Pulling rolls for use in manufacturing sheet glass

• US 6,896,646 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2003
• Issued: 05/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Inventors: Maldonado, Jaime, Kaiser, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): JIMENEZ, MARC QUEMUEL
• Application Number:
  US10/393,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20030181302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 492/50, 492/40, 492/52, 492/53, 492/47, 298/952.1, 298/952.2
• US Class Current: 492/40
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 17/068 Means for providing the drawing force, e.g. traction or draw rollers
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 35/18 Construction of the conveyor rollers ; Materials, coatings or coverings thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 35/185 having a discontinuous surface for contacting the sheets or ribbons other than cloth or fabric, e.g. having protrusions or depressions, spirally wound cable, projecting discs or tires
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 35/189 Disc rollers
• CPC Class Codes: F27B 9/28 for treating continuous lengths of work
• CPC Class Codes: F27D 2003/0067 comprising conveyors where the translation is communicated by friction from at least one rotating element, e.g. two opposed rotations combined
• CPC Class Codes: F27D 3/026 transport or conveyor rolls for furnaces; roller rails conveyor rolls in general B65G
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49549 Work contacting surface element assembled to core
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49554 Work contacting surface having annular axial sections
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49556 Work contacting surface element assembled to end support members

Abstract

Pulling rolls (13) for glass ribbons (11) are provided. The rolls include a shaft (17), a plurality of heat-resistant discs (15) mounted on the shaft in face-to-face contact, and a pair of fittings (25 or 25,31) affixed to the shaft which apply an axial compressive force to the discs. The axial compressive force gives the portions (27) of the roll surface (33) which contact the glass ribbon during use a Shore D hardness at room temperature of between 30 and 55. The rolls achieve a long service life without applying excessive force to the glass ribbon or generating high levels of particulate contamination.

Claims

1. A roll for pulling a glass ribbon comprising:

(a) a shaft having a first end and a second end;

(b) a plurality of heat-resistant discs mounted on the shaft in face-to-face contact, said discs having circular outer peripheries which together form a roll surface, one or more portions of which are adapted to contact the glass ribbon during use of the roll, said discs comprising refractory ceramic fibers, mica, and a heat resistant binder; and

(c) a pair of fittings affixed to the shaft, said fittings being spaced from one another along the shaft by a distance which causes an axial compressive force to be applied to the discs;

wherein when the discs are subject to said axial compressive force, the one or more portions of the roll surface that are adapted to contact the glass ribbon have a Shore D hardness at room temperature of between 30 and 55.

2. The roll of claim 1 wherein:

(a) the shaft comprises a pair of grooves,

(b) the pair of fittings comprise a pair of collars and a pair of retaining rings, and

(c) the pair of collars is affixed to the shaft through engagement of the retaining rings with the grooves and collars, one retaining ring engaging one of the grooves and one of the collars and the other retaining ring engaging the other groove and the other collar.

3. The roll of claim 1 wherein:

(a) the plurality of heat-resistant discs comprises a first plurality of discs in the region of first end of the shaft and a second plurality of discs in the region of the second end of the shaft, said first and second pluralities of discs each having an inboard most disc; and

(b) the roll comprises two additional fittings, one of which engages the inboard most disc of the first plurality of discs and the other of which engages the inboard most disc of the second plurality of discs.

4. The roll of claim 3 wherein the portion of the shaft between the additional fittings is free of discs.

5. The roll of claim 4 wherein the portion of the shaft between the additional fittings is coated with a heat resistant material.

6. The roll of claim 5 wherein the heat resistant material is a ceramic coating.

7. The roll of claim 1 wherein the shaft has a circular cross section.

8. The roll of claim 1 wherein the shaft has a non-circular cross section.

9. The roll of claim 1 wherein the shaft is a cast stainless steel alloy.

10. The roll of claim 1 wherein the heat-resistant discs are pre-fired so that they exhibit substantially no compositional changes when exposed to the temperatures at which the roll pulls the glass ribbon.

11. The roll of claim 10 wherein the heat-resistant discs are pre-fired at a temperature of at least 700°

C. for a period of at least two hours.

12. The roll of claim 10 wherein the heat-resistant discs prior to pre-firing comprise cellulose fibers which are burned off during the pre-firing.

13. The roll of claim 1 wherein in the absence of externally caused damage, the roll has a service life of at least 40 days.