U.S. patent application number 12/898827 was filed with the patent office on 2011-04-14 for glass sheet feed system.
This patent application is currently assigned to Bottero S.P.A.. Invention is credited to Mario Balbi, Enrico Boggero.
Application Number | 20110085878 12/898827 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42237145 |
Filed Date | 2011-04-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110085878 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Balbi; Mario ; et
al. |
April 14, 2011 |
Glass sheet feed system
Abstract
A system for feeding glass sheets to a processing line for
processing the sheets has a sheet pickup station; a number of
movable carriages which are moved into the pickup station and each
support one or more packs of sheets positioned substantially on
edge; a movable loading machine for removing the sheets off the
carriages and transferring them to the processing line; a store for
housing the carriages with respective packs of sheets; and a supply
station for restocking the store and which is separate from the
pickup station.
Inventors: |
Balbi; Mario; (Cuneo,
IT) ; Boggero; Enrico; (Cuneo, IT) |
Assignee: |
Bottero S.P.A.
|
Family ID: |
42237145 |
Appl. No.: |
12/898827 |
Filed: |
October 6, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
414/222.01 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65G 49/068 20130101;
B65G 49/061 20130101; B65G 2249/04 20130101; B65G 49/063
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
414/222.01 |
International
Class: |
B65H 5/00 20060101
B65H005/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 6, 2009 |
IT |
TO2009A 000759 |
Claims
1) A system for feeding glass sheets to a sheet processing line,
the system comprising a sheet pickup station; a number of carriages
which are moved into said pickup station, and each support at least
one pack of sheets positioned substantially on edge; a loading
machine which moves, in a first straight direction, between said
pickup station, where it removes one sheet at a time from said
carriages, and said processing line, where it releases the sheet
onto said processing line; a sheet store; and guide means for
guiding said carriages, in respective second straight directions
perpendicular to said first straight direction, between said pickup
station and said store; the system being characterized by also
comprising a supply station for restocking said store, and which is
separate from said pickup station.
2) A system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said store
is interposed between said supply station and said pickup
station.
3) A system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said
supply station is located along said second straight directions.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a glass sheet feed
system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Glass sheets are processed on processing lines, to which the
sheets are fed by a dedicated sheet feed system.
[0003] Known sheet feed systems comprise a sheet pickup station,
where the sheets are arranged substantially on edge in packs on one
or more carriages or so-called racks. The sheets are removed one at
a time from each carriage by a loading machine which moves,
perpendicularly to the sheets, between the pickup station and a
release station where the sheets are fed to the input of the
processing line. Each carriage moves between the pickup station and
a sheet store located outside and alongside the pickup station, and
which houses a number of carriages loaded with one or more packs of
sheets.
[0004] The carriages in the store are loaded at the pickup station
with packs of sheets unloaded off rubber-tyred transportation
means, normally trucks, located close to the pickup station.
[0005] Though widely used, known systems of the above type fail to
provide for continuously feeding the processing lines.
[0006] That is, to restock the store, the sheets are loaded onto
carriages at the pickup station, and the carriages then transferred
to the store. This means the loading machine must be stopped and,
throughout restocking of the store, is kept in a stationary
position to avoid interfering with or endangering the restocking
operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] It is an object of the present invention to provide a glass
sheet feed system designed to provide a simple, low-cost solution
to the above drawback.
[0008] According to the present invention, there is provided a
system for feeding glass sheets to a sheet processing line, the
system comprising a sheet pickup station; a number of carriages
which are moved into said pickup station, and each support at least
one pack of sheets positioned substantially on edge; a loading
machine which moves, in a first straight direction, between said
pickup station, where it removes one sheet at a time from said
carriages, and said processing line, where it releases the sheet
onto said processing line; a sheet store; and guide means for
guiding said carriages, in respective second straight directions
perpendicular to said first straight direction, between said pickup
station and said store; the system being characterized by also
comprising a supply station for restocking said store, and which is
separate from said pickup station.
[0009] In the system defined above, the store is preferably
interposed between the supply station and said pickup station; and
the supply station is conveniently located along the second
straight directions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0010] The invention will now be described with reference to the
attached drawing showing a preferred embodiment of the glass sheet
feed system in accordance with the teachings of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0011] Number 1 in the attached drawing indicates as a whole a
system for feeding a succession of glass sheets 2 to a known sheet
processing line 3 not described in detail.
[0012] System 1 comprises, aligned with one another in a direction
7, a pickup station 4 where sheets 2 are picked up; an intermediate
sheet store 5; and a supply station 6 for restocking store 5.
System 1 also comprises a number of known carriages 9, each of
which supports a pack 10 of sheets 2 positioned substantially on
edge, and runs, both ways and independently of the other carriages
9, along a respective known straight guide 12 (shown
schematically). Guides 12 extend parallel to direction 7, are
equally spaced adjacent to one another, and extend through pickup
station 4, store 5, and supply station 6 of store 5, which is
located between stations 4 and 6, as shown in the drawing.
[0013] System 1 also comprises a known loading machine 14, not
described in detail, which has a rocking suction-cup board, and is
movable, along guides 15 and in a straight direction 16
perpendicular to direction 7, between pickup station 4, where it
removes one sheet 2 at a time from one of carriages 9 at pickup
station 4, and processing line 3, where it releases sheet 2 onto
the input of processing line 3.
[0014] In actual use, starting with a full store 5, i.e. in which
carriages 9 are all loaded with respective packs 10 of glass sheets
2, one or more of carriages 9 are moved in direction 7 into pickup
station 4. At this point, loading machine 14 is activated to move
in direction 16, remove sheets 2 successively off carriages 9, and
feed them to line 3. When all the sheets 2 on one carriage 9 have
been transferred to line 3, carriage 9 is returned to the supply
station 6 via store 5. When the number of empty carriages 9 at
supply station 6 exceeds a given number, carriages 9 are loaded
successively with further packs 10 of sheets, one of which is
indicated 10a in the drawing. Packs 10a to restock the store are
brought to station 6 on trucks or other transportation systems,
and, once loaded, carriages 9 are moved in direction 7 back into
store 5 pending transfer to pickup station 4.
[0015] Unlike known solutions, system 1 described therefore
provides for continuously feeding sheets 2 at any rate to
processing line 3, by enabling loading machine 14 to continue
operating even while restocking store 5. This is substantially due,
unlike known solutions, to pickup of sheets 2 and restocking of the
store being carried out independently, by loading the restock packs
10a onto carriages 9 at a separate or different station from pickup
station 4.
[0016] The location of supply station 6 with respect to pickup
station 4 and store 5 reduces the size of system 1, by limiting
pickup and transfer space to the actual space required to allow
operation of the loading machine.
[0017] Clearly, changes may be made to system 1 as described
herein. In particular, the stations may be arranged differently
with respect to processing line 3, and other movable supporting
devices may be substituted for carriages 9.
[0018] The machinery and equipment for supplying restock packs 10a
may also differ from those described.
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