GB1002485A - Improvements in or relating to glass cutting machines - Google Patents

Abstract

<PICT:1002485/C1/1> A machine for cutting flat glass in ribbon or sheet form, travelling at a substantially constant speed comprises a pair of parallel supporting rollers 3, 4 whose axes are parallel and are at right angles to the direction of travel, f1, of the glass, a plurality of pressure wheels 8 mounted above the glass with their axes in alignment with one another and parallel to the axes of the supporting rollers 3, 4, and a breaking device 6 rotatable about an axis parallel to the supporting rollers and having at least one projecting member 7 parallel to the axis of the breaking device, the breaking device 6 being positioned so that the projecting member or members bend the glass overhanging the downstream supporting roller so as to break off the overhanging portion along a previously made score line. The breaking device is preferably a roller having one or more rubber-faced projecting members 7 extending along generatrices of the roller 6, the axis of the roller being further from the plane of the glass sheet than the radius of the roller and the radial dimension of the projections 7 sufficient to break the glass during rotation of roller 6. A sheet 1 is fed on to the supporting rollers 3, 4, then under soft rubber-tyred pressure rollers 8, and then under the stationary breaking roller 6 to overhang support roller 4. A previously made score line passes through the beam of a sensing device 9a-9b and sets the breaking roller 6 in motion at the same speed as the forward travel of the glass sheet. The sensing device is preferably fixed at the same distance upstream of the support roller 4 as the length of arc b1 prescribed by a projecting member 7 before contacting the sheet. Thus the score line is vertically above the axis of the roller 4 when the member 7 contacts the glass and makes the break. If strips of glass wider than say 10 cm. are to be cut, the pressure rollers 8 may be downstream of the support roller 3, but if strips less than 10 cm. are required, the rollers 8 are placed upstream of roller 3. This is so that there is still a sufficient tolerance if the break is made when the score line is slightly to either side of the vertical plane through the axis of roller 4.