US1946397A - Plate glass rolling apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 6, 1934. 1,946,397

J. H. FOX

PLATE GLASS ROLLING APPARATUS Filed Oct, 19, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Feb. 6, 1934. FOX 1,946,397

PLATE GLASS ROLLING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 19, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 NE VZut-Z-Q INVENTOR Patented Feb. 6, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE John H. Fox, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October 19, 1932. Serial No. 638,494

10 Claims.

The invention relates to apparatus for forming a glass sheet continuously by a vertical rolling operation and particularly to the means for supporting and driving the sizing rolls which are positioned with their peripheries in a bath of glass in a draw pot. It has for its principal objects: The provision of an improved construction permitting the ready removal of the rolls for replacement and repair without disturbing their driving mechanism; the provision of improved means for adjusting the rolls relative to the bath and for leveling them; and the provision ofimproved driving means for the rolls. One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a front elevation partially in section showing the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan view. And Fig. 3 is a side elevation.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is a melting tank containing a body of molten glass and connected at its front end with a floor hearth or draw pot 2 surrounded by the furnace wall 3 to provide the usual heating chamber for the draw pot. Ex-

tending transversely of the draw pot is a pair of water cooled sizing rolls 4 and 5, having their peripheries submerged in the molten glass in the draw pot. Extending upwardly and laterally from the pass between the rolls is a curved apron made up of the rolls 6 over which the glass sheet passes after emerging from between the rolls. Leading from the apron formed by the rolls 6 is another apron section formed of the rolls 7, 7, 7, which lead the glass sheet into the end of the usual roller lehr, which is not shown.

Positioned in the basement 8, below the lehr floor 9 is a vertical framework made up of commercial sections, including the four corner bars 10, two only'of which are shown, lying on opposite sides of the draw pot and extending to a point a substantial distance above such pot. The framework is tied together rigidly by means of the transverse channels 11, 11 and 12, 12, the transverse bars 13, 13 and the diagonal channels 14, 14.

At the upper end of the frame is a top member 15 of rectangular form suitably bolted together, which top member acts as a support for the sizing rolls and the apron section made up of rolls 6. This is accomplished by means of a pair of castings 16, 16 at the ends of the member 15, only one of which is shown, which carries two depending arms 17 and 18, the arm 17 being rigid with the casting 16 and the arm 18 being pivoted to the casting at 19. The lower ends of the arms '17 and 18 are provided with bearings in which the ends of the rolls 4 and 5 are journalled, the roll 4 being journalled in the fixed arm 17 and the roll 5 being journalled in the movable arm 18. The arm 18 is extended to a point above the top member 15, as indicated in Fig. 3, and is adjusted horizontally by means of a screw member 20, thus providing means for adjusting the slot between the rolls 4 and 5. The screw 20 is threaded through the block 21 bolted to the top r'nember 15 and bears against the end of the arm 18, thus positively governing the amount of separation between the rolls. The spring 22 surrounds the screw 20 and yieldingly forces the upper end of the arm to the right.

The top member 15 which is made up of channel bars, is provided on its under side with four screw sockets 23 located at the corners and each engaged by a screw 24, such screw being threaded through the block 25 carried by one of the corner members 10 of the framework. Each screw is provided with an adjusting wheel 26, by means of which the screws may be turned to adjust them up and down. These screw devices at the four corners of the top member 15 provide a means for adjusting the sizing rolls vertically and for leveling them up. The top member is also provided with four pick-up blocks 2'7 provided with pins 28, by means of which engagement may be made with the top member for lifting it from an overhead crane. Since the top member merely rests upon the upper end of the framework made up of members 10, it is a simple matter to remove the sizing rolls for replacement and re-; pair after the driving connections for the rolls have'been disconnected.

The ends of the rolls are provided with swivels 29 with which water pipes 30 are connected so that the rolls maybe cooled in the usual way. The ends of the rolls are also provided with tumblers 31, which also engage the ends of stub- 95 shafts 32, which constitute the driving means leading from the reduction gearing for driving the rolls. The reduction gearing is mounted upon a suitable bracket 33 carried by the framework of which the members 10, 10 constitute a part. This reduction gearing constitutes a pair of worm wheels placed side by side in the casing 34 and driven from the worm on the vertical shaft 35. The axles 36 and 37 of the worm wheels also carry spur gears 38, each of which drives a spur gear 39 on one of the stub-shafts 32. Mounted on the lehr floor at the side of the framework 10, 10, is a standard 40 in which are mounted for rotation a pair of interengaging bevel gears 41 and 42, the hub of the gear 42 having splined thereto the vertical shaft 35. The hub of the shaft 41 is provided with a clutch member 43 adapted to be engaged by the clutch member 44 on the shaft 45. The shaft 45 is driven from the same motor which drives the lehr rolls so that the movements of the lehr rolls and the sizing rolls are synchronized. The splined connection between the hub of the bevel gear 32 and the shaft permits of the vertical adjustment of the framework 10, 10 without interference with the drive between the shaft and the sizing rolls.

The framework 10, 10 is adjustable vertically by driving mechanism comprising four screws 46, two only of which are shown, located at the corners of the base of the framework and swiveled at their lower ends upon the supporting blocks 4'7. Each of the screws 46is provided with a worm located in the casings 48 and engaging a worm wheel. The worms are carried upon the shafts 49, 49, which are connected by a sprocket chain 50 passing around suitable sprockets on the shafts. One of the shafts 49 is also provided with an additional sprocket around which passes the chain 51 driving from the sprocket 52 on the drive shaft 53 of the motor 54.

Convenient means are thus provided for adjusting the framework 10, 10 bodily to regulate the positions of the rolls 4 and 5 with respect to the glass bath, or to entirely remove the rolls from the bath when it is desired to do so. This adjustment may be made without any interference with the driving connections including the shafts 45 and 35 due to the splined connection made by the shaft 35 with the bevel gear 42. If desired, the position of the rolls may also be adjusted by means of the screws 24, which regulate the position of the top member 15, such adjustment also being possible without any interference with the driving mechanism of the apparatus. When it is desired to move the rolls, this is accomplished by disconnecting the tumblers 31 and removing the top member 15 by means of an overhead crane. The driving connections are all located in accessible positions and. are not exposed to the heat from the bath such as occurs when the driving means are located at a point above the bath instead of below it.

A further advantage incident to the provision of'the means for adjusting the framework 10, 10 and the top member 15 vertically is due to the fact that this permits the water, drain and driving connections to be made while the member 15 is in its high position before the rolling operation is started. If the top were set directly in low position, while these connections were being made, the bath would be too chilled beforeall preparations could be made for the start and the rolls would be unevenly heated due to their proximity to the bath while not rotating.

What I claim is:

1'. In combination in glass rolling apparatus including a draw pot for carrying a bath of molten glass, and a pair of horizontal sizing rolls adapted to engage the glass in the bath, a vertical framework having members at the sides of the pot extending from a point below the pot to a point thereabove with transverse connecting means, depending supporting mem bers carried by the framework in which the rolls rre journalled, reduction gearing carried bythe framework at the side of the pot and connected to the rolls, means for driving the reduction gearing permitting vertical movement of the reduction gearing and rolls relative to the drive means,

and means for adjusting the framework bodily' in a vertical direction.

2. In combination in glass rolling apparatus including a draw pot for carrying a bath of molten glass, and a pair of horizontal sizing rolls adapted to engage the glass in the bath, a vertical framework having members at the sides of the pot extending from a point below the pot to a point thereabove with transverse connecting means, depending supporting members carried by the framework in which the rolls are journalled, reduction gearing carried by the framework at the side of the pot and connected to the rolls, a drive shaft extending transversely of the framework, driving connections between the drive shaft and reduction gearing including a vertical splined shaft permitting vertical movement of the reduction gearing relative to the drive shaft, and means for adjusting the framework bodily in a vertical direction.

3. In combination in glass rolling apparatus including a draw pot for carrying a bath of molten glass, and a pair of horizontal sizing rolls adapted to engage the glass in the bath, a vertical framework having members at the sides of the pot extending from a point below the pot to a point thereabove with transverse connecting means, depending supporting members carried by the framework in which the rolls are journalled, reduction gearing carried by the framework at the side of the pot and connected to the rolls, means for driving the reduction gearing permitting vertical movement of the reduction gearing and rolls relative to the drive means, and screw means at the lower end of the framework for adjusting it bodily in a vertical direction.

4. In combination in glass rolling apparatus including a draw pot for carrying a bath of moltenglass, and a pair of horizontal sizing rolls adapted to engage the glass in the bath, a vertical framework having members at the sides of the pot extending froma point below the pot to a point thereabove with transverse connecting means, depending supporting members carried by the framework in which the rolls are journalled, reduction gearing carried by the framework at the side of the pot and connected to the rolls, means for driving the reduction gearing permitting vertical movement of the reduction gearing and rolls relative to the drive means, a plurality of screws supporting the framework, and power means for operating the screws to, adjust the framework bodily in a vertical direction.

5. In combination in glass rolling apparatusincluding a draw pot for carrying a bath of molten glass, and a pair of horizontal sizing rolls adapted to engage the glass in the bath, a vertical framework having members at the sides of the pot extending from a point below the pot to a point thereabove, and having at its upper end a top member lying above the pot, depending supporting members carried by the top member in which the rolls are journalled, means at the corners of the top member for leveling it relative to the framework and draw pot, drive means for the rolls permitting relative vertical movement of the frame and rolls relative thereto, and means for adjusting the framework bodily in a vertical direction. 6. In combination in glass rolling apparatus including a draw pot for carrying a bath of molten glass, and a pair of horizontal sizing rolls adapted to engage the glass in the bath, a vertical framework having members at the sides of the pot extending from. a point below the pot to a point thereabove, and having at its upper end a removable top member lying above the pot, means at the corners of the top member for adjusting such corners vertically relative to the framework, depending supporting members carried by the top member in which the rolls are journalled, means at the side of the framework for driving the rolls, and means for adjusting the framework bodily in a vertical direction.

7. In combination in glass rolling apparatus including a draw pot for carrying a bath of molten glass, and a pair of horizontal sizing rolls adapted to engage the glass in the bath, a vertical framework having members at the sides of the pot extending from a point below the pot to a point thereabove, and having at its upper end a removable top member lying above the pot, means at the corners of the top member for adjusting such corners vertically relative to the framework, depending supporting members carried by the top member in which the rolls are journalled, means at the side of the framework for driving the rolls, including a vertical shaft, a horizontal drive shaft, and gearing between the drive shaft and the vertical shaft with which the vertical shaft has a splined connection.

8. In combination in glass rolling apparatus including a draw pot for carrying a bath of molten glass, and a pair of horizontal sizing rolls adapted to engage the glass in the bath, a vertical framework having members at the sides of the pot extending from a point below the pot to a point thereabove, and having at its upper end a removable top member, means at the corners of the top member for adjusting such corners vertically relative to the framework, depending supporting members carried by the top member in which the rolls are journalled, means at the side of the framework for driving the rolls, including a vertical shaft, a horizontal drive shaft, and gearing between the drive shaft and the vertical shaft with which the vertical shaft has splined connection, and means for adjusting the framework bodily in a vertical direction.

9. In combination in glass rolling apparatus including a draw pot for carrying a bath of molten glass, and a pair of horizontal sizing rolls adapted to engage the glass in the bath, a vertical framework having members at the sides of the pot extending from a point below the pot to a point thereabove, and having at its upper end a removable top member lying above the pot, means for adjusting the top member vertically upon the framework, depending supporting members.

carried by the top member in which the rolls are journalled, and means at the side of the framework for driving the rolls.

10. In combination in glass rolling apparatus including a draw pot for carrying a bath of molten glass, and a pair of horizontal sizing rolls adapted to engage the glass in the bath, a vertical framework having members at the sides of the pot extending from a point below the pot to a point thereabove, and having at its upper end a removable top member lying above the pot, independent adjusting means at the corners of the top member whereby such member may be adjusted bodily up and down and leveled up, and means mounted upon the framework for adjusting one of the rolls.

JOHN H. FOX.

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