Method of and Apparatus for Rolling Plate or Sheet Glass.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Nov., 1891-Accepted, 24th Dec., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Method of and Apparatus for Rolling Plate or Sheet Glass.
I, JAMES WILLIAM BONTA, of Wayne, Delaware County, Pennsylvania,
United States of America, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of my invention is to cheapen the manufacture of plate or sheet glass
by doing away with the undue grinding and the mechanism now employed in
finishing glass rolled in machines as at present constructed. This object I attain
by rolling the glass plate or sheet on both sides.
I will first describe my improved mechanism for carrying my invention into
effect, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:-
Figure, 1, is a side elevation, partly broken away, showing a machine for rolling
both sides of plate glass in accordance with my invention;
Figure, 2, is a longitudinal section partly in elevation of the same;
Figure, 3, is an end view of the same;
Figure, 4, is a like view partly in section, illustrating the rotation of the plate
glass and platens ;
Figures, 5 and 6, are respectively an end view and a side elevation of the screws
or worms for lifting and lowering the platens and glass;
Figure, 7, is a detail view, drawn to an enlarged scale, showing end elevation of
supporting journals, and locking mechanism for the platens ;
Figure, 8, is a longitudinal vertical section of the same with part of the platens
in elevation, showing the locking or movable tubular sleeve released from the
platens;
Figure, 9, is a horizontal section of the same;
Figure, 10, is a like view showing the locking tubular sleeve in engagement with
the platens;
Figure, 11, is a broken elevation of the platens ;
Figures, 12 and 13, are elevations broken away, the former showing stop pin and
one position of separating strip for the platens, and the latter showing said pin and
another position of said strip;
Figure, 14, is a cross section of laterally moving guide rails or supports for the
platen when moving into position in the machine for rotation, said figure showing
such rails or supports in their normal position ;
Figure, 15, is a like view showing the rails or supports moved laterally out of
the way of the platens ;
Figure, 16, is a plan view of Figure 14;.
Figure, 17, is a plan view, partly in section, of Fig. 15.
Figure, 18, is a plan view, partly in section, showing mechanism for coupling or
clamping the platens together;
Figure, 19, is a side elevation, partly in section, of the same;
Figure, 20, is an end elevation of same.
Figures, 21, and 22, are cross sections showing preferable form of actuating
mechanism for laterally moving the guide rail or supports for the platen, the same
being shown in two different positions; Figure, 21, being a section on the line 1-1,
Figure 19; and Figure, 22, being a like view on the line 2-2, Figure 20.
A, represents the housings or frame of the machine, which preferably carries an
engine or motor B, and has rollers or wheels a, running on guides or tracks a', so
as to make it portable, but if desired it may be located in a fixed position.

page_text: The frame or housing A, of the machine consists of a long lower part a², having
at its upper edges fixed guides or roller supports a³, and laterally moving guides or
roller supports C, the latter being near the rear end of the machine, and are of a
length approximating that of the platens D, D', used in the machine, and upon
these guides or supports said platens are reciprocated to roll the plate glass.
E, E, vide Figs. 1, and 2, represent vertical standards secured to the housing
part a, and have open top bearings e, suitably formed to receive the journals f, and
eccentrics, on said journals, of a presser roller F, which is in gear with the
driving shaft b, of engine B, by means of wheels f, and U. The presser roller F,
is provided with arms ³, f³; the upper end of each arm has a pin or other con-
nection, with slots or apertures f, in a curved bracket f, concentric with the
axis of the presser roller, said pin or connection f, being removable from the
bracket f, so that by moving said arms f³, f to-and-fro or radially, the eccen-
tric on the presser roller journals f, are moved to set the roller higher or lower
to suit different thicknesses of plate glass, and also to vary the rolling pressure of
the same.
The platens D, D', are provided with side racks d, for engagement with the
gear wheels f, on the presser roller F, and at one end said platens are provided
with side recesses d', to receive the ends g, of racks g', pivoted at g³, to racks G,
which are located on the fixed guides or supports a³, in advance of the platen.
a, a, represent vertical standards which support a vertically sliding frame H, of
any suitable or desired construction, hung upon vertical speed or other screw
worms or actuating mechanism 1, for raising and lowering said frame, said actuating
mechanism being mounted upon a shaft, having its bearings in standards a², so
as to be movable longitudinally by means of a shifting lever ², and has a bevel
or other gear wheel ³, in engagement with like wheels 2, 3, and with the motor
driving shaft b. The wheel h³, is splined to shaft h, so as to admit of the longi-
tudinal movement of the latter when shifted and when rotating to lift or lower the
frame H, as hereinafter described, and said wheel is held in position to always
engage the wheel 2, by a bracket ht, on the motor B.
In standards a, is journalled a shaft I, upon which at one end is splined the
bevel wheel i, having a shifting lever i, to cause said wheel i, to engage with and
disengage from the wheel 68. At the other end of the shaft I, is a gear wheel i³,
and a link 3, which engages the stud shaft i, of an idler gear 2, said stud shaft
having an end bearing in a slot i, in one end of the frame H, as more plainly
shown in Figure 3. The lower ends of the frame H, on each side thereof are
provided with inside and approaching short journals or studs, and with tubular
boxes ho, which enclose said journals, the forward or free ends of the latter pro-
jecting beyond said boxes, see more plainly Figures 7 to 10 inclusive. Within the
boxes, and between them and the journals, are tubular sliding sleeves h',
having suitable slots 8, to admit of their sliding movement. Mounted in said
sleeves and working in slots h, of boxes h, are blocks 10, in which are journalled
eccentrics, upon vertical shafts ¹³, mounted upon the ends of the frame H.
The upper ends of shafts, are provided with gear wheels ¹³, engaging with a
sliding rack shifting or actuating bar h, so that by moving the latter in one
direction the eccentrics ", and blocks 10, are actuated to slide the sleeves h', in
one direction, and by moving the bar 41, reversely said eccentrics and blocks are
actuated to slide the sleeve ', in an opposite direction for purposes hereinafter
described.
Loosely mounted upon the inner ends of boxes h, are gear wheels h¹³, which
engage with the idlers i³, and thence by wheels, with shaft I, said wheels A, at
suitable intervals on their inner sides are provided with stop pins 16, see more
plainly Figure 3, for a purpose hereinafter to be described.
The laterally sliding rails or supports C, see more plainly Figures, 12 to 15,
rest upon a fixed support e secured to the housing part a³, and have depending pins
or studs which pass through straight lateral slots in supports c, and enter
slots c³, in sliding plates c, between supports c, and the top edge of the housings.

page_text: The slots 3, are partly straight and partly angular as shown more plainly in
Figures, 14 and 15, so that when plates c, are moved in one direction the angular
parts of its slote, actuates the stud c', therein to laterally move the roller guides
or supports C, in one direction, and when reversely moved said supports C, are
laterally moved in an opposite direction. To actuate the plates c, they are pro-
vided with depending studs c, passing through slots c, in the top of the housings,
and provided with a bar or link connection c, and a shifting or actuating lever c³,
see Figure, 1.
The platens D, D', are on their ends and at their middle, provided with semi-
circular projecting journals or supports d², for engagement with the journals h, on
the ends of the frame H. Both platens are identical in construction and one of
them is always in position on the end of the frame H, as shown in Figure 1, and
the other upon the fixed guides a³, in front of the presser roller F, normally, to
begin operations which are substantially as follows:-
to
The presser roller F, is adjusted for the thickness of the glass and the pressure
required for rolling, and after the plate glass is laid upon the platen in front
of the presser roll, which glass is indicated at, the pivoted racks g', are
engaged with the recesses d', in the platen, the movement of the presser roller
engages the racks d, of the platen to move it in the direction of arrow 1, and
as it is so moved the glass is rolled on one side. The platen so moves until it
comes under the platen D', supported upon the frame H, the racks gl, and G,
being provided and keeping in engagement with the presser roller gears f
admit of the full length of such movement. As soon as the platen D, arrives
at such described position, the pivoted racks g', are raised out of engagement
with the platen by means of a lever g³, see more plainly Figure, 2; meanwhile
the rotation of the presser roller having been stopped, or its actuating
mechanism being thrown out of gear. The shaft ', is then shifted to lower the
frame H, and platen D', until the latter rests upon the platen D, with the
journals h, of the frame H, between the semi-circular boxes or bearings d, of
the platens, see Figure, 2. The shifter bar h, is then actuated to project or
slide the tubular sleeves ', into engagement with the platen boxes or bearings d³,
to lock the same together. The shaft h', is then actuated to raise both platens,
and during such movement the guides or supports C, are moved outwardly or
apart from one another by actuating lever c, so that said platens can be
rotated without raising them to an undue height; when sufficiently raised the
movement of shaft h', is stopped and the shaft I, is put into operation to rotate
wheels, the stops or studs 418, of which being in engagement with the platens
as shown in Figure, 4, the latter are rotated to bring the platen D, on top,
reversing the position of platens and bringing the unrolled side of the glass
uppermost. The shaft , is then actuated to lower the platens, the lever c³,
being meanwhile shifted to return the supports C, to their normal position to
receive the platens. The bar h, is shifted to unlock the sleeves, from the
platen boxes or bearings, and the shaft h', is then actuated to raise the
upper platen D, from the lower one D', the glass remaining upon the latter.
The pivoted rack g', is then moved into engagement with the recesses in
platen D', and the presser roller F, is then started but in a reverse direction
to cause platen D', to move in a direction the opposite of that indicated by
arrow 1, Figure, 1, to roll the other side of the glass.
If desired the platens may be furnished with pivoted clamps k, and k¹, the former
being on one and the latter on the other platen, see Figures 18 to 20, for clamping
the platens at their sides when rotated. These clamps k, may be connected to
suitably arranged angle levers k², k³ by links k, having reacting springs ko, the
free ends of the levers k³, being in line with the inner end of the clamping tubular
sleeves h, so that when the latter are moved to clamp the studs or journals d', of
the platens, said sleeves will also actuate the levers, to automatically cause the
clamps k, to engage with the studs k¹, and when said sleeves are released the

page_text: reacting springs k, will act to cause the levers ³, k³, to move to unlock the clamps k,
from the studs k¹.
"
Instead of using the actuating mechanism for the movable guides C, as above
described, and as shown in Figures, 14, to 17, a block l, with eccentric, having a
gear connection 1, with a shifting rack bar may be substituted as shown in
Figures 21 and 22.
It will be noted therefore that the details of construction of the machine may be
greatly varied without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not
therefore limit myself to the construction and arrangement of parts as shown and
described, as the essence of the invention is the process of rolling both sides of
plate glass successively, and the provision of mechanism for carrying out said
process.
If desired, suitably located heating pipes m, m' may be provided for the platens
to prevent chilling of the glass.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The method herein described of rolling plate glass, which consists in first
rolling one side of the plate, then rotating said plate to reverse its sides, and then
rolling the other side of the plate, substantially as set forth.
2. The method of rolling plate glass, which consists in first rolling the plate on
one side, second placing it between platens, third raising both platens, fourth
rotating the same, fifth lifting one of said platens, and finally rolling the other side
of the plate, substantially as set forth.
3. In a plate glass rolling machine, the combination of a presser roller, a movable
platen passing the glass under said roller, a vertically sliding frame having journals
carrying a second platen, devices for bringing both of said platens together and
locking their journals, means for raising and lowering said locked platens, devices
for rotating the platens and for releasing the same with the unrolled side of the glass
uppermost, and means for moving the platen containing the glass through or past
the presser roller, substantially as set forth.
4. The combination of à presser roll, a power mechanism, a movable platen, a
normally stationary platen, and devices for locking the platens together, raising
and lowering them, rotating them to reverse the sides of the plate glass relatively to
the presser roll, substantially as set forth.
5. The combination of an adjustable presser roller for rolling plate glass, a
movable platen passing in one direction under said roll, a normally stationary
platen in line with said movable platen when it completes its movement for rolling
the glass on one side thereof, devices for locking said platens together and for
rotating them to bring said last named platen to position for passing the plate
through or under the presser roll to roll the opposite side of the glass substantially
as set forth.
6. In a plate glass rolling machine, a presser roll, two separate platens, locking
devices for supporting said platens with the plate glass between them, and devices
for rotating the platens, substantially as set forth.
7. The combination of a vertically moving frame, journals on said frame for
supporting a platen, actuating devices for raising and lowering said platen and a
second platen when brought into alignment therewith, and locking devices for
securing said platens together and for rotating them, substantially as set forth.
8. The combination of a vertically moving frame, journals secured thereto,
tubular sleeves surrounding said journals, means for sliding said sleeves, and devices
for raising and lowering said frame, substantially as set forth.
9. In combination with platens D, D', means for raising and lowering and for
rotating them, of the laterally moving guides or supports C, substantially as set
forth.

page_text: 10. In a plate glass machine, a platen supported on end journals, a sliding platen
adapted to register with said journalled platens and devices for bringing said platens
together locking them and rotating the same, substantially as set forth.
11. In a plate glass rolling machine, a presser roller, a reciprocating platen, a
second platen supported upon a vertically sliding frame carrying gear wheels in
engagement with said platen, means for locking said platens together, and actuating
mechanism, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 23rd day of October 1891.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.