Patent ID: 7531044

Claim:
A method of removing pieces of a broken glass sheet from a glass sheet washing machine, comprising: a) applying a fluid to a rotating brush; b) moving a glass sheet into contact with said rotating brush to wash said glass sheet; c) placing a fluid permeable belt between said rotating brush and a fluid container of said glass washing machine; d) communicating excess fluid applied to said brush through said fluid permeable belt to said container; e) catching pieces of a broken glass sheet with said fluid permeable belt to inhibit said pieces from entering said fluid container; f) moving by a controlled condition said fluid permeable belt to remove said broken glass pieces from said glass washing machine, the controlled condition comprising: i) monitoring the glass sheet for breaks during the movement of the glass sheet through the glass sheet washing machine; and ii) activating the motion of said liquid permeable belt for a prescribed period of time upon detecting a break in the glass sheet during the monitoring operation, the activating the motion of the liquid permeable belt for said prescribed period of time facilitates the removal of the broken glass from the surface of said liquid permeable belt.