JP2007314372A - Working apparatus and working method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a working apparatus and a working method which can extremely facilitate change in the supporting position of a long-length work with a circular cross section, and allow for highly accurate working treatment by accurately supporting the work. <P>SOLUTION: The working apparatus works a horizontally supported long-length glass rod G with a circular cross section along an X-axis direction while rotating the work centering on the axis X and the working apparatus is provided with a supporting mechanism 21 for supporting the intermediate part of the glass rod G from beneath. The supporting mechanism 21 is provided with two supporting roller parts 31, 32 each comprising a spherical roller 35 rotatable around a first rotary axis Y in a direction same as that in the axis X of the glass rod G and a second rotary axis Z composed of the central axis of a rotary barrel 34 and orthogonal to the first rotary axis Y. The supporting roller parts 31, 32 are arranged on both sides of the axis X of the glass rod G. The rollers 35 of the supporting roller parts 31, 32 are brought into contact with the circumferential face of the glass rod G to thereby support the intermediate part of the glass rod G. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a heat processing apparatus and a processing method for a long glass rod formed in a circular cross section.

Conventionally, glass rods and glass pipes are flame-polished, glass pipes are collapsed to reduce the diameter or solidify, or glass fine particles are deposited in glass pipes by the MCVD (Modified Chemical Vapor Deposition) method. In such a case, a thermal processing apparatus such as a glass lathe is used in which a workpiece such as a glass rod or a glass pipe is horizontally supported and rotated, and the workpiece is heated in the axial direction by a heat source such as a burner or a heater. Yes.
By the way, in recent years, due to an increase in the size of a workpiece such as a glass rod or a glass pipe (for example, a diameter of 150 mm and a length of about 1000 to 2000 mm), the intermediate portion of the workpiece may be bent. For this reason, it is necessary to support the intermediate part of this workpiece and to suppress bending.
For this reason, a thermal processing apparatus including a centering device that rotatably supports the outer periphery of the workpiece at three points by three rollers at an intermediate portion of the workpiece has been developed (for example, Patent Document 1). reference).
JP 2004-51381 A

However, since the centering device is supported by a roller that can only rotate about the same axis as the axis of the workpiece, the centering device is centered in the axial direction with the workpiece supported by each roller. The device cannot be moved.
Therefore, in order to avoid interference with the burner, which is a heat source moving along the axis of the workpiece, it is necessary to remove the centering device once and install it again at a predetermined position. For this reason, it takes time and effort to remove the centering device, which may affect the accuracy of thermal processing on the workpiece.

  This invention can change the support position in the middle part of a long workpiece with a circular cross section very easily, and can perform high-precision processing by supporting the workpiece with high accuracy. An object is to provide an apparatus and a processing method.

  In order to achieve the above object, the processing apparatus of the present invention is a processing apparatus that heats along an axial direction while rotating a long glass rod having a circular cross section that is horizontally supported around its axis. A support mechanism for supporting the glass rod from below, wherein the support mechanism rotates on a first rotation axis in the same direction as an axis of the glass rod and a second rotation axis orthogonal to the first rotation axis. A plurality of supporting roller portions having a spherical roller that can be in contact with the glass rod, and these supporting roller portions are arranged on both sides of a vertical plane including the axis of the glass rod; The roller is in contact with a peripheral surface of the glass rod and supports the glass rod while rotating as the glass rod rotates.

  Further, in the support roller portion, the contact point of the roller with the peripheral surface of the glass rod is a front position in the rotation direction of the roller accompanying the rotation of the glass rod with respect to the second rotation shaft. Is preferred.

  The processing method of the present invention is a processing method in which a long glass rod having a circular cross section supported horizontally is heated along the axial direction while rotating about its axis, the glass rod A plurality of support roller portions each having a spherical roller that can be rotated by a first rotating shaft in the same direction as the axis and a second rotating shaft orthogonal to the first rotating shaft are disposed on both sides of the axis of the glass rod. And a support mechanism that supports the glass rod from below while the roller contacts the peripheral surface of the glass rod and rotates as the glass rod rotates, and the support mechanism is in the axial direction of the glass rod. The glass rod is processed in the axial direction while moving the supporting position of the glass rod by sliding to the glass rod.

  In addition, the support roller unit is configured such that a contact point of the roller with the peripheral surface of the glass rod is a front position in a rotation direction of the roller accompanying the rotation of the glass rod with respect to the second rotation shaft. The glass rod is preferably supported by the support mechanism.

  According to the processing apparatus and the processing method of the present invention, the position at which the glass rod is supported can be changed very easily so that the glass rod does not bend when the long glass rod having a circular cross section is heat processed. A change in shape due to the bending of the glass rod can be prevented.

Hereinafter, embodiments of a processing apparatus and a processing method according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
Here, a thermal processing apparatus and a thermal processing method will be described by taking as an example a case where a solid glass rod as a workpiece is flame-polished in the axial direction.
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a thermal processing apparatus according to the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II in FIG. 1 for explaining the support mechanism, and FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view for explaining the support mechanism.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the thermal processing apparatus 10 has a structure in which a pair of support portions 12 and 13 are provided on an upper portion of a base 11. Each of the support portions 12 and 13 has a chuck 14, which grips an end portion of a glass rod G that is a workpiece so as to be rotatable. The glass rod G is supported substantially horizontally by the support portions 12 and 13 by causing the chucks 14 to grip the end portions of the glass rod G. However, in the case of a large-diameter long glass rod having a diameter of 150 mm or more and a length of 1000 mm or more, the glass rod bends only by being supported at both ends, so that it is necessary to support the glass rod at an intermediate portion.

  One support portion 13 is slidably supported on the base 11 by a drive mechanism (not shown), and the support portion 13 is supported by the support portions 12 and 13 by sliding on the base 11. A tensile force in the axial direction can be applied to the glass rod G.

  In the thermal processing apparatus 10, a burner 15 as a heat source is installed on a base 11. The burner 15 is made of, for example, a plasma burner that generates a plasma flame. By blowing the plasma flame onto the glass rod G, the glass rod G is thermally processed. The burner as a heat source for heat processing is not limited to a plasma burner, and may be one that generates an oxyhydrogen flame, or various heaters.

  The burner 15 is movable on the base 11 along the axial direction of the glass rod G supported by the support portions 12 and 13. As a result, the glass rod G is thermally processed by the burner 15 in the axial direction.

  The thermal processing apparatus 10 having the above configuration includes a support mechanism 21 on the base 11. The support mechanism 21 includes a pedestal 22 that is slidably supported by the base 11 and a support pedestal 23 provided on the upper portion of the pedestal 22.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the pedestal 22 of the support mechanism 21 includes a support rod 24 arranged vertically below the axis of the glass rod G supported by the support portions 12 and 13. The support rod 24 has a small-diameter rod 24b inserted into a large-diameter rod 24a. When the small-diameter rod 24b advances and retreats with respect to the large-diameter rod 24a, the support base 23 is raised and lowered, and its height position is adjusted. It is possible.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the support base 23 includes a flat support plate 30 supported horizontally at the tip of the support rod 24, and a pair of support roller portions 31 fixed to the upper surface of the support plate 30. 32, and an intermediate portion of the glass rod G is supported by the support roller portions 31 and 32.

  These support roller parts 31 and 32 are arrange | positioned at the downward side of the glass rod G supported by the support parts 12 and 13, and are arrange | positioned on both sides on both sides of the plane containing the axis line X of this glass rod G.

  The support roller portions 31 and 32 have a fixed portion 33 fixed to the support plate 30, and a cylindrical rotating cylinder 34 is supported on the fixed portion 33 so as to be rotatable about its central axis. ing. The rotating cylinder 34 includes a roller 35 formed in a spherical shape at the tip. The spherical roller 35 is rotatably supported by a support shaft 37 supported at both ends by a bracket 36 provided at an opposing position at the tip of the rotating cylinder 34. In other words, the roller 35 rotates about the first rotation axis Y formed of the axis of the support shaft 37 in the same direction as the axis X of the glass rod G, and the rotation cylinder 34 orthogonal to the first rotation axis Y. It rotates around a second rotation axis Z consisting of a central axis. The spherical roller 35 only needs to be a spherical surface at the portion in contact with the glass rod, and does not have to be a whole ball.

  In the support mechanism 21, the rollers 35 of the support roller portions 31 and 32 come into contact with the peripheral surface of the glass rod G from the lower side, so that the roller 35 rotates in the intermediate portion of the glass rod G. While supporting.

  Here, the glass rod G is rotated in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 2, and accordingly, the rollers 35 of the support roller portions 31 and 32 are rotated by the rotational force applied from the glass rod G in FIG. It is rotated in the direction. The support roller portion 32 disposed on the front side in the rotational direction A of the glass rod G with respect to the one support roller portion 31 is formed in a triangular shape when viewed from the side between the support plate 30 and the fixing portion 33. The tilting table 38 is provided, and the tilting table 38 causes the second rotation axis Z, which is the central axis of the rotating cylinder 34, to rotate in the plane perpendicular to the axis X of the glass rod G. It is inclined to the rear side of A, and is passed from the axis X of the glass rod G to the rear side in the rotational direction A.

  Further, the support roller portion 31 disposed on the rear side in the rotational direction (a) of the glass rod G with respect to the support roller portion 32 is directly fixed to the support plate 30 with the fixing portion 33 supported horizontally. Thus, also in the support roller portion 31, the second rotation axis Z, which is the central axis of the rotating cylinder 34, is passed from the axis X of the glass rod G to the rear side in the rotation direction A.

  As a result, in the support mechanism 21, the contact point A with the peripheral surface of the glass rod G of each roller 35 of the support roller portions 31 and 32 is less than the second rotation axis Z in the rotational direction of each roller 35. It is assumed to be the front position.

Next, the case where flame polishing which is heat processing is performed on the glass rod G which is a workpiece by the heat processing apparatus 10 according to the above embodiment will be described.
First, both end portions of the glass rod G are held by the chucks 14 of the support portions 12 and 13 and supported horizontally, and the intermediate portions thereof are brought into contact with the rollers 35 of the support roller portions 31 and 32 of the support mechanism 21. Support.

  Next, the burner 15 is moved from one end side to the other end side of the glass rod G while rotating the glass rod G in the direction of arrow A in FIG. To flame polish the outer peripheral surface.

  At this time, the roller 35 contacts the lower side of the intermediate portion of the glass rod G while the support roller portions 31 and 32 of the support mechanism 21 rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow B in FIG. Since it supports at the point contact point A, the glass rod G can suppress the bending in the intermediate part.

  Here, when the contact point A of the roller 35 to the outer peripheral surface of the glass rod G is a rear position in the rotation direction B of the roller 35 with respect to the second rotation axis Z that is the central axis of the rotating cylinder 34, the glass rod G , The rotational force applied from the glass rod G acts also in the horizontal rotational direction of the roller 35 by acting at a position behind the second rotational axis Z in the rotational direction B of the roller 35, The roller 35 may be wobbled.

  On the other hand, in the present embodiment, each of the support roller portions 31 and 32 has the second rotation axis Z formed of the central axis of the rotating cylinder 34 passed from the axis X of the glass rod G to the rear side in the rotation direction A. Since each contact point A with the peripheral surface of the glass rod G of each roller 35 is a forward position of the rotation direction B of each roller 35 with respect to the second rotation axis Z, the glass rod G The rotational force received is less likely to act in the horizontal rotation direction of the roller 35, and the wobbling of the roller 35 is suppressed.

When the support position of the glass rod G by the support mechanism 21 is changed as the burner 15 moves, the support mechanism 21 is slid along the axis X of the glass rod G.
At this time, as the support mechanism 21 slides, a rotational force about the second rotation axis Z acts on the roller 35 that is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the glass rod G. The roller 35 is rotated together with the rotating cylinder 34 around the second rotation axis Z. For example, when the support mechanism 21 is moved in the direction of the arrow C in FIG. 3, the support roller portions 31 and 32 are rotated in the direction of the arrow D in FIG.

  In other words, the support mechanism 21 smoothly slides in the direction along the axis X of the glass rod G by rotating the support roller portions 31 and 32 about the second rotation axis Z, thereby supporting the glass rod G. Can be changed.

And if the support roller part 31 and 32 receives the rotational force provided from the glass rod G in the state which changed the support position of the glass rod G shown in FIG. The first rotation axis Y of each roller 35 rotates about the second rotation axis Z so that it is in the same direction as the axis X of the glass rod G.
At this time, the roller portion 32 is inclined so that the contact points A of the respective rollers 35 with the peripheral surface of the glass rod G are all located forward of the second rotation axis Z in the rotational direction B of each roller 35. Therefore, the rotational force received from the glass rod G is less likely to act in the horizontal rotation direction of the roller 35, and the wobbling of the roller 35 is suppressed.

  As described above, according to the thermal processing apparatus and the thermal processing method of the present embodiment, the two support roller portions 31 and 32 including the spherical roller 35 are disposed on both sides of the axis X of the glass rod G. The glass rod G is long because the roller 35 is in contact with the circumferential surface of the glass rod G and supports the intermediate portion of the glass rod G from the lower side by the support mechanism 21 that rotates with the rotation. However, thermal processing such as flame polishing can be performed while suppressing the bending of the long glass rod G.

In addition, the support roller portions 31 and 32 of the support mechanism 21 are spherical that can rotate on the first rotation axis Y in the same direction as the axis X of the glass rod G and the second rotation axis Z orthogonal to the first rotation axis Y. Since this roller 35 is provided, the support mechanism 21 can be easily and smoothly slid along the axis X of the glass rod G.
Thereby, with the movement of the burner 15 which heat-processes to the glass rod G, in order to avoid interference with this burner 15, the support mechanism 21 can be slid and a smooth heat processing can be performed.

In addition, since the contact point A of the roller 35 with the peripheral surface of the glass rod G is the forward position in the rotation direction B of the roller 35 accompanying the rotation of the glass rod G with respect to the second rotation axis Z, the glass rod G The rotation of the roller 35 during the rotation of the roller 35 can be suppressed as much as possible, and the thermal processing can be performed satisfactorily without the problem that the fluctuation of the roller 35 affects the glass rod G.
If the roller portion 32 is not inclined, as described above, when the support mechanism 21 is slid along the axis X of the glass rod G, the direction of the roller changes as shown in FIG. When stopped, the roller 35 may flutter and the roller may bite into the glass rod, causing damage to the glass rod. Damaged glass rods become defective and must be discarded. In addition, the roller wears abnormally and the replacement frequency of the roller increases.
However, in the present invention, since the roller does not swing, there is no such problem.

  That is, according to the present embodiment, the support position in the middle portion of the long glass rod G having a circular cross section can be changed very easily, and the glass rod G is supported with high accuracy and high-precision thermal processing is performed. It can be carried out.

  5A, the inclination angle α of the support roller portion 32 with respect to the horizontal plane is the second rotation in which the contact point A of the roller 35 with the peripheral surface of the glass rod G is the central axis of the rotating cylinder 34. The angle may be any angle that is a forward position in the rotational direction B of the roller 35 with respect to the axis Z, but as shown in FIG. 5B, the rotating cylinder 34 rotates as the glass rod G moves along the axis X. It is necessary to set the angle at which the bracket 36 provided on the rotating cylinder 34 does not interfere with the glass rod G when moved.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the workpiece made of the solid glass rod G is flame-polished has been described as an example. However, the workpiece may be a glass pipe, and the thermal processing may be flame. In addition to polishing, the processing apparatus and the processing method are not limited to the thermal processing apparatus and the thermal processing method. For example, the present invention can also be applied to the case where the glass tube is collapsed to reduce the diameter or to be solidified, or to add a glass layer in the glass tube by the MCVD method.

It is a schematic block diagram which shows the heat processing apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is II sectional drawing of FIG. 1 explaining a support mechanism. It is a schematic plan view explaining a support mechanism. It is a schematic plan view explaining the effect | action of a support mechanism. It is a side view of the support roller part showing the inclination-angle of a support roller part.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Thermal processing apparatus 21 Support mechanism 31, 32 Support roller part 35 Roller A Contact point G Glass rod (workpiece)
X axis Y 1st rotation axis Z 2nd rotation axis

Claims (4)

A processing device that heats along a direction of an axis while rotating a long glass rod having a circular cross section supported horizontally around its axis,
A support mechanism for supporting the glass rod from below;
The support mechanism can be rotated by a first rotating shaft in the same direction as the axis of the glass rod and a second rotating shaft orthogonal to the first rotating shaft, and a portion in contact with the glass rod is a spherical roller. A plurality of support roller portions provided, and these support roller portions are arranged on both sides of a vertical surface including the axis of the glass rod, and the glass contacts the peripheral surface of the glass rod and the glass rod A processing apparatus for supporting the glass rod while rotating with rotation. The processing apparatus according to claim 1,
In the support roller portion, the contact point of the roller with the peripheral surface of the glass rod is a front position in the rotation direction of the roller accompanying the rotation of the glass rod with respect to the second rotation shaft. Processing equipment. A processing method of performing a heating process along the axial direction while rotating a long glass rod having a circular cross section supported horizontally around its axis,
A plurality of support roller portions each having a spherical roller rotatable with a first rotating shaft in the same direction as the axis of the glass rod and a second rotating shaft orthogonal to the first rotating shaft sandwich the axis of the glass rod. It is arranged on both sides, using a support mechanism that supports the glass rod from below while rotating with the rotation of the glass rod while the roller contacts the peripheral surface of the glass rod,
A processing method comprising: processing the glass rod in the axial direction while moving the support position of the glass rod by sliding the support mechanism in the axial direction of the glass rod. The processing method according to claim 3,
The support provided with the support roller portion in which the contact point of the roller with the peripheral surface of the glass rod is a forward position in the rotation direction of the roller accompanying the rotation of the glass rod with respect to the second rotation shaft. A processing method characterized by supporting the glass rod by a mechanism.

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