Changing lift out rolls supporting a continuous ribbon og glass

Claim 1

In an apparatus for making a continuous ribbon of glass comprising an enclosed chamber having therein a pool of molten metal on which the ribbon of glass may be formed and at the exit end of said chamber means for withdrawing the continuous ribbon of glass from said chamber comprising seAl means, a dross box and a plurality of lift-out rolls for engaging the bottom surface of said continuous ribbon of glass to support it while it is conveyed from said pool of molten metal to an annealing lehr, said lift-out rolls being mounted at elevations such as to engage the bottom surface of the continuous ribbon of glass during its withdrawal, wherein said lift-out rolls are so mounted as to require the stoppage of said ribbon of glass to remove and replace them; the improvement comprising means for adjusting the position of at least one lift-out roll with respect to a horizontal datum level and with respect to the elevation of the other lift-out rolls, such that a continuous ribbon of glass may be caused to disengage from a lift-out roll to be removed providing a space between the top of said lift-out roll to be removed and the bottom of said continuous ribbon of glass to permit said lift-out roll to be removed without contacting said ribbon of glass; and means for moving said lift-out roll to be removed substantially axially from beneath said continuous ribbon of glass, said lift-out roll being provided with means for revolving said lift-out roll during and after its removal from beneath the continuous ribbon of glass.

Claim 4

A method for changing a lift-out roll for supporting a continuous ribbon of glass that is located in a dross box in the vicinity of the exit end of a float bath, said method comprising the steps of disengaging said lift-out roll to be removed from contact with said continuous ribbon of glass without interrupting the continuity of said continuous ribbon of glass by supporting said continuous ribbon of glass on another lift-out roll, causing relative movement of said lift-out roll to be removed and said supporting lift-out roll, said movement being such as to provide a space between said lift-out roll to be removed and the surface of said continuous ribbon of glass that had been in contact with said lift-out roll to be removed; moving said lift-out roll substantially axially to remove it from said dross box; and causing said lift-box roll to revolve continually during its removal from said dross box to prevent warpage of said lift-out roll.

Claim 5

A method for changing a lift-out roll for supporting a continuous ribbon of glass that is located in a dross box in the vicinity of the exit end of a float bath, said method comprising the steps of disengaging said lift-out roll to be removed from contact with said continuous ribbon of glass without interrupting the continuity of said continuous ribbon of glass by supporting said continuous ribbon of glass on another lift-out roll, causing relative movement of said lift-out roll to be removed and said supporting lift-out roll, said movement being such as to provide a space between said lift-out roll to be removed and the surface of said continuous ribbon of glass that had been in contact with said lift-out roll to be removed; moving said lift-out roll substantially axially to remove it from said dross box; and causing said lift-box roll to revolve continually during its removal from said dross box to prevent warpage of said lift-out roll.