US412073A - Leer for annealing glass - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

J. K. OUMMINGS.. LEEE FOR ANNEALING GLASS.

. No. 412,073. Patented Oct. 1, 1889.-

7 M 2 an. 5 1J5 UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

JOHN K. CUMMINGS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

LEER FOR ANNEALIN'G GLASS.

. srncrmca'rxon forming part of Letters Patent No. 412,073, dated October 1, 1889.

Application filed June 22, mas.

t of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to devices for the gradual and equal annealing of glass during the cooling process; and the invention consists in features of novelty hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

Figure I is a longitudinal side View of the leer, part in vertical section taken on line I I, Fig. II, and shows the tubular cooling-rollers between which the glass passes in the process of cooling, the furnace for adjusting the heat of the leer, the sprocket drive-wheel, and endless drive-chain that runs the sprocketwheels on the terminal of the tubular rollers to effect the passage of the glass through the leer. Fig. II is avertical section taken online II H, Fig. I, and shows the furnace, the fiues that carry the hot air from the furnace to the leer, both above and below, and the dampers that regulate the passage of the hot air through said flucs. Fig. III is a vertical section taken on line III III, Fig. I, between the pairs of adjacent rolls. Fig. IV is a vertical section taken on line IVIV, Fig. I, and shows the tubular rolls and their bearings, the sprockets-wheels that operate said tubular rolls, and'the ports through the side walls of the leer, mix. which said rolls are passed to their stations; and Fig. IV also shows in broken lines the brick arch and floor, which may be used in lieu of the iron or tile in the roof and floor. Fig. V is a vertical section of the corresponding rolls, and shows the bevel-edgedcollar-disks on the ends of the lower -roll,

within which the periphery of the upper roll is guided. It also shows the covering or cushion-sleeve around the rolls, said sleeve made of asbestos or other incombustible material, and the tubular opening through said rolls through which the air passes to cool the same.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar figures of reference indicate like parts in all the views, 1 represents the side walls of the leer, which may be of brick or any other suitable material; and 2 is its roof, which may he of iron ortile, secured to the ribs 3 by screw- Berial No. 277,908. (No model.)

bolts 4, or of brick and arched, as shown in broken lines, Fig. IV.

5 is the floor of the leer, which may be of iron, tile, or brick, the latter shown in broken and full lines'in Fig. IV.-

6 represents the fire-box; 7, its side walls; 8, the bridge-wall; 9,the arch; 10, the grates, and 11 the ash-pit.

12 are the lines from the fire-box, that carry the hot air from said fire-box to the upper rick dampers in said fiues to regulate the hot draft.

14 are the flues from the fire-box to the lower compartment of the leer.

15 are the sliding dampers by which the hot draft in said lines is regulated, and 16 are the handles that operate said dampers.

compartment of the leer, and 13 are the fire-' 17 represents the metallic casing of the walls of the leer, which is securedthereto in any suitable manner.

18 are circular 'ports in the side walls for the insertion of the tube-r0lls 19, and 20 are vertical slots beneath said ports, in which the journal-tubes 21 of the rolls rotate.

The lower journal-tubes 'run on steel bearings 22, and the periphery of the upper rolls runs on that of the lower, glass-plate arc is running through,when they are supported by the plate, 800., that they are passing through. Collardisks 23 project from around lower rolls, and the beveled edges 24 on the inside of said collars serve as guides to keep the upper'rolls in longitudinal line with the lower ones. Sleeves 25, of asbestus or other incombustible material, form coats around the rollers that provide cushion-surfaces for the carriage of the glass. Projecting collars 26 are mounted around the terminals of' the journal-tubes of the rolls, and as said except when the the periphery at the ends of the collars rotate outside the metal casing-plate 17 they keep the rolls in position. These collars maybe placed on the terminals of the j ournal-tubes of both series of rolls, as shown and above described, or they may be omitted from the upper roll-journals, as the bevel-' corresponding pair of tubular rollers, have their ends secured in the side walls of the The top flanges of said T-bars are.

drive-chain 28, which is operated by the drive sprocket-wheel 29, engages.

The rotary shaft 30 of the drive sprocketwheel is run by a suitable drive-pulley connecting with any steam, water, or other power with which it-is desired to operate it.

Transverse T-bars 31, located between each tion by the shutters 32, to' prevent the introduction of adverse drafts within the leer,

which would have the effect of atoo rapid and irregular cooling of'the 1 glass while passing through the annealing :process. 33 represent ventilating flues, and 34 dampers within said fines for regulating the temperature in different locations within the; .leer.

35 represents vertically sliding gates or doors at the entrance and exit of the leer,

and 36 are the gateways in which they slide. It will be seen that by-giving said gates a, .vertical instead of swinging movement theelevation of the same can-be readily adjusted, so as toprovide an opening alone suflicient for the convenient passage of the plate-glass, and-thus the adverse exposure of the leer to the intrusion of cold air through, widelyopened'doorways at the ends is avoided.

In operation a-fire is started in the'fire-box or furnace and dampers in 'both the upper and lower fines-are regulated to-provide the required temperature within the leerto effect the gradual, equal, and systematic cooling of the glass during the annealing process. The driven rollsare thenset in motion by the connection of the power with the drive wheel and chain, the gates elevated to sufficiently open the apertures beneath them for the introduction and exit of theglass plate, which is in a condition ready for annealing. The plate or sheet glass is then introduced between the firstp'air of rolls, which as they rotate nip hold of the same, for the drive-chain, which has passed in engagement with the surmounting sprocket-teeth of the wheels of the upper tier, passes back and engages with the sprocket-teeth above the wheels of the second tier, and the chain travels in the direction to nipin the plate-glass that the rolls clutch and forward it between the two tiersof rolls from its reception at the initial end to the exit of the leer, where it is taken and disposed of by any suitable means. The transverse T-bars between each succeding pair of rolls, which are provided with slightly crowning top flanges, supportand prevent the tipping of the glass on its passage from one pair of rolls to the next succeeding pair.

" 7 By the means hereby provided and above desc ibed the' glass is autom'atically carried by the rolls through an atmosphere in the leer adjusted by the damper-fines from the fire-box and by the ventilator-fines to a given and gradually-receding temperature from the entrance of said leer to its exit.

One of the great difficulties experienced inthe annealing or cooling of both plate-glass and blown or cylinder glass has been the uneven cooling of the glass. The uneven an-- healing and cooling, and consequent uneven tension of its crystal adhesion where the contraction from the cooling process on one part.

of the plate precedes that-of others, confuses its crystal reformation, which is thus irregularly developed, so that the cohesion of its crystalsoratomsis i-mperfect,'and the result is the production of brittle .plates or-sheets-of glass in which there is,-so to speak, a latent reactionary element that tends, 'to disunion ordisintegrat'ion, especially under sudden changes of temperature, when the cohesion or-c'rystal tension is still further reduced or loosened; for-if, for instance, the cooling of a the outskirts of 'the plate precedesthat o'f'the center, or of 'thecenter that of the outskirts, there is a contraction, and settlement relatively-ofsaid ,parts-at variance with that of other parts under expansion. Meantime when, eventually, the laggard ms contract,

the crystals or atoms dfthe 'firstcooledipa-rts are, 'as stated, at variance therewith,.and fragile-plates or sheets-of glass result. It will be seen, also, that the asbestus or other incombustible material that covers the tubular rolls make {a cushiomsleeve for the same with a triplet of advantages that even sleeveless roll-coolers would not have, (although the tubular cooling-rolleisas introduced in this application are believed to be themselves -new-,) viz: First, thecu'shionsleeve has a nearer perfect embrace of the plate-glass than'the iron surface would pro -vide, and in consequence takes up-its latent heat more equally, resulting ina-more even crystal reformation during the contraction in the cooling process; second, the cushionsleeve, unlike the metal, could not inany way injure the glaze surface of the ,plates; third, while the clutch-hold of the cushionsleeves onthe plates they carry-through the leer is more tender than would be that of the metal, (or is the frictional contact-of stone slabs when they are used,) yet is its hold more sure than the metal, aud'with a'more even Persistence'and less vibration the cashioned roll quietly does its work. While. to effect the equalization of the cooling process a steady movement of the material on its passage through said cooling process is required, and is an impdrtant feature of my tubular rolls, it will also be seen that by the aid of the slightly-crowning carrier T-bars between the rolls and the cushioning of said rolls all vibration is avoided, as vibration during the v annealing and cooling process tends to pro- 7 ducea frangible crystal reformation. .It will 7 also be seen that, unlike the non-rotary coolers, these tubular cushioned rolls pass in regular succession above and below the plates,

presenting fresh surfaces of the cooling-rolls continuously under roll-pressureand inter mittently'airing the plates while relieved from pressure between their recurring pas- .sages between the rolls.

' nals, provide a ready passage for the trans- 'Thetubular rolls, with their tubular jourmission of air-through the rolls and continuous coolingbfi the same; The utiliz'ationbf" the atmosphere, which is armoving body, in

5 Y cooling the plates is a material advantage.

keepingdown the temperature of the rolls for The transverse T-bars that support the plates between the rolls also facilitate their steady transmission through the leer.

4 with their intervening T-bars. .This invention is also especially well adapt Sometimes it is found advisable to cool the leer; especially toward the conclusion of the process. To enable the operator to do so, the ventilators 33, with dampers 34, are provided.

The leer can bema'de of any length desired,

with the relative increase or diminution of the number of rolls and intervening If-bar's, and the speed of the rolls regulated to conform to the time it is desired to keep the plates under the influence of the process.

If it should be preferred, the exit end of the leer. may be provided with only the lower tier of rollers, (those that carry the plates,)

- at the hot or initial end of the leer directly from the usual flattening oven or table,which is built contiguous to the entrance of the leer in the case of blown or cylinder window-glass;

and in the case, of rolled plate-glass it is received at said end of the leer direct from the usual table on which it is rolled; also, in both these cases the glass being at ared heat when i received into-said leer. Thisleer will also serve for annealing glass roofing-tiles or any object that can be passed through said rolls.

The rolls may also be madepf shapeto conform to irregularities of form-*such as ribs,

the object that is required to pass through between them.

The ashestus or other covering of the rolls may be attached by painting or plastering it on, which secures it to the roll, or it may be rolled on in sheets or by the dressing of said rolls with tubular sleeves of the material, and in the two latter cases the material. may be secured thereto by any suitable means.

I claim as my iuventionr, 1. In a glass-annealing leer, the combine.

tion of the annealing-chamber with the structure that incloses it, the metal casing. to said structure, the side walls of said structure andu7o casing provided with circular portsand vertical slots from said v ports, the upper and lower series of rolls with journals arranged to enter through said open ports, and the jour-e nals stationed in said vertical slots, the colkeeps the rolls in juxtaposition in non-contact with the side walls of the leer-chamber,

lars on the terminals of said journals that the sprocket-wheels on said journals, and the drive chain and drive sprocket wheelby whiohthey are ,drivenarranged to carry the glass between the two series of rolls through the leer, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. K v

'2. In a glass-annealing leer, the combine.-

tionof the structure that incloses the anneal- 'ing and cooling chamber, the rolls between which the glass passes having journals mounted .in said structure, and the transverse T-bars that support the glass between the rolls,substantially as and for the purpose set forth 3. In a glass-annealing leer, the combination of the structure inclosing the annealing and cooling chamber, two parallel series of rolls, and the two seriesof softcnshion sleevebeds of non-combustible material between which the glass -1ies and is carried, the firebox at one end of the leer provided with upper and lower fines transmitting heat from said fire-box to said annealing and cooling 7 chamber, andtheadjustable dampers in said fines, substantially as and for the purposes set] forth. T. I

4. Ina glass-annealing leer, the combination of the two series of rolls having journals sleeves of incombustible material around each of saidrolls, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. t

imounted in said structure, and the cnshion-.;

5. In a glassannealing leer; the combination of vthe cooling-rolls having journals arranged one above the other, bearings supporting the journals-of the lower rolls, and the beveled flanges 24 on the ends of the lower rolls, said upper rollsresting upon the lower rolls, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

6. In a glass-annealing leer, the combination of the structure with its metal casing that incloses the annealing and cooling chamber, the Vertically-sliding doors at each end of said chamber, the rolls, the said structure and easing provided with ports and verti'calslots through which to insert and in which to station the tubular rolls, and the shutters inclosing said ports after the insertion of the rolls, substantially as and for the purpose-set forth. Y

JOHN K. cum/rises. .In presence of- I d V BENJN. A. KNIGHT,

SAML. Kinen'r.

Images