U.S. patent application number 12/898848 was filed with the patent office on 2011-04-07 for system for feeding glass sheets to at least one sheet processing line and production plant comprising this system.
This patent application is currently assigned to BOTTERO S.P.A.. Invention is credited to Mario Balbi, Enrico Boggero.
Application Number | 20110081221 12/898848 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42237374 |
Filed Date | 2011-04-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110081221 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Balbi; Mario ; et
al. |
April 7, 2011 |
SYSTEM FOR FEEDING GLASS SHEETS TO AT LEAST ONE SHEET PROCESSING
LINE AND PRODUCTION PLANT COMPRISING THIS SYSTEM
Abstract
A system for feeding glass sheets to at least one sheet
processing line has a sheet withdrawal station, in which are housed
stands for supporting packs of sheets and a loading machine mobile
in a rectilinear transfer direction to withdraw the sheets from the
stands and transfer them to the processing line; the stands being
arranged along the transfer direction on opposite sides of the
loading machine and having first and, respectively, second inclined
side resting surfaces of the respective sheet pack facing the
loading machine and converging one towards the other and downwards,
and being mobile from and towards the withdrawal station under the
thrust of a common transfer unit.
Inventors: |
Balbi; Mario; (Cuneo,
IT) ; Boggero; Enrico; (Cuneo, IT) |
Assignee: |
BOTTERO S.P.A.
|
Family ID: |
42237374 |
Appl. No.: |
12/898848 |
Filed: |
October 6, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
414/225.01 ;
414/222.13 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65G 49/062 20130101;
B65G 49/068 20130101; B65G 49/061 20130101; B65G 49/063
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
414/225.01 ;
414/222.13 |
International
Class: |
B65H 5/00 20060101
B65H005/00; B65H 3/08 20060101 B65H003/08; B65H 1/02 20060101
B65H001/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 6, 2009 |
IT |
TO2009A000760 |
Claims
1. A system for feeding glass sheets to at least one sheet
processing line; the system comprising a sheet withdrawal station;
the withdrawal station housing support means for the sheets to be
withdrawn and a loading machine mobile in a rectilinear transfer
direction to withdraw the sheets from the support means and
transfer them to the processing line, characterised in that said
support means for the sheets comprise at least one first and at
least one second mobile stand arranged along said transfer
direction on opposite sides of said loading machine; said first and
second mobile stand having a first and respectively a second
inclined side resting surface of a respective sheet pack; said
first and second side resting surfaces facing said loading machine
and converging one towards the other and downwards; the system
further comprising a storage station for storing mobile stands with
sheets thereon and a single transfer unit for transferring said
mobile stands between the storage station and said withdrawal
station.
2. The system according to claim 1, characterised in that said
storage station comprises at least one first storage area housing a
plurality of said first mobile stands, and at least one second
storage area housing a plurality of said second mobile stands.
3. The system according to claim 2, characterised in that in said
first storage area said first mobile stands are arranged with the
side resting surfaces thereof parallel to said first side resting
surface, while in said second storage area said second stands are
arranged with the side resting surfaces thereof parallel to said
second side resting surface.
4. The system according to claim 2, characterised in that said
transfer unit is mobile in opposite directions in a handling
direction parallel to said transfer direction, and in that at least
one of said storage areas and said loading machine are arranged on
opposite side parts of said handling direction.
5. The system according to claim 3, characterised in that at least
one of said storage areas is arranged along said transfer
direction.
6. The system according to claim 2, characterised by further
comprising an intermediate pack storage unit interposed between
said withdrawal station and said transfer unit; in said
intermediate storage unit, a portion of said stands having side
resting surfaces thereof parallel to said first side resting
surface and the remaining portion of said stands having side
resting surfaces thereof parallel to said second side resting
surface.
7. The system according to claim 1, characterised in that said
first and second side resting surfaces form with a vertical plane
orthogonal to said transfer direction respective identical
angles.
8. The system according to claim 1, characterised in that said
loading machine feeds sheets arranged side-by-side to two
processing lines having respective sheet inlets adjacent to one
another; said first and second side resting surfaces being
distanced from one another in said transfer direction so as to be
arranged on opposite sides of said inlets.
9. A production plant for processing glass sheets, the system
comprising a plurality of sheet processing lines independent of one
another and arranged in a comb-like manner and a system for feeding
the sheets to the processing lines; the system being made according
to claim 1 and comprising a single transfer unit for transferring
mobile stands, which is common to all of said processing lines.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a system for feeding glass
sheets to at least one sheet processing line.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] For processing glass sheets it is known to use production
plants comprising a sheet processing line adapted to receive, in an
inlet thereof, a sequence of glass sheets to be processed, and a
system to feed the glass sheets to the cited inlet.
[0003] The system comprises a sheet withdrawal station adapted to
house a sheet support on which at least one pack of sheets to be
processed is rested substantially vertical, and at least one
loading machine that can withdraw the sheets from the support in a
sequence and feed them to the inlet of the processing line.
[0004] The sheets are fed to the withdrawal station in different
manners, although always using machineries dedicated to the
specific processing line.
[0005] Although universally used, the known production plants
result being particularly expensive especially due to the fact that
a respective sheet feeding system, and therefore a loader and
devices to feed the sheets to the withdrawal station, is dedicated
to each production line.
[0006] Although a dedicated sheet feeding system is associated to
each line, the known production plants do not allow a free increase
in production. Especially, they are not very flexible with the
consequence that it is normally difficult to shift from one type of
sheets to another in reasonably short times to obtain different
products.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] It is the object of the present invention to provide a
system for feeding glass sheets, which allows to simply and
cost-effectively solve the aforementioned problems.
[0008] According to the present invention, there is provided a
system for feeding glass sheets to at least one sheet processing
line; the system comprising a sheet withdrawal station; the
withdrawal station housing support means for the sheets to be
withdrawn and a loading machine mobile in a rectilinear transfer
direction to withdraw the sheets from the support means and
transfer them to the processing line, characterised in that said
support means for the sheets comprise at least one first and at
least one second mobile stand arranged along said transfer
direction on opposite sides of said loading machine; said first and
second mobile stand having a first and respectively a second
inclined side resting surface of a respective sheet pack; said
first and second side resting surfaces facing said loading machine
and converging one towards the other and downwards; the system
further comprising a storage station for storing mobile stands with
sheets thereon and a single transfer unit for transferring said
mobile stands between the storage station and said withdrawal
station.
[0009] Preferably, in the above defined system, said storage
station comprises at least one first storage area housing first
mobile stands conveniently arranged with the side resting surfaces
thereof parallel to said first side resting surface, and at least
one second storage area housing second mobile stands conveniently
arranged with the side resting surfaces thereof parallel to said
second side resting surface.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The invention will now be described with reference to the
accompanying drawings, which show some non-limitative embodiments
thereof, in which:
[0011] FIG. 1 diagrammatically shows a plan view, substantially in
blocks, of a preferred embodiment of a system for feeding glass
sheets to a processing line, which is partially shown;
[0012] FIG. 2 is an enlarged section view taken along line II-II of
FIG. 1;
[0013] FIG. 3 shows a plan view of a variant of a detail of the
system according to FIG. 1; and
[0014] FIG. 4 diagrammatically shows a plan view, substantially in
blocks, of another preferred embodiment of a system for feeding
glass sheets to a plurality of processing lines.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0015] In FIG. 1, numeral 1 indicates, as a whole, the production
plant for processing glass sheets.
[0016] In the specifically disclosed example, production plant 1
comprises a single sheet processing line 2 (known per se and not
disclosed in detail), and a system 3 for feeding a sequence of
glass sheets 4 to an inlet 5 of processing line 2.
[0017] System 3 comprises a station 6 for withdrawing and feeding
sheets, in which inlet 5 of line 2 leads; in the specifically
disclosed example, withdrawal station 6 houses a loading machine 7
which is mobile in opposite directions along a sheet transfer
direction 8, a pair of mobile stands 9 and a pair of mobile stands
10 arranged along transfer direction 8 on opposite sides of loading
machine 7.
[0018] Stands 9 and 10 are mobile in a direction 12 orthogonal to
transfer direction 8 and, as will be disclosed in greater detail
hereinafter, can support respective packs 13 of sheets 4 arranged
inclined and resting on corresponding bottom surfaces 9a and 10a
and against respective side resting surfaces 9b and 10b (FIG.
2).
[0019] Again with reference to FIG. 2, side resting surfaces 9b and
10b face loading machine 7 and converge one towards the other and
downwards forming with a vertical plane P orthogonal to transfer
direction 8 respective angles A which are substantially the same
and are about 85.degree..
[0020] Again with reference to FIG. 2, loading machine 7 comprises
a motorised frame 15 translating in opposite directions along sheet
transfer direction 8 and two side gripping members 16 each having a
plurality of suction caps 18 which are coplanar to each other.
[0021] Side members 16 are hinged to opposite peripheral portions
of frame 15 and are controlled independently of one another to
rotate with respect to frame 15 about respective hinge axes 19
which are spaced from one another and parallel and orthogonal to
transfer direction 8 between a lifted sheet withdrawal position
(shown in FIG. 2) and a lowered sheet release position, shown in
FIG. 1.
[0022] Again with reference to FIG. 1, system 3 further comprises a
storage station 21 for the mobile stands with corresponding packs
13 of sheets 4 loaded thereon and a displacement unit 22 for stands
9, 10 from and towards withdrawal station 6.
[0023] Unit 22 comprises a motorised frame 24 which is mobile on
corresponding guides in opposite directions along a handling
direction 25 parallel to transfer direction 8 and comprises a
motorised slide which is mobile in opposite directions orthogonally
to directions 8 and 25 and adapted to couple in a known manner to
stands 9, 10 to displace stands 9, 10 between stand storage station
21 and withdrawal station 6.
[0024] According to the invention, storage station 21 is subdivided
in storage areas 23 each housing a plurality of stands 9 oriented
like stand 9 arranged in withdrawal station 6 and in storage areas
24 for the storage of a plurality of stands 10 oriented like stand
10 also arranged in withdrawal station 6. The provision of distinct
areas for stands oriented in the same direction considerably aids
the transfer avoiding any error both during the gripping step of
the carriages from station 21 and during the storage step in
station 7.
[0025] Conveniently, as shown in FIG. 2, storage areas 23 and 24
and loading machine 7 are arranged on opposite sides along handling
direction 25, while a storage area 24 is arranged along transfer
direction 8.
[0026] In the variant shown in FIG. 3, system 3 further comprises
an intermediate stand storage unit 30 interposed between withdrawal
station 6 and transfer unit 22; storage unit 30 is subdivided so as
to have two areas 31 and 32, which are arranged on opposite sides
of one of the cited storage areas 23 and house the first plurality
of stands 9 and the second plurality of stands oriented as the
corresponding stands arranged in withdrawal station 6.
[0027] FIG. 4 shows a production plant 40 that differs from
production plant 1 mainly because, in addition to line 2, it
comprises a plurality of additional lines, indicated by 41a-41e,
(also known per se) which are arranged in a comb-like manner
parallelly to direction 8. Lines 41a and 41b and lines 41d and 41e
form two groups of lines each having a common sheet withdrawal
station indicated respectively by 6a and 6b.
[0028] In each withdrawal station 6a, 6b, system 3 comprises a
single loading machine 7a, 7b which is structurally equivalent to
loading machine 7 and arranged again between two or more pairs of
stands 9 and which are spaced from one another along transfer
direction 8 so that side resting surfaces 9b and 10b thereof are
arranged always facing corresponding loading machine 7a,7b but on
opposite sides of the inlets of corresponding lines 41.
[0029] As may be seen from FIG. 4, all withdrawal stations 6, 6a,
6b are fed by a single unit 22 which is common to all processing
lines 2, 41 and therefore to all loading machines 7, 7a, 7b.
[0030] From the above, it is apparent that, independently of the
number and type of processing lines, in each withdrawal station 6
the same loading machine can freely withdraw sheets from two
different stands 9 and 10 which are specular to one another and
independent of one another. Stands 9 and 10 may support sheets 4
which may be the same or may differ. In the first case, when the
inlets of two distinct production lines lead to corresponding
withdrawal station 6, such as in the case of stations 6a and 6b,
both lines are fed with the same sheets allowing to freely increase
the hourly production of items to twice as much; unlike the known
solutions, however, the increase in productivity is obtained by
using a single loading machine and a single feeding unit that
handles stands 9,10 independently of the geometry thereof and of
the arrangement thereof in station 21. Thereby the costs for buying
and amortising the feeding unit of the stands is distributed among
all lines.
[0031] In the second case, depending on the type of desired
product, the loading machine withdraws from one or the other stand
9 and 10 ensuring high flexibility, both in case of pairs of lines
in parallel and especially in the case of the use of the single
production line. In this case, as a matter of fact, the on-going
production may be interrupted and/or stopped at any time so as to
shift to another type of product obtainable from sheets other than
those fed. The original production can later be re-established at
any time. In addition, by appropriately controlling the line,
different sheets can alternatively be fed and sequences of
different products can be obtained in parallel.
[0032] Independently of the arrangement of the lines and of the
type of sheets to be fed, the same lines may operate continuously
as the withdrawal stations are fed continuously by a single feeding
unit 22 independent of the lines.
[0033] The above said continuity is ensured by the special
partitioning of storage station 21 in areas housing different
stands and/or by the presence of storage unit 30, which provide a
stock of stands 9, 10 in the close proximity of the withdrawal
station and, in the presence of storage unit 30, immediately beside
the sheet withdrawal station. These features ensure a great freedom
in handling feeding unit 22.
[0034] The use of a single loading machine for one or more pairs of
lines and a single unit for feeding stands and supplying the
different withdrawal station allows to obtain different production
systems with dramatically lower costs than those for the solutions
used up to now.
[0035] From the above it is apparent that system 3 disclosed herein
may be modified and varied by the person skilled in the art.
[0036] In particular, the loading machine and/or the transfer unit
could be structurally different from what is disclosed. Different
areas 23, 24 could also be arranged or distributed in storage
station 21 in a manner other than disclosed.
* * * * *