Glass cutting apparatus

摘要

Apparatus for scoring a sheet of glass along two sets of parallel lines respectively normal to each other comprises two carriages movable above the glass sheet in perpendicular directions, each having a plurality of glass scoring means spaced transversely of its path of movement and being supported on wheels at each side, those at one side running on a fixed rail, those at the other running on a rail partly mounted on the other carriage. Fig. 2 shows, in plan, partly broken away, a carriage 45 running on a fixed rail 55 and a rail comprising a fixed part 54 and a part 56 on a carriage 47. The carriage 47 in turn runs on a fixed rail 63 and on a rail comprising a fixed part 62 and a part 64 on the carriage 45. Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the carriage 47 showing wheels 131 providing transverse location on the rail 63 which is V-shaped and the wheel 133 running on the rails 62 or 64 which are flat. The carriage is driven through pinions 67, 68 engaging racks mounted with the adjacent rails on the fixed frame or the other carriage. The pinions are mounted on a shaft 126, belt-driven from a motor 48, Fig. 2. The carriage 45 is similarly driven by the motor 46. Fig. 3 shows the apparatus in side elevation with the carriage 45 disposed above the table 70 on to which the glass sheet is conveyed by a belt conveyer 43, the leading and trailing edges being the side edges of the drawn sheet which is fed to the conveyer from a corner transfer table. As the glass is moved into position the carriage 47 moves ahead of it with its scoring devices 49 raised. A switch, actuated by the glass, stops the motor driving the conveyer to locate the leading edge of the glass. The glass is then located laterally on the conveyer by pusher plates 72, Fig. 2, operated by bell-cranks coupled by a shaft 141, Fig. 3, actuated by a pneumatic cylinder 148. The carriage 47 then moves back over the glass with its scoring devices lowered. After it has returned to its initial position the carriage 47 moves transversely across the glass with its scoring devices lowered and back again with them raised. During this return movement two rollers at positions indicated at 75 in Fig. 3, but not shown in detail, are lowered on to the glass by the operation of pneumatic cylinders. These cylinders are mounted on the main beam 111 of the carriage 47, as are the scoring devices 49. The rollers are arranged to be somewhat outboard of the outermost of the scoring devices. They co-operate with snapping bars 76, 77 beneath the belt conveyer 43 to remove the outermost portions of the glass. The bar 77 is longitudinally adjustable, to suit the size in use, by rack-and-pinion mechanism operated by a handle 206. Each of the scoring mechanisms 49 is movable transversely of the carriage by a rod which can be located in one of a number of positions, relatively to a post 229, by a spring detent co-operating with a row of holes and having a screw fine adjustment. Each mechanism is as shown in detail in Fig. 12. It is mounted on the carriage beam 111 by parts 242, 245, 249 which form a dovetail slide and comprises a plunger 250 urged downwardly by a spring, not shown, and carrying a pivoted lever 256 pulled upwardly at one end by a spring 258 against a stop 269. The other end of the lever carries a star-shaped wheel 259 carrying a number of cutter wheels 263. The wheel is held stationary by an eccentric pin engaging one of a number of holes. It can be lifted off the pin, against the pressure of a spring, and rotated to bring a different cutter 263 to the lowermost, operative, position. The cutters of any one unit 49 can be rendered ineffective by energizing a solenoid to lift a bar 272 engaging under a pin 271 projecting from the lever. The cutters of all the units are normally lifted and lowered together by a square shaft which rotates an arm 309 in each unit, bearing on the underside of a block 293 adjustable by a screw 291 between the limbs of a fork at the top end of the plunger 250. Any one scoring unit 49 can also be rendered ineffective by turning a latch member 303 about a pivot screw 301. This member co-operates with the edge of a plate 294, either to hold the spring-loaded arm 297 retracted in the position shown or to release it so that the roller 298 bears on the plunger 250 and engages under a projection 300 to prevent its downward movement. The square shaft 170 for lifting the cutters on the carriage 47 is rotated when required by a pneumatic cylinder 317, Fig. 2. That on the carriage 45 is coupled to an arm 172 carrying a roller 50, Fig. 6, which runs down a ramp 51 during the forward movement of the carriage to lower the scoring mechanisms. They are lifted at the end of the movement by a ramp 52 and then held up by the engagement of the arm 172 in a spring-loaded latch 53 which is released at the end of the return movement by the engagement of a roller 173 on the latch, with a cam 195. The ramp 52 is coupled to a slidable member 177 adjustable, to suit the size of glass in use, by chain-and-sprocket operated by a handle 191.