18, which can then flatten out gradually next to the mold element 29.

When the glass plate 1 has reached its final curved shape, it is moved out of the bending section 8 and into the curing device 9, the template device 14 sliding on the rail 28 into the curing device 9, so that the shaping curve moves along the runway 11, 25 and the curved glass plate. 1 is therefore supported throughout the movement. X curing device 9 is an upper heat sink 44 slidable on the rail 15 and a lower heat sink 45 slidable on a rail 46 located below and along the runway 11. On the upper heat sink 44, a cooling air manifold 47 by actuators 52 is displaceable vertically in the direction down to the runway 11, and on the lower cooling carriage 45 a cooling air manifold 48 is vertically displaceable in the direction up to the runway 11 by actuators 53. The cooling air manifolds 47, 48 distribute cooling air from inputs 49, 20 DK 173562 B1 50 to cooling air nozzles 51 directed at the manifolds onto the runway 11. The cooling air nozzles 51 are arranged in rows extending in the direction of the rollers 2 constituting the runway 11, and each row can be displaced in a vertical direction by means of a linear actuator not shown. relative to the runway 11.

While the glass plate 1 is moved into the curing device 9, the cooling manifolds 47, 48 are in a retracted position where the shaped glass plate 10 can pass between the cooling nozzles 51. When the plate has reached the curing device 9, the cooling carts 44, 45 are brought to the moving back and forth along the runway 11 along with the shaping curve followed by the glass plate 1 while lowering the cooling air manifolds 47, 48 15, respectively, and raising such that the cooling air nozzles 51 approach the runway 11. At the same time, the height of the cooling air nozzles 51 is further adjusted. to an active position such that the tips of the nozzles 51 form a contour which follows the shaping curve and the cooling gas 20 is blown by means of fan and / or compressor from the inputs 49, 50 and through the nozzles 51. In this way the nozzles 51 can be brought close to the glass plate 1 for quick cooling. In addition, for a cooling / curing that is more evenly distributed over the glass surface, the rows of 25 cooling air nozzles 51 can be moved back and forth in their longitudinal direction during cooling. The glass can be cooled for curing and subsequently for cooling to handle temperature.

After curing / cooling, the cooling manifolds 30 47, 48 are moved away from the runway 11, and the template surface 21 is flattened out to a flat curve and passed out of the cooling device 9 and into the recess section 10 where the finished bent plate 1 can be removed. Alternatively, the template surface can simply be raised from the runway 11, and the rollers 2 can be rotated by another conveying device, for example a stomach 14 that is used to insert the glass into the production line 5.

Although the embodiment of the invention shown has rolls 2, 3 in the form of rollers, instead of 5 each roll, a series of rollers mounted at intervals on a shaft can be used. Furthermore, it is possible within the scope of the invention to superimpose the said bending of the plate about axes perpendicular to the direction of the plate with a bend about axes parallel to the direction of the plate. This superimposed bending may, for example, be effected by means of complementary shaping rollers, one of which a lower roller may be thinner in the middle and an upper roller may be thicker in the middle. It can also be done with rollers where a center section can be lowered relative to the rest of the roll.

All movements made in the production line can be performed by various kinds of actuators, for example compressed air actuators, or electric actuators, for example servomotors or step motors, and these actuators can advantageously be controlled by a central computer. In this way, a desired curve shape to which a subject is desired can be readily encoded in the computer, for example, just a few support points can be entered, after which the computer calculates an appropriate curve through these points.

After the curing section, a sensing device can advantageously be arranged in which the shape of the finished bent plate 1 can be recorded, for example in electronic form, such as in a computer. This can be done, for example, by optical scanning, such as with infrared sensors, or possibly with ultrasound. Such a device can be used for quality control of the bent plates 1, but it can also be located elsewhere in relation to the production line 5 and used for sensing an already bent element, the shape of which is desired to be used for new bent plate blanks. For example, a bent glass plate can be copied in this way quickly and easily.

Claims (24)

A method of bending malleable sheet material, wherein a sheet (1) is moved by a series of rollers whose surfaces form a roller web (11) and a shaping curve of sheet (1), thus moving the rollers, the shaping curve is gradually changed from a substantially planar starting shape to a desired bent shape, characterized in that the rollers (2) pass through the plate (1) 10 past them in a transverse direction of the runway (11), shaping curve is moved along the runway (11) together with the plate (1). Process according to claim 1, characterized in that the moldable sheet material (1) is heated glass. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the shaping curve is moved back and forth along the runway (11). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the runway (11) extends into a cooling and / or hardening device (9), that the shaping curve after the shaping of the glass plate (1) moves along the runway (11). ) into the cooling and / or hardening device (9) and the glass plate (1) remains in rolling contact with the rollers (2) until it is cooled sufficiently to be able to retain the bent shape. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that in the cooling and / or curing device (9) on each side of the runway (11) and along it 30 a number of rows of cooling air nozzles (51) are directed towards the runway (11), that the cooling air nozzles (51), before moving the shaping curve into the cooling and / or hardening device (9), are held in a retracted position, where the shaping curve can pass between the rows of cooling air nozzles (51). ), and DK 173562 B1 then displaces the cooling air nozzles (51) to an active position where the rows of cooling air nozzles (51) follow the contour of the shaping curve while moving along with the shaping curve along the runway (11). . Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bending of the glass plate (1) takes place in an oven (8), the glass plate (1) having previously been heated to its transformation temperature 10 during movement in contact with the rollers <2 , 3). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shaping curve is first moved back and forth in the furnace (7, 8) during the heating and during the bending of the glass plate (1), then moved along the runway (11) for cooling. and / or the curing device (9), and finally moving back and forth in the cooling and / or curing device (9) during the cooling of the plate (1). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a number of the rollers (2, 3. during the bending of the plate are moved a number of times in a transverse direction of the roll path (1i). A device (5) for bending malleable sheet material, having a series of rollers (2), the surfaces of which form a roller track (11) for the sheet (1) to be bent, the rollers (2) from an initial position are displaceable in a transverse direction of the runway (11) to form a shaping area, characterized in that the displacement of the rollers (2) is controlled such that the location of the shaping area is movable along the runway (11). Device (5) according to claim 9, characterized in that the rotational speed 35 of the rollers (2) is controlled so that a moldable plate (1) in contact DK 173562 B1 with the rollers (2) in the shaping area can follow this area by movement of the area along the runway (11). Device (5) according to claim 9 or 10, 5, characterized in that the rollers (2) are displaceable in the longitudinal movements of the shaping area in a direction perpendicular to the runway (11) in its initial position and is preloaded in this direction towards the initial position, preferably pneumatically loaded, suitably spring loaded. Device (5) according to one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the roller guide comprises a template surface (21) which is slidable, partly in the transverse direction of the rollers (2) for abutment towards the rollers (2) and partly in the roller web ( 11) longitudinal direction. Device (5) according to claim 12, characterized in that the rollers (2) are in the form of rollers and that the template surface (21) is able to lay and roll on an end region (36) thereof. Device (5) according to claim 13, characterized in that the template surface (21) consists of a coating of an elastic material such as rubber and that the end region (36) of the rollers (2) has a surface which can roll stably against the template surface (21), such as a roulette surface. Device (5) according to one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that the template surface (21) is located on a side of a flexible flat belt (18), which is spaced between two points, for example by means of compressed air actuators ( 19, 20), and that the template surface (21) can be curved by displacing one or more mold elements (27) in abutment against the flat band (18), preferably by electric motors (26). DK 173562 B1 Device (5) according to claim 15, characterized in that a molding element (29) having a curved shape corresponding substantially to the desired bending of the moldable plate (1) is position-controlled for pressing on the flat strip (18). Device (5) according to one of claims 9 to 16, characterized in that a roller (2) together with a counter-roller (3) constitutes a pair of rolls, between which the plate (1) can pass that the rollers (2, 3) in the roller pair 10 is held by a roller holder (33) at an adjustable distance relative to each other, and the roller holder (33) is pivotable about the axis of the roller (2) against which the template surface (21) can roll. Device (5) according to claim 17, characterized in that each roller holder (33) has a system, preferably in the form of two or more guide rollers (37, 42), which the cabinet surface (21) can abut, so that the orientation of the roller holder (33) can be controlled relative to the template surface (21). Device (5) according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that each roller holder (33) has a counterweight (43) which can hold the roller holder (33) in a rest position, so that the template surface (21) can engage with the plant on the roller holder (33). Device (5) according to one of claims 9 to 19, characterized in that a section of the runway (11) extends through an oven (7, 8), that the rollers (2, 3. in this section are arranged inside the oven (7, 8) 30 such that each end (36) of the rollers protrudes through a flexible seal (56, 57) in an oven wall (55) and that the template surface (21) can abut against the protruding ends (36) . Device (5) according to one of Claims 9 to 20, 35, characterized in that a section of the roller web (11) extends through a cooling and / or curing device (9), that on each along and along the runway (11) are arranged a plurality of rows of cooling air nozzles (51) directed to the runway (l1) and the cooling air nozzles (51) are guided such that, e.g. of electric motors, can be moved from a retracted position to an active position where the rows of cooling air nozzles (51) follow the contour of the runway (11) in the shaping area. Device (5) according to claim 21, characterized in that the rows of cooling air nozzles (51) are suspended in a cooling carriage (44, 45) which can be moved back and forth along the runway (11). Device (5) according to one of claims 9 to 22, 15, characterized in that substantially all positions and movements are controlled by a computer via actuators. Device (5) according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that each roller in the form of a 20 roller (2) together with a counter roller (3) constitutes a pair of rolls, each roller can roll on either side of a moldable plate (1) and that the position and / or rotation of each roller (2, 3) is controlled by a computer, possibly by means of power steering and / or stepper motors. 25