Control system for monitoring and controlling the processing of glass sheets in a glass processing environment

Claim 2

A control system for monitoring and controlling the processing of sheets of glass in a glass processing system wherein the glass sheets are conveyed by a horizontal roller conveyor and received from certain rolls of the roller conveyor by a bending apparatus of the glass processing system to perform bending thereof, the control system including sensor means located along the path of conveyance for sensing the glass sheets as the glass sheets are conveyed by the roller conveyor past the sensor means and providing glass sense signals upon sensing the glass sheets; and generating means coupled to the roller conveyor for generating a transport signal corresponding to the distance that the glass sheets are conveyed along the path of conveyance; wherein the improvement comprises: programmable signal processing means for processing said glass sense and transport signals corresponding to each glass sheet to provide control signals to a roll operator of the glass processing system for operating a plurality of rolls adjacent the bending apparatus to control movement thereof and glass sheet conveyance thereon independent of the glass sheet conveyance on the other rolls of the conveyor.

Claim 3

A control system for monitoring and controlling the processing of sheets of glass in a glass processing system wherein the glass sheets are conveyed by driven rolls of a horizontal roller conveyor and vertically removed from certain rolls of the roller conveyor of a bending apparatus of the glass processing system to perform bending thereon, the control system including sensor means located along the path of conveyance for sensing the glass sheets as the glass sheets are conveyed by the roller conveyor past the sensor means and providing a glass sense signal upon sensing the glass sheets; and generating means coupled to the roller conveyor for generating a transport signal corresponding to the distance that the glass sheets are conveyed along the path of conveyance; and wherein the improvement comprises: signal processing means for processing said glass sense and transport signals corresponding to each glass sheet to provide control signals to the bending apparatus and a roll operator of the glass processing system for operating a plurality of rolls adjacent the bending apparatus to control the bending apparatus to remove each glass sheet from the adjacent rolls wherein relative horizontal movement between each of the glass sheets and the bending apparatus has been substantially reduced.

Claim 4

A control system for monitoring and controlling the processing of sheets of glass in a glass processing system wherein the glass sheets are conveyed by driven rolls of a horizontal roller conveyor and vertically removed from certain rolls of the roller conveyor of a bending apparatus of the glass processing system to perform bending thereon, the control system including sensor means located along the path of conveyance for sensing the glass sheets as the glass sheets are conveyed by the roller conveyor past the sensor means and providing a glass sense signal upon sensing the glass sheets; and generating means coupled to the roller conveyor for generating a transport signal corresponding to the distance that the glass sheets are conveyed along the path of conveyance; and wherein the improvement comprises: signal processing means for processing said glass sense and transport signals corresponding to each glass sheet to provide control signals to the bending apparatus and a roll operator of the glass processing system for operating a plurality of rolls adjacent the bending apparatus to control the bending apparatus to remove each glass sheet from the adjacent rolls wherein relative horizontal movement between each of the glass sheets and the bending apparatus has been substantially reduced.

Claim 5

A control system for monitoring and controlling the relative positions of pairs of sheets of glass in a glass bending and tempering system of the type wherein each pair of glass sheets are conveyed by the driven rolls of a horizontal roller conveyor and removed from certain rolls of the roller conveyor by a bending apparatus, the roller conveyor conveying each pair of glass sheets along the longitudinal length of an elongated heating chamber to a bending station where each pair of glass sheets is lifted by the bending apparatus, the control system including sensor means located at a predetermined position along the longitudinal length of the heating chamber for sensing a piece of glass as the piece of glass is conveyed by the conveyor and providing a glass sense signal and generating means coupled to the roller conveyor for generating a signal corresponding to the distance that the glass sheet is conveyed along the path of conveyance, wherein the improvement comprises: programmable signal processing means for processing said glass sense and transport signals corresponding to each glass sheet to provide a control signal to a roll operator of the glass bending and tempering system for operating a plurality of rolls adjacent the bending apparatus to control movement thereof and glass sheet conveyance thereon wherein the downstream glass sheet of a certain pair of glass sheets is supported on the adjacent rolls to thereby move the downstream glass sheets to a desired position relative to the upstream glass sheet and independant of the glass sheet conveyance on the other rolls of the conveyor to ensure proper pick-up of the pair of glass sheets.

Claim 6

A control system for monitoring and controlling the relative positions of pairs of sheets of glass in a glass bending and tempering system of the type wherein each pair of glass sheets are conveyed by the driven rolls of a horizontal roller conveyor and removed from certain rolls of the roller conveyor by a bending apparatus, the roller conveyor conveying each pair of glass sheets along the longitudinal length of an elongated heating chamber to a bending station where each pair of glass sheets is lifted by the bending apparatus, the control system including sensor means located at a predetermined position along the longitudinal length of the heating chamber for sensing a piece of glass as the piece of glass is conveyed by the conveyor and providing a glass sense signal and generating means coupled to the roller conveyor for generating a signal corresponding to the distance that the glass sheet is conveyed along the path of conveyance, wherein the improvement comprises: programmable signal processing means for processing said glass sense and transport signals corresponding to each glass sheet to provide a control signal to a roll operator of the glass bending and tempering system for operating a plurality of rolls adjacent the bending apparatus to control movement thereof and glass sheet conveyance thereon wherein the downstream glass sheet of a certain pair of glass sheets is supported on the adjacent rolls to thereby move the downstream glass sheets to a desired position relative to the upstream glass sheet and independant of the glass sheet conveyance on the other rolls of the conveyor to ensure proper pick-up of the pair of glass sheets.

Claim 7

The control system as claimed in claims 1, or 2, or 3 wherein said sensor means includes an energy emitting source located on one side of the path of conveyance and an energy receiving receiver located on the opposite side the path of conveyance to receive the emitted energy, said receiver providing the glass sense signal, the sheets of glass interrupting the reception of energy by the receiver.

Claim 8

The control system as claimed in claim 1, or claim 2, or claim 3 wherein said generating means comprises encoder means associated with the output shaft of a drive motor of the roller conveyor for providing a signal representation of the angular displacement of the output shaft.

Claim 9

A control system for monitoring and controlling the processing of sheets of glass in a glass processing system wherein the glass sheets are conveyed by a roller conveyor system and received from certain rolls of the roller conveyor system, the control system including sensor means located along the path of conveyance for sensing the glass sheets as the glass sheets are conveyed by the roller conveyor system past the sensor means and providing glass sense signals upon sensing the glass sheets; and generating means coupled to the roller conveyor system for generating a transport signal corresponding to the distance that the glass sheets are conveyed along the path of conveyance; wherein the improvement comprises: programmable signal processing means for processing said glass sense and transport signals corresponding to each glass sheet to provide control signals to a roll operator for operating the certain rolls to control movement thereof and glass sheet conveyance thereon independent of the glass sheet conveyance on the other rolls of the roller conveyor system.

Claim 10

A control system for monitoring and controlling the processing of sheets of glass in a glass processing system wherein the glass sheets are conveyed by a roller conveyor system and received from certain rolls of the roller conveyor system, the control system including sensor means located along the path of conveyance for sensing the glass sheets as the glass sheets are conveyed by the roller conveyor system past the sensor means and providing glass sense signals upon sensing the glass sheets; and generating means coupled to the roller conveyor system for generating a transport signal corresponding to the distance that the glass sheets are conveyed along the path of conveyance; wherein the improvement comprises: programmable signal processing means for processing said glass sense and transport signals corresponding to each glass sheet to provide control signals to a roll operator for operating the certain rolls to control movement thereof and glass sheet conveyance thereon independent of the glass sheet conveyance on the other rolls of the roller conveyor system.

Claim 11

A control system for monitoring and controlling the processing of sheets of glass in a glass processing system wherein the glass sheets are conveyed by driven rolls of a roller conveyor system and transferred from certain rolls of the roller conveyor system by transfer apparatus of the glass processing system in preparation for further processing of the glass sheets, the control system including sensor means located along the path of conveyance for sensing the glass sheets as the glass sheets are conveyed by the roller conveyor system past the sensor means and providing a glass sense signal upon sensing the glass sheets; and generating means coupled to the roller conveyor system for generating a transport signal corresponding to the distance that the glass sheets are conveyed along the path of conveyance; and wherein the improvement comprises: signal processing means for processing said glass sense and transport signals corresponding to each glass sheet to provide control signals to the transfer apparatus and a roll operator for operating the certain rolls and to the transfer apparatus to transfer each glass sheet from the certain rolls without slippage of the glass sheets on the certain rolls.

Claim 12

A control system for monitoring and controlling the processing of sheets of glass in a glass processing system wherein the glass sheets are conveyed by driven rolls of a roller conveyor system and transferred from certain rolls of the roller conveyor system by transfer apparatus of the glass processing system in preparation for further processing of the glass sheets, the control system including sensor means located along the path of conveyance for sensing the glass sheets as the glass sheets are conveyed by the roller conveyor system past the sensor means and providing a glass sense signal upon sensing the glass sheets; and generating means coupled to the roller conveyor system for generating a transport signal corresponding to the distance that the glass sheets are conveyed along the path of conveyance; and wherein the improvement comprises: signal processing means for processing said glass sense and transport signals corresponding to each glass sheet to provide control signals to the transfer apparatus and a roll operator for operating the certain rolls and to the transfer apparatus to transfer each glass sheet from the certain rolls without slippage of the glass sheets on the certain rolls.

Claim 13

A control system for monitoring and controlling the relative positions of sheets of glass in a glass tempering system of the type wherein each glass sheet is conveyed by the driven rolls of a roller conveyor system and transferred from certain rolls of the roller conveyor system by transfer apparatus of the glass tempering system, the roller conveyor system conveying the glass sheets along the longitudinal length of an elongated heating chamber to a transfer station where the glass sheets are transferred by the transfer apparatus, the control system including sensor means located at a predetermined position along the longitudinal length of the roller conveyor system for sensing a piece of glass as the piece of glass is conveyed by the roller conveyor system and providing a glass sense signal and generating means coupled to the roller conveyor system for generating a signal corresponding to the distance that the glass sheet is conveyed along the path of conveyance, wherein the improvement comprises: programmable signal processing means for processing said glass sense and transport signals corresponding to each glass sheet to provide a control signal to a roll operator of the glass tempering system for operating the certain rolls to control movement thereof and glass sheet conveyance thereon wherein a downstream glass sheet of a certain pair of glass sheets is supported on the certain rolls to thereby move the downstream glass sheet to a desired position relative to an upstream glass sheet and independent of the glass sheet conveyance on the other rolls of the roller conveyor system to ensure proper transfer of the pair of glass sheets by the transfer apparatus.

Claim 14

A control system for monitoring and controlling the relative positions of sheets of glass in a glass tempering system of the type wherein each glass sheet is conveyed by the driven rolls of a roller conveyor system and transferred from certain rolls of the roller conveyor system by transfer apparatus of the glass tempering system, the roller conveyor system conveying the glass sheets along the longitudinal length of an elongated heating chamber to a transfer station where the glass sheets are transferred by the transfer apparatus, the control system including sensor means located at a predetermined position along the longitudinal length of the roller conveyor system for sensing a piece of glass as the piece of glass is conveyed by the roller conveyor system and providing a glass sense signal and generating means coupled to the roller conveyor system for generating a signal corresponding to the distance that the glass sheet is conveyed along the path of conveyance, wherein the improvement comprises: programmable signal processing means for processing said glass sense and transport signals corresponding to each glass sheet to provide a control signal to a roll operator of the glass tempering system for operating the certain rolls to control movement thereof and glass sheet conveyance thereon wherein a downstream glass sheet of a certain pair of glass sheets is supported on the certain rolls to thereby move the downstream glass sheet to a desired position relative to an upstream glass sheet and independent of the glass sheet conveyance on the other rolls of the roller conveyor system to ensure proper transfer of the pair of glass sheets by the transfer apparatus.

Claim 15

The control system as claimed in claims 6, or 7 or 8 wherein said sensor means includes an energy emitting source located on one side of the path of conveyance and an energy receiving receiver located on the opposite side of the path of conveyance to receive the emitted energy, said receiver providing the glass sense signal, the sheets of glass interrupting the reception of energy by the receiver.

Claim 16

The control system as claimed in claim 1, or claim 2, or claim 3, or claim 6, or claim 7, or claim 8 wherein said generating means comprises encoder means associated with the output shaft of a drive motor of the roller conveyor system for providing a signal representation of the angular displacement of the output shaft.

Claim 17

The control system as claimed in claim 6, or claim 7, or claim 8 including means for entering and storing data in said signal processing means related to the processing of the glass sheets.

Claim 18

A control system for monitoring and controlling the processing of sheets of glass in a glass processing system wherein the glass sheets are first loaded onto a roller conveyor system by a loading apparatus of the processing system and then conveyed by the roller conveyor system and received from certain rolls of the roller conveyor system, the control system including sensor means located along the path of conveyance for sensing the glass sheets as the glass sheets are conveyed by the roller conveyor system past the sensor means and providing glass sense signals upon sensing the glass sheets; and generating means coupled to the roller conveyor system for generating a transport signal corresponding to the distance that the glass sheets are conveyed along the path of conveyance; wherein the improvement comprises: programmable signal processing means for processing said glass sense and transport signals corresponding to each glass sheet to provide control signals to the loading apparatus for consecutively loading the glass sheets onto the roller conveyor system, to a roll operator for operating the certain rolls to control movement thereof and glass sheet conveyance thereon independent of the glass sheet conveyance on the other rolls of the roller conveyor system.

Claim 19

A control system for monitoring and controlling the processing of sheets of glass in a glass processing system wherein the glass sheets are first loaded onto a roller conveyor system by a loading apparatus of the processing system and then conveyed by the roller conveyor system and received from certain rolls of the roller conveyor system, the control system including sensor means located along the path of conveyance for sensing the glass sheets as the glass sheets are conveyed by the roller conveyor system past the sensor means and providing glass sense signals upon sensing the glass sheets; and generating means coupled to the roller conveyor system for generating a transport signal corresponding to the distance that the glass sheets are conveyed along the path of conveyance; wherein the improvement comprises: programmable signal processing means for processing said glass sense and transport signals corresponding to each glass sheet to provide control signals to the loading apparatus for consecutively loading the glass sheets onto the roller conveyor system, to a roll operator for operating the certain rolls to control movement thereof and glass sheet conveyance thereon independent of the glass sheet conveyance on the other rolls of the roller conveyor system.

Claim 20

A control system for monitoring and controlling the processing of sheets of glass in a glass processing system wherein the glass sheets are first loaded onto a roller conveyor system by a loading apparatus of the processing system and then conveyed by driven rolls of the roller conveyor system and transferred from certain rolls of the roller conveyor system by transfer apparatus of the glass processing system in preparation for further processing of the glass sheets, the control system including sensor means located along the path of conveyance for sensing the glass sheets as the glass sheets are conveyed by the roller conveyor system past the sensor means and providing a glass sense signal upon sensing the glass sheets, and generating means coupled to the roller conveyor system for generating a transport signal corresponding to the distance that the glass sheets are conveyed along the path of conveyance; and wherein the improvement comprises: signal processing means for processing said glass sense and transport signals corresponding to each glass sheet to provide control signals to the loading apparatus for consecutively loading the glass sheets onto the roller conveyor system, to a roll operator for operating the certain rolls and to the transfer apparatus to transfer each glass sheet from the certain rolls without slippage of the glass sheets on the certain rolls.

Claim 21

A control system for monitoring and controlling the processing of sheets of glass in a glass processing system wherein the glass sheets are first loaded onto a roller conveyor system by a loading apparatus of the processing system and then conveyed by driven rolls of the roller conveyor system and transferred from certain rolls of the roller conveyor system by transfer apparatus of the glass processing system in preparation for further processing of the glass sheets, the control system including sensor means located along the path of conveyance for sensing the glass sheets as the glass sheets are conveyed by the roller conveyor system past the sensor means and providing a glass sense signal upon sensing the glass sheets, and generating means coupled to the roller conveyor system for generating a transport signal corresponding to the distance that the glass sheets are conveyed along the path of conveyance; and wherein the improvement comprises: signal processing means for processing said glass sense and transport signals corresponding to each glass sheet to provide control signals to the loading apparatus for consecutively loading the glass sheets onto the roller conveyor system, to a roll operator for operating the certain rolls and to the transfer apparatus to transfer each glass sheet from the certain rolls without slippage of the glass sheets on the certain rolls.

Claim 22

A control system for monitoring and controlling the relative positions of sheets of glass in a glass tempering system of the type wherein each glass sheet is first loaded onto a roller conveyor system by a loading apparatus of the processing system and then conveyed by the driven rolls of the roller conveyor system and transferred from certain rolls of the roller conveyor system by transfer apparatus of the glass tempering system, the roller conveyor system conveying the glass sheet along the longitudinal length of an elongated heating chamber to a transfer station where the glass sheets are transferred by the transfer apparatus, the control system including sensor means located at a predetermined position along the longitudinal length of the roller conveyor system for sensing a piece of glass as the piece of glass is conveyed by the roller conveyor system and providing a glass sense signal and generating means coupled to the roller conveyor system for generating a signal corresponding to the distance that the glass sheet is conveyed along the path of conveyance, wherein the improvement comprises: programmable signal processing means for processing said glass sense and transport signals corresponding to each glass sheet to provide control signals to the loading apparatus for consecutively loading the glass sheets onto the roller conveyor system and to a roll operator of the glass tempering system for operating the certain rolls to control movement thereof and glass sheet conveyance thereon wherein a downstream glass sheet of a certain pair of glass sheets is supported on the certain rolls to thereby move the downstream glass sheet to a desired position relative to an upstream glass sheet and independent of the glass sheet conveyance on the other rolls of the roller conveyor system to ensure proper transfer of the pair of glass sheets by the transfer apparatus.

Claim 23

A control system for monitoring and controlling the relative positions of sheets of glass in a glass tempering system of the type wherein each glass sheet is first loaded onto a roller conveyor system by a loading apparatus of the processing system and then conveyed by the driven rolls of the roller conveyor system and transferred from certain rolls of the roller conveyor system by transfer apparatus of the glass tempering system, the roller conveyor system conveying the glass sheet along the longitudinal length of an elongated heating chamber to a transfer station where the glass sheets are transferred by the transfer apparatus, the control system including sensor means located at a predetermined position along the longitudinal length of the roller conveyor system for sensing a piece of glass as the piece of glass is conveyed by the roller conveyor system and providing a glass sense signal and generating means coupled to the roller conveyor system for generating a signal corresponding to the distance that the glass sheet is conveyed along the path of conveyance, wherein the improvement comprises: programmable signal processing means for processing said glass sense and transport signals corresponding to each glass sheet to provide control signals to the loading apparatus for consecutively loading the glass sheets onto the roller conveyor system and to a roll operator of the glass tempering system for operating the certain rolls to control movement thereof and glass sheet conveyance thereon wherein a downstream glass sheet of a certain pair of glass sheets is supported on the certain rolls to thereby move the downstream glass sheet to a desired position relative to an upstream glass sheet and independent of the glass sheet conveyance on the other rolls of the roller conveyor system to ensure proper transfer of the pair of glass sheets by the transfer apparatus.

Claim 24

The control system as claimed in claims 12, or 13, or 14 wherein said sensor means includes an energy emitting source located on one side of the path of conveyance and an energy receiving receiver located on the opposite side of the path of conveyance to receive the emitted energy, said receiver providing the glass sense signal, the sheets of glass interrupting the reception of energy by the receiver.

Claim 25

The control system as claimed in claim 12, or claim 13, or claim 14 wherein said generating means comprises encoder means associated with the output shaft of a drive motor of the roller conveyor for providing a signal representation of the angular displacement of the output shaft.

Claim 26

The control system as claimed in claim 12, or claim 13, or claim 14 including means for entering and storing data in said signal processing means related to the processing of the glass sheets.