US 11,987,517 B2
Glass sheet quench arrangement
James P. Schnabel, Jr., Maumee, OH (US); Dean M. Nitschke, Maumee, OH (US); and David B. Nitschke, Perrysburg, OH (US)
Assigned to Glasstech, Inc., Perrysburg, OH (US)
Appl. No. 17/421,858
Filed by GLASSTECH, INC., Perrysburg, OH (US)
PCT Filed Jan. 10, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/013081
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 9, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/146729, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 16, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/790,976, filed on Jan. 10, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0106219 A1, Apr. 7, 2022
Int. Cl. C03B 27/044 (2006.01); C03B 27/04 (2006.01); C03B 35/20 (2006.01)
CPC C03B 27/0447 (2013.01) [C03B 27/0404 (2013.01); C03B 27/0417 (2013.01); C03B 35/202 (2013.01)] 32 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A quench arrangement for quenching glass sheets, the quench arrangement comprising:
a main quench station having upper and lower main quench heads;
a first lower secondary quench head located downstream of the main quench station;
a second lower secondary quench head located downstream of the first lower secondary quench head;
an upper secondary quench system positioned above the first and second lower secondary quench heads so that the upper secondary quench system extends over the first and second lower secondary quench heads;
a conveyor located above the second lower secondary quench head;
a quench ring for receiving glass sheets; and
an actuator configured to position the quench ring between the upper and lower main quench heads of the main quench station, and to move the quench ring to a position above the first lower secondary quench head;
wherein the main quench station is operable to cool a glass sheet when the glass sheet is positioned on the quench ring and located between the upper and lower main quench heads, the actuator is operable to then move the quench ring to the position above the first lower secondary quench head so that further cooling of the glass sheet may occur between the first lower secondary quench head and the upper secondary quench system, the quench arrangement is operable to position the glass sheet above the second lower secondary quench head so that further cooling of the glass sheet may occur between the second lower secondary quench head and the upper secondary quench system, and the conveyor is operable to then move the glass sheet away from the second lower secondary quench head, and wherein at least one of the first lower secondary quench head, the second lower secondary quench head, or the upper secondary quench system is movable laterally toward and away from the main quench station, based on size of the glass sheet or size of the main quench heads, to facilitate cooling of the glass sheet downstream of the main quench station, and wherein the quench arrangement is operable to supply cooling fluid through the second lower secondary quench head and the upper secondary quench system when the glass sheet is positioned above the second lower secondary quench head so that the further cooling of the glass sheet may occur between the second lower secondary quench head and the upper secondary quench system.