Patent GB-1390742-A (GB)
Title: Process and installation for conveying sheets such as of  glass to a despatch point and for returning rejects
IPC: B65B23/20
Filed: 1973-03-13
Abstract: 1390742 Process for conveying sheets such as glass ENTWICKLUNGS - UND MUSTERBAU BAUMECHANISIERUNG VEB 13 March 1973 12005/73 Headings B8C [Also in Division C1] A process for conveying sheets, such as glass, to the point where they are to be packed for despatch and for returning glass rejects is characterized in that the sheets are taken by a roller conveyer 1 past a control stand 2 having a control desk and at which defective sheets are sorted in such a way that a subsequent longitudinal stop, and releasing a detent, enables these sheets to pass conveying them to a preliminary breaker 4. The crushed sheets being taken by a conveyer device 6 to a fragment bunker 8, the fragments first being further crushed in a roller crusher 7 while the sheets of satisfactory quality are held up by a longitudinal stop 3 and accurately aligned together with a centre detent so that they are taken up by a vacuum-type positioning device 11 and stacked into a case held in readiness on a case conveying track 22 parallel with the roller conveyer 1. According to the invention also the filled ease is moved, while an empty one takes its place, to a nailing station 15 and thence, after nailing, to a tilting table 16 from which the case is deposited, by a transport device, into stacking stands 17 held in readiness, while the sorting of the sheets and subsequent operations, such as stacking and the transport of the cases are interdependent to an extent such that the blocking by a longitudinal stop at the same time sets the vacuum positioning apparatus in operating and a counting mechanism provided in the control desk of the control stand counts the number of sheets stacked into a case so that, after the pre-selected number has been reached, provided that the nailing of the preceding case has been completed and/or a further empty case is in readiness, and that the tilting table is free and in the lowered position, the full case is moved into position for nailing and an empty case moved up into position. Also according to the invention if one, or more, of these latter conditions remain unfullfilled the transport of cases is stopped by control impulses and the vacuum positioning apparatus 11 only takes up the next sheet arriving over the roller conveyer 1, independently of the quality control, and the longitudinal stop is released, so that subsequent sheets can be steered to the fragment return track. As shown, sheets of glass of final size, arriving from a cooling tunnel, not shown, are delivered to the high speed roller conveyer 1, which consists of individual felt rollers and which separates the sheets as they are conveyed past the control stand 2 having a control desk and at which visual inspection is carried out by a checker who operates an impulse to actuated a solenoid 31, Fig. 3, to pivot a stop 27-29 upwardly and clear the path for the defective sheet to the preliminary crusher 4 where the glass is broken into fragments. The latter fall into a transverse conveyer 5 leading to a main conveyer 6 which is located below floor level and which transfers the fragments through the roller breaker 7 to the fragment bunker 8 from which it is promptly transferred to the point of re-utilization, as it reaches a certain level in the bunker 8. The stop 3 arrests a sheet of glass free of defects as it arrives at a reception point 9 where it is centrally aligned with the aid of adjustably spaced pairs of hinged entrainment devices 39, Fig. 4, which are transversely movable and are accommodated in a pair of transverse housings 38 located between the rollers 1. The sheet is then taken up by the vacuum-type positioning apparatus 11, which runs on a transverse track 13, lowers the sheet into a case on the track 22, is accurately positioned by pins 49, Fig. 6, on the track 13, and subsequently returns to its initial position. After nailing at 15 the case is conveyed to the tilting table 16 which deposits it upon the stacking frame 17 which accommodates four cases. The blocked stop 3 at the reception point initiates the operation of the positioning apparatus 11 and the sheet-counting mechanism. Transport of a case on the track 12 is stopped if no empty case has been deposited thereon, or if the table 16 has not been evacuated, or tilted, back into its horizontal position, the vacuum apparatus 11 taking up the next sheet of glass but holding it above the case at 18, the stop 3 releasing the next sheet of glass on the roller conveyer 1 regardless of the result of the quality inspection so that it passes in to the preliminary crusher 4. A similar process and apparatus for the production of wire glass is described with reference to Fig. 2, not shown. The trolley arrangement 47 of the vacuum apparatus is described in more detail in Fig. 6. The stop 3, Fig. 4, comprises a spring-loaded lever 27 which can be moved rearwardly by the solenoid 31 controlled from the stand 2 and which carries two stop rollers 29 and two running rollers 28, a spring-loaded overload device 32-36 being actuated when two, or more, glass sheets are stopped together by the rollers 29.