Glass plate edge grinding machine

Abstract

A glass plate edge grinding machine in which the belt of one belt-conveyor is supported by a plural number of pressing rollers arranged in a series inside said belt which the belt of the other conveyor is disposed on the opposite side with the interposition of the glass plate to the position of the arranged grinding wheels and supported all over the length thereof by a rigid backing-up plate disposed inside said belt, said backing-up plate being smoothly curved from the upper end to the lower end thereof in the direction far away from the glass plate so as to face the belt of said other conveyer, the glass plate is pressed in accordance with the curved surface of the backing-up plate when held through the belt on either side by pressing rollers, and the spindle of each grinder holding a grinding wheel is supported by a spindle supporting assembly which enables said spindle to move substantially in the radial and axial directions.

We claim: 
     
       1. In a glass plate edge grinding machine for grinding the lower edge of a glass plate by means of a plural number of grinding wheels arranged in a series, with said glass plate being held between and transported by a pair of belt-conveyers each comprising an endless belt in such a manner that the glass plate is slightly inclined with respect to a vertical plane and supported at said inclined surface by a plural number of backing-up rollers, an improvement in which the belt of one belt-conveyer is supported by a plural number of pressing rollers arranged in a series inside said belt while the belt of the other conveyer is disposed on the opposite side with the interposition of the glass plate to the position of the arranged grinding wheels and supported all over the length thereof by a rigid backing-up plate disposed inside said belt, said backing-up plate being smoothly curved from the upper end to the lower end thereof in the direction away from the glass plate so as to face the belt of said other conveyer, the glass plate is pressed in accordance with the curved surface of the backing-up plate when held through the belt by said pressing rollers, and the spindle of each grinder holding a grinding wheel is supported by a spindle supporting assembly which enables said spindle to move substantially in the radial and axial directions. 
     
     
       2. A glass plate edge grinding machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said pressing rollers is held through a resilient bush by a conveyer frame. 
     
     
       3. A glass plate edge grinding machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the belt of one belt-conveyer is suitably narrower in width than the belt of the other conveyer, the latter belt being suitably narrower in width than said backing-up plate and in contact with said backing-up plate. 
     
     
       4. A glass plate edge grinding machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said backing-up plate is provided at the lower end of said curved surface thereof with a supporting member slidably engaging with the lower end face of the travelling conveyer belt and further provided at the upper end thereof with a guide member slidably engaging with the upper end face of said conveyer-belt, at least said guide member being removably fitted on the backing-up plate. 
     
     
       5. A glass plate edge grinding machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spindle supporting assembly comprises a supporting tube fitted through a bearing on a spindle equipped with a grinding wheel, an annular resilient member formed of elastic material and fitted into an annular groove formed on the outer surface of said supporting tube, a holder fitted through said resilient member over the spindle for holding the spindle, a taper ring having a tapered inner wall and disposed with said tapered inner wall being in contact with the bevel end face of said resilient member, a clamp plug screwed into said holder and pressing the resilient member through the medium of a friction ring and the taper ring, and the friction ring inserted between one end face of the clamp plug and one end face of the taper ring opposing to each other, the inner wall of said friction ring being in contact with the outer surface of the supporting tube while the wall of said friction ring is suitably spaced from the inner face of the holder. .Iadd. 6. A glass plate edge grinding machine for grinding the lower edge of a glass plate by means of a plural number of grinding wheels arranged in a series, with said glass plate being held between and transported in a horizontal direction by a pair of belt conveyors each comprising an endless belt in such a manner that the glass plate is slightly inclined with respect to a vertical plane and supported at said inclined surface by a plural number of backing-up rollers, the belt of one belt conveyor being supported by a plural number of pressing members arranged in a series inside said belt while the belt of the conveyor which is disposed on the opposite side of the glass plate from the grinding wheel is supported by a rigid backing-up plate disposed inside said belt, the pressing members pressing against the belt of said one belt-conveyor and the glass plate to force the glass plate against the belt of the other belt-conveyor and the backing-up plate and to maintain the portion of the glass plate adjacent the grinding wheel in a smooth curve extending away from the pressing members, and the spindle of each grinder holding a grinding wheel being supported by a spindle supporting assembly which enables said spindle to move substantially in the radial and axial directions..Iaddend.