US3197298A

US3197298A - Glass bending mold

Info

Publication number: US3197298A
Application number: US75521A
Authority: US
Inventors: Johnston Raymond; James P Julio
Original assignee: Chrysler Corp
Current assignee: Old Carco LLC
Priority date: 1960-12-13
Filing date: 1960-12-13
Publication date: 1965-07-27
Anticipated expiration: 1982-07-27

Description

July 27, 1965 R. JOHNSTON 3,197,298

GLASS BENDING MOL`D 77- far/vr@ July 27, 1995 R JOHNSTON ETAL 3,197,298

GLASS BENDING MOLD 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 13. 1960 INVENTORS'A Wywff 0227715.51271 .yB/vwes 7i Jaz/za July 27, 1955 JOHNSTON ETAL 3,197,298

GLASS BENDING MOLD Filed Dec. 13, 1960 3 `Sheets-Sheet 5 i fran/V57@ United States Patent O 3,197,298 GLASS BENDNG MOLD I Raymond Johnston, Southfield, and James P. .lulro,r{.)ak

Park, Mich., assignors to Chrysler Corporation, hughland Park, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 13, 196i), Ser. No. '75,521 10 Claims. (Ci. 65-291) This invention relates to glass bending molds of the so-called fioating center section type wherein the floating center section is pivotally connected at its opposite ends towing sections having novel support means for effecting the vertical floating movement of the intermediate center mold section.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide support means for the wing sections of a floating center section glass bending mold wherein a simplified yet accurate control of the movement of the glass during bending is obtained and wherein the arrangement of the mold on the support frame is such that accurate bending is achieved.

It is another object of this invention to floatingly support the bending mold forming surfaces on the mold frame in such a manner that distortion of the frame during handling will not aect the accuracy of the glass bending operation because of the novel interconnection between the mold bending and the associated supporting frame.

It is another object of this invention to connect a tloating center section bending mold to a mold supporting frame by means of rollers on the mold bending ring that are movably mounted on the ring supporting frame,

It is still another object of this invention to connect a sectionalized oating center section bending ring with a mold supporting frame by means of intermeshed relatively movable gearing that accurately controls glass bending while eliminating distortions of the glass that might result from variations or deflection of the supporting trame.

It is still another object of this invention to associate a thermally controlled torsion spring means with the pivotally mounted wing sections of a sectionalized floating center section ring type glass bending mold.

It is still another object of this invention to loosely interconnect certain sections of a sectionalized bending mold with an independent support frame by means of pin mounted rollers wherein limited relative movement may occur between the roller mounting pins and track formations on the support frame.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will he readily apparent from a consideration of the following description and the related drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a sectionalized iioating center section glass bending mold embodying a preferred form of this invention, the mold being shown in open position prior to bending of the glass sheet supported thereon;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational View of the glass bending mold shown in FIG. 1, this View being taken with the mold in closed position at the completion of a glass bending operation;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the mold shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with the mold forming surface shown in closed position as in FIG. 2;

ice

ing means;

FIG. S is a fragmentary end elevational view of the FIG. 7 mold wing section supporting means, this View being taken in the direction of the arrow C of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary side elevational view of still another form of mold wing section supporting means.

In the bending of fiat sheets of glass or similar material, to form curved glass articles such as motor vehicle windshields or the like, it is conventional practice to support a flat sheet of glass G (see FIG. 1) on a glass bending mold ring R that is supported on a mold frame F that is passed through a glass bending lehr (not shown) of appropriate type. The mold frame F with Yits supported bending ring R is passed through the glass bending lehr by conveyor means and mold transfer means that roughly handles the frame F during the glass bending operation.V As the mold ring R and supporting frame F are heated to temperatures of 1000" to l200 F. during the glass bending operation it has been found that rough handling of the bending mold frame while it is in its heated condition or shortly thereafter has a tendency to cause deflections in the framework F that might be transmitted to bending ring R such that inaccurately shaped bent glass articles might be produced.

It is a prime object of this invention to fioatingly support the bending ring R on the frame F such that any minute distortions or deflections of the frame F will not be directly transferred to the bending ring R and thus will not interfere with accurate bending of the glass G. In addition to providing accurate control of the glass bending operation, the novel mold means herein disclosed also uses a minimum of structure so as to provide a low cost bending fixture that is least susceptible to problems associated .with thermal capacities of the mold because of the minimum amount of metal involved in the mold structure. Also, the relative movement between the floating center section 1t) and the pivotally connected relatively movable wing sections 11 and 12 provides extreme exibility during the glassbending operation while at the same time insuring accurate shaping of the glass G when the sectionalized mold ring R has moved to closed position (see FIG. 2) at the completion of the glass bending operation. A

The form of this invention shown in FIGS. 1 through 5 will be described in detail first and then the modified forms thereof shown in FIGS. 6 through 9 will be thereafter described to point out the distinctions between the several forms of this invention which forms all embody the same bending concept.

In FIGS. 1 through 5 the glass bending mold comprises a framework F of rectangular plan configuration (see Patented July 27, 1965 FIG. 3) formed from opposed tubular side rails 15 and 16 and opposed tubular end rails 17 and 1S which rails are arranged to provide a rectangular framework. The frame F may include the depending legs 2t) and 21 that are adapted to ride upon any conventional type of glass bending lehr conveyor mechanism (not shown). EX- tending upwardly from the Opposite ends of the frame F, at each side thereof, are a pair of

ring supporting pedestals

22 and 23, respectively. The pedestals 22 and 23'are of the design shown in detail in FIGS. 4 and 5. It will be noted from FIGS. 4 and 5 that the pedestal 23 has a cap 26 that includes a rectangular groove 27 ero tending lengthwise across its top surface which groove is blocked at its opposite ends by suitable stop means 28. The groove 27 is adapted to seat a roller 29 that is journalled on a pin or rod 30 carried by the associated substantially U-shaped wing section 11 of the mold glass shaping ring R. It is thought to be obvious from the description so far that the roller 2.9 can have rolling and/or sliding movement in the groove 27 of the frame pedestal 23. Furthermore, from FIG. 5, it will be noted that the roller groove 27 in the pedestal cap 26 is greater than the Width of the roller 29 so that there is a suicient clearance between the roller and the groove sides to allow for slight misalignments, deections and/or distortions of the frame F without transmitting the effects of these misalignments, distortions or deflections to the roller supported glass bending ring R.

The mold ring R comprises a center section that includes the strip-like side rails 41, 42 that are intercon nected by suitable cross bracing 43. The mold ring wing sections 11 and 12 are formed of a substantially U-shaped strip 46 that is cross braced as shown at 47. Y Each wing section 11 and 12 also includes the pivot bar that mounts the aforementioned support rollers 29. Suitable hinge means 50 (see FIG. 4) pivotally interconnect the wing sections 11 and 12 to the opposite ends of intermediate or center mold ring section 10. The adjacent end edges 51- and 52 of the

mold ring sections

10, 11

and 10, 12 (see FIG. 4) are adapted to abut and limit fthe closing movement of the wing sections 11, 12 with respect to the center section 1i).

Looking at FIG. l, which shows the mold ring R in open position with the glass G supported thereon, it is thought to be obvious that the weight of the glass G is suicient to maintain the wing sections 11, 12 in the open position. As the mold passes through a bending lehr the temperature ofthe glass G is raised to such a temperature that the glass softens and under such circumstances the Weight of the mold ring is suicient to cause the mold wing sections 11 and 12 to begin a gradual upward bending movement so that they will eventually reach the closed position shown in FIG. 2. During this movement from the open position shown in FIG. 1 to the closed position shown in FIG. 2 the ring support rollers 29 roll and/ or slide along the pedestal trackway grooves 27 to accommodate relative movement between the ring center section 10 and the pivotally connected wing sec tions 11 and 12. The freedom of movement afforded the wing sections 11, 12 with respect to the center` section 1i) by virtue of the roller and

track connection

29, 27 accommodates any variation is temperature at opposite ends of the mold ring as well as any variation in material composition that would tend to cause one wing section to move at a greater or lesser rate than the other wing section. The free oating movement of the mold ring sections provides maximum flexibility witlrminimum structure and eliminates the transmission of any frame distortion to the glass shaping ring R. FIG. 6 is quite similar to the FIGS. 1 through 5 form of the invention, but differs therefrom in that a cam block 6d having an arcuate rolling surface 61 is mounted on the mold ring wing sections 11 and 12 by welding 62 or any similar attachment means. This cam block 6-9 takes the place of the journal pin mounted rollers 29 shown in the FIGS.

d. l through 5 form of the invention. The cam surface 61 of cam block 61) is arranged to roll and/ or slide lengthwise of the trackway groove 27 in the cap 26 of pedestal 23. rhe opposite ends of the groove 27 are blocked by suitable stop means 2S so as to limit the movement of the cam block relative to the grooved trackway 27.

FiGS. 7 and 8 show still a third form of this invention wherein gear means 65, 66 is substituted for the wing section supporting

means

29 or 60 previously described with respect to the two aforementioned forms of this invention. In the FIGS. 7 and 8 form, the mold ring Wing sections 11 and 12 each carry an axle pin 71 that fixedly mounts a gear 65. The pin 71 extends through an elongated slot 73 provided in the upper end of the pedestal 23. Pin 71 thus can have a limited shifting movement lengthwise of the mold frame F by virtue of the pin and

slot connection

71, 73. Gear is arranged to meshingly engage a gear element 66 that is 1izeyed at 74 to a rotatable shaft 75. Shaft 75 is journalled in the pedestal 23 of the frame member F. A coiled torsion spring 77 has one end thereof anchored at 73 to the rotatable shaft 75 and the opposite end of the coil spring is anchored to the fixed pedestal 23' as shown at'79. The function of the coil spring 77 is to act through the shaft 75 and the

meshed gears

66, 65 to rotate the associated wing section of the mold 11 or 12 upwardly to closed position. As the glass G softens during the heat treatment in the bending lehr, the action of the torsion spring 77 combines with the weight of the mold ring R and the supported glass G to effect lowering of the mold center section 1G on upward folding movement of the mold wing sections 11, 12. to their finalized closed positions. The coiled torsion spring 77 may be thermally responsive such that as the temperature is raised in the bending lehr the force exerted by the spring is increased and there is an increase in force applied to the ends of the glass G to bend the end portions upwardly to their nalized form.

FIG. 9 shows a still further modified form of the invention which is similar in some respect to the form shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 in that identical gear means 65, 66 are used and these gear means are supported on the pedestal 23 in the same manner as shown and described with respect to the FIGS. 7 and 8 form of the invention. The FIG. 9 form of the invention differs from the FIGS. 7 and 8 forms in that a lever supported weight 80 is connected to the rotatable gear shaft 75 rather than using a torsion spring to effect rotation of the gear element 66. The Weight 80 provides a constant force rather than a variable force such as that produced by the torsion spring 77.

It is thought to be obvious that the two forms of the invention shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and in FIG. 9, respectively, will each function in a manner similar to that already described with respect to FIGS. 1 through 6. The FIGS.

` 7 through 9 forms permit longitudinal shift of the mold wing sections 11, 12 and the attached center section 10 during glass bending due to the elongated slot and

pin connection

71, 73 between the wing section pivot pins 71 and slot 73 in the associated frame pedestal 23. The spring element 77 and the weight element 80 provide additional means movement control associated with the pivotally mounted wing sections 11, 12 and assist in controlling the time and rate of bending with respect to temperature ofthe glass G.

From the above description of the several forms of this invention, it is though to be obvious that the floating mold ring R that is supported by but not fixedly connected to the frame F, provides a distinct advantage from both an operational and an economic standpoint. As previous- -ly pointed out distortion of the frame F will not be directly transferred to the floating mold ring R because of the clearance t between the mold ring support means 29, 6i) or 71 and the associated frame pedestals 23 or 23. Also, because of this loose connection the same frames F can be used with different mold rings or vice versa and thus maximum life may be obtained for the various elements that make up the complete mold unit. Also, the use of a floating mold ring wherein the Wing sections are movably mounted on the mold support frame by roller means that 'control movement but avoid the transfer of frame distortions is thought to be a novel feature that tends to insure accurate glass bending.

We claim:

1. A mold for bending a glass sheet or the like comprising a ring-like shaping surface to support the glass sheet composed of pivotally interconnected intermediate and end ring sections arranged to form a closed sheet shaping ring having upwardly angled end portions when said sections are in the closed ring position with said end sections being foldable downwardly relative to s-aid intermediate section about horizontally extending pivot axes to sheet receiving open ring positions, an independent frame for floatingly supporting said ring-'like shaping surface including pedestal sections positioned adjacent each ring end section, and pin carrier and slotted track connector means interconnecting the shaping ring end sections and said pedestal sections to provide for .relative movement therebetween lengthwise of the frame during movement of the ring end sections between said open and closed ring positions, said interconnecting means comprising a carrier mounted on each of the ring end sections and a track mounted on each of the pedestal sections to support the engaged carrier and accommodate the relative movement therebetween and gearing connected between each carrier and the associated pedestal to control said relative movement.

2. In a sheet bending mold as set forth in claim 1 wherein said gearing comprises a pair of meshing gears mounted respectively on said interconnected pedestal and ring Sections with one of said gears having a means connected thereto continuously acting to effect rotation of said other gear in a direction to cause upward folding movement of the associated ring and section to said closed position.

3. In a sheet bending mold as set forth in claim 1 wherein said gearing comprises a pair of meshing gears mounted respectively on said interconnected pedestal and ring sections with one of said gears 'having a means connected thereto continuously acting to effect rotation of said other gear in a direction to cause upward folding movement of the associated ring end section to said closed position, said last-mentioned means comprising a tensioned spring.

d. In a sheet bending mold as set forth in claim 1 wherein said gearing comprises a pair of meshing gears mounted respectively on said interconnected pedestal and ring sections with one of said gears having a means connected thereto continuously acting to eifect rotation of said other gear in a direction to cause upward folding movement of the associated ring end section to said closed position, said last-mentioned means comprising a tensioned spring that is responsive to temperature variations.

5. In a sheet bending mold as set forth in `claim 1 wherein said gearing comprises a pair of meshing gears mounted respectively on said interconnected pedestal and ring sections with one of said gears having a means connected thereto continuously acting to effect rotation of said other gear in a direction to cause upward folding movement of the associated ring end section to said closed position, said last-mentioned means comprising a weighted crank arm.

In a glass bending mold having a pair of pivotally interconnected glass supporting shaping surfaces, an independent frame to iioatingly support said surfaces for movement relative thereto comprising a pedestal, and pin and slot means interconnecting said shaping surfaces and said pedestal comprising a pin roller member mounted on one of said shaping surfaces and a slot cam surface on said frame pedestal engaged by said roller member whereby movement of said roller member across said cam si rface lengthwise of the frame accompanies 6 relative pivotal movement between said interconnected glass supporting shaping surfaces between predetermined limiting positions, and gearing connected between said roller member and pedestal operable to control rotation thereof.

7. In a glass bending mold having a pair of pivotally interconnected glass supporting shaping surfaces, an independent frame to oatingly support said surfaces for movement relative thereto comprising a pedestal, and pin and slot means interconnecting said shaping surfaces and said pedestal comprising a pin roller member mounted on one of said shaping surfaces and a slot cam surface on said frame pedestal engaged by said roller member whereby movement of said roller member across said cam surface lengthwise of the frame accompanies relative pivotal movement between said interconnected glass supporting shaping surfaces between predetermined limiting positions, and gearing connected between said roller member and pedestal operable to control rotation thereof, said gearing having means connected thereto to effect gear rotation.

8. In a glass bending mold having a pair of pivotally interconnected glass supporting shaping surfaces, an independent frame to oatingly support said surfaces for movement relative thereto comprising a pedestal, and pin and slot means interconnecting said shaping surfaces and said pedestal comprising a pin rol-ler member mounted on one of said shaping surfaces and a slot cam surface on said frame pedestal engaged by said roller member whereby movement of said roller member across said cam surface lengthwise of the frame accompanies relative pivotal movement between said interconnected glass supporting shaping surfaces between predetermined limiting positions, and gearing connected between said roller member and pedestal operable to control rotation thereof, said gearing having means connected thereto to eifect gear rotation comprising tensioned spring means.

9. ln a glass bending mold having a pair of pivotally interconnected glass supporting shaping surfaces, an independent frame to floatingly support said surfaces for movement relative thereto comprising a pedestal, and pin and slot means interconnecting said shaping surfaces and said pedestal comprising la pin roller member mounted on one of said shaping surfaces and a slot cam surface on said frame pedestal engaged by said roller member whereby movement of said roller member across said cam surface lengthwise of the frame accompanies relative pivotal movement between said interconnected glass supporting shaping surfaces between predetermined limiting positions, and gearing connected between said roller member and pedestal operable to control rotation thereof, said gearing having means connected thereto to effect gear rotation comprising a weighted crank arm.

1t). A mold for bending a glass sheet or the like comprising an articulated, ring-like shaping surface to support the glass sheet composed of pivotally interconnected intermediate and end ring lsections arranged to form a substantially horizontally disposed, closed sheet shaping ring having upwardly angled end portions when said sections are in the closed ring position with said end sections being foldable downwardly relative to said intermediate section Iabout horizontally extending pivot axes to sheet receiving open ring positions, an independent frame for floatingly supporting said ring-like shaping surface including pedestal sections positioned adjacent each ring end section, and pin and slot connector means interconnecting the shaping ring end sections and said pedestal sections to provide for relative movement therebetween lengthwise of the frame duringmovement of the ring end sections between said open and closed ring positions, said interconnecting means comprising a pin roller carried by each end of each of said ring end sections and va slot in each of said pedestal sections receiving one of said pin rollers and arranged to accommodate the relative movement '.7 5% therebetween, and gearing connected between each pedes- 2,856,734 l/SS Richardson 65-291 tal and the associated pin roller to 'control movement of 2,872,756 2/ 59 Iendrisak 65-290 the ring end section connected thereto. FOREIGN PATENTS References Cited by the Examiner 5 710,393 6/5-4 Great Britain.

538,160 5/55 Belgium. UNITED STATES PATENTS 810,379 3/59 Grearrirain. V2,551,606 5/51 Jendrisak 65-291' 2,774,189 12/ 56 .Tendrisak 65-290 DONALL H. SYLVESTER, Primary Examiner. 2,814,164 11/57 Carson et al. 65-290 ALLEN B. CURTS, Examiner.

Claims

1. A MOLD FOR BENDING A GLASS SHEET OR THE LIKE COMPRISING A RING-LIKE SHAPING SURFACE TO SUPPORT THE GLASS SHEET COMPOSED OF PIVOTALLY INTERCONNECTED INTERMEDIATE AND END RING SECTIONS ARRANGED TO FORM A CLOSED SHEET SHAPING RING HAVING UPWARDLY ANGLED END PORTIONS WHEN SAID SECTIONS ARE IN THE CLOSED RING POSITION WITH SAID END SECTIONS BEING FOLDABLE DOWNWARDLY RELATIVE TO SAID INTERMEDIATE SECTION ABOUT HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING PIVOT AXES TO SHEET RECEIVING OPEN RING POSITIONS, AN INDEPENDENT FRAME FOR FLOATINGLY SUPPORTING SAID RING-LIKE SHAPING SURFACE INCLUDING PEDESTAL SECTIONS POSITIONED ADJACENT EACH RING END SECTION, AND PIN CARRIER AND SLOTTED TRACK CONNECTOR MEANS INTERCONNECTING THE SHAPING RING END SECTIONS AND SAID PEDESTAL SECTIONS TO PROVIDE FOR RELATIVE MOVEMENT THEREBETWEEN LENGTHWISE OF THE FRAME DURING MOVEMENT OF THE RING END SECTIONS BETWEEN SAID OPEN AND CLOSED RING POSITIONS, SAID INTERCONNECTING MEANS COMPRISING A CARRIER MOUNTED ON EACH OF THE RING END SECTIONS AND A TRACK MOUNTED ON EACH OF THE PEDESTAL SECTIONS TO SUPPORT THE ENGAGED CARRIER AND ACCOMMODATE THE RELATIVE MOVEMENT THEREBETWEEN AND GEARING CONNECTED BETWEEN EACH CARRIER AND THE ASSOCIATED PEDESTAL TO CONTROL SAID RELATIVE MOVEMENT.