PULLING ROLLS FOR USE IN GLASS MANUFACTURING PROCESSES AND GLASS MANUFACTURING PROCESSES INCORPORATING THE SAME

摘要

In one embodiment, a pulling roll for drawing glass sheet in a down-draw process includes a shaft member and a compliant cover assembly positioned on the shaft member. The compliant cover assembly includes at least one traction disk positioned on the shaft member. The at least one traction disk includes an annular hub and a plurality of spring elements integrally formed with the annular hub. The spring elements project outward from the annular hub such that a free end of each spring element is positioned radially outward from a base of each spring element. Each of the spring elements has a spring constant in a range from about 2 lbf/mm to about 2000 lbf/mm. When the compliant cover assembly is engaged with a planar surface of a glass sheet, the spring elements deflect radially inward, towards a center of the annular hub, thereby preventing damage to the glass sheet.