US3023543A - Glass bending mold with replaceable sections - Google Patents

Description

March 6, 1962 H. LAINE ETAL GLASS BENDING MOLD WITH REPLACEABLE SECTIONS Filed April 9, 1958 INVENTORS Jz'e Kai 22 and A TTORNE YS hired erases .Patent 3,023,543 GLASS BENDENG MGLD WITH REPLACEABLE SECTIONS Leslie H. Laine and Floyd T. Hagedorn, Perrysburg,

Ghio, assignors to Libbey-Owens-Ford Glass Company,

Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Apr. 9, 1%58, Ser. No. 727,385 4 Claims. (Cl. 49-67) This invention relates generally to the bending or shaping of glass sheets or plates to a desired configuration, and more particularly to an improved bending mold for bending glass sheets.

Before the sections of the multiple section bending molds are assembled, the shaping rails are ground to the exact contour to which the glass sheet is to be bent and in the areas of the abutting ends of the sections adjacent the hinges the rails are ground and matched so that there is a substantially continuous, smooth glass shaping surface. After the bending molds are placed in use for bending glass sheets, it is often-times necessary to replace one or more of the sections thereof because the upper surface of the shaping rails which contact the glass sheet become worn with continued use. Thus it is desirable that the shaping surfaces of the bending mold be readily adjustable to facilitate both the initial assembly and the replacement of worn sections.

It is therefore, the object of the present invention to provide an improved bending mold which is easily assembled and which has readily adjustable shaping surfaces.

Another object of the invention is to provide a multiple section bending mold in which individual sections may be easily replaced.

A further object of the invention is to provide a multiple section hinge type bending mold in which sections of the shaping rail may be installed or replaced without grinding to blend at the hinge joints.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent during the course of the following description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of the improved mold and frame;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the mold and frame of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged elevation with parts in section of the improved hinge structure as viewed from the center of the mold;

P16. 4 is a section of the hinge construction taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is another section of the hinge construction taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, the numeral refers to a mold supporting frame which is comprised of a pair of longitudinally extending base members 11 held in substantially parallel, spaced relationship by a pair of spaced transverse skids or rails 12. The rails 12 also serve to guide the rack as it moves along a conveyor (not shown) through a bending furnace. Four vertically extending hanger posts 13 are secured to the base members 11 near the longitudinal extremities thereof.

A mold generally indicated by the numeral 14 is carried by the hanger posts 13 and includes a center section 15 which is comprised of a pair of substantially parallel 3,@Z3,543 Patented Mar. 6, 1962 relatively long spaced shaping rails 16 bent to a relatively long radius. Shaping rails 16 are held in spaced relationship by cross rods 17 secured to the inwardly facing surfaces of the inverted T sections which form the shaping rails.

The center section 15 is movably connected to oppositely disposed aligned rectangular end sections 18 each of which comprises shaping rails 19 which are also formed by inverted T sections. End section shaping rails 19 are bent sharply upward from the point of juncture between the center section 15 and the end sections 18 as viewed in FIG. 1. The top edge of the shaping rails 16 and 19 join in their closed position to form a continuous substantially uninterrupted shaping surface A. The end section shaping rails 19 are reinforced by cross rods 20 which are mounted in the same manner as center section cross rods 17.

To support the mold end sections, pairs of depending arms 21 are welded or fastened by other means to the outwardly facing surface of each end section shaping rail 19 on opposite sides thereof about midway between the ends. Each arm 21 carries a pin 22 at its lower extremity which pivotally engages the lower end of a link 23, which, in turn, is pivoted at its upper end about a pin 24 extending through a corner post 13 near the upper extremity thereof. Hinges 25 join the center section 15 with the end sections 18.

According to the present invention, the hinges 25 are mounted on the mold by means of new and novel structure which facilitates easy assembly and disassembly of the mold and which permits individual mold sections to be easily replaced. As shown in B of FIGS. 3 and 4 the center rails 16 are notched at the bottom corners on both ends, leaving the top or shaping surface intact. To provide support for the hinge 25 a rail plate 26 is tack welded as at 27 to overlie a portion of the notch B on the inwardly facing surface of the shaping rail 16. In order that the hinge 25 may retain the shaping rails in proper alignment the rail plate 26 is substantially parallel to the shaping rail 16. The outermost edge of the rail plate 26 lies inwardly of the outermost end of both the notched out portion B and the shaping rail 16 in order to prevent the mold from binding during closure. An integrally formed leg portion 28 extends downwardly from the rail plate 26 and an aperture 29 extends through the rail plate 26 at a point directly above the leg 28.

As will be later described, to prevent lateral movement of the assembled hinge, a generally L shaped lug 30 is secured to the outwardly facing surface of the rail plate 26 parallel to the shaping surface of the center section shaping rail 16. The lug 30 terminates in the longitudinal direction a short distance from the edge of the rail plate 26 which lies adjacent the outermost end of the rail 16, while the opening between the L shaped lug 30 and the rail plate 26 provides a vertical slot 31 adjacent and extending parallel to the outwardly facing surface of the rail plate 26 directly beneath the center section shaping rail.

The hinge 25 includes a clevis portion 32 comprising a vertically extending rib 33 disposed at right angles to the adjacent end rail section and parallel spaced bifurcations 34 and 35 secured thereto which extend toward the transverse center line of the mold 14 at right angles to the rib 33. As seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the bifurcations 34 and 35 contain aligned apertures 36 at the lower innermost corners.

The lower innermost corners of the end section shaping rails 19 are notched at C to receive the rib section 33 of the clevis portion 32 which is tack welded to the end rails at 37 in abutting relation with the notched portion C. The bifurcations 34 and 35 are each positioned within the notched portion C and are spaced equidistant from the plane of each end shaping rail 19.

The hinge 25 also includes an eye portion 38 that is provided with an aperture 39 which when aligned with the apertures 36 in the clevis portion 32 is pivotally joined to the clevis portion 32 by a hinge pin 40. Lateral movement of the hinge pin 40 in the aligned apertures is prevented by a washer 41 mounted opposite the head end of the hinge pin 40 and secured by a cotter key 42. To limit the closing motion of the mold 14 a stop member in the form of a projection 43 is provided near the top of the eye portion 38 and is adapted to contact the rib $3 of the clevis portion 32.

Attached to the eye portion 38 is a hinge plate 44 tack welded thereto at several points indicated by the numeral 45. The hinge plate 44 carries a pivot pin 46 substantially in the center thereof adapted to extend through the aperture 29 in the rail plate 26 to permit the hinge plate to pivot thereabout. The hinge plate 44 extends upward and is received in the vertical slot 31 where it is confined in final assembly against lateral movement to prevent disengagement of the pivot pin 46 from the aperture 29. Locator pins 47 and 48 are carried by the hinge plate 44 below the pivot pin 46 and as seen in FIGS. 3 and these locator pins 47 and 48 project inwardly from hinge plate 44 parallel to the pivot pin 46.

Due to the fact that there are several variable factors involved, including manufacturing tolerances and wear, which might result in misalignment of the shaping surfaces of the shaping rails 16 and 19 during installation or replacement as shown by dashed lines at D and E in FIG. 3, it has been found desirable in some instances to provide means for angular adjustment of the rail plate 26 relative to the hinge plate 44. Such adjustment is accomplished by means of triangular wedges 49 and 50 placed between the leg portion 28 and the locator pins 47 and 48. By properly locating the wedges it is possible to align the shaping surfaces of the center shaping rail 16 and the end shaping rail 19. For example, if the rail 16 is in the D position, wedge 49 is withdrawn part way from between the leg 28 and the locator pin 47 allowing the rail 16 and rail plate 26 to pivot around the pivot pin 46 until the top surface of rail 16 is aligned with the top surface of rail 19. Wedge 50 is advanced farther into the widened space between the leg 28 and the locator pin 48 to hold the alignment, and both Wedges are rigidly secured to the hinge plate 44 by any suitable means such as tack welds '51. If the rail 16 is in the E position of FIG. 3 the wedge 50 is withdrawn and wedge 49 is advanced. 'The adjustment is made at all four corners, if required.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention disclosed herein is to be taken as the preferred embodiment thereof, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. In apparatus for bending glass sheets, a mold comprising a plurality of sections including an end section and an intermediate section having shaping surfaces formed thereon, said mold sections adapted to move relative to each other to a position wherein said shaping surfaces form a continuous surface defining the configuration to which the glass sheet is to be bent, hinge means mounting said end section for rotative movement to said position, and adjusting means connecting said hinge means with said intermediate section, said adjusting means comprising a first member rigidly secured to said intermediate section and a second member rigidly secured to said hinge means, and means pivotally connecting said first member and .said second member to permit said first member to rotate relative to said second member thereby changing the relative position of the shaping surface of said intermediate section and said end section.

2. Apparatus for selectively connecting and disconnecting adjacent sections of a glass bending mold and aligning the glass engaging shaping surfaces formed on said sections, comprising a hinge having two hinge members pivotally joined together with one of said members secured to the end of one of said sections, a plate secured to the other of said hinge members and extending toward the end of anladjacent section of said bending mold, a second plate secured to the end of said adjacent section and overlapping said first member, means pivotally connecting said first and second members for movement with respect to each other about a fixed axis thereby to shift the glass engaging surfaces formed on said sections relative to each other, and locating means formed on said first plate and said second plate, and adjustable clamping means acting between said locating means on said first plate and said second plate to prevent relative rotation between said first and second plate.

3. In apparatus for bending glass sheets, a mold comprising a plurality of mold sections including an end section and an intermediate section having shaping surfaces formed thereon, said mold sections adapted to move relative to each other between an open, sheet receiving position and a closed position wherein said shaping surface forms a continuous surface defining the configuration to which the glass sheet is to be bent, a hinge having a clevis portion secured to said end section and an eye portion, a hinge pin pivotally connecting said eye portion and said clevis portion, adjustment means connect- .ing said intermediate section to said eye portion whereby said end sections swing about said hinge pin as an axis between said open and closed positions, said adjustment means comprising a first member secured to said eye portion and projecting toward said intermediate section, spaced apart pins secured at one end to said first member and projecting laterally outwardly therefrom, a second member rigidly secured to said intermediate section, a pivot pin joining said first and second members and extending parallel to said hinge pin whereby said first and second members rotate about said pivot pin as an axis to alter the relative positions of said shaping surfaces on said mold sections, a leg portion integral with said second member and disposed between said pins on said first member, and wedges acting between said pins and the opposite sides of said leg portion thereby to clamp said second member in a preselected position relative to the first member to prevent relative rotation between said first and second members.

4. In apparatus for bending glass sheets, a mold comprising a plurality of sections disposed end to end and having shaping surfaces formed thereon, said mold sections adapted to move relative to each other between an open, sheet receiving position and a closed position wherein said shaping surfaces form a continuous surface defining the configuration to which the glass sheet is to be bent, a hinge comprising a clevis portion secured to one of said mold sections and an eye portion, a hinge pin pivotally connecting said clevis portion and said eye portion for rotation relative to each other about said pin as an axis, adjusting means connecting said eye portion with the other of said mold sections, said adjusting means comprising a hinge plate disposed in a plane parallel to said mold sections and secured to said eye portion, pins formed on said hinge plate to project laterally outwardly therefrom, a rail plate rigid with said other mold section and having a leg portion formed thereon and extending between said pins, means pivotally connecting said hinge plate and said rail plate, and adjustable means acting between said pins on said hinge plate and said leg portion and operable to swing said rail plate relative to said hinge plate about said pivot means thereby to alter the relative positions of said shaping surfaces to insure the con- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hoyt Dec. 8, 1903 Hem Feb. 20, 1923 6 Hurt Oct. 15, 1929 Mafera July 12, 1938 Mafera Feb. 21, 1939 Smith Aug. 15, 1950 Black Feb. 28, 1956 Jendrisak Mar. 13, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Oct. 16, 1957

Images