The handling of fragile sheet, e.g. glass sheet, because of its fragility, is extremely delicate and difficult. The machines for doing it have been complex and difficult to maintain in satisfactory working order. The present invention remedies these disadvantages in both loading and unloading glass sheet from a support by a machine which picks up the sheet from a horizontal conveyor, turns it to a more or less vertical position parallel to the front receiving face of the support, then moves it in a straight line parallel to the sole plate of the support, the starting position of the sheet being chosen in such a manner that its front edge runs along the said sole plate. If a sheet of glass has already been deposited it is not damaged by the edge of the sheet. In the same way, when this device is unloading, the sheet of glass resting on the support in a more or less vertical position carries out the reverse movement; its first motion is in a straight line, which is followed by a rotating movement onto a horizontal surface. This versatile machine can be economically operated and is manufactured at low cost.
The specification describes an apparatus for stacking and unstacking sheet material, more particularly glass sheets, comprising one or more suction plates, capable of moving towards a sheet material stack and adapted to be moved by a pressure cylinder actuator, and with a sensing member, which on making contact with the stack, the surface position of which changes as the stacking or unstacking progresses generates a pulse adapted to control movement of the piston rod of the pressure cylinder actuator. As a sensing member a switch (vacuum monitor, pressure monitor) responsive to changes in pressure is provided in the suction duct system of the suction plates and/or in the pressure duct system of the pressure cylinder actuator.
This invention relates to apparatus for handling a flexible sheet of interlayer material while forming a colored shade band on an elongated area thereof comprising applying a dye composition by electrostatic spraying against an elongated area of a surface of a flexible sheet of non-conductive interlayer material such as polyurethane or plasticized polyvinyl butyral. A flexible sheet to be coated is mounted on a support carriage at a loading and unloading chamber in a horizontal support plane. The carriage is transferred a finite distance to a coating chamber into alignment with carriage tilting means, which engages the carriage, preferably at its geometric center, to tilt the latter into an oblique plane at said coating chamber aligned with an obliquely disposed platen mask. Electrostatic spray means disposed to one side of said platen mask supplies an electrostatic spray of a dye composition through said platen mask to the elongated area of said flexible sheet. The tilting means pivots the carriage back to a horizontal plane and the carriage is returned to the loading and unloading station, where the coated flexible sheet is removed and another sheet mounted for treatment. The flexible sheet so coated is useful as an interlayer in shaded, bent laminated safety glass windshields.
This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for forming a colored shade band on an elongated area of a flexible sheet of interlayer material comprising applying a dye composition by electrostatic spraying against an elongated area of a surface of a flexible sheet of non-conductive interlayer material such as polyurethane or plasticized polyvinyl butyral. A flexible sheet to be coated is mounted on a support carriage at a loading and unloading chamber in a substantially horizontal support plane, is transferred to a coating chamber, is tilted into an oblique plane at said coating chamber where it is aligned with a platen mask, electrostatic spray means disposed to one side of said platen mask supplies an electrostatic spray of a dye composition through said platen mask to the elongated area of said flexible sheet. The coated sheet pivots back to a substantially horizontal support plane and is returned to the loading and unloading station, where the coated flexible sheet is removed and another sheet mounted for treatment. The flexible sheet so coated is useful as an interlayer in shaded, bent laminated safety glass windshields.
This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for forming a colored shade band on an elongated area of a flexible sheet of interlayer material comprising applying a dye composition by electrostatic spraying against an elongated area of a surface of a flexible sheet of non-conductive interlayer material such as polyurethane or plasticized polyvinyl butyral. A flexible sheet to be coated is mounted on a support carriage at a loading and unloading chamber in a substantially horizontal support plane, is transferred to a coating chamber, is tilted into an oblique plane at said coating chamber where it is aligned with a platen mask, electrostatic spray means disposed to one side of said platen mask supplies an electrostatic spray of a dye composition through said platen mask to the elongated area of said flexible sheet. The coated sheet pivots back to a substantially horizontal support plane and is returned to the loading and unloading station, where the coated flexible sheet is removed and another sheet mounted for treatment. The flexible sheet so coated is useful as an interlayer in shaded, bent laminated safety glass windshields.
