METHOD OF AND STORAGE RACK FOR STORING GLASS SHEETS

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of and a storage rack for storing glass sheets in a substantially upright position spaced at a small distance from each other. Inter­ mediate supports (2), together with a lever arm (4), form a bell crank whose angular point is linked to a carrier beam (8) by means of a pivot (9). The free end of each lever (4) carries a roller or a sliding surface (5), positioned at a location be­ tween intermediate supports (2). As the glass sheets are placed on the rack in a manner that the lower edge of glass sheet (7) is set upon rollers (5), the dead weight of a glass sheet lifts up the intermediate supports (2) for separating the glass sheets from each other.

Description: The present invention relates to a method of storing glass sheets in a substantially upright position spaced a small distance from each other, wherein intermediate supports are lifted up to separate glass sheets from each other as the glass sheets are being set on a storage rack. The invention relates also to a storage rack for carrying out the method of claim 1, said storage rack comprising a framework having carrier beams for bearing the glass sheets upon their edges as well as ascendable and descendable intermediate supports which in their uplifted position hold the glass sheets in a substantially upright position and spaced from each other. It is prior known to employ separate pieces or spokes as intermediate supports, placed between the glass sheets as the sheets are being loaded on a storage rack. The preamble of claim 1 defines a storage rack known from the prior art document US-A-4 086 263 from which it is known to employ such intermediate supports which are pivotably journalled to a rack and pivotable from a lower position to an upper position as the glass sheets are being loaded. A drawback in both prior known solutions is that they cannot be applied to automatic loading. In one prior art storage rack the intermediate supports are fixed and preset in an upright position. Even in this case, automatization is complicated and expensive to set up since the glass sheets must be slipped from above in between the fixed intermediate supports. An object of the invention is to provide an improved method of and a storage rack for storing glass sheets in a manner that automatization of the loading of glass sheets in a fashion essentially more simple than before. This object is achieved by the invention on the basis of the characterizing features set forth in the annexed claims. One preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference made to the accompanying drawings, in which fig. 1 is a perspective view of a storage rack of the invention in a partially loaded condition. Fig. 2 shows a detail of a storage rack in a perspective view, and fig. 3 shows the same detail as fig. 2 but fitted with a different return spring 10. The storage rack comprises a framework 1 provided with horizontal, spaced-apart carrier beams 8 upon which the lower edges of glass sheets are placed and which serve as bearers for the glass sheets. Intermediate supports 2 are journalled with a pivot 9 so as to be pivotable between a lowered position (section 3) and an uplifted position (section 6). In their lowered position said intermediate supports 2 lie nearly in a horizontal position and in an uplifted position substantially in a vertical position. A novel feature in the invention is that intermediate supports 2 are adapted to be lifted up by the own weight of glass sheets 7 as said glass sheets 7 are being loaded. For this reason, in the present embodiment, the base of each intermediate support 2 is fitted with a lever arm 4 which, together with the intermediate support, forms a bell crank, said pivot 9 being positioned at the angular point thereof. The free end of lever arm 4 is provided with a roller 5 which is rotatable around an axle stub. Roller 5 is positioned alongside said lever arm 4 and, thus, each roller 5 will be located between two successive intermediate supports 2. In the unloaded condition, the intermediate supports 2 are directed away from each other beyond carrier beams 8 and lever arms 4 are directed within the area between carrier beams 8 towards each other obliquely upwards. Thus, rollers 5 will be located slightly above the bearing level provided by the top surfaces of carrier beams 8 while leaving, however, the loading space above carrier beams 8 essentially vacant. A glass sheet 7 can be brought to the storage rack either in horizontal or vertical direction. At the start of a loading operation, the lower edge of the first glass sheet is set upon the rollers 5 carried by the first row intermediate supports 2. As the glass sheet is lowered vertically down, the dead weight of such glass sheet causes the intermediate supports 2 to turn automatically up in front of said glass sheet so as to separate the glass sheet from the next one. The glass sheet remains resting on its lower edge upon the carrier beams 8. The storage rack can be fully loaded in this fashion. A storage rack of the invention is suitable for both manual and automatic loading and unloading. The rack is suitable for both straight and curved glass sheets. The rack can be loaded directly from out front, nor need the intermediate supports be separately set up or pivoted to their position to separate the glass sheets from each other. The intermediate support 2 and lever arm 4 can be made e.g. of plastics or aluminium in a single piece. Each intermediate support 2 can be adapted to returned by a spring 10 from an uplifted position to a lowered position as glass sheets are being removed from the storage rack. A spring return is more preferred than gravitational return since the former provides more pull-back force and intermediate supports 2 can be designed with other aspects in mind regardless of the centre of gravity. It is quite obvious that the invention is not limited to the above embodiment but the lifting of intermediate supports 2 by means of the weight of glass sheets 7 can be effected with most different mechanical ratios.

Claims: A method of storing glass sheets in a substantially upright position spaced at a small distance from each other, wherein intermediate supports (2) are lifted up to separate glass sheets (7) from each other as the glass sheets are being set on a storage rack (1, 8), characterized in that the lifting of each intermediate support (2) is effected by means of the weight of a glass sheet (7) while said glass sheet is set on the storage rack. A storage rack for glass sheets for carrying out the method of claim 1, said storage rack comprising a framework (1) having carrier beams (8) for bearing the glass sheets upon their edges as well as ascendable and descendable intermediate supports (2) which in their uplifted position hold the glass sheets in a substantially upright position and spaced from each other, characterized in that said intermediate supports (2) are provided with means (4, 5) positioned below the edges of the glass sheets (7) and whereby the lifting of intermediate supports (2) is adapted to be effected mechanically by means of the weight of the glass sheets (7) exerted on said means (4, 5). A storage rack as set forth in claim 2, characterized in that said means (5) positioned below the edges of the glass sheets are linked to intermediate supports (2) through the intermediary of a lever arm (4). A storage rack as set forth in claim 3, characterized in that the intermediate support (2) and said lever arm (4) together form a bell crank, which is pivotably journalled around a pivot (9) at its angular point and in which the length of intermediate support (2) is multiple compared to the length of lever arm (4). A storage rack as set forth in claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the free end of said lever arm (4) is provided with a roller or a sliding surface (5), upon which is placed the lower edge of a glass sheet (7) set between intermediate supports (2). A storage rack as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that each intermediate support (2) is adapted to be returned by means of a spring (10) from an uplifted position to a lowered position as the glass sheets are being removed from the storage rack. A storage rack as set forth in claim 3 or 4, characterized in that intermediate support (2) and lever arm (4) are made of plastics or aluminium and consist of a single piece. A storage rack as set forth in claim 3 or 4, characterized in that intermediate support (2) is at least five times longer than lever arm (4). A storage rack as set forth in claim 3 or 4, characterized in that in the unloaded condition said intermediate supports (2) are directed away from each other beyond carrier beams (8) and said lever arms (4) are directed within the area between carrier beams (8) towards each other obliquely upwards.

Inventors: SIPILAE, EERO SEPPO KALERVO, YLI-VAKKURI, ERKKI PAAVO JOHANNES, Sipilä, Eero Seppo Kalervo
Applicants: TAMGLASS OY
Application year: 1988
Main classification: B65G1
IPC codes: B65G49