US4711056A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Abrasive fluid jet radius edge cutting of glass
Assignee: Pilkington North America Inc
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Filing: 1986-11-12
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Granted: 1987-12-08
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Expires: 2006-11-12
Abstract
Abstract Producing a radius or curved edge in cutting glass by means of a high pressure abrasive fluid jet. Abrasive particles are aspirated in carefully controlled amounts into a fluid stream which is directed through a nozzle tube having an elongated passageway of small diameter, and the fluid is discharged against and closely adjacent the surface of the glass as a highly collimated jet carrying the abrasive particles. The passageway gradually increases in diameter, or flares outwardly, at the discharge end of the nozzle tube, allowing the collimated stream to diverge within confined limits immediately prior to impinging upon the glass surface. The abrasive particle-containing conical fluid jet cuts through the glass along the path followed by the axis of the nozzle tube, while the glass to either side of the cut is abraded by progressively decreasing amounts toward the lateral extremities of the fluid jet. The glass cut is thus formed with a curved edge on the entrant side of the cut. The glass may be similarly treated from the opposite direction by the abrasive jet to produce a completely rounded edge.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard A. Herrington
- 👤 Thomas G. Kleman
- 👤 Ermelinda A. Apolinar
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 10:52
CPC Classifications
B; B26; B26F; B26F3/00; B26F3/004; B24; B24C; B24C1/00; B24C1/04; B24C1/045; B24C1/08; B24C1/083; B24C3/00; B24C3/02; B24C3/04; B24C5/00; B24C5/02; B24C5/04; B25; B25B; B25B11/00; B25B11/005; C; C03; C03B; C03B33/00; C03B33/02; C03B33/023; B65; B65G; B65G2249/00; B65G2249/04; B65G2249/045
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
112 words
A method of forming a rounded edge in cutting a glass sheet along a desired path with an abrasive liquid jet, comprising advancing the liquid jet in which abrasive particles are entrained through an elongated cylindrical passageway to collimate said liquid jet, discharging said collimated liquid jet closely adjacent said sheet, allowing said liquid jet to diverge within confined limits immediately prior to being discharged against said sheet, the distance said liquid jet travels through said cylindrical passageway being at least two and one-half times the distance traversed in diverging within confined limits, and moving said liquid jet and said sheet relative to one another along the desired path for the cut.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
112 words
A method of forming a rounded edge in cutting a glass sheet along a desired path with an abrasive liquid jet, comprising advancing the liquid jet in which abrasive particles are entrained through an elongated cylindrical passageway to collimate said liquid jet, discharging said collimated liquid jet closely adjacent said sheet, allowing said liquid jet to diverge within confined limits immediately prior to being discharged against said sheet, the distance said liquid jet travels through said cylindrical passageway being at least two and one-half times the distance traversed in diverging within confined limits, and moving said liquid jet and said sheet relative to one another along the desired path for the cut.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method of forming a rounded edge in cutting glass sheets with an abrasive liquid jet as claimed in claim 1, wherein said liquid jet diverges conically within said confined limits.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
49 words
A method of forming a rounded edge in cutting glass sheets with an abrasive liquid jet as claimed in claim 2, wherein said liquid jet is allowed to diverge at an angle in the range from about 5 degrees to 15 degrees from the longitudinal axis of said jet.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method of forming a rounded edge in cutting glass sheets with an abrasive liquid jet as claimed in claim 3, wherein the diameter of the abrasive jet striking said sheet is about three times the diameter of the collimated jet prior to divergence.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method of forming a rounded edge in cutting glass sheets with an abrasive liquid jet as claimed in claim 2, wherein said liquid jet is discharged against said sheet at a distance not greater than about 0.050 inch (1.27 mm) from said sheet.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method of forming a rounded edge in cutting glass sheets with an abrasive liquid jet as claimed in claim 2, wherein said collimated liquid jet has a diameter in the range from about 0.045 to 0.078 inch (1.14 to 1.98 mm).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
69 words
A method of forming a rounded edge in cutting glass sheets with an abrasive fluid jet as claimed in claim 5, wherein said fluid jet is allowed to diverge at an angle of about 7 degrees from the longitudinal axis of said jet, said jet having a diameter of about 0.062 inch (1.57 mm) prior to divergence and 0.185 inch (4.69 mm) as it is discharged against said sheet.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
173 words
In apparatus for forming a rounded edge on glass sheets as they are cut along a desired path by an abrasive liquid jet including means supporting a glass sheet to be cut, a nozzle assembly for directing a liquid jet against the sheet, means supplying liquid under pressure to the nozzle assembly, means entraining abrasive particles in the liquid jet, and means moving the nozzle assembly and glass sheet relative to one another whereby the liquid jet follows said desired path of cut along the sheet, the improvement comprising a nozzle tube for said nozzle assembly having entrance and exit ends and including interior walls defining an elongated longitudinally extending passageway therethrough, said passageway including a cylindrical portion for collimating said liquid jet, the walls of said passageway flaring conically outwardly at an angle between about 5 degrees and 15 degrees to the longitudinal axis of said passageway at said exit end, and the length of said cylindrical portion being at least two and one-half times that of the outwardly flaring end portion.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
173 words
In apparatus for forming a rounded edge on glass sheets as they are cut along a desired path by an abrasive liquid jet including means supporting a glass sheet to be cut, a nozzle assembly for directing a liquid jet against the sheet, means supplying liquid under pressure to the nozzle assembly, means entraining abrasive particles in the liquid jet, and means moving the nozzle assembly and glass sheet relative to one another whereby the liquid jet follows said desired path of cut along the sheet, the improvement comprising a nozzle tube for said nozzle assembly having entrance and exit ends and including interior walls defining an elongated longitudinally extending passageway therethrough, said passageway including a cylindrical portion for collimating said liquid jet, the walls of said passageway flaring conically outwardly at an angle between about 5 degrees and 15 degrees to the longitudinal axis of said passageway at said exit end, and the length of said cylindrical portion being at least two and one-half times that of the outwardly flaring end portion.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
39 words
Apparatus for forming a rounded edge on glass sheets as they are cut by an abrasive liquid jet as claimed in claim 8, wherein said passageway has a diameter between about 0.045 and 0.078 inch (1.14 to 1.98 mm).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
58 words
Apparatus for forming a rounded edge on glass sheets as they are cut by an abrasive liquid jet as claimed in claim 8, wherein the exit end of said nozzle tube is not greater than about 0.050 inch (1.27 mm) from the surface of said sheet whereby said jet is prevented from overspraying onto the adjacent glass surface.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
76 words
Apparatus for forming a rounded edge on glass sheets as they are cut by an abrasive liquid jet as claimed in claim 10, wherein said elongated passageway has a diameter of about 0.062 inch (1.57 mm), the walls of said passageway diverge in the conical portion at an angle of about 7 degrees to the longitudinal axis of said passageway, and said passageway has a diameter of about 0.185 inch (4.69 mm) at the exit end.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
55 words
Apparatus for forming a rounded edge on glass sheets as they are cut by an abrasive liquid jet as claimed in claim 8, wherein said nozzle tube has a planar bottom wall and said conically diverging walls of said passageway are connected by a curved segment to said planar bottom wall of said nozzle tube.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
129 words
A nozzle tube for forming a rounded cut edge in the abrasive liquid jet cutting of glass sheets, comprising an elongated cylindrical body having entrance and exit ends and interior walls defining a passageway extending axially therethrough from the entrance end to the exit end thereof, said passageway including a cylindrical portion for transmitting and collimating the liquid jet, the walls of said passageway diverging at an angle between about 5 degrees and 15 degrees to the longitudinal axis of said passageway to form an inverted conical section at the exit end of said passageway whereby the collimated liquid jet diverges within the conical section before being discharged against said sheets, the length of said cylindrical portion being at least two and one-half times that of said conical section.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
129 words
A nozzle tube for forming a rounded cut edge in the abrasive liquid jet cutting of glass sheets, comprising an elongated cylindrical body having entrance and exit ends and interior walls defining a passageway extending axially therethrough from the entrance end to the exit end thereof, said passageway including a cylindrical portion for transmitting and collimating the liquid jet, the walls of said passageway diverging at an angle between about 5 degrees and 15 degrees to the longitudinal axis of said passageway to form an inverted conical section at the exit end of said passageway whereby the collimated liquid jet diverges within the conical section before being discharged against said sheets, the length of said cylindrical portion being at least two and one-half times that of said conical section.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
38 words
A nozzle tube for forming a rounded cut edge in the abrasive liquid jet cutting of glass sheets as claimed in claim 13, including outwardly diverging walls defining a conical section at the entrance end of said passageway.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
76 words
A nozzle tube for forming a rounded cut edge in the abrasive liquid jet cutting of glass sheets as claimed in claim 13, wherein said passageway has a diameter of about 0.062 inch (1.57 mm), said walls of said passageway diverge at an angle of about 7 degrees from the axis of said passageway to form said inverted conical section, and said passageway has a diameter of about 0.185 inch (4.69 mm) at its exit end.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distance said liquid jet travels through said cylindrical passageway is about four and one-half times the distance traversed in diverging within confined limits.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the length of said cylindrical passageway through which said liquid jet advances is at least sixteen times its diameter.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
28 words
A nozzle tube as claimed in claim 13, wherein the length of said cylindrical portion is about four and one-half times that of said outwardly flaring end portion.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
29 words
A nozzle tube as claimed in claim 13, wherein the length of said cylindrical portion for transmitting end collimating said liquid jet is at least sixteen times its diameter.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1990-12-07 | 1991-06-08 | 1991-12-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1994-12-07 | 1995-06-08 | 1995-12-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1998-12-07 | 1999-06-08 | 1999-12-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |