Abstract: An automated deep frying system includes a refrigerated food storage compartment having a portion controller and dispenser, an isolated cooking chamber having a frying vessel and a food basket which is movable to a variety of preselected positions for loading, cooking and dispensing the food, and an air purifier including a smooth cold surface for isolating the by-products of the frying process. The system also includes a microprocessor controller which is programmed for the system operation, including automatic dispensing, preparation and serving of preselected portions of food in response to an operator's input, as well as energy efficient control of the refrigerated food storage compartment and the air purifier cold plate.

Abstract: An automated deep frying system includes a refrigerated food storage compartment having a portion controller and dispenser, an isolated cooking chamber having a frying vessel and a food basket which is movable to a variety of preselected positions for loading, cooking and dispensing the food, and an air purifier including a flat cold surface for isolating the by-products of the frying process. The system also includes a microprocessor controller which is programmed for the system operation, including automatic dispensing, preparation and serving of preselected portions of food in response to an operator's input, as well as energy efficient control of the refrigerated food storage compartment and the air purifier cold plate.

Abstract: A glass sheet press bending system (20) disclosed has a bending station (30a,30b,30c,30d) for providing press bending between upper and lower molds (32,42) without intrusion into or through a conveyor (26) on which glass sheets are heated prior to the bending. The upper mold (32) is positioned above the conveyor (26), while the lower mold (42) is movable horizontally at an elevation above the conveyor from a first position adjacent the upper mold to a second position below the upper mold whereupon vertical movement therebetween performs the press bending between the molds. A transfer mold (48) receives the bent glass sheet from the upper mold (32) for cooling.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for operating an air supply system for a glass sheet quench including a D.C. drive system of a variable speed blower operated on a duty cycle. A quench cycle and a cooling cycle are carried out in the quench. In the preferred embodiment shown for thin glass (i.e. glass which is 5 mm or less in thickness) the drive system is sized to the RMS requirements of the complete cycle to minimize the initial and operating costs, size and power requirements of the D.C. drive system.

Abstract: A programmable, microprocessor-based controller is responsive to a displacement command signal and first and second transport signals corresponding to the distance that glass sheets are conveyed on main and auxiliary conveyors, respectively, to provide a speed control signal to a separate, variable speed drive. The variable speed drive drives the auxiliary conveyor independently of the driven main conveyor. The variable speed drive is controlled by the controller to: (1) reduce the rate of glass sheet conveyance; (2) reposition the leading and trailing glass sheets, if necessary, along the direction of conveyance; and (3) insure that as each glass sheet is transferred between the main conveyor and the auxiliary conveyor, the auxiliary conveyor is driven at the same speed as the main conveyor.

Abstract: An improved apparatus including a localized heater that moves along the direction of conveyance with conveyed glass sheets to provide localized heating of a portion of each glass sheet to be bent without heating the rest of the glass sheet prior to its subsequent treatment. This invention is especially suitable for locally heating designated portions of glass sheets as they are heated while being conveyed through a furnace on a horizontal roller conveyor where the designated portion of glass sheets are to be formed with bends having relatively short radii of curvature at a bending station. The apparatus includes a pair of elongated localized gas heaters, each of which is positioned above the portion of the glass sheet which requires significant bending. These heaters are mounted on a carriage driven by a drive mechanism.

Abstract: Sheet glass is heated during conveyance within a furance housing having a fixed roof and vertically movable side doors that define side slots through which ends of conveyor rolls project outwardly to be supported and frictionally driven by continuous drive loops slidably driven over external support surfaces that extend alongside the side slots. A vacuum holder of the apparatus is positioned within the furnace housing above the conveyor and has a downwardly facing surface with spaced openings in which a vacuum is drawn to receive a glass sheet from the conveyor and support the sheet above the conveyor. The holder surface is disclosed as being both planar and curved and as having a porous cover of ceramic fibers so as to distribute the vacuum and prevent marring of the glass as it is supported. A greater vacuum is drawn to initially support the glass and a lesser vacuum is subsequently drawn to prevent glass deformation at the spaced openings.

Abstract: Sheet glass is heated during conveyance within a furnace housing having a fixed roof and vertically movable side doors that define side slots through which ends of conveyor rolls project outwardly to be supported and frictionally driven by continuous drive loops slidably driven over external support surfaces that extend alongside the side slots. A vacuum holder of the apparatus is positioned within the furnace housing above the conveyor and has a downwardly facing surface with spaced openings in which a vacuum is drawn to receive a glass sheet from the conveyor and support the sheet above the conveyor. The holder surface is disclosed as being both planar and curved and as having a porous cover of ceramic fibers so as to distribute the vacuum and prevent marring of the glass as it is supported. A greater vacuum is drawn to initially support the glass and a lesser vacuum is subsequently drawn to prevent glass deformation at the spaced openings.

Abstract: A method and quench unit (10,10a,10b) disclosed provide tempering of a heated glass sheet by impinging pressurized air against its opposite surfaces while within a chamber (18) at super-atmospheric pressure. An enclosure (16) of the quench unit defines the chamber (18) and is preferably pressurized by the spent quenching air which is delivered through opposed blastheads (12). The spent quenching air is removed from the chamber (18) to maintain the air pressure below a predetermined level. An air supply system (24) disclosed cools and pressurizes the spent quenching air received from the chamber (18) and then feeds this air back to the blastheads (12) in a recirculating fashion for impingement with the glass sheet in the chamber.

Abstract: Sheet glass is heated during conveyance within a furnace housing having a fixed roof and vertically movable side doors that define side slots through which ends of conveyor rolls project outwardly to be supported and frictionally driven by continuous drive loops slidably driven over external support surfaces that extend alongside the side slots. A vacuum holder of the apparatus is positioned within the furnace housing above the conveyor and has a downwardly facing surface with spaced openings in which a vacuum is drawn to receive a glass sheet from the conveyor and support the sheet above the conveyor. The holder surface is disclosed as being both planar and curved and as having a porous cover of ceramic fibers so as to distribute the vacuum and prevent marring of the glass as it is supported. A greater vacuum is drawn to initially support the glass and a lesser vacuum is subsequently drawn to prevent glass deformation at the spaced openings.

Abstract: A microprocessor-based control system for monitoring and controlling the processing of pairs of sheets of glass in a glass bending and tempering system. The glass sheets are conveyed by a horizontal roller conveyor which is driven by a drive motor. The roller conveyor conveys pairs of sheets of glass along the longitudinal length of an elongated heating chamber to a bending station where the glass sheets of each pair are simultaneously lifted by a bending apparatus. The glass sheets are controllably moved within the heating chamber while on a plurality of rolls adjacent the bending apparatus independent of glass sheet conveyance on the other rolls of the conveyor. The control system includes a photoelectric sensor pair mounted on the conveyor for sensing the glass sheets as the glass sheets are conveyed by the conveyor. The photoelectric sensor pair provides a glass sense signal to a control computer.

Abstract: Sheet glass is heated during conveyance within a furnace housing having a fixed roof and vertically movable side doors that define side slots through which ends of conveyor rolls project outwardly to be supported and frictionally driven by continuous drive loops slidably driven over external support surfaces that extend alongside the side slots. A vacuum holder of the apparatus is positioned within the furnace housing above the conveyor and has a downwardly facing surface with spaced openings in which a vacuum is drawn to receive a glass sheet from the conveyor and support the sheet above the conveyor. The holder surface is disclosed as being both planar and curved and as having a porous cover of ceramic fibers so as to distribute the vacuum and prevent marring of the glass as it is supported. A greater vacuum is drawn to initially support the glass and a lesser vacuum is subsequently drawn to prevent glass deformation at the spaced openings.

Abstract: A glass sheet bending system (10) disclosed includes a horizontal roller conveyor (16) having a roll operator for operating a plurality of conveyor rolls (18) adjacent an associated bending apparatus (22) to control conveyance thereon independent of conveyance on the other rolls of the conveyor. In one embodiment, the roll operator comprises a roll shifter (24) for shifting the rolls (18) along the direction of conveyance during continued rotational driving. In another embodiment, the roll operator comprises a positioning drive (140), that drives the conveyor rolls (18) adjacent the bending apparatus (22) independently of the other rolls of the conveyor. Both embodiments reduce the rate of glass sheet conveyance as the holder receives each glass sheet to reduce sliding at a surface (62) of the holder.

Abstract: A conveyor drive system including an improved control circuit for a glass manufacturing apparatus transports a glass sheet through a glass processing station. The conveyor drive system includes first and second conveyor drives disposed on opposed lateral sides of the station. Each of the conveyor drives includes first and second pulleys and a continuous drive loop trained thereover. The glass plate is supported on a plurality of elongated rollers that extend between the conveyor drives and have their opposed ends supported on and in frictional engagement with the continuous drive loops. A drive motor applies drive torque to the first pulleys, and a pair of counter-poised drive motors apply a counter-torque to the second pulleys. The control circuit for controlling the energization of the first drive motor and the pair of counter-poised drive motors includes a feedback circuit which provides degenerative speed feedback for stabilizing the motion of the conveyor drive system.

Abstract: Sheet glass is heated during conveyance on a conveyor within a furnace. A vacuum holder is positioned within the furnace housing above the conveyor and has a downwardly facing surface with spaced openings in which a vacuum is drawn to receive a glass sheet from the conveyor and support the sheet above the conveyor. The holder surface is disclosed as being both planar and curved and as having a porous cover of ceramic fibers so as to distribute the vacuum and prevent marring of the glass as it is supported. Auxiliary lifters positioned between the rolls or vertical movement of the vacuum holder facilitates glass pickup. A carrier mold ring moves under the supported glass and the vacuum is then terminated so the glass drops onto the ring and bends under the bias of gravity in a manner that allows thin glass to be accurately bent. Subsequently the mold ring is moved from the furnace to a quench unit that temper the bent glass.

Abstract: A conveyor drive for a glass manufacturing system transports a sheet of glass through a tempering station on a roller bed. The conveyor drive includes a pair of pulleys mounted at opposed ends of the tempering station. A continuous drive loop is trained over the pair of pulleys and engages the roller bed so that rotational motion of the pulleys is imparted to the roller bed. One pulley is driven by a motor to transport the glass through the station. The other pulley drives an electrical generator connected to a dissipative load. The generator and load provide an adaptive counter-torque to the other pulley in direct relation to its rotational speed. The counter-torque stabilizes the conveyor drive to prevent slip-stick friction from disrupting the transport of the glass sheet.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method disclosed for use in bending heated sheets of glass (G) transported generally horizontally on a conveyor (16) within a furnace heating chamber incorporate a holder (20) located above the conveyor in a spaced relationship such that a heated sheet of glass can be transported under the holder. Gas such as air is blown upwardly from below the conveyor against the heated sheet of glass such that the sheet is moved upwardly into engagement with the holder. The upwardly blown gas is provided by an array of gas jet pumps (60) positioned below the conveyor. A mold ring (44) is then movable under the holder to receive the glass sheet for bending. Holder (20) is disclosed as including curved and planar surfaces and as including curved and planar rings. A vacuum may be drawn with the holder embodiments having the surfaces so as to assist the upwardly blown gas in lifting the sheet of glass off the conveyor.

Abstract: A system (10) and method disclosed for use in bending glass incorporate a vacuum holder (12) having a surface (28) with spaced openings (32) in which a vacuum is drawn to support a heated sheet of glass (G) and in which pressurized gas is subsequently supplied to force the glass sheet away from the holder surface. In one embodiment, operation of a control damper (24) initially communicates a vacuum blower (20) with the holder and subsequently communicates a positive pressure air blower (22) therewith to first draw the vacuum and then supply the pressurized air to the openings in the surface which is disclosed facing downwardly. During an intermediate step, the damper is positioned so that a reduced vacuum is drawn to prevent deformation of the heated glass sheet at the spaced openings in the holder surface. In an alternative embodiment, a gas jet pump (90) is used to produce the positive and vacuum pressures used in the practice of the invention.

Abstract: A conveyor drive mechanism for a glass manufacturing apparatus transports a glass sheet through a glass processing station. The conveyor drive mechanism includes first and second conveyor drives disposed on opposed lateral sides of the station. Each of the conveyor drives includes first and second pulleys and a continuous drive loop trained thereover. The glass plate is supported on a plurality of elongate rollers that extend between the conveyor drives and have their opposed ends supported on and in frictional engagement with the continuous drive loops. A first torque source applies drive torque to the first pulleys, and a second counter-torque source applies a counter-torque to the second pulleys. The cooperative effect of the first and second sources provides at least a minimum, predetermined level of tension in the active areas of the continuous drive loops at all times. A control circuit for controlling the energization of the first torque source and second counter-torque source is disclosed.

Abstract: A plurality of thermocouples are connected to reading circuit conductors at an isothermal junction block, for selective connection to the input of an operational amplifier. The resulting output signals from the operational amplifier are monitored and stored in a computer. A reference thermocouple is selectively connected to the operational amplifier through a reference junction compensator -- the reference junction compensator provides a compensated connection of the reference thermocouple with the reading circuit conductors. The signal at the output of the operational amplifier when the reference thermocouple is connected at the input is also monitored by the computer and stored for processing. In the computer, the signal sensed and stored when the reference thermocouple is connected to the operational amplifier is subtracted from the sensed, stored signals generated when the other thermocouples are connected to the operational amplifier.