GB2229691A

GB2229691A - Means for conveying sheet glass

Info

Publication number: GB2229691A
Application number: GB8907268A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Adam Porschen
Original assignee: Zimmermann and Jansen GmbH
Current assignee: Zimmermann and Jansen GmbH
Priority date: 1987-10-21
Filing date: 1989-03-31
Publication date: 1990-10-03
Anticipated expiration: 2009-03-31
Also published as: BE1003163A6; DE3735542A1; FR2643896B1; GB8907268D0; DE3735542C2; GB2229691B; FR2643896A1

Description

1 MEANS FOR CONVEYING SHEET GLASS The invention relates to means for

conveying sheet glass from a continuously operating float glass installation.

Means for this purpose has been previously proposed comprising a lower frame including two longitudinal girders extending in the direction in which the glass is to be conveyed, a. carrier roller mounted on the lower frame about an axis extending at right angles to said direction with the height of the carrier roller with respect to the longitudinal girders being adjustable; drive means for the carrier roller with a drive element extending longitudinally of the longitudinal girders, which drive element is coupled to the carrier roller by means of an idler gear of an interposed toothed-wheel gearing system, the idler gear having an axis extending parallel to the axis of the carrier roller and having teeth which engage on the one hand with the drive element and on the other hand with a gear rim of the carrier roller, and an aijustment device mounting the pivot of the idler gear and by means of which the idler gear is movable out of the position in which it engages with the drive element.

A particular problem with carrier rollers of this kind is related to the manner in which a float glass installation operates, in that it may have to remain in operation continuously during operation of a glass-melting furnace which is often longer than a year. Some repair work may thus have to be carried out on the carrier roller while it is in continuous operation. This repair work is needed relatively often because the outer circumference of the carrier roller is likely to become damaged, thus bringing a likelihood of damage to the sheet glass being conveyed over the carrier roller.

In order to remove the carrier roller, it is firstly lowered during continuous operation. While doing this, the idler gear is at first still engaged with the gear rim of the carrier roller and with the continuously driven drive element. Then, by manoeuvring a mounting appropriately, the idler gear is moved out of a mating position of engagement with the drive element and the gear rim of the carrier roller. The stationary carrier roller can then be removed. The reverse procedure is carried out when the carrier roller is fitted. First of all, the idler gear is engaged with the drive element and with 2 the gear rim of the lowered carrier roller and then the rotating carrier roller is raised to its operating position. The carrier roller is thus mounted on a rotating shaft, which is hinged in a suitable manner to the lower frame.

The described method of changing a carrier roller has disadvantages in that the carrier rollers are lifted and lowered on an arcuate path, so that when they are lifted it is difficult to bring the carrying rollers into the exact position required. In addition, it is dangerous for operating personnel to handle the idler gear when the installation is in continuous operation, the position of this idler gear being changeable with respect to both the gear rim of the carrier roller and the drive element which is in constant motion. Thus, accidents can happen quite easily if the idler gear has to be moved during continuous operation in relation to the drive element and at the same time in relation to the gear rim of the carrier roller.

German Patent Specification DE-PS 615 421 described a method whereby carrier rollers wich are driven by worm gears of a continuous worm gear shaft and which belong to a roller fitted in a glass cooling furnace are arranged in an adjustable position vertically, and are brought in a straight line across a vertical adjusting path. In order for there to be a balance between the differences in position occurring between the carrier roller and its respective worm gear driven by the worm gear shaft when vertical adjustments are made, there is a flexibly hinged coupling member between the worm gear and the carrier roller.

In this instance, there is no need for the carrier roller to be fitted or removed during continuous operation because of the design of the furnace which is closed.

A roller for bevelled panes of glass is known from Patent Specification EP 0 024 979, the carrier rollers of which comprise curved rods, which are enclosed by bendable rotatable casings. The casings are rotated by a bevel gear connected to the casing, which bevel gear is coupled to a bevel gear driven by a motor device via a bevel gear pivoted to a rotating shaft.

According to the invention there is provided means for conveying sheet glass from a continuously operating float glass installation, comprising; 3 a lower frame including two longitudinal girders extending in the direction in which the glass is to be conveyed, a carrier roller mounted on the lower frame about an axis extending at right angles to said direction with the height of the carrier roller with respect to the longitudinal girders being adjustable; drive means for the carrier roller having a drive element extending longitudinally of the longitudinal girders, which drive element is coupled to the carrier roller by means of gears of an interposed toothed- wheel gearing system; an idler gear of the toothed-wheel gearing system having an axis extending parallel to the axis of the carrier roller, and having teeth which engage on the one hand with the drive element and on the other with a gear wheel of the carrier roller; an adjusting device mounting a pivot of the idler gear and, by means of which the idler gear is movable out of a position in which it engages with the drive element; wherein the carrier roller is guided over its adjustment path in a straight line vertically; a pivotable bracket is provided between the pivot. mounting of the carrier roller and the pivot mounting of the idler gear constantly to maintain the axial spacing between the axes of the carrier roller and the idler gear; and the adjusting device for the pivot of the ii.ier gear comprises a securable movable mounting suspended from one of the longitudinal girders and carrying the idler gear, the height of which movable mounting can be adjusted with respect to said one of the longitudirval girders, and which can be tilted and/or pushed in the longitudinal direction of that longitudinal girder.

Thus the carrier roller is guided over its adjustment path in a straight line vertically, and between the pivot of the carrier roller and the pivot of the idler gear there is the movable mounting which constantly maintains the distance between the axes of the carrier roller and the idler gear, the movable mounting being suspended from the longitudinal girder and carrying the idler gear, and the height of the movable mounting being adjustable.

The fitting and removal of the carrier. roller during continuous operation can thus be considerably simplified. in order to remove the 4 carrier roller the securable movable mounting which carries the idler gear is firstly detached. Then the carrier roller is lowered vertically in a straight line. During the lowering procedure, the movable mounting hinged to the pivot of the carrier roller is engaged with the gear rim of the carrier roller, whilst the detached movable mounting is tilted and/or pushed in the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal girder. Next, the idler gear is disengaged from the drive element by an appropriate lowering of the movable mounting. When the idler gear is lowered this time as well, the movable mounting guides the idler gear in a position relative to the lowered axis of the carrier roller such that the idler gear remains engaged with the gear rim of the carrier roller. After the carrier roller has been stabilized in this way, it can be removed safely whilst the idler gear is at a standstill. In order to fit the new carrier roller, the above procedure is carried out in reverse.

The main advantage of the means according to the invention is the fact that there is 'no need for the rotating idler gear to be handled. The movable mounting guides the idler gear in relation to the gear rim of the carrier roller in such 'a way that both of them remain constantly engaged so that when the idler gear is thrown in and out of gear in relation to the drive element which is in constant motion, the only critical movements are those in relation to the drive element.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the adjusting device of the carrier roller comprises adjustable buffers by means of which upward movement of the carrier roller is limited. By means of these buffers, the position at which the carrier roller is fitted may be set very accurately, thereby eliminating complicated procedures for adjusting the carrier roller.

The buffers are expediently designed as spacers, the height of which is adjustable by means of an adjusting screw. By means of measuring devices, the height of the spacers can be gauged accurately before the carrier rollers are fitted, so as to comply with respective requirements.

It is expedient if the movable mounting carrying the idler gear embraces the longitudinal girder from above and below, and is supported to the upper surface of the longitudinal gircier by means of an adjustable carrying bolt. It is preferable if the carrying bolt performs two functions i.e. secures the movable mounting anc adjusts the height of the movable mounting or the axis of tne idler gear to the movable mounting.

It is furthermore expedient if the idler gear has an oil sump which can be lowered with the carrier roller. The oil sump which can be lowered is responsible for the continuous lubrication of the idler gear even when the carrier rollers are moving in the lowered position.

The invention is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a side view of a longitudinal section of means for conveying glass according to the invention, wherein at the left-hand side a carrier roller is shown in the normal position; in the middle the carrier roller is shown in a lowered position with teeth still engaged, and at the right-hand side the carrier roller is shown in a lowered position with the teeth disengaged; Figure 2 shows a section of the carrier roller taken on line IlII in Figure 1; and Figure 3 shows a section of an idler gear taken on line 111-111 in Figure 1.

Re.ferring to the drawings, longitudinal girders of a lower frame of means for conveying glass are supported by vertical columns la, and bearings 3 of a carrier roller 4 are supported by a heignt-adjustable adjustment device 2. Adjusting screws 5 are provided to adjust the height of the adjusting device 2 relative to the longitudina.1 girder 1, the adjusting screws 5 passing through a top plate 6 extending over the longitudinal girder 1 and being screwed into a supporting frame 7 which mounts the bearings 3. When the adjusting screws 5 are rotated (by means of a suitable motor-driven screw-driver) the supporting frame 7 which mounts the bearings 3 is moved upwardly or downwardly vertically, the supporting frame 7 being guided in a straight line vertically by the adjusting screws 5. Between the underside of the longitudinal girder 1 and the upper side of the supporting frame 7 there are spacers 8 which act as buffers when the supporting frame 7 is raised, the height of the buffers being adjustable by means of adjusting screws 9.

By virtue of the adjustable spacers 8 it is possible to adjust the carrier roller 4 accurately to a predetermined height.

6 v The shaft of the carrier roller 4 mounted in the bearings 3 has a gear wheel 10 at one of its ends, which gear wheel 10 dips into an oil sump 11 which is secured to the supporting frame 7, and thus moves up and down vertically with the supporting frame 7.

The gear wheel 10 is rotatable by an idler gear 12, the teeth of which engage with the teeth of the gear wheel 10. The idler gear 12 has a bearing 13 which is mounted on the longitudinai girder 1 by means of an adjusting device 14. The adjusting device 14 comprises a movable mounting 15 which is suspended from the longitudinal girder 1 in the longitudinal direction thereof, and can be tilted and/or pushed. The movable mounting 15 has a top plate 16 which extends over the longitudinal girder 1 and is connected -by side-pieces 17 to a supporting frame 18 for the bearing 13 of the idler gear 12, which supporting frame 18 lies below the longitudinal girder 1. A vertical adjusting screw 19 extends through the top plate 16 and bears against the upper side of the longitudinal girder 1 whereby the movable mounting 15 can be raised 'and lowered. When the movable mounting 15 is raised, the supporting frame 18 is pressed from below against the longitudinal girder 1. In this way, the movable mounting 15 and the bearing 13 of the idler gear 12 are fixed to the longitudinal girder 1.

If the movable mounting 15 is lowered by means of the adjusting screw 19, the movable mounting 15 can be pushed and tilted longitudinally with respect to the longitudinal girder 1.

Above the idler gear 12 there is a drive element 20 in the form of a worm-gear shaft extending longitudinally of the longitudinal girder 1, the worm-gear shaft mating with the teeth of the idler gear 12 and rotating it. The drive element 20 is constantly driven even when carrier rollers 4 are being fitted or removed.

The bearings 3 of the carrier roller 4 and the bearing 13 of the idler gear 12 are connected to one another by a pivotable bracket 21 which connects the two bearings 3 and 13 in such a way that the distance between the axis of the carrier roller 4 and the axis of the idler gear 12 is kept constant.

There follows a description of how the carrier roller 4 is fitted and removed during the continuous rolling procedure:

To remove the carrier roller, the adjusting screw 19 of the movable mounting 15 is firstly loosened so that the movable mounting 15 r 7 can be tilted and/or pushed in a direction longitudinally of the longitudinal girder 1, but the teeth of the idler gear 12 are not disengaged from the drive element 20. The Pivot 3 of the carrier roller 4 is then lowered in a straight line by means of the adjusting screws 5. During the lowering process, the pivotable bracket 21 maintains the idler gear 12 in an engaged position with the gear wheel 10 of the carrier roller 4. Thus, the movable mounting 15 is slightly tilted and/or pushed towards the longitudinal girder 1; the carrier roller 4 still however remains in a position such that it is driven by the drive element 20. Next, by means of the adjusting screw 19, the Pivot 13 of the idler gear 12 is lowered by a distance such that the idler gear 12 is disengaged from the drive element 20. Also, during this lowering procedure, the pivotable bracket 21 holds the idler gear 12 in an unchanged engaged position with the gear wheel 10 of the carrier roller 4. In this way, after the carrier roller 4 and the idler gear 12 have been lowered and stabilized, a protective hood 22 of the gears 10 and 12 cal be taken away. The carrier roller 4, now stationary and in a lowered pos. ""-ion, and if necessary the idler gear 11, can now be removed safely.

To fit a new carrier roller 4, or replace a carrier roller 4 which has been repaiied, the procedure is carried out in reverse, and here too it is not necessary to handle moving parts. Before the supporting frame 7 is lifted by means-of the adjusting screws 5, when a new or repaired carrier roller 4 is being fitted, the buffer 8 is adjusted in position by means of the adjusting screws 9 so that the bearings of the carrier roller 4 will be at exactly the correct height when the adjusting screws 5 are tightened.

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Claims

1. Means for conveying sheet glass from a continuously operating float glass installation, comprising; a lower frame including two longitudinal girders extending in the direction in which the glass is to be conveyed, a carrier roller mounted on the lower frame about an axis extending at.r. ight angles to said direction with the height of the carrier roller with respect to the longitudinal girders being adjustable; drive means for the carrier roller having a drive element extending longitudinally of the longitudinal girders, which drive element is coupled to the carrier roller by means of gears of an interposed toothed-wheel gearing system; an idler gear of the toothed-wheel gearing system having an axis extending parallel to the axis of the carrier roller, and having teeth which engage on the one hand with the drive element and on the other with a gear wheel of the 6arrier roller; an adjusting device mounting a pivot of the idler gear and, by means of which the idler gear is movable out of a position in which it engages with the drive element; wherein the carrier roller is guided over its adjustment path in a straight line vertically; a pivotable bracket is provided between the pivot mounting of the carrier roller and the pivot mounting of the idler gear constantly to maintain the axial spacing between the axes of the carrier roller and the idler gear; and the adjusting device for the pivot of the idler gear comprises a securable movable mounting suspended from one of the longitudinal girders and carrying the idler gear, the height of which movable mounting can be adjusted with respect to said one of the longitudinal girders, and which can be tilted and/or pushed in the longitudinal direction of that longitudinal girder.

2. Means according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment device of the carrier roller cooperates with adjustable buffers by means of which upward movement of the carrier roller is limited.

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3. Means according to claim 2, wherein the buffers are designed as spacers, the height of which is adjustable by means of an adjusting screw.

4. Means according to claim 1, wherein the movable mounting for the idler gear embraces said one of the longitudinal girders from top to bottom, and is supported on the upper surface of that longitudinal girder by means of an adjustable carrying bolt.

5. Means according to any one of claims 1 to 4, "wherein the toothed wheel gearing system has an oil sump which can be raised and lowered with the carrier roller.

6. Means for conveying sheet glass substantially as hereinbefore 15 described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.

W4-Ther conies miLy be obtained frorn The Patent Office