Patents by Inventor Erkki Yli-Vakkuri

Erkki Yli-Vakkuri has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20130255322
    Abstract: The mould construction for bending glass sheets includes a framework and support plates on vertical planes, the curvature of the upper edge of the plates essentially corresponding to the desired bending curvature of the glass sheet. On the upper edges of the support plates are slots and pipes forming the mould surface are positioned in the slots. The slots are dimensioned with play with respect to the pipes, but to lock the upward movement of the pipes from the slots. The support plates are supported on the framework in such a way that one end of the mould surface is lower than the other end. The difference in height, that is, the inclination of the mould surface, is dimensioned so as to effect the resting of the edge of the glass sheet placed on the mould against the end stoppers during the bending stage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2012
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: GLASTON SERVICES LTD.OY
    Inventors: Erkki YLI-VAKKURI, Jussi NIEMIOJA, Harri KYLVÄJÄ
  • Patent number: 7389655
    Abstract: An apparatus for bending and tempering glass panels includes a number of ring moulds for supporting and conveying glass panels; a number of preheating sections for heating glass panels to a bending temperature; at least one prebending section for sagging a glass panel gravitationally; a bending section provided with a hoistable and descendable press mould; and a quenching section for tempering a bent glass panel. The bending section is provided with a hoistable and descendable mould supporting frame for supporting the mould from below during a press-bending operation. The supporting frame is mounted on a mobile cassette wagon which constitutes a replaceable floor for the bending section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Tamglass Ltd. Oy
    Inventor: Erkki Yli-Vakkuri
  • Patent number: 7155939
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for bending glass panels. The upper tier of successive mould carriers defines a number of heating sections, the last one of which is an actual bending section. The lower tier of successive mould carriers defines a number of cooling sections, which are located below the heating sections. The mould carriers are provided with an open-structured or otherwise highly heat transmissive bottom. Underneath bending sections, effecting gravitational bending on an upper mould carrier track, lie cooling sections, each of which is individually provided with controlled cooling air circulation by means of cooling air exhaust fans. Following the sections performing the controlled cooling or annealing, the mould carriers are adapted to be conveyed along a lower mould carrier track nonstop under a plurality of preheating sections by a single passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Tamglass Ltd. Oy
    Inventor: Erkki Yli-Vakkuri
  • Publication number: 20060230790
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and furnace for binding glass panels. Preheating compartments (3) upstream of a binding compartment are used for heating a glass panel by hot-air injection applied to the top and bottom sides of a glass panel. The air employed in hot-air injection is circulated through heating resistances (15, 16). Outputs of the heating resistances (15, 16) can be adjusted for individually adjusting the temperatures of air injected to the top and bottom sides of a glass panel. The glass is heated to the proximity of a bending temperature exclusively or mainly by means of convection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2004
    Publication date: October 19, 2006
    Applicant: TAMGLASS LTD.OY
    Inventor: Erkki Yli-Vakkuri
  • Publication number: 20060130526
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for bending glass panels. An upper tier of successive mould carriages defines a number of heating compartments, the last one constituting an actual bending compartment. A lower tier of successive mould carriages defines a number of cooling compartments, which are located underneath the heating compartments. The mould carriages are provided with an open-structured or otherwise highly heat transmissive bottom. The mould supporting carriage is provided with mould bearer elements and the final bending compartment has its lower section provided with ascendable and descendable brace elements, which provide bracing for the bearer elements during a pressing operation performed by means of a male mould. In connection with the brace elements are further provided lifting and lowering mechanisms for brace elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2004
    Publication date: June 22, 2006
    Inventors: Erkki Yli-Vakkuri, Heikki Koivisto
  • Patent number: 6983624
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for bending glass panels. An upper tier of successive mould carriages (9) defines a number of heating stations, the final one being an actual bending station (4b). A lower tier of successive mould carriages (9) defines a number of cooling stations (5, 6, 7), which are located underneath the heating stations. The mould carriages have an open-structured or otherwise highly heat transmitting floor (10). A pre-bending station (4a) preceding the bending station (4b) and at least the final preheating station (3b) have a floor (15), on top of which are radiation heating elements (16) positioned below a floor (10) of the carriage (9) for speeding up the heating of a bottom glass panel for preventing it from falling behind from the heating of a top glass panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: Tamglass Ltd. Oy
    Inventor: Erkki Yli-Vakkuri
  • Publication number: 20040050107
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for bending glass panels. The upper tier of successive mould carriers (9) defines a number of heating sections, the last one of which is an actual bending section (4b). The lower tier of successive mould carriers (9) defines a number of cooling sections (5, 6, 7), which are located below the heating sections. The mould carriers are provided with an open-structured or otherwise highly heat transmissive bottom (10). Underneath bending sections (4a), effecting gravitational bending on an upper mould carrier track (1), lie cooling sections (5), each of which is individually provided with controlled cooling air circulation by means of cooling air exhaust fans (23). Following the sections (5) performing the controlled cooling or annealing, the mould carriers (9) are adapted to be conveyed along a lower mould carrier track nonstop under a plurality of preheating sections (3a, 3) by a single passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2003
    Publication date: March 18, 2004
    Inventor: Erkki Yli-Vakkuri
  • Publication number: 20030230116
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for bending and tempering glass panels. The apparatus comprises a number of ring moulds (1) for supporting and conveying glass panels; a number of preheating sections (2) for heating glass panels to a bending temperature; at least one prebending section (2a) for sagging a glass panel gravitationally; a bending section (3) provided with a hoistable and descendable press mould (4); and an annealing section (12) for tempering a bent glass panel. The bending section (3) is provided with a hoistable and descendable mould supporting frame (7) for supporting the mould (1) from below during a press-bending operation. The supporting frame (7) is mounted on a mobile cassette wagon (8) which constitutes a replaceable floor for the bending section (3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2003
    Publication date: December 18, 2003
    Inventor: Erkki Yli-Vakkuri
  • Publication number: 20020116953
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for bending glass panels. An upper tier of successive mould carriages (9) defines a number of heating stations, the final one being an actual bending station (4b). A lower tier of successive mould carriages (9) defines a number of cooling stations (5, 6, 7), which are located underneath the heating stations. The mould carriages have an open-structured or otherwise highly heat transmitting floor (10). A pre-bending station (4a) preceding the bending station (4b) and at least the final preheating station (3b) have a floor (15), on top of which are radiation heating elements (16) positioned below a floor (10) of the carriage (9) for speeding up the heating of a bottom glass panel for preventing it from falling behind from the heating of a top glass panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2002
    Publication date: August 29, 2002
    Inventor: Erkki Yli-Vakkuri
  • Patent number: 5680217
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for measuring the degree of bending in a bent glass sheet. The measuring is effected by cameras having a common imaging field within the boundaries of a surface being measured. The cameras are set at an arbitrary but stationary angle relative to each other. The glass surface along a profile to be measured is made visible to the cameras by an illuminating line whose light has a high intensity over the wavelength ranges of 250-330 nm. Hence, an extremely thin film of tin, left on the glass surface in the manufacture thereof, becomes visible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Assignee: Tamglass Engineering OY
    Inventor: Erkki Yli-Vakkuri
  • Patent number: 5472469
    Abstract: A method and a furnace for bending glass sheets. Glass sheets are heated to a bending temperature by supporting them on a mould (11) and carrying them from one heating station to another. In a bending station (4), the glass sheet is heated for effecting a desired bending partially or entirely through the action of gravity. During a bending operation, the temperature distribution of a glass sheet is subjected to the action of convection blasting. By focusing the blast on the mid-section of a glass sheet it is possible to create a progressively curving pocket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 5, 1995
    Assignee: Tamglass Engineering Oy
    Inventors: Erkki Yli-Vakkuri, Arto Kaonpaa, Tapio Salonen, Jukka Nikkanen
  • Patent number: 5437704
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a furnace for bending glass sheets. Glass sheets supported on ring molds are heated to a bending temperature and are carried from one heating station to another. In a heating and bending station, the glass sheet is heated for effecting a desired bending partially or entirely through the action of gravity. During a bending operation, the temperature distribution of radiation heat is adjusted. In the heating stations, the glass sheet is subjected to the action of convection blasting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 1, 1995
    Assignee: Tamglass Engineering Oy
    Inventors: Erkki Yli-Vakkuri, Arto Kaonpaa, Tapio Salonen, Jukka Nikkanen
  • Patent number: 5149353
    Abstract: The invention relates to an intermediate storage system mounted adjacent to a bending furnace in a windshield production line, said system comprising a first intermediate storage (1) for pairs of flat glass sheets and a second intermediate storage (2) for pairs of bent glass sheets. Each intermediate storage includes a number of separate storage racks (3) for pairs of glass sheets and a carrier trolley (5, 9) for pairs of glass sheets. A carrier trolley (5) in first storage (1) is controlled for carrying pairs of glass sheets one at a time from storage racks (3) to the proximity of the loading end of a bending furnace (11) and carrier trolley (9) in second storage (2) is controlled for carrying pairs of bent glass sheets from the proximity of the end of bending furnace (11) onto the storage racks (3) of second storage (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1992
    Assignee: Tamglass Oy
    Inventors: Eero Sipila, Erkki Yli-Vakkuri
  • Patent number: 5147440
    Abstract: An apparatus for bending a glass sheet supported on a ring mould including a press-bending station provided with a plurality of thermally insulated walls, a press-bending tool assembly arranged above the glass sheet supported on a ring mould in the press-bending station, a claw crane mounted in the station for raising and lowering said press-bending tool assembly which includes first and second articulated arms connected to each other along a common axis of rotation. The first articulated arm has one end fixed to a ceiling in the press-bending station and an opposite end movable along the press-bending tool assembly. The second articulated arm has one end fixed to the press-bending tool assembly and an opposite end movable in a horizontal plane along the ceiling of the press-bending station. A power unit is located outside the station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1992
    Assignee: Tamglass Oy
    Inventors: Mauri E. Leponen, Erkki Yli-Vakkuri, Kalevi Lind
  • Patent number: 4502171
    Abstract: In a procedure for washing cellulose in a drum a continuous web is conducted through a plurality of mutually separated washing zones and in the procedure the pure washing liquid is introduced at the washing step which is last in the direction of travel of the web. This liquid displaces suspension fluid contained in the web and the latter is urged with the aid of a drained fluid pipe system to a washing step located upstream in the web's direction of travel and the displaced suspension fluid repeats the displacement washing process performed by the pure washing liquid in the last washing step. This procedure is repeated until each washing step has received a flow of washing liquid. To utilize the concentration raising capacity of the washing procedure and apparatus, before discharging the pulp, part of the drained fluid pipe system is emptied and the drained fluid therefrom obtained is returned to an earlier washing step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1983
    Date of Patent: March 5, 1985
    Assignee: Enso-Gutzeit Oy
    Inventors: Ensio Koskinen, Erkki Yli-Vakkuri
  • Patent number: 4266413
    Abstract: Apparatus for washing cellulose pulp including a drum with a filtering member on its outer shell and stationary housings encircling the drum. A pressurized washing liquid is applied against the cellulose pulp which is in the form of a fiber web upon the filtering member and compartments affixed within the drum receive a suspension liquid displaced from the washing liquid. Pure washing liquid introduced against the rotation of the drum is applied against the fiber web forcing suspension liquid to pass through the filter and into compartments under the housing. A valve combines the suspension liquid flow from the compartments and conducts the flow to a supply connector at the next-to-last housing taken in the direction of rotation of the drum. This displaced suspension liquid displaces liquid from the pulp web with flow resistances encountered by the washing liquid between different housings causing pressure differential between washing liquids in different housings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1980
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1981
    Assignee: Enso-Gutzeit Osakeyhto
    Inventor: Erkki Yli-Vakkuri