An apparatus for fabricating glass plates

Abstract

 An apparatus for fabricating glass plates (65), which comprises a cutting section (1) for cutting glass plates (65) into a predetermined shape by the pressure of water mixed with abrasive materials. A finishing section (2, 3) is provided for finishing the cut sections of the glass plates (65). A glass plate feeding section (4) is provided for feeding the glass plates (65) one after the other to the cutting section (1) and the finishing section (2, 3). A numerical control apparatus (not shown) for numerically controlling the cutting section and finishing section is connected to the cutting section and the finishing section.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for fabricating glass plates. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus for fabricating glass plates, which is used in a series of processes, for example, from the cutting of a thick-plate glass such as a table top to the finishing of such cut section.

[0002] In a conventional apparatus for fabricating glass plates, which performs cutting, grinding and polishing processes, the polishing process generally consists of multiple stages in order to achieve the desired finish of a glass plate to be fabricated.

[0003] However, in such an apparatus for fabricating glass plates in which the finishing process consists of many stages, there exists the problem that fabrication time is lengthened.

[0004] The present invention has been devised in light of the above-described points. It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for fabricating glass plates capable of carrying out the work for fabricating glass plates in a short time and with a high level of finish. Namely, the object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for fabricating glass plates capable of easily carrying out the cutting of glass plates and forming the cut sections into a very fine surface, and of further carrying out the finishing process following the cutting process, for example, the grinding and polishing processes with high quality and at a high speed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] According to the present invention, the above-­mentioned object can be achieved by an apparatus for fabricating glass plates, comprising: a cutting section for cutting glass plates into a predetermined shape by the pressure of water mixed with abrasive materials; a finishing section for finishing the cut sections of the glass plates; a glass plate feeding section for feeding the glass plates one after the other to cutting section and said finishing section; and a numerical control apparatus connected to the cutting section and the finishing section, for numerically controlling the cutting section ana finishing section.

[0006] The apparatus for fabricating glass plates, according to the invention may have a construction such that in the first process, a glass plate to be fabricated is cut into the form of a predetermined shape by using a so-called waterjet, from which water mixed with abrasive materials are ejected at ultra-high pressure. In the next process, the glass plate is finish-fabricated, for example, the edges of the cut section are ground to a predetermined shape by using polishing jig such as a diamond wheel. Further in the next process, the grinding traces caused by the above-described grinding jig are polished using a polishing jig such as a grinding stone wheel.

[0007] Furthermore, the apparatus for fabricating glass plates of the invention may be constructed to carry out these various processes and glass plate feeding on the basis of a numerical control system.

[0008] Still further, the apparatus for fabricating glass plates of the present invention may have a construction such that the finishing of glass plates, for example, the control of grinding and polishing, and the cutting of glass plates are controlled simultaneously by means of a numerical control system, and that the control of glass plate feeding is performed by means of the numerical control system.

[0009] Still further, the apparatus for fabricating glass plates, according to the present invention, may have a construction such that a cutting section and a finishing section, for example, a grinding portion and a polishing portion, are linked by a common driving mechanism for the co-operations thereof, and that a cutting operation and grinding and polishing operations as a finishing operation are therefore concurrently carried out.

[0010] That is, the present invention can be applied to an apparatus for fabricating glass plates, which can easily carry out cutting and finishing operations, for example, grinding and polishing, while feeding thick glass plates which are 8 to 19 mm thick and very heavy, completely automatically only by supplying raw plate glasses, and carrying out these processes through to the finishing process like an assembly line.

[0011] Of course, the present invention can be applied to an apparatus for fabricating glass plates capable of fabricating and producing glasses for automobiles, for example, side windows, front windows and rear quarters.

[0012] Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] 

Fig. 1 is a front view of an apparatus for fabricating glass plates, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are partial cutaway views of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Figs. 4 and 5 are side views of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Figs. 6 and 7 are enlarged illustrative views of a cutting head of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is an illustrative view of a jet generation main body of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Figs. 9 and 10 are enlarged illustrative views of a grinding head of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Figs. 11 and 12 are enlarged illustrative views of a polishing head of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 13 is an illustrative front view showing the fabrication state of the polishing head;

Fig. 14 is a front view of an apparatus for fabricating glass plates, according to another embodiment of the present invention; and

Figs. 15 and 16 are partial cutaway views of the apparatus for fabricating glass plates of the apparatus shown in Fig. 14.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Preferred embodiments of the apparatus for fabricating glass plates, constructed in accordance with the present invention, will now be described with reference to the attached drawings.

[0015] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in the apparatus for fabricating glass plates of this embodiment, a cutting section 1 as a cutting fabrication section is placed on the right in Fig. 1, a polishing section 2 in the left, a grinding section 3 in the center, and a glass plate feeding section 4 having a glass plate feeding apparatus 51 in the rear of the apparatus for fabricating glass plates in Fig. 1. A finishing fabrication section consists of the polishing section 2 and the grinding section 3. In addition, an entry table 5A for supplying a glass plate 65 is placed on the right of the cutting section 1 in Fig. 1, and a take-out conveyor 58 for taking out a fabricated glass plate 65 is placed on the left of the polishing section 2 in Fig. 1.

[0016] A cutting head 7 of the cutting section 1, a grinding head 6 of the grinding section and a polishing head 8 of the polishing section are mounted on a motion means 9 used to interconnect the group of these heads and to control them in common. The motion means 9 is numerically controlled by a numerical control apparatus (not shown). In the apparatus for fabricating glass plates of this embodiment, the motion means 9 can make the group of the above-described heads to move similarly in parallel to each other in the rectangular plane coordinate system.

[0017] That is, the cutting head 7, the grinding head 6 and the polishing head 8 have the X and Y axises of the rectangular coordinate system.

[0018] The apparatus for fabricating glass plates in accordance with this embodiment makes the cutting head 7, the grinding head 6 and the polishing head 8 move iD the opposite directions along the X axis indicated by an arrow 42, which are the rightward and leftward directions seen from the front of the apparatus for fabricating glass plates shown in Fig. 1, and makes the work table 19 for holding the glass plate 65 mounted on a chassis 10 move in the opposite directions along the Y axis indicated by an arrow 421 (Fig. 2), which are the forward and backward directions seen from the front of the apparatus for fabricating glass plates.

[0019] A rack 12 is erected on the work table 19 via a gate-­shaped frame 11 installed on both ends of the chassis 10. A pair of slide rail apparatuses 13, 13 mounted on the front of the apparatus for fabricating glass plates of the rack 12 shown in Fig. 1 in parallel to each other along the direction of the above-described X axis.

[0020] These slide rail apparatuses 13, 13 include the rail main body 14 installed in the rack 12 and a plurality of slides 15 (Fig. 2) connected to the rail main body so as to move on the rail main body 14. A linearly movable carriage 16 is fixed to the slide 15.

[0021] The cutting head 7, the grinding head 6, and the polishing head 8 described above are mounted on the linearly movable carriage 16. Accordingly, the cutting head 7, the grinding head 6 and the polishing head 8 can move as one piece with the linearly movable carriage 16 in the opposite directions along the Z axis indicated by the arrow 42 by means of the slide rail apparatuses 13, 13.

[0022] The linearly movable carriage 16 is driven, that is, moved in the direction of the Z axis described above by means of a feed screw 17 placed between two rail main bodies 14 and an X-axis control motor 18 which drives the feed screw to rotate via a belt means 181. The work table 19 is placed below the cutting head 7, the grinding head 6 and the polishing head 8 so as to be guided to move in the direction of the Y axis described above indicated by the arrow 421.

[0023] Suction pads 20, 21 and 22 respectively corresponding to the cutting head 7, the grinding head 6 and the polishing head 8 are placed on the top surface of the work table 19 in Fig. 1. The suction pads 20, 21 and 22 which fix the glass plate 65 are connected to a vacuum pump (not shown) via pipe valves and pipes so as to vacuum suck the glass plate 65. The vacuum pump should preferably be connected to a numerical control apparatus to be described later.

[0024] The work table 19 is held on the chassis 10 via the slide rail apparatus 231, in both the ends relating to the rightward and leftward directions in Fig. 1. That is, on the ends described above, the slide rail apparatus 231 has the two rail main bodies 24, 24 placed in parallel to each other along the direction of the Y axis described above and a plurality of slides 23, 23 respectively engaged with the rail main bodies 24, 24 so as to move on these rail main bodies 24. The work table 19 is fixed to the slides 23, 23 by the screw 191 in the lower part of Fig. 1.

[0025] By such an engagement, the work table 19 is held on the chassis 10 via the slide rail apparatuses 231, 231. Since these slide rail apparatuses 231, 231 are installed in the chassis 10 in parallel to each other along the direction of the X axis described above, the work table 19 can be guided to move in the direction of the Y axis.

[0026] The work table 19 is driven, that is, moved in the direction of the Y axis described above by means of a pair of feed screws 25, 25 provided along the slide rail apparatuses 231, 231, the gear boxes 26, 26 (Fig. 2) which connect the feed screws 25, 25 and a line shaft 27, and a Y-axis control motor 28 which drives the line shaft 27 via a transmission means 281 such as a belt.

[0027] As shown in Figs. 1 to 5, a plurality of bearing devices 30, 30 and 30 are mounted on the front 29 of the linearly movable carriage 16 which moves in the direction of the X axis, in correspondence with the positions of the suction pads 20, 21, and 22 provided on the top surface 192 of the work table 19. Each of the bearing devices 30, 30 and 30 includes a shaft 31 held by bearings as shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5. The shaft 31 is placed along the vertical axis which is the Z axis intersecting at right angles to the plane of the rectangular coordinate system formed of the X and Y axises described above, that is, the X-Y coordinate plane. The cutting head 7, the grinding head 6 and the polishing head 8 are mounted on each shaft 31. The angle of each of the cutting head 7, the grinding head 6 and the polishing head 8 is controlled around the vertical axis at right angles to the X-Y coordinate plane, which is the plane of the rectangular coordinate system formed of the X and Y axises described above, by rotating the shaft 31.

[0028] The above-described rotation angle control, that is, pivoting of the cutting head 7, the grinding head 6 and the polishing head 8 is performed by a transmission drive apparatus comprising bevel gears 321, 321 and 321 formed of a combination corresponding to these bevel gears 321, a line shaft 32 on which the bevel gears 321, 321 and 321 are mounted, and an X-axis control motor 34 which drives the line shaft 32 to rotate via a transmission means 341 such as a belt. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the cutting head 7 includes a jet generation member 36 having a jet nozzle 35, a setting slide 37 and a cross slide 38 for adjusting the setting position of the jet nozzle 35 to the two directions intersecting at right angles to each other in one plane in parallel to the above-described X-Y coordinate plane. The cutting head 7 is mounted on the shaft 31 of the bearing apparatus 30 in the upper section of the frame 39. The setting slide 37 can be adjusted to slide in one predetermined direction using a screw 371, and the cross slide 38 can be adjusted to slide in the other one direction intersecting at right angles to the above-­described one direction using a screw 381.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 8, the jet generation member 36 includes a jet nozzle (its cross-section is shown in Fig. 8) for mixing therein ultra-high pressure water 364 having, for example, 500 to 3500 atm (kg/cm²) supplied from an ultra-high pressure hose 361 with an abrasive material 402, and for ejecting therefrom the mixture of the ultra-high pressure water 364 and the abrasive material 402 at an ultra-high speed, for example, a speed exceeding that of sound, an ultra-high on-off valve 37A connected to the jet nozzle 35, a supply pipe 40 for supplying an abrasive material 402, and a supporting body 41 (Figs. 6 and 7) for supporting the jet nozzle 35. The supporting body 41 is mounted on the above-described setting slide 37. The supply pipes 40 are connected to both the abrasive material supply apparatus 403 for supplying an abrasive material 402 from the tank 401 accommodating the abrasive material 402 in the entrance 351 of the jet nozzle 35, and the entrance 305. To control water flow supplied from the ultra-high pressure hose 361, for example, a pipe 365 for transmitting the hydraulic pressure form a hydraulic pressure control apparatus (not shown) is connected to the ultra-high pressure on-off valve 37A. A numerical control apparatus, described later, should preferably be connected to the above-described hydraulic pressure apparatus, and the motion of the valve 37A is thereby numerically controlled. In the same manner, the abrasive material supply apparatus 403 should preferably be controlled by a numerical control apparatus.

[0030] The jet generation main body 36 is connected to an ultra-high pressure accumulator 362 and an ultra-high pressure generation apparatus 363. In cutting the glass plate 65, by opening and closing the ultra-high on-off valve 37A, the jet generation main body 36 ejects at the glass plate 65 an ultra-high pressure water jet being mixed with an abrasive material in the jet nozzle 35, thereby cutting the glass plate 65.

[0031] As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the position of the jet nozzle 35 can be adjusted so that the position at which the above-described water jet ejects the ultra-high pressure water is aligned with the rotation axis center of the cutting head 7, that is, the axis center 39 of the shaft 31 of the bearing apparatus 30 by moving the adjusting screws 371, 381 for the setting slide 37 and the cross slide 38. If required, the position of the jet nozzle 35 can be shifted from the position of the axis center 391. In this way, fine adjustment for cutting traces of the cutting head 7, that is, adjustments for the size of the cutting dimensions of the glass plate 65, can be made.

[0032] In short, the cutting head 7 can enlarge or reduce the above-described cutting traces.

[0033] As shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the grinding head 6 placed next to the cutting head 7, includes a spindle motor 43, a cutting depth adjusting slide 44, and a cross slide 45 for adjusting the mounting position of the spindle motor 43 in the two directions at right angles to each other in one plane in parallel to the above-described X-Y coordinate plane. A grinding wheel 47 is mounted on the shaft 39 of the spindle motor 43. The cutting depth adjusting slide 44 is adjusted to move in one predetermined direction by turning a screw 441. The cross slide 45 is adjusted to move in another direction at right angles to the above-­ described one direction by turning a screw 462. The vertical slide 46 is controlled to move in the upward and downward directions in Figs. 8 and 9, at right angles to both the one direction and the other direction described above by turning a screw 461. The upper portion of the cross slide 45 is mounted on the shaft 31 of the bearing apparatus 30. The entire grinding head 6 is suspendedly held by the shaft 31.

[0034] That is, the cross slide 45 includes a holder 452 in which its tightening portion 455 is fixed to the lower end of the shaft 31 of the bearing apparatus 30 and a slide member 453 slidably held on the end of the holder 452. A dovetail groove 455 is provided outside one of the edges 457 of the slide member 453. The cross slide 45 is arranged so that the slide member 453 moves back and forth along the holder 452 when the dovetail groove 455 is engaged with a crown-form projection 456 which is complementary in shape to the dovetail groove 455 provided on the holder 452, and a screw 451 constituting a screw mechanism which is known itself. The cutting depth adjusting slide 44 is arranged so that a crown-form projection 442 is provided on the inside (the other) edge 443 of the slide member 453, and a second slide member 445 having a dovetail groove 444 complementary in shape to the projection 443 is engaged with the projection 443 of the edge 442 of the slide member 453, and the second slide member 445 can move back and forth along the edge 442 by turning a screw 441 constituting a screw mechanism in the same way as the above. That is, by turning the screw 441, a grinding wheel 47, which is a work jig, can be adjusted to move in the direction toward a cutting portion which is a grinding fabrication point P of the glass plate 65 in one plane in parallel to the plane of the rectangular plane coordinate system including the directions of the X and Y axises. In addition, by the same configuration, the vertical slide 46 is arranged to move back and forth in the upward and downward directions in Figs. 9 and 10 to the second slide member 445 by turning a screw 461. In other words, each fabrication head is provided with a fine adjustment member comprising the above-described cross slide 45, the cutting depth adjusting slide 44 and the vertical slide 46. The above-described cutting head 7 and the polishing head 8 described later, are each similarly provided with the above-described fine adjustment means.

[0035] Therefore, the grinding head 6 can be installed with the grinding wheel 47 so that the grinding surface of the circumference of the grinding wheel 47 can match the axis center 392 of the shaft 31 of the bearing apparatus 30 by the adjustment of the cutting depth adjusting slide 44 and the cross slide 45, that is, by turning both the screw 441 and the screw 451. In this way, when the circumferential grinding point P of the grinding wheel 47 matches the axis center 30 of the shaft 31, the circumferential grinding point p of the grinding wheel 47 and the center of the nozzle of the jet nozzle 35 of the cutting head 7 draw substantially identical movement traces. Hence, the grinding head 6 should preferably be set to be ground and finished in such a way that the cutting depth adjusting slide 44 is adjusted by a screw 441, the peripheral end grinding point P of the grinding wheel 47 is put forward (provides the amount of cutting depth) of the axis center of the above-described shaft 31, and the movement traces of the grinding wheel 47 are somewhat reduced.

[0036] Of course, as described above, the angle of rotation of the grinding wheel 47 can also be controlled by rotating the shaft 31 so that the normal line of the peripheral end grinding point P of the grinding wheel 47 moves at a predetermined angle to the shape of the edge line of the glass plate 65 at all times.

[0037] For the grinding wheel 47, generally, a diamond wheel for cylindrical grinding is preferred. Only one grinding head 6 is shown in this embodiment, but two of them may be used from the relation between the particle size of the grinding wheel and the finishing condition for the abrasive wheel described later.

[0038] As shown in Figs. 11, 12 and 13, the polishing head 9 includes the spindle motor 43, the cutting depth adjusting slide 44 and the cross slide 45 for adjusting the mounting position of the spindle motor 43 in the two directions in which they are at right angles to each other in one plane in parallel to the above-described X-Y coordinate plane, and a vertical slide 46 for adjusting the high and low position of the abrasive wheel 48 in Figs. 10 and 11. The abrasive wheel 48 is installed on the shaft 393 of the spindle motor 43.

[0039] The spindle motor 43 is mounted on the slide member 445 of the cutting depth adjusting slide 44 via the slide apparatus 49. The slide apparatus 49 is arranged to make the spindle motor 43 slide in parallel to the above-­described direction of the adjustment movement of the cutting depth adjusting slide 44 at a light load. For the slide apparatus 49, ball slide bearings should preferably be used.

[0040] That is, the slide apparatus 49 includes a plurality of rail members 492 fixed on the slide member 445 of the cutting depth adjusting slide 44 and a slide member slidably installed on the rail member 492. The spindle motor 43 is installed on the slide member 491.

[0041] To make the spindle motor be linked to the slide member 491 of the slide apparatus 49, a fluid actuator 50 (e.g., air cylinder) is mounted on the cutting depth adjusting slide 44. The piston rod 501 of the fluid actuator 50 is connected to the slide member 491 of the slide apparatus 49.

[0042] Therefore, by extending the piston rod 501 of the fluid actuator 50 axially of the piston rod 501, the spindle motor 43 can be moved. As a result of this, the condition of contact of the abrasive wheel 48 with the glass plate 65, more particularly, the pressure of contact can be changed.

[0043] The cutting depth adjusting slide 44 can be adjusted to move in one predetermined direction by turning a screw 441. The cross slide 45 can be adjusted to move in another one direction intersecting at right angles to the above-­described one direction by turning a screw 451. The vertical slide 46 can be adjusted to move in the direction at right angles to both the direction described above, that is, in the upward and downward directions in Figs. 11 and 12, by turning a screw 461.

[0044] The polishing head 8 is mounted on the shaft 31 of the above-described bearing apparatus in the upper part of the cross slide 45, and is held suspendedly by the shaft 31.

[0045] For the abrasive wheel 48 installed in the polishing head 8, a polisher wheel, a so-called circular grindstone (grindstone for cylindrical grinding, ordinarily, abrasive powders are mixed in polyester resin base material, and is burned) should preferably be used. When polishing fabrication is performed under the condition that the above-described fluid actuator 50 is operated to cause the spindle motor 43 to move, the abrasive wheel 48n is pressed to the edge of the glass plate 65 held by suction on the suction pad 21 (air float condition).

[0046] That is, the polishing head 8 is moved along the circumference of the glass plate 65, and at the same time, the angle of its rotation is controlled in the same way as the above, and the abrasive wheel 48 is directed toward the normal line of the circumference of the glass plate 65 at all times. Under the above condition, polishing fabrication is performed under the condition that the abrasive wheel 48 is, for example, elastically pressed by air pressure to the glass plate 65 by the fluid actuator 50.

[0047] Also, polishing fabrication may be carried out in such a way that working air is supplied through an electric-­pneumatic converter, the electric-pneumatic converter is automatically controlled to change the air pressure, and the force of pressing of the abrasive wheel 48 to the glass plate 65 is changed by the fluid actuator 50.

[0048] In this way, polishing fabrication is carried out by the abrasive wheel 48 while it is pressed to the glass plate 65 by receiving a fluid elastic force by air. Since the abrasive wheel 48 can be pressed to the glass plate 65 under the same condition even if the abrasive wheel 48 is greatly used up, polishing fabrication can be carried out reliably.

[0049] Figs. 1, 2 and 3 show a grinding conveyance apparatus 51 of the glass plate conveyance section 4.

[0050] The glass plate conveyance apparatus 51 is disposed upward of the work table 19 and along the array direction of the suction pads 20, 21 and 22 of the grinding section 3 and the polishing section 2, that is, in parallel to the slide apparatus in the direction of the X axis.

[0051] The glass plate conveyance apparatus 51 has a feed shaft frame 52 built in parallel to the frame 12 movable in the opposite directions along the X axis described above, on the frames 11, 11 placed on both sides of the chassis 10.

[0052] A carriage 54 is provided on the parallel guide rails 53, 53 disposed on the bottom surface of the feed shaft rack 52 so as to be guided to move in parallel to the above-described direction of the X axis, via a plurality of slides 55, 55 mounted on the carriage 54.

[0053] The carriage 54 of the glass plate feeding apparatus 51 is caused to move by a feed screw 50 disposed between a pair of guide rails 53, 53, and a feed shaft driving motor 82 connected to the feed screw 80 via a transmission means 82 such as a toothed belt. The feed shaft driving motor 82 is controlled on the basis of numerical information from the above-described numerical control apparatus (not, shown).

[0054] Therefore, as described later, the feeding, that is, the movement of the glass plate 65 by the glass plate feeding apparatus 51 can be carried out accurately by numerical control for every interval of the positions of each fabrication section.

[0055] A transfer frame 57 is mounted on the lower side of the above-described rack 54 via brackets 56, 56.

[0056] The transfer frame 57 extends from an input table 5A to the polishing section 2. The transfer frame 57 has suction pads 58 at the position of the fabrication section, each of which is a work section, that is, at the position corresponding to the position of each head. That is, these suction pads 58 are positioned above a suction pad 20 corresponding to the input table 5A, and the cutting head 7, the suction pad 22 corresponding to the grinding head 6, and further the suction pad 22 corresponding to the polishing head 8. The suction pads 58 are respectively mounted on each air cylinder apparatus 60 installed on the transfer frame 57 via brackets 59 (Fig. 3).

[0057] A suction pad 57 are mounted on the piston rod 61 of the air cylinder apparatus 60. Therefore, the air cylinder apparatus 60 make the suction pad 58 be held by suction on a glass plate 65 by extending the piston rod 61 and can lift the glass plate 65 by pulling up the piston rod 61.

[0058] The glass plate transfer apparatus 51 transfers the transfer frame 57 under this condition, namely under the condition that the glass plate 65 held by suction on the suction pad 58. With this transfer, the glass plate transfer apparatus 51 transfers the glass plate 65 to the position of the next fabrication operation section. The glass plate transfer apparatus 51 is so arranged that when the movement of the glass plate 65 to the position of the next fabrication operation section is finished, the suction pad 58 moves downward by the air cylinder apparatus 60. After the downward movement, the attraction of the suction is released, and the glass plate 65 is transferred to each corresponding suction pad. The vertical motion of the piston rod 61 of the air cylinder apparatus 60 and the operation of holding by suction the glass plate 65 by the suction pad 58 should preferably be controlled by the above-described numerical control equipment.

[0059] Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, the operation of the apparatus for fabricating glass plates in this embodiment and the processes from the supply of plain glass plates to the finishing thereof will be explained in order.

[0060] When the apparatus for fabricating glass plates is started, of course, the jet nozzle 35 of the cutting section 1, the grinding wheel 47 and the abrasive wheel 48, as well as the work table 19 and the glass plate feeding apparatus 51 are made to wait at the origin, i.e., the starting position.

[0061] On the work table 19, the position directly under the suction pad 58 of the glass plate feeding apparatus 51 is the origin, namely, the starting position. For the starting position of the work table 19, the center line of the suction pad 58 positioned along the direction in which the glass plate 65 is moved forward and the center line of the work table 19 are set to coincide.

[0062] Furthermore, the origin of the glass plate feeding apparatus 51 is at the position where the transfer frame 57 moves to the input side where the glass plate 65 is supplied, namely, where the suction pad 58 is positioned on the input table 5A, and is prescribed under condition that the suction pad 58 be at the position as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

[0063] As explained above, when the operation section (fabrication section) is at the origin, first, a plain glass plate 65 is placed on the input table 5A for the glass plate 65. The start button of the apparatus for fabricating glass plates is pressed and the apparatus for fabricating glass plates is started. First, the suction pad 58 moves downward and attaches to and holds the plain glass plate 65 by suction and lifts it up.

[0064] When the transfer frame 57 moves from this state and the suction pad 58 reaches a predetermined position for the suction pad 20 of the cutting section, the suction pad 58 moves downward and places the plain glass plate 65 on the suction pad 20 for cutting. Then the suction pad 58 releases the glass plate 65, rises to its former level and returns.

[0065] Immediately after this, the transfer frame 57 starts to move to return to the origin. At the same time, the cutting head 7, the grinding head 6 and the polishing head 8 and the work table 19 start to move under numerical control and start a cutting operation (cutting by using a waterjet from the jet nozzle 35).

[0066] At the completion of the cutting operation, the cutting head 7, the grinding head 6 and the polishing head 8 and the work table 19 all return to the origin. Then, the suction pad 58 moves downward again, lifts up the glass plate 65, and, by the movement of the transfer frame 57, the cut glass plate 65 on the suction pad 20 of the cutting suction 1 is transferred to and released onto the suction pad 22 of the next grinding section 3. A new plain glass plate 65 is supplied to the suction pad 20 of the cutting section 1 from the input table 5A.

[0067] While a plain glass plate 65 is being cut on the suction pad 20 of the cutting section 1, the exsection of the glass plate 65 is ground into a predetermined shape by a diamond wheel 47 in the grinding section 3.

[0068] After the cutting and grinding operations are complete, the glass plate feeding apparatus 51 operates so that the glass plate 65 of the grinding section 3 is transferred to the suction pad 21 of the polishing section 2. The next cut glass plate 65 is transferred to the grinding section 3. A new plain glass plate 65 is supplied to the suction pad 20 of the cutting section 1.

[0069] The ground glass plate 65 transferred to the polishing section 2 is polished concurrently with the next cutting and grinding.

[0070] The glass plate 65 polished in the polishing section 2 is moved onto the take-out conveyor 5B at the next cycle of the glass plate feeding apparatus 51. The glass plate 65 is taken outside the apparatus for fabricating glass plates by the operation of the take-out conveyor 5B. Since the cutting, grinding and polishing operations can be performed concurrently by control equipment in this embodiment as described above, the operation time can be greatly shortened compared with a conventional apparatus which performs the fabrication operation in a sequence of separate operations.

[0071] Furthermore, since the apparatus for fabricating glass plates includes entirely the cutting section 1, the grinding section 2, the polishing section 3 and the glass plate feeding apparatus 51 in these sections 1, 2 and 3, it can perform all the processes from the supply of the plain glass plate 65 to the taking out of the polished, finished glass plate 65 without requiring manpower, automatically and continuously by this one machine.

[0072] In the apparatus for fabricating glass plates of this embodiment, the fabrication section is placed in the order of the cutting head 7, the grinding head 6 and the polishing head 8. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment and can be applied to an apparatus for fabricating glass plates comprising the cutting head 7 and the grinding head 6 as another embodiment, as shown in Figs. 13 to 15. Reference numerals for those parts common to the above-described embodiment are indicated by the same numerals, and thus, the explanation is omitted.

[0073] In this embodiment, in particular, cutting of the glass plate 65 at the cutting section 1 is performed by a jet of ultra-high pressure water mixed with an abrasive material 402. Therefore, the cut surfaces are formed into a very fine, flat surface, and the grinding and polishing in the post processes are performed by a light driving force and at high speed, fabricated surfaces being finished with excellent quality.

[0074] In other words, since no irregularities or erose surfaces are formed on the cut surfaces such as are formed during the cutting by a cutter wheel of the prior art, only a small quantity of grinding allowance need be provided, and a fine, high-quality finished surface can be obtained.

[0075] Further, since the apparatus for fabricating glass plates requires no fold and divide section as does a machine of the prior art, the entire machine can be made compact.

[0076] As described above, the apparatus for fabricating glass plates includes the above-described configuration. Since glass plates are cut by the pressure of water mixed with abrasive materials, cut sections can be finished fine, i.e., smooth. Also, since the finishing fabrication section at a later stage can be constructed simply, the cutting and fabrication operations can be performed in a short time.

[0077] While the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description.

[0078] Accordingly, it is intended to include all such alternatives and modifications as fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus for fabricating glass plates, comprising:

a cutting section for cutting glass plates into a predetermined shape by the pressure of water mixed with abrasive materials;
a finishing section for finishing said cut sections of said glass plates;
a glass plate feeding section for feeding said glass plates one after the other to said cutting and finishing sections; and
a numerical control apparatus connected to said cutting and finishing sections, for numerically controlling said cutting and finishing sections.

2. An apparatus for fabricating glass plates as claimed in claim 1, wherein said numerical control apparatus controls all the fabrication operations of said cutting and finishing sections concurrently.

3. An apparatus for fabricating glass plates as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said cutting section and said finishing section are linked to a common motion mechanism so as to perform concurrently the operations thereof.

4. An apparatus for fabricating glass plates as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said numerical control apparatus is further connected to said glass plate feeding section for numerically controlling said glass plate feeding section.

5. An apparatus for fabricating glass plates as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein said finishing section includes a grinding part for grinding said glass plates.

6. An apparatus for fabricating glass plates as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said finishing section includes at least a grinding part for grinding said glass plates and a polishing part for polishing said glass plates.

Drawing