The invention relates to an automatic sealing machine for glass plates for different uses, in particular the building industry for making outer window and door frames and continuous faces, said glass plates being constituted by at least two flat glass plates joined to each other along the peripheral profile thereof by a profiled or polymeric metallic spacer frame and separated to each other by an air or gas layer, thereby forming a glass-chamber adapted to reduce the building thermal leaks and shaped with different shapes and sizes depending on the applications to which it is assigned.

In particular, the spacer frame of each glass-chamber is shaped in such a way that in its interior there may be housed some salts of per se known type, which are needed for keeping dehydrated the resulting air layer, thereby avoiding the condensate to be present on to the glass plate surface turned toward the hollow space. The frame is then glued to the glass plates in a manner to form a groove between the two plates, which is finally filled up with a suitable sealing material which ensures the insulating characteristics to be maintained, such insulating material being introduced along all the perimeter of the groove of each glass-chamber with sealing manual or automatic methods.

Sealing machines for sealing automatically all the perimeter of the groove of each glass-chamber are known, by utilizing mono-component or bi-component silicone material, wherein each glass- chamber to be sealed is loaded on to a first support structure constituted by vertical roller assemblies and horizontal rollers, and thereafter is hooked by a transport structure composed of a powered carriage slidable along horizontal guide members extended for the entire length of each machine, in a way that such carriage conveys mechanically this glass-chamber from the first support structure toward a sealing station, where the carriage stops itself automatically, and the sealing material is introduced along all the perimeter of the groove of the same glass-chamber. Thereafter, when the sealing operation is ended, each so sealed glass-chamber is conveyed by the carriage in the same advancing direction and loaded on to a second support structure composed of vertical roller assemblies and horizontal rollers, where it is conveyed mechanically by the carriage towards the terminal zone of such second support structure, for being drawn, packed, and dispatched to the destination places, and when these operative steps are ended the transport carriage slides in the reverse direction along the horizontal guide members, by positioning it again near the first support structure, for hooking the subsequent glass-chamber which will be sealed.

In the currently employed sealing machines, the sealing station is normally constituted by either one or two injection syringes, depending on the fact that the sealing material is of the mono- or bi- components type, and by a mixing tube and an extruder, wherein the components of the sealing material contained into separated reservoirs are introduced in advance with metered quantities into the injection syringe/s, which is/are provided with pushing plungers actuated accurately by PLC- controlled oil dynamic or electric metering pistons, from which such components are conveyed through tubes and introduced into and mixed to each other in the mixing tube, from which they are extruded by the extruder and the extruded sealing material is then introduced along the peripheral groove of each glass-chamber, with consequent sealing thereof with the foreseen quantities of material. In the case in which, when the sealing operation of all the existing glass-chambers is ended, some mixed material should be left into the mixing tube, this latter is detached temporarily from its position and introduced into a suitable refrigerating apparatus, and here kept under such a low refrigerating temperature to prevent the material to be polymerized, which would cause the material to become useless for subsequent uses thereof, and such mixing tube is extracted from the refrigerating apparatus for a subsequent use of the material for further sealing steps.

However, the so realized sealing machines are particularly critical in the sealing station, since it is composed of different component parts connected to each other, which require a complicated and burdensome assembling and very frequent maintenances by the skilled labour, for ensuring a satisfactory operation of the same machines, and moreover they require high mechanical powers and energetic consumptions by the oil dynamic or electric metering pistons, for producing very high pushing pressures for displacing the sealing material through all the component parts of the sealing station and for introducing it into the peripheral groove of each glass-chamber, with the needed pressures for distributing effectively the sealing material into position.

The object of the present invention is to made an automatic sealing machine for glass plates, in particular glass-chambers, in which the above described applicative drawbacks and limits of the currently used sealing machines are eliminated, which machine is made with less component parts with respect to the preceding machines, in order to obtain in an automatic and effective manner the sealing of the peripheral grooves of such glass-chambers, with a controlled and uniform distribution of the sealing material and less pushing pressures of the sealing material and less energy

consumptions. This sealing machine is made with the constructive characteristics substantially described, with particular reference to the attached patent claims.

The invention will be better understood from the following description, given by way of not- limiting example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which :

- Fig. 1 shows a front view of two glass plates joined to each other for forming a glass-chamber, to be sealed along its peripheral groove with the sealing machine according to the invention ;

- Fig. 2 shows a side view of the glass plates of Fig. 1 ;

- Fig. 2 a shows, with the same view of Fig. 2, an enlarged detail of the glass plates with their peripheral groove to be sealed ;

- Fig. 3 shows a perspective front view of the glass plates to be sealed ;

- Fig. 4 shows a perspective front and exploded view of the sealing machine according to the invention, on a first embodiment thereof ;

- Fig. 5 a, b, c show a respective perspective front view, with the same angle-shot of Fig. 4, of a first, a second and a third constructive item of the machine of Fig. 4 ;

- Fig. 6 shows a front view of the sealing machine of Fig. 4, with all its component parts assembled together, and displaced in a first operative position in which the glass plates have been loaded on to the machine, in order to be displaced in the following sealing position ;

- Fig. 7 shows, with the same view of Fig. 6, the sealing machine displaced in a second operative position, in which the glass plates have been displaced upstream the sealing station ;

- Fig. 8 shows, with the same view of Fig. 6, the sealing machine displaced in the sealing position, and is arranged for performing the sealing step of the glass plates ;

- Fig. 8 a shows a schematic front view of the extruding and mixing unit of the present machine during the re-loading step of the sealing material ;

- Fig. 9 shows a perspective front view of the different control and regulating elements mounted in the front part of the extruding and mixing unit ;

- Figs. 10-21 show an enlarged front view of the control and regulating elements of Fig. 9 displaced along three subsequent sides of the glass plates ;

- Figs. 22 and 23 show, with the same view of Fig. 6, the control and regulating elements of Fig. 9 displaced along the last side of the glass plates ;

- Figs. 24 and 25 show, with the same view of Fig. 6, the sealing machine displaced into another operative position thereof, in which the sealed glass plates have been displaced in the unloading position, so as to discharge the glass plates from the machine, according to a first embodiment thereof ;

- Fig. 26 shows a perspective front view, with another angle shot, of the support and transport structure of the glass plates towards the unloading zone ;

- Figs. 27 and 27 a show respectively a side view and a detailed side view of the support and transport structure of Fig. 26 ;

- Fig. 28 shows a perspective rear and exploded view of the sealing station and its various component parts of the present sealing machine ;

- Fig. 29 shows a perspective front and exploded view of the constructive items of the movable carriage included in the sealing station of Fig. 28 ;

- Fig. 30 shows a side view of the injection and mixing unit of the sealing material of the sealing station of Fig. 28 ;

- Figs. 31, 32 and 33 show a schematic front view of such injection and mixing unit which has been cutaway and displaced in three different operative steps ;

- Fig. 34 shows a perspective side view of the unit of Fig. 30 ;

- Fig. 35 shows a side view of the unit of Fig. 30 mounted on a support structure ;

- Figs. 36 and 37 show a perspective side view of the unit of Fig. 30, with a component part thereof respectively disassembled and assembled with respect to the support structure ;

- Fig. 38 shows a cutaway perspective side view of the injection unit of the sealing material of the sealing station of Fig. 28 ;

- Fig. 39 shows, with the same enlarged view of Fig. 38, a portion of the unit of this Figure ;

- Figs. 40-43 show a perspective side view of the component parts of the transport carriage, in different mounting steps thereof and mounted in a support structure ;

- Figs. 44 and 45 show a perspective front and exploded view of some component elements of the injection and mixing unit ;

- Figs. 46-50 show schematically the displacement mechanism of some of the control and regulating elements of Fig. 9, for displacing such elements in the operative positions of Figs. 10-23 ;

- Fig. 51 shows a perspective front view of a mechanism for sliding and towing the glass plates towards the machine unloading station, displaced in an operative position thereof, for unloading the plates from the machine, according to a second embodiment ;

- Fig. 52 shows, with the same view of Fig. 51 , such mechanism displaced in another position thereof ;

- Fig. 53 shows a perspective front view of the machine, with different mechanisms of Fig. 51 put side by side, and arranged for receiving a glass plate to be unloaded from the machine ; - Figs. 54-57 show a machine front view with a glass plate arranged on to the mechanisms of Fig. 53, and with such mechanisms displaced into different positions during the unloading of the plate from the machine ;

- Figs. 58 and 59 show a perspective front view of the sealing machine, in a second embodiment thereof, with the glass plates being loaded and just loaded ;

- Fig. 60 shows a front view of the sealing machine of Fig. 58, with the glass plates displaced upstream the sealing station, and waiting for being displaced in the subsequent sealing position ;

- Figs. 61 and 62 show a same front view of the sealing machine, with the glass plates of Fig. 60 being drawn and displaced downstream the sealing station ;

- Figs. 63, 64, 65, 66, 67 and 68 show a schematic front view of the machine of Fig. 58 with its cutaway injection and mixing unit and displaced into different operative steps ;

- Fig. 69 shows a cutaway perspective side view of the injection unit of the sealing material of the sealing station of the present machine, and its various component parts ;

- Fig. 70 shows a perspective front view of the different control and regulating elements mounted in the front part of the extruding and mixing unit of the present machine ;

- Fig. 71 shows a perspective side view of the extruding and mixing unit of the present machine, disassembled from the support structure ;

- Fig. 72 shows a side view of the extruding and mixing unit mounted in a support structure ;

- Fig. 73 shows a perspective side view of the unit of Fig. 72, with a component part thereof which has been disassembled and assembled with respect to the support structure ;

- Fig. 74 shows, with the same enlarged view of Fig. 71 , a portion of the unit of this Figure ;

- Figs. 75 a, b, c show respectively a perspective front exploded view, a side view and a front view of some component parts of the unit portion of Fig. 74 ;

- Figs. 76 a)-r) show with respective schematic front views the different operative sealing steps of the sides of a glass plate on the present machine ; - Fig. 77 shows a perspective side view of the transport carriage of the present machine, mounted on a support structure.

The above mentioned Figures illustrate schematically an automatic sealing machine for glass plates for different uses, which are mounted in the openings of the windows and doors and the continuous faces of inhabited buildings, in order to close and insulate the inhabited rooms with respect to the outside. As visible from Figs. 1-3, such glass plates are formed by at least two single glass plates 5 and 6 defining the glass-chamber 7, which are joined along their peripheral profile by means of a profiled or polymeric metallic spacer frame 8 and are separated to each other by an air or gas layer, such glass-chamber being adapted to reduce the building thermal leaks and shaped with different shapes and sizes depending on the applications to which it is assigned. In particular, the spacer frame 8 is shaped in a manner that in its interior there may be housed some salts of per se known type, which are necessary for keeping dehydrated the resulting air layer, thereby avoiding the condensate to be present on to the surface of the glass plate turned toward the hollow space.

The frame 8 is then glued to the glass plates 5 and 6, so as to form a peripheral groove 9 which is depressed with respect to the outer edge 10 of the same glass plates, which groove is finally filled up automatically, with the present sealing machine and in the manner which will be described, with a suitable sealing material such as a mono-component or bi-component silicone material or the like, which is introduced along all the perimeter of the groove 9, thereby ensuring the sealing toward outside of the inner chamber of the glass-chamber. In the described example, the glass plates have a quadrangular shape, but they may be also made with any geometrical shape, thus without departing from the protection field of the present invention.

The glass plates are assembled to each other in the factory by means of computer controlled semiautomatic or automatic manufacturing lines of traditional type, not shown and not described, in that they aren't relevant for the present invention, which are composed of a washing machine for cleaning the glass plates, and an assembling and pressing station combined with the washing machine, wherein each line is able to assemble to each other two or more glass plates, with a series of working steps of per se known type.

With reference to the Figs. 4 and 5, in which the present automatic sealing machine 1 1, in a first embodiment thereof, is shown, it is noted that it is constituted substantially by a first support and transport structure 12 of the glass plates assembled to each other (see Fig. 4), formed by a vertical and inclined roller assembly 13, for the inlet and loading of such glass plates and the transport toward the sealing position thereof, in the single advancing sense A ; by a second support and transport structure 14 of the glass plates toward the sealing position, in the same advancing sense A, which is formed by a lower horizontal rectilinear guide member 15 extended for the entire length of the machine, and by a lower horizontal roller assembly 16 for sliding the glass plates toward such sealing position, which extends itself for the entire length of the first support and transport structure 12 only, to which it is fixed and supported. The sealing machine is also constituted by a powered carriage 17 slidable in an alternate horizontal direction along all the horizontal guide member 15, in order to tow the glass plates firstly toward the sealing position, and then after the sealing step is ended toward the machine unloading station ; by a sealing station 18 for the peripheral groove 19 of the glass plates, formed by a vertical rectilinear column 19 and by an extrusion and mixing unit 20 for the sealing material, which is slidable vertically along the column 19 in the two alternate directions, and receiving the sealing material from a feeding and pumping unit 21, communicating with such unit 20, so as to apply the sealing material along the peripheral groove 9 of the glass plates displaced into this sealing position ; by a third support and transport structure 22 and by a fourth support and transport structure 23 for transporting the sealed glass plates toward the unloading zone, in the advancing direction A, for subsequently drawing the same glass plates, wherein the third structure 22 is formed by a vertical and inclined roller assembly 24 for loading the glass plates sealed in the sealing station 18 and transporting them toward the machine unloading station, and the fourth structure 23 is formed by the same lower horizontal guide member 15 and by a lower horizontal roller assembly 26 for sliding the sealed glass plates toward such unloading zone, which is extended for the entire length of said third support and transport structure 22 only, to which it is fixed and supported. This fourth structure is made according a first embodiment thereof. The first support and transport structure 12 for the glass plates 12 is substantially constituted by two vertical and inclined stanchions 27 and 28, arranged parallel to and spaced away from and joined to each other by a set of horizontal rectilinear bars 29, which are spaced away to each other in the vertical direction, said stanchions being also joined to a lower base 30 laid on to the floor and secured to inclined side stanchions 31 and 32 for supporting and stiffening the structure. As alternative, it is possible to use a rectilinear bar 29 only for each support structure, which will be lowered and raised depending on the height of each machined glass plate, in order to solve the problems involved for cleaning the same glass plate. Some idle rollers 33 are secured to and supported by the horizontal bars 29, and the so realized structure constitutes the vertical and inclined roller assembly 13, acting for supporting the glass plates and providing and guiding the horizontal sliding of the same glass plates.

Besides, the lower horizontal guide member 15 is secured to the lower and front part of the stanchions 27 and 28. In turn, also the third support and transport structure 22 for the sealed glass plates is constituted by the same component parts of the first structure 12, performing the same functions, and therefore this third structure is marked with the same reference numerals of such first structure, and also in this case the lower horizontal guide member 15 is secured to the lower and front part of the stanchions 27 and 28 of such third structure. With particular reference to the Fig. 5 too, there are now illustrated and described the lower horizontal guide member 15 and the lower roller assemblies 16 and 26 of the respective second and fourth support and transport structure 14 and 23. The lower horizontal guide member 15 is constituted by a horizontal rectilinear metallic section bar 34, provided with two horizontal linear guide members 35 for the entire length thereof, on to which the carriage 17 is supported for sliding in the alternate direction, which carriage 17 is driven by a transmission belt 36 (see Fig. 26), actuated by an electric motor (not indicated), in a way to slide along the horizontal linear guide members 35 from the loading position of the glass plates to be sealed up to the sealing station 18, where such carriage is displaced from time to time in an alternate horizontal direction, by stopping it at the end of each sealed side only, then it is let to slide again up to the end of the guide member 15 and, after that the glass plates have been unloaded, it is returned with a reverse movement up to the loading position, for loading and sealing further glass plates. In turn, the lower roller assembly 16 is formed by a lengthened horizontal rectilinear section bar 37 supporting a series of idle rollers 38, aligned to and adequately spaced away from each other, by defining a supporting and sliding path in the advancing direction A of the glass plates. Such section bar 37 is fixed to the respective portion of lower guide member 15, in a manner that the glass plates loaded on to the machine may be laid on and be supported and guided by both the idle rollers 38 of the lower roller assembly 16 and the idle rollers 33 of the vertical and inclined roller assembly 13, in order to let to slide and advance such glass plates in the direction A when the same are tow by the carriage 17, as it will be described hereinafter.

Finally, the other lower roller assembly 26 is also formed by a lengthened horizontal rectilinear section bar 39, supporting both a set of idle rollers 40 aligned to and adequately spaced away from each other, by defining a first path for supporting and sliding the glass plates in the direction A, and at least two sliding blocks 41 being sliding along a relative rectilinear guide member 42 of the roller assembly 26, which is situated in a position displaced laterally with respect to the idle rollers 40, thereby defining a second path for supporting and sliding the glass plates in the same direction A. Such section bar 39 is also secured to the respective portion of the lower guide member 15, in a position aligned with and approached to and fixed with respect to the preceding section bar 37, and also permitting to lay, support and guide the glass plates onto either the idle rollers 40 or the sliding blocks 41 , and by means of the idle rollers 33 of the vertical and inclined roller assembly 24, in order to let these glass plates to slide in the direction A on to the respective above described first or second supporting and sliding path, when such glass plates are tow by the carriage 17 as it will be described later on. Furthermore, such section bar 39 may be displaced in a transversal direction by means of a suitable movement mechanism (not shown), from a position moved away with respect to the vertical and inclined roller assembly 22, in which the idle rollers 40 are aligned with the idle rollers 38 of the other section bar 37, thereby for permitting the glass plates to slide on to the first supporting and sliding path of the section bar 39, to a position approached outward with respect to the vertical roller assembly 22, in which the sliding blocks 41 are aligned with the idle rollers 38 of the other section bar 37, thereby for permitting the glass plates to slide on to the second supporting and sliding path of the section bar 39. Turning now still to the Figs. 4, 5 and also to the Fig. 43, in which the powered carriage 17 for towing the glass plates and its different component parts, which are disassembled to each other, are shown, it is noted that such carriage is substantially constituted by a box-like structure 44 delimiting an inner cavity 45 and provided with a series of back projected sliding blocks 46, shaped for sliding in an alternate rectilinear direction along the correspondent linear guide member 35 of the lower guide member 15, and into the inner cavity 45 of such box-like structure 44 there are housed, in the lower part thereof, the electric motor unit 47 for driving the transmission belt 36 and, in the upper part thereof, a grasping unit 48 composed of two suction cups 49 turned toward the glass plates and supported by a plate 55, which is secured to the box-like structure 44, said suction cups being coupled with a pneumatic control cylinder 52 joined to the machine pneumatic plant (no shown) as well as which can be actuated from a retracted to an extracted position thereof, and vice versa, so as to displace contemporaneously the suction cups 49 from- a retracted position, moved away from and not into contact with the glass plates, to an extracted position and into contact with the glass plates, for grasping and displacing the same glass plates in the positions desired from time to time. Then, at the end of this operation, the suction cups are detached from the glass plates, by arranging themselves for grasping subsequent glass plates. The Figs. 40-42 now show the single component parts of the carriage 17, on different assembling steps to each other and with respect to the box-like structure 44, in which it is noted that the suction cups 49 are fixed each one on to a circular support 53, which in turn is fixed to a rectilinear shank 54, said shanks 54 being supported by the transversal support plate 55 and being slidable along a relative linear bearing 56, both fixed to an additional transversal support plate 57, on the other side of which there are fixed one or more of said pneumatic cylinders 52, provided with brake for dampening the sliding of the suction cups 49. Thanks to this arrangement, when the suction cups 49 are pushed by the cylinders 52 against the glass plates for hooking them temporarily, such cylinders lock themselves automatically on a steady position, thereby avoiding any possible movement of the same glass plates. Fig. 40 shows all the component parts disassembled to each other, while the Fig. 41 shows all these component parts assembled to each other. Finally, in the Fig. 42 it is noted the box-like structure 44 of the carriage 17 with the grasping units 48 of the glass plates and the back projected sliding blocks 46 which have been disassembled from such box-like structure 44, as well as with the electric motor unit 47 also disassembled from the box-like structure 44, and it is also shown the front cover 58 for closing the carriage 17, which has been disassembled from the box- like structure 44. Turning now to the Fig. 28, in which there are shown the vertical column 19 and the extrusion and mixing unit 20 of the sealing material, it is noted that such column is formed by a rectilinear and vertical metallic support section bar 59, and is shaped for being laid at its lower part to the floor and secured laterally to the side stanchion 28 of the first support and transport structure 12 of the glass plates to be sealed, said section bar being shaped with vertical guide members 60 turned toward the opposite third support and transport structure 22 of the sealed glass plates and provided for allowing the alternate vertical sliding of said extrusion and mixing unit 20, for performing the sealing steps of the entire peripheral groove 9 of the glass plates, which are effected as it will be described hereinafter. Turning now to the Figs. 30, 34, 35, 38 and 39, shown therein is now the extrusion and mixing unit 20 of the present sealing machine, in which the employed sealing material is loaded, in order to introduce such material along the entire peripheral groove 9 of the glass plates, thereby providing for the sealing thereof. Such unit is supported by and mounted removably in a support structure 61 (see Fig. 35), and is substantially constituted by a syringe 62, a mixer of the sealing material 63 and an injection and extrusion head 64, which are interconnected to each other and operating as it will be described. The syringe 62 is constituted by a lengthened cylinder 65 delimiting an inner longitudinal through cavity 66, of circular form, and the cylinder 65 is introduced sealingly with its one end portion into a correspondent circular seat 67 of the head 64, to which it is so rigidly coupled, while at the opposite end portion of the cylinder 65 it is provided a circular inlet hole 68 communicating with the inner cavity 66, and having a diameter smaller than that of the same inner cavity, and a correspondent lengthened plunger 69 is introduced through such inlet hole, which is slidable in an alternate direction for the entire length of the inner cavity 66, and a bearing or a bush 70 made of antifriction material is arranged around such plunger 69, which so permits the rotation of the cylinder 65 around the same plunger, and consequently also the rotation of the head 64 coupled to the cylinder 65. Besides, such plunger is made thin on its terminal part introduced into the inner cavity 66, for fixing onto it a piston 71 coaxial with the plunger 69, and having a diameter adaptable with the diameter of the inner cavity 66, thereby allowing the alternate sliding of the piston 71 and the plunger 69 into such inner cavity 66, while the opposite end portion of the plunger 69, which is external to the cylinder 65, is secured to a male-female block 72, which is shaped for receiving and fixing the free end portion of a tube to which there are joined two separate and flexible tubes (not indicated), for conveying the relative component parts to be mixed to each other for obtaining the sealing material, at to this purpose the other end portions of such tubes are joined to a correspondent container (not shown) of each component of the sealing material. The lengthened plunger 69 is provided with a longitudinal inner through cavity 74, of circular form, into which a correspondent helical- shaped broken and lengthened member 75 is housed, which constitutes the static mixer 63 of per se known type, secured to the plunger 69 to the end portion opposite to that in which the piston 71 is situated, and in turn such inner cavity 74 is communicating at the one side to the inner cavity 66 of the cylinder 65 of the syringe 62, and at the other side to an inner cavity (not shown) provided in the block 72, for conveying the components of the sealing material through a rear through hole communicating with the inner cavity of the same block. In this way, each component of the sealing material is pumped, by means of suitable pumps and valve members (not indicated), in the relative conveyer tube and enters the inner cavity of the correspondent tube-carrying block 72, and from this it enters the inner cavity 74 of the plunger 69, in which the various components of the sealing material come into contact, thanks to the static mixer 63, by advancing in the single advancing direction B toward the syringe 62, thereby obtaining the effect of mixing homogeneously such material, where this material is pushed by the

displacement in the same direction B of the piston 71, by actuating the plunger 69 by means of at least a piston of an oil dynamic cylinder 76' (see Fig. 30) connected mechanically with the external free end portion of the same plunger, and supplied with the oil of the machine oil dynamic plant through some conduits (not shown), connected to the inlet and outlet pipe unions 77 and 78 of the same cylinder, with consequent advancing of the material through the entire inner cavity 66 of the syringe 62 and passage thereof through the head 64, where such material is extruded and injected into the peripheral groove 9 of the glass plates.

The supply of the sealing material into the syringe 62 occurs at pre-established time intervals, and anyway each time the extrusion of a side of the glass plate is ended, and in such quantities as to provide for filling up of the chamber 66 in such a way that to be sure to get a complete sealing of the peripheral grooves 9 of all the pre-established glass plates to be sealed, the whole on extremely short times, for obtaining an effective sealing without having the material polymerized and hardened before being extruded and injected, and therefore by avoiding to replace completely the syringe 62 with a new one, in that in such a case it would become not more utilizable.

Thanks to the fact to mix and extrude the sealing material still on the fluid condition, and not hardened, it is so possible to operate with thrust pressures of the material which are very smaller than those currently needed, and therefore with less mechanical powers and energetic consumptions by the oil dynamic or electric pistons, still obtaining always extremely effective sealings, and with less consumptions of the employed sealing materials. It is also to point out that the presence of two conveying tubes for the components of the sealing material allows to employ any kind of sealing material available in commerce, such as for example mono-component or bi-component silicone material. Then, in the first case, the material is conveyed on the desired moments and with the desired quantities through one of the two tubes only, and from here it is introduced and without being mixed in the mixer 63, in that such an operation requires less operative pressure with less energy consumption, while in the secon^ case both the components of the material are conveyed contemporaneously through the two tubes, for being mixed homogeneously to each other in the mixer 63 and so be immediately extruded and injected into the peripheral grooves of the glass plates. Both the conveying tubes of the sealing material are provided with at least a non-return valve member (not shown), which is operated in the open and closed position thereof by the machine centralized control system, for determining or not determining the conveyance of the material components toward the extrusion and mixing unit 20.

Fig. 39 shows now the injection and extrusion head 64, which is substantially constituted by a cylinder block 79 coupled on a side with the syringe 62 as described above, and shaped with a series of steps 80 having outer diameters decreasing toward the extrusion zone, for housing a clamping ring nut 81 fixed to the support structure 61, in order to assemble and disassemble the extrusion and mixing unit 20 with respect to such support structure 61.

In turn, the cylinder block 79 is provided internally with a horizontal central through hole 82, communicating on a side with the inner chamber 66 of the syringe 62 and on the other side in succession with a vertical hole 83, into which a sealing gasket 84 is inserted, and an inner chamber 85 of a horizontal flexible pipe 86, joined with the lower end portion of the vertical hole 83, said flexible pipe 86 being joined with the other end portion thereof with a connector 87 fixed to an extrusion nozzle 88, and these components are provided with a respective short through hole 89 and 90 communicating to each other and to the inner chamber 85 as well as to the outside.

Finally, the cylinder block 79 is provided internally also with a vertical through seat 91 in which a valve (or a cock) 92 is housed, which is provided with a vertical stem 93 with a return spring 94 and a lower terminal head 95 turned toward the sealing gasket 84. The scope of the valve (or cock) 92 is to allow or prevent the passage of the sealing material for extrusion from the inner chamber 66 of the syringe 62 through a path defined by the holes 82, 83, the inner chamber 85 and the through holes 89 and 90. Such valve is operated by the machine control circuit in the open position thereof, for the entire duration of the extrusion, and in the closed position thereof when the extrusion is ended, and under this condition it is displaced by the action of the return spring 94 in the closed position thereof in which the valve head 95 is compressed against the sealing gasket 84, by closing the passage path of the sealing material, and preventing the same sealing material to be delivered. Figs. 36 and 37 show the extrusion and mixing unit 20 respectively disassembled and assembled with respect to the support structure 61 , and to this aim it is noted that such unit is adaptable with its head 64 through the circular through hole 96 of the clamping ring nut 81 , which is secured to and supported in rotation by a circular rotating bearing 97 housed into and fixed to the support structure 61, and the block 72 of the plunger 69 is adaptable into a support fork 98 fixed to the support structure 61. In this way, such unit may be assembled in the support structure 61 by inserting its head 64 through the through hole 96, and by clamping the ring nut 81 around the syringe 62, and by inserting the block 72 through the branches of the fork 98, thereby locking into position the unit, then by coupling the conveying tubes of the sealing material to such block 72, so as to arrange the machine for conveying the sealing material through the unit 20 and for performing the extrusion and injection of such material into the peripheral groove 9 of the glass plates.

In particular, the disassembling of the unit 20 from its operative position is effected when, at the end of the extrusion, some sealing material is still remained into the inner chamber of the syringe 62, and therefore for preventing the polymerization and hardening of this residual material it is necessary to introduce all the unit 20 into a suitable refrigerating appliance, with very low refrigerating temperatures, such that to prevent that these undesirable effects take place.

When it is necessary to start new extrusion cycles again, the unit 20 is extracted from the refrigerating appliance and mounted again into the support structure 61.

As it appears visible from the Figures referred to, under the condition in which the unit is mounted, the complete assembly is enclosed by correspondent metallic protection shells 99, 100 and 101. As visible also from Figs. 34 and 35, around the injection and extrusion head 64 it is fixed a gear 102, adjacent the bearing 97, and the teeth of such gear 102 mesh with the teeth of two sprocket wheels 103 and 104, respectively lower and upper one, which are operated into rotation by a correspondent electric gearmotor 105 and 106, connected to the machine electric circuit and adequately controlled, and secured to the support structure 61, each one of which may provide for the rotation of each sprocket wheel 103 and 104 in the two rotation directions opposite to each other, in such a manner that depending on the rotation direction in which they are driven by the relative gearmotor, such sprocket wheels provide for determining the rotation of the gear 102 in the opposite direction, and therefore also the rotation of the head 64 and the extrusion nozzle 88, and this rotation of the head 64 is realized for the function which will be described hereinafter.

In the Figs. 44 and 45 there are now described in detail the valve (or cock) 92 and the assembly formed by the connector 87 and the extrusion nozzle 88, and the relative component elements thereof. In particular, in the Fig. 44 it is noted that the valve (or cock) 92 is composed of a body 107 shaped for being housed and fixed adequately in the through seat 91 of the cylinder block 79 of the head 64, and provided internally with a lengthened dead hole 108 for inserting by sliding the valve stem 93, a set of sealing gaskets 109 for preventing the inlet of the extruded material into the valve, the return spring 94, a spring stopping plug 1 10 and a closing plate 1 1 1 for the valve body 107. In turn, in the Fig. 45 it is noted the assembly formed by the connector 87 and the extrusion nozzle 88, which are overlapped and joined to each other, wherein the connector 87 is joined to the flexible pipe 86, while the nozzle 88 is shaped with an open half-cavity 1 12 turned downward, into which it is housed and kept into position a fixed cylinder 1 13 provided with a through hole 114, orthogonal to the axis of the same cylinder and coinciding with the through holes 89 and 90 of the connector 87 and the nozzle 88, said connector 87 being also supported in an articulated manner by means of side support arms 115 fixed to the cylinder block 79 of the head 64.

With this arrangement of the assembly connector 87-nozzle 88, therefore, it is possible to adapt the nozzle into the peripheral grooves 9 of the glass plates, which are shaped and dimensioned in different manners, by permitting to raise and lower the nozzle 88 and to rotate it with respect to the relative peripheral groove, in the first case thanks to the vertical movement of the nozzle, permitted by the articulated arms 1 15, and in the second case thanks to the rotation of the nozzle 88 against the cylinder 1 13. Turning now to the Fig. 29 in which there are shown the extrusion and mixing unit 20, enclosed by the protection shells 99, 100 and 101, and the supply and pumping unit of the material 21, it is noted that the extrusion and mixing unit 20 is provided with a first carriage 1 16 for the alternate sliding of the same unit along the vertical axis Y, orthogonal and co-planar to the horizontal axis X for sliding in the machine longitudinal direction of the glass plates, during the sealing of the relative peripheral grooves thereof, and with a second carriage 1 17 for sliding the same unit along the horizontal axis Z, in the machine depth direction, which axis is orthogonal and not co-planar with the vertical axis Y.

In particular, the first sliding carriage 1 16 is shaped like a thin rectangular flat plate 1 18, which is secured adequately to the side surface for protecting the unit 20 and is provided with projected side sliding blocks 119, adaptable by sliding along the vertical guide members 60 of the vertical column 19 (see Fig. 28), in order to slide vertically and alternately along such column into different regulating positions of the unit 20. The alternate vertical movement of this first carriage 1 16 is produced by an electric gearmotor unit 120, supported by and fixed to the upper protection upper surface of the extrusion and mixing unit 20, and acting on a suitable movement transmission mechanism (not shown), such as a transmission toothed chain and sprocket wheels, a rack with sprocket wheel, and the like, which is housed advantageously along the vertical section bar 59 of the column 19. Finally, such first carriage 116 is provided, on its side turned toward the unit 120 and opposite to that in which the projected sliding blocks 1 19 are provided, with a pair of circular stems 121 fixed to the same carriage for the entire length thereof and arranged parallel and spaced away from each other, for the function which will be described.

In turn, the second carriage 1 17 is also shaped like a thin flat plate 122, which is adaptable with the flat plate 1 18 of the first carriage 116 and is made with a length shorter than that of such flat plate 1 18, and provided with two through holes 122' and 123 through the thickness of the same plate, on positions coinciding with those in which the stems 121 of the first carriage 1 16 are situated.

The side of the second carriage 117 turned toward the unit 20 is arranged for being secured adequately to the assembly syringe 62-head 64, while the opposite side of this carriage is shaped in a way to be coupled with the first carriage 1 16 by introducing the stems 121 of this latter into the correspondent through holes 122' and 123 of the second carriage 1 17, in a manner that this latter may slide alternately with a limited stroke with respect to the first carriage 1 16, with consequent alternative sliding also of the assembly syringe 62-head 64 in the same direction Z, namely the depth direction of the machine, and under this condition the displacement of the head 64 determines also that one of the nozzle 88, which therefore arranges itself into different positions in the width direction of the relative peripheral groove 9 of the glass plates.

The sliding of the second carriage 117 is determined by a brushless motor 124, or similar means, mounted through the thickness of the same carriage and acting thereto with a suitable transmission mechanism 125, such as for example with a screw and a nut screw, or the like.

In the Fig. 29 it is also noted the motor 126 for controlling the oil dynamic pump for conveying the components of the sealing material for the extrusion, and the control unit 127 of the proportional metering valve for the sealing material, which is actuated by the machine control circuit in a way to convey the quantities of sealing material needed from time to time for the sealing operation.

Turning now to the Figs. 31-33, there is shown schematically the extrusion and injection unit 20 displaced into three different operative steps. In the first step of Fig. 31 it is supposed that some residue sealing material from the previous working be remained into the inner chamber 66 of the syringe 62. When a new operative cycle is started, namely at the end of working two glasses or a side thereof, the valve (or cock) 92 of the head 64 shuts off itself by preventing such residue material from coming out, then there are actuated the oil dynamic pumps, external to the machine, for conveying the components of the sealing material, in the present example constituted by two components, and these latter are so let to pass through the relative tubes 132' and 133, after that the relative non-return valves (not indicated) of the same tubes have been opened, thereby coming into the inner through cavity 74 of the plunger 69, where thanks to the helical-shaped mixing member 75 it is produced the mixing of the components of the material and their advancing until the inner chamber 66 of the syringe 62, where this mixed material comes into contact with the preceding residue material, by pushing it outward, and preventing in this way that the preceding material stays at a standstill near the inlet zone, by polymerizing itself. Under this condition, the rotation of the head 64 is started for displacing the same and the extrusion nozzle 88 up to the desired extrusion position, above the side to be sealed of the glass plates, and such rotation of head 64 is determined by the rotation of the sprocket wheels 103 and 104 and the gear 102. In the subsequent operative step of Fig. 32, the introduction of the new material into the inner chamber 66 of the syringe 62 continues, which material pushes forward the preceding material, and the pressure derived from the thrust of such new material, which cannot go out toward the nozzle 88 in that the valve (or cock) 92 is shut-off, provides for pushing progressively the piston 71 toward the bottom wall of the chamber 66 of the syringe 62, and during this return stroke the piston 71 pushes in the same direction also the plunger 69, with consequent thrust of this latter in the same direction of the piston 134 secured to the same plunger, and slidable into the oil dynamic cylinder 76', so that the oil contained into the chamber 135 of the cylinder 76' is let to flow freely (through the opening 136 of this chamber) toward the oil dynamic pump. The loading pressure of the material into the inner chamber 66 of the syringe 62 is detected by a proper mechanical end-of stroke sensor 137, which is fixed on to the fork 98 for connecting the plunger 69 to the oil dynamic cylinder 76.

In the subsequent operative step of Fig. 33, as soon as the end-of-stroke sensor 137 has detected the filling up, it provides for signalling such condition to the master microprocessor, which in turn provides for stopping the loading of the material into the same inner chamber.

During the filling step of the chamber 66, the head 64 is driven contemporaneously in rotation up to its desired extrusion position, in which the nozzle 88 is arranged correctly above the side to be sealed of the glass plates, and the rotation of the head 64 is stopped.

Under this condition, the master microprocessor provides for operating immediately also the actuation of the oil dynamic pump which, through the proportional metering valve connected thereto, provides for pumping the oil into the inner chamber 135 of the cylinder 76', in a way to push the piston 134 and the plunger 69, and therefore also the piston 71 , toward the inner chamber 66 of the syringe 62, as well as provides for controlling the opening of the valve (or cock) 92, and under this condition the thrust of the piston 71 determines the advancing of the mixed material toward the nozzle 88, with consequent extrusion and penetration of such material on metered quantities and with a correct distribution of the same material along the entire groove 9 of the side to be sealed of the glass plates. Thanks to the fact to let the material to enter through the plunger 69, instead from a side of the syringe as it is occurred until now, the new material introduced into the syringe pushes outward above all the residue material of the previous workings, and subsequently also the new just mixed material which has been introduced, thereby permitting a steady refilling of the mixed material in the syringe interior, by avoiding that the material deposits and hardens itself in the interior of the same syringe during the machine working cycle. With this provision, the present machine is able to work the glass plates about in one minute, with an extremely quick refilling of the material mixed into the syringe, and to prevent that deposits and hardenings of the utilized material can occur, by avoiding also that some material of the 'preceding cycles remains into the syringe. Reference is now made to the Fig. 9, in which there are shown the different control and regulation elements mounted on the front part of the injection and extrusion head 64 of the above described extrusion and mixing unit 20.

In particular, such elements are constituted by a pneumatic cylinder 128, supported by and secured on to the assembly connector 87-nozzle 88 and connected in the machine pneumatic circuit as well as operated through the machine electric circuit, by a roller 129 pivoted by a projected stud 130 in the head 64, on a position moved away from the pneumatic cylinder 128, and displaceable in the rotating direction, by a further roller 131 and by a cam 132, separated and adjacent to each other, which are pivoted and rotating with respect to a short stud 133 projected from a cylinder block 134 fixed to the free end portion of a shaped arm 135, the other end portion thereof is pivoted in the head 64, on a position situated below the roller 129. In particular, such roller 129 is co-operating with movement transmission means which will be described, which are actuated by a pneumatic cylinder 136 fixed to the head 64, so as to displace the same roller. In turn, the pneumatic cylinder 128, the roller 131 and the cam 132 are adapted to determine, before the extrusion and in the manner which will be described, the adjustment of the quantity of the sealing material to be introduced from time to time in the relative peripheral groove 9 of the glass plates, depending on the size and the shape of the same groove, and are also adapted to position, when the adjustment has been effected as it will be described, the nozzle 88 in the correct position for being able to start and perform such an extrusion. In turn, the roller 129 is coated with a spongy material soaked with detaching material made of silicone material, in order to touching-up the angles of the glass plates after the sealing material has been applied thereto, so as to avoid that the extruded sealing material stays attached to the coating sponge. In particular, the pneumatic cylinder 128 is connected to the assembly connector 87-nozzle 88 and may be actuated by the machine electric circuit in a manner to displace in the vertical direction such an assembly, from a starting and inactive position, in which it is raised and arranged for disposing below the same assembly the peripheral groove 9 of the relative glass plates to be sealed, to a final and active position in which it is lowered and into contact with such peripheral groove, for introducing into such groove the extruded sealing material with a sufficient quantity for filling up and sealing effectively the same groove.

The correct metering of the sealing material and the starting of its injection into the peripheral groove 9 will be described shortly. In turn, the roller 131 performs the function of a feeler pin and is co-operating with an electric end-of-stroke sensor (not shown), connected in the machine electric control circuit, and can be actuated by the feeler pin from a turned off to a turned on position of the electric circuit, depending on the position in which such feeler pin has been displaced from time to time, in order that the end-of-stroke sensor serves to signal to the master microprocessor of such control circuit the start and the end position of each side of the glass plates being sliding from time to time below the assembly connector 87-nozzle 88, thanks to the contact with this side of the feeler pin 131 being sliding along the axis of the same side, in a manner that such feeler pin detects the start position of the relative side of the glass plates by means of its direct contact with such side, as well as detects the end position of this side in absence of such contact, and depending on the detection which has been effected the feeler pin provides for actuating the end-of-stroke sensor into a correspondent operative position, in which it signals respectively the start and the end position of the side to the master microprocessor, in a way that this latter provides for operating, in the first case, the stop of the advancing of the glass plates and the start of the extrusion of the sealing material into the peripheral groove 9 of such side, and in the second case the end of the extrusion with a slight delay and the displacement of the glass plates, so as to arrange a subsequent side of the glass plates below the assembly connector 87-nozzle 88, by rotating the head 64. Finally, the cam 132 performs the function of the sensor for measuring the depth of the peripheral groove 9 of each side of the glass plates, and is pivoted idle with an opposing spring (not indicated) in to the projected stud 133, in a manner to be able to rotate around the same stud. Moreover, such cam is connected mechanically to an angular transducer (not shown) acting as a measuring sensor, which is connected electrically with the master microprocessor of the machine, in such a way as to convert automatically the measures detected from time to time into correspondent electric values which are read by the master microprocessor. To this purpose, such cam 132 is shaped with a curved protruded part 137, which before the extrusion enters the groove 9 of the side of the glass plates respectively positioned below the extrusion nozzle 88, and is displaced up to its end portion comes into contact with the surface of the same groove, and under this condition the angular displacement of the protruded part 137 is detected by the measuring sensor, and corresponds to the groove depth, and such detected measure value is converted into a correspondent electric value which is transmitted to and memorized into the master microprocessor, which provides for calculating automatically the quantity of sealing material needed for filling up the groove for its complete depth. Thereafter, as soon as this operation has been effected, the master microprocessor provides for controlling the extrusion start, so that the sealing material is introduced into the groove, in such quantities that to fill completely the same groove for the entire length of each side of the glass plates. In an alternative solution, the above described measuring sensor may be eliminated and replaced by a laser reader (not shown) mounted in the head 64 and connected operatively to the machine master microprocessor and the laser beam generated by such reader measures the depth of the groove 9, by detecting the difference existing between the laser beam starting position and the base of the extrusion nozzle 88 (distance B), and the laser total length (distance A), as visible from the annexed graph. The measure of the groove depth C is then determined by : A-B = C.

With this provision, the present machine is able to work the glass plates about in 1 minute, with an extremely quickly refilling of the mixed material in the syringe interior, and by preventing that some deposits and hardenings of the utilized material may occur, as well as by avoiding that some material of the preceding cycles may stay into the syringe.

In the Fig. 46 it is shown schematically the pneumatic cylinder 136 for the displacement of the roller 129, as well as the movement transmission mechanism from the cylinder to the same roller. To this aim, the pneumatic cylinder 136 is provided with an inner piston slidable in an alternate rectilinear direction (not indicated), which is pushed inward by means of the air supplied through a first inlet 138, or outward by means of the air introduced through a second inlet 139, and the sliding of such piston is controlled as it will be described by the machine master microprocessor, depending on the operative parameters detected instantaneously by the above described control and regulation elements. In turn, the movement transmission mechanism is substantially constituted by a rack 140 which is fixed to the end portion of the stem 141 of the slidable piston, and is slidable through a square hole 142 provided into a closed box-like envelope 143, fixed to the head 64, and is also constituted by a pinion gear 144 meshing with the rack 140 and enclosed, together with this latter, into the closed box-like envelope 143, said pinion gear being fixed to the stud 130 on to which the roller 129 is pivoted. In this way, the linear sliding of the piston of the cylinder 136, which is controlled by the master microprocessor, determines a consequent rectilinear sliding of the rack 140 and therefore the rotation of the pinion gear 144 and the displacement of the roller 129.

Of course, the movement transmission mechanism may be constituted also by transmission members which are different than those described by way of example only, for obtaining always the same described function. In the Figs. 6-8, 10-21 and 46-50 there are now described in detail the various operative steps of the machine working cycle, which is controlled by the master

microprocessor (PLC) of the machine control circuit. In particular, in the Fig. 6 it is noted that after having been assembled to each other in the separate production lines, which have been described succinctly, the operator provides for inputting in the machine control computer the data of the glass thickness and the thickness of the frame 8, and therefore of the peripheral groove 9 to be sealed, or it may be also added a special video camera (not shown) below the carriage 17, by modifying adequately the computer software, which camera will read itself the dimensions of the glass plate, and in this way the PLC controls the displacement of the head 64 along the axis Z in the machine depth direction, so as to position the nozzle 88 in the exact central position with respect to the glass plates. Thereafter, the glass plates 145 are disposed on to the vertical and inclined roller assembly 13 and the lower horizontal roller assembly 16, and at the inlet side of the vertical roller assembly 13 it is situated a feeler pin (not indicated) of a first electric sensor 146, and such feeler pin as soon as comes into contact with the glass plates detects the presence thereof and actuates the sensor 146 in the operative position thereof, so that such sensor transmits to the PLC a start pulse of the working cycle, and in turn the PLC transmits a pulse to the suction cups 49 of the tow powered carriage 17 for hooking the glass plates, so that these latter are hooked by the carriage 17 and displaced by the same carriage in the advancing direction A, and such sensor returns into its starting rest position as soon as the presence of the glass plates is no more detected, with consequent arrangement of the same sensor for starting a subsequent working cycle. Before arriving in the extrusion zone, the glass plates come into contact with a feeler pin (not shown) of a second electric sensor 147 situated at the end of the vertical roller assembly 13, the function of which is that to detect the beginning and the end of the passage of the glass plates.

In the operative step of Fig. 7, there are noted the glass plates 145 which are coming into contact with the feeler pin of the sensor 147. As soon as the feeler pin detects the end of the passage of the glass plates (operative step of Fig. 8), such feeler pin actuates the sensor 147 in the working position thereof, so that such sensor transmits a pulse to the PLC and this provides for stopping the advancing of the carriage 17 and the glass plates with a pre-established and programmed delay time, after the disconnection between the feeler pin and the glass plates, in a manner that these latter are arranged in the machine extrusion zone. Under this condition, the PLC provides also for controlling the rotation of the head 64 in the starting working position thereof, for working the first side of the glass plates. In this case, the head 64 rotates of 90° and arranges itself on the starting position of the first side 148, in which the nozzle 88 is situated in the lower part of the same side (see Fig. 10). Such first displacement position of the head 64 and the nozzle 88 is already established in the machine operative circuit, depending on the size of the glass plates to be sealed, and is set and memorized in the computer of the machine, and in this moment the roller 129, the feeler pin 131 and the cam 132 aren't yet into contact with the first side 148 of the glass plates 145, and the roller 129 is displaced by the piston of the cylinder 136 in the position of Fig. 48, by the fact that the piston actuates the rack 140 toward the end-of-stroke of the square hole 142, and that consequently the pinion gear 144 rotates and the roller 129 is displaced into rotation.

At the same time, the PLC provides to control both the filling of the sealing material into the syringe 62 and the displacement of the glass plates 145 for an established length, memorized into the same PLC, so as to bring such glass plates into adhering contact with the nozzle 88, and such steady contact is ensured by the pneumatic cylinder 128, in accordance to the already memorized operative program. Under this condition, as visible in the Fig. 1 1, the roller 129 displaced in the same position as above indicated, arranges itself not into contact with the first side 148 of the glass plates 145, on the lower starting zone thereof. In turn, the feeler pin 131 arranges itself into contact of said first side 148 and the protruded part 137 of the cam 132 enters the groove 9 of the same first side, for the entire depth thereof. In this way, the measuring sensor (namely the angular transducer) associated with such cam 132, which has been activated by the PLC, measures for the entire length of each side the depth of the peripheral groove 9 to be filled up with the sealing material, by converting the angular dimension into a linear dimension and by transmitting instantaneously the detected measure in the form of a pulse to the PLC, so that this latter provides to compare the received data with the data inputted by the operator (length and width of the frame strip), thereby calculating the right quantity of the sealing material to make available from time to time for the extrusion, and by operating the proportional metering valve for performing this metering operation. In turn, the metering valve provides for actuating the oil dynamic pump for pumping exactly the same oil quantity into the oil dynamic cylinder 76', which quantity is needed for filling up the groove with an identical quantity of sealing material. To this purpose, the piston 149 slidable into the oil dynamic cylinder 76' has the same inner diameter and the same dimension of the piston 71 slidable into the inner chamber 66 of the syringe 62, so that when such piston 149 is displaced forward by the oil quantity introduced into the chamber 150 of the cylinder 76', it provides for displacing forward by the same extent of such oil quantity the plunger 69 connected to such piston, and therefore the piston 71 too, which therefore provides for pushing and extruding an identical quantity of sealing material from the inner chamber 66 toward the head 64, and from this through the nozzle 88 toward the peripheral groove 9, and such quantity of material will be that exactly required from time to time and calculated by the PLC for filling up the same groove.

During all the extrusion steps, there are repeated any few seconds all the sequences for keeping steady the contact between the nozzle and the glass plates, for measuring the groove depth with the measuring sensor, for metering the sealing material by the proportional metering valve and for extruding the sealing material by means of the thrust of the piston 71 , and this for allowing the peripheral groove to be filled up always correctly with the requested sealing material, even in the case in which the frame 8 of the same glass plates hasn't been perfectly arranged during the preceding operations. At this point, the PLC transmits a control pulse to the valve (or cock) 92 of the head 64, which causes such valve (or cock) to be opened, and operates as well the start of the extrusion of the first side 148 of the glass plates and, after a wait interval pre-established by the PLC, the head 64 is operated to be displaced upward along the vertical axis Y, by extruding the material into the relative groove for the entire length of this first side 148.

Under this condition, while the extrusion of the first side 148 proceeds, the feeler pin 131 stays always into a slidable contact with all the profile of the same first side and the touching-up roller 129 slides into contact with the first side for a length portion thereof (see Fig. 12), and is pushed by the glass (see fig. 48), by determining both the displacement of the same roller, and therefore also the rotation of the pinion gear 144, and the sliding of the rack 140 in a direction opposite to the preceding one, in which such rack pushes the piston inward the cylinder 136, and this oscillating movement of the roller 129 occurs continuously without difficulty thanks to the elasticity of air contained into the cylinder 136 and to the dimensions of both the pinion gear and the rack.

Then, in the next position of the Fig. 13, it is noted that while the machine continues to seal and the protruded part 137 of the cam 132 stays always into the groove 9, by measuring its depth, the roller 129 is moved away from the glass plates 145 after a certain length of the first side, so as to avoid that the steady contact with the same side damages the surface of the roller and prevents the action of the detaching agent, by diminishing the effectiveness thereof in the angles of the various sides. This displacement of the roller 129 is operated by the PLC and produced (see Fig. 49) by letting the air enter in the first inlet 138 of the cylinder 136, with consequent displacement inward of the piston and actuation by means of this piston of the rack 140, which determines the rotation of the pinion gear 144 and the displacement of the roller 129 in a position moved away from the glass plates 145. As soon as the extrusion head 64 has been displaced up to the end of the first side 148, the feeler pin 131 loses the contact with the glass plates and signals this condition with a pulse to the PLC which, after a pre-established short delay time, operates the shut off of the valve (or cock) 92, thereby preventing the extrusion of the sealing material, while the head 64 and the nozzle 88 still continue to displace themselves upward for a pre-established time, thanks to the loss of contact between the sensor and the glass plates, and after that the PLC operates the rotation of the head 64 in a clockwise direction for 90° (see Fig. 14), in which the nozzle 88 arranges itself at the start position of the second (horizontal) side 151 of the glass plates, and the feeler pin 131 arranges itself into contact with the second side and the cam 132 enters the groove of the same side, for measuring continuously its depth as previously, and the PLC operates as well the oil dynamic pump still to pump oil into the oil dynamic cylinder 76', with consequent introduction of further sealing material into the syringe 62 and setting thereof for performing the extrusion of such material from the nozzle 88 along the entire second side, as soon as the glass plates are advanced by the displacement of the carriage 17. Under this condition, as visible from the Fig. 15, the roller 129 is rotated for coming again back into contact with the glass plates, when the same are advanced, and such rotation is determined (see Fig. 50) thanks to the admission of the air into the second inlet 139 of the cylinder 136, which pushes the piston outward and the rack 140 toward the end-of-stroke of the square hole 142, and the rack rotates the pinion gear 144, which so produces the displacement of the roller 129 in the direction opposite to the preceding one. In the subsequent operative position of the Fig. 16, the roller 129 has been displaced into contact with the glass plates, thereby finding it arranged in the terminal zone of the first side 148, near the angle between the first and the second side 151, in a way that during the subsequent advancing of the glass plates it touches at first such terminal zone of the first side and then the above cited angle, thereby touching-up these parts of the glass plates. In the subsequent operative position of the Fig. 17, in which the glass plates are advanced for extruding in this manner the second side 151, the roller 129 slides along the first part of such second side, and also in these two positions it displaces itself elastically with the same oscillating movement described in the fig. 48. In this way, there are extruded the entire second side 151 (see Fig. 18), and in succession the third (vertical) side 152 (see Figs. 19, 20 and 21) and the fourth (horizontal) side 153 (see Figs. 22 and 23) of the glass plates with the same operative sequences as described above. Therefore, the machine working cycle is repeated always in the same manner for working all the sides and all the angles of the glass plates, except the angle comprised between the last side and the first side, which cannot be worked contemporaneously like the previous angles, and in this case the PLC is programmed for performing a step for approaching the roller 129 to the glass plates, like that as described above, however by moving away the extruder nozzle 88 from the same glass plates and stopping the extrusion thereof, while in turn the roller 129 is let to slide thanks to the movement of the head 64 along the axis X up to a terminal portion of the side X.

During the extrusion of the last side 153 of the glass plates, the PLC operates the moving mechanism (not shown) of the lower horizontal roller assembly 26, to displace it transversally forward (in the direction Z), in a way to displace forward of the same extent also the glass plates and to arrange these latter for sliding along the second supporting and sliding path of the roller assembly 26, which is constituted by the rectilinear guide member 42 of the roller assembly 26, in which such sliding blocks 41 are slidable.

At the end of the extrusion of the fourth and last side 153 of the glass plates (see Fig. 23), as soon as the contact of the feeler pin 131 with the glass plates is ceased, the sensor associated to such feeler pin signals this condition with a pulse to the PLC, so that this latter operates the shut off of the valve (or cock) 92 and so the end of the extrusion, and at this point the sealed glass plates are ready for being transported toward the machine unloading zone, as visible from the Figs. 24 and 25.

Before starting the sliding toward the unloading zone, the glass plates and the nozzle 88 are cleaned by means of a spatula actuated by a pneumatic cylinder (not shown) operated by the PLC, and subsequently the carriage 17 is driven automatically toward the machine unloading zone, with consequent arrangement of the glass plates on to the sliding blocks 41 and sliding of these latter with the glass plates along the second sliding path, up to the end of the machine, in which it is situated a feeler pin (not shown) of an electric sensor 154 of the presence of the glass plates, which as soon as detects this presence signals this condition to the PLC, which in turn operates in succession the stop of the carriage 17, the detaching of the suction cups 49 from the glass plates and the returning back of the carriage 17 toward the machine starting zone, for performing a subsequent working cycle, while in turn the glass plates are discharged manually from the unloading zone. In the Figs. 51 and 52 it is now shown a mechanism for sliding and towing the glass plates at first toward the sealing station 18 and thereafter toward the machine unloading station, in accordance to a second embodiment thereof. As visible, this mechanism is substantially constituted by a sliding block 155 formed by a section bar 156 having an internally hollow parallelepiped form, with a long side 157 extended for the machine depth and a short side 158 extended along the length of the same machine. An idle roller 159 is fixed under the sliding block 155, on its front side, for sliding along a correspondent longitudinal and horizontal rectilinear rail 160 (see Fig. 53), secured below the fourth support and transport structure 23 of the machine. In turn, on the sliding block 155 it is secured, on its back side opposite to the preceding one, an additional short sliding block 161 provided with a semi-circular longitudinal hollow 162, adapted to be inserted on to a correspondent rectilinear longitudinal and horizontal linear guide member 163, also secured below said fourth structure 23 of the machine (see always the Fig. 53), in a position parallel to and moved away with respect to the rail 160, so as to permit the sliding also of this side of the block along such linear guide member 163. Besides, the sliding block 155 is provided on its upper part with a transversal through slot 164 for mounting a first movable block 165 for supporting one glass plate, and a second stationary block 166 for supporting the other glass plate, which block may be displaced with respect to the previous one into different positions, depending on the distance between the glass plates, and this

displacement is obtained thanks to a pneumatic cylinder 167 housed into the cavity 168 of the section bar 156 and connected operatively in the machine pneumatic circuit as well as operated by the master microprocessor of the same machine, said blocks being hollowed on their opposite side surfaces, thereby defining a seat 169 for the introduction and the support of the glass plates.

In the Fig. 51 it is noted that the movable block 165 has been approached fully to the stationary block 166, in the rest position in which the carriage formed by the sliding block is closed and the glass plates aren't housed into and supported by the seat 169.

On the contrary, in the Fig. 52 it is noted that the movable block 165 has been moved away from the stationary block, thus enlarging the seat 169 and permitting the introduction and the support thereon of the glass plates having a correspondent size. Finally, the sliding block 155 is situated along a sliding plane aligned with the sliding plane of the glass plates on both the loading zone and the extrusion zone of the machine, in a way that before and after the extrusion the glass plates may be disposed on to a series of identical sliding blocks, mounted in the machine in positions put side by side (see Fig. 53), in order to be transported at first toward the extrusion station and then toward the unloading station of the same machine. In the remaining Figs. 54-57 there are now shown different steps for displacing the glass plates at first toward the extrusion station and then toward the unloading station of the machine. In particular, in the Fig. 54 it is noted that the carriages (namely, the sliding blocks) 155 are initially put side by side and approached to each other, so that the glass plates coming from the first machine loading station are transported by the tow carriage 17 up to come into contact with all the carriages 155 (in this example, three carriages), where some electronic detecting sensors (not shown) are situated, which sensors are connected in the machine electric circuit and controlled by the master microprocessor thereof.

At this point, as soon as the sensor has detected the presence of the glass plates on to all the carriages, it operates the pneumatic cylinder 167 of the first right carriage (namely, the third carriage), thereby displacing the relative movable block 165 toward the stationary block 166 and therefore hooking the terminal part of the fourth side 153 of the glass plates. Then, as visible in the Fig. 55, such third carriage is towed with the glass plates along the rail 160 and the guide member 163, for a short path in the direction A toward the unloading zone, and to this purpose the rail 160 is shaped with a short ramp (not shown) for permitting to the glass plates to lay themselves on to the steps of the blocks defining the seat 169, and under this condition the glass plates are aligned with the rollers 38 of the lower roller assembly 16 for loading the glass plates and this towing continues until the presence of the same plates is detected by the sensor 147 of the first support and transport structure 12 of the machine. In the subsequent step, see Fig. 56, as soon as said sensor 147 detects the end of the glass plates, therefore the absence of the same plates, this condition is signalled to the master microprocessor, which in turn provides for operating the second carriage to be hooked to the glass plates as described previously, and under such circumstance this second carriage is hooked to the glass plates at a determinate distance from the third carriage and the first carriage, before the plates have left the last roller 38 of the roller assembly 16, so that in this case the plates are supported on to three points of the unloading station and not by a single carriage of such unloading station and by the tow carriage 17, in that in this latter case it would be difficult and even not possible the advancing of the glass plates at first toward the extrusion station and then toward the unloading station. Finally, in the subsequent step of the Fig. 57, after a time period always calculated by the PLC, also the first carriage is hooked in the same manner to the glass plates, so that these latter may be transported at first toward the extrusion station 18 and, after the sealing step, toward the machine unloading station, where they are finally unloaded from the machine in the unloading terminal zone. In particular, during the transport of the glass plates toward the extrusion station 18, the first and the second carriage come into contact with one or more sensors (not shown), which signal this contact to the PLC, which in turn operates the unhooking of these carriages from the same glass plates, so that these latter are towed solely by the third carriage during the sealing of all sides of the plates referred to. Moreover, when the glass plates are arrived in the unloading zone of the unloading station, a pedal control actuated by the operator determines the displacement of the pneumatic cylinders 167 of the various carriages in the direction opposite to the preceding one, with consequent unhooking of the carriages of the glass plates and detaching of said powered carriage 17 from the same plates. As soon as these latter have been unloaded from the machine, the operator actuates a further manual control of the machine and determines the transport by a motor (not shown) of all the carriages in the reverse direction toward their starting rest position, while in turn also the powered carriage 17 is returned back automatically in the starting loading position, so as to allow a further working cycle with the same operative sequences to be performed.

Turning now to the Figs. 58-77, in which the present automatic sealing machine 11 in a second embodiment thereof is shown, it is noted that it is still constituted by a first support and transport structure 12 of the glass plates assembled to each other ; by a second support and transport structure 14 of the glass plates toward the sealing position, in the same advancing direction A, which is formed by a lower horizontal guide member 15 which is extended up to the machine loading and unloading station of the glass plates, which are placed in the central part of the respective support structures, for allowing the safe loading and unloading also of the larger glass plates, and by a lower horizontal roller assembly 16 for sliding the glass plates toward such sealing position.

Moreover, the sealing machine is also constituted by a powered carriage 17, slidable in an alternate horizontal direction along all the horizontal guide member 15, from the sealing zone to the unloading zone. As visible in the Fig. 77, this carriage 17 has practically the same component parts of the preceding carriage, and is shaped and dimensioned in a manner different with respect thereto, and it is constituted by a further sensor 230 and an encoder (not shown), the first one being positioned in the left upper part of the carriage, to which it is connected by a case 229 acting contemporaneously as support and protection for the same, and the second one being positioned in the interior of the main case 44 of the same carriage. The sensor 230 performs essentially a safety function, for the machine and the persons working with such machine, in that it informs the PLC of the presence of the glass plates on to the carriage, while the encoder performs the function to detect exactly the instantaneous position of the carriage with respect to the glass plates, and this for safety scope and for the correct operation of the machine, above all with reference to the loading operations of the glass plates. In fact, the encoder is the basic instrument for hooking the glass exactly at its central position, and the length of the glass plates and the relative glass central position are calculated with the criteria which will be indicated in the description of the different operative steps of the machine, and by transmitting the information of the co-ordinates of the glass plates centre to the PLC of the machine, which provides instantaneously for controlling the encoder of the carriage to displace this latter into such a position as to be able to grasp the plates exactly at their centre. The present machine is still constituted by a sealing station 18 of the peripheral groove 9 of the glass plates ; and by an extruding and mixing unit 20 of the sealing material, which receives the sealing material from the feeding and pumping unit 21 of the material, communicating with such unit 20, so as to apply the sealing material along the peripheral groove 9 of the glass plates displaced into this sealing position ; by a third support and transport structure 22 and a fourth support and transport structure 23 for transporting the sealed glass plates toward the unloading zone, in the advancing direction A, for the subsequent drawing of the same plates, wherein the third structure 22 is identical to the preceding one, and the fourth structure 23 is formed by the same lower horizontal guide member 15 and the lower horizontal roller assembly 26 for sliding the sealed glass plates toward such unloading zone.

The first support and transport structure 12 of the glass plates is identical to the preceding one, and the two vertical and inclined stanchions 27 and 28 thereof are joined to each other also by a further horizontal bar 172 (see Fig. 58). A linear guide member 171 is positioned onto the horizontal bar 172, and a powered carriage 170 provided with encoder slides in an alternate direction onto such guide member for the entire length of the support structure 12, such carriage being adapted to transport the glass plates up to the working zone. In turn, also the third support and transport structure 22 of the sealed glass plates is constituted by the same component parts of the first structure 12, performing the same functions, except the horizontal bar 172. Moreover, also the lower horizontal guide member 15 and the lower roller assemblies 16 and 26 of the respective second and fourth support and transport structure 14 and 23 are identical to the previous ones. In turn, the lower roller assemblies 16 and 26 and the sliding blocks 41 are identical to the preceding ones. Turning now to the Figs. 69-75, in which the extruding and mixing unit 20 of the sealing material, and its various component, is shown, it is noted that it is substantially constituted (see Figs. 69 and 71) by a first vertical cylinder 178 and a second vertical cylinder 179, arranged parallel to and separated from each other and supported by a vertical support structure 179' secured to the machine, and adapted to be filled with and containing contemporaneously the one the fluid sealing material and the other one the catalyst material, which must be subsequently delivered and mixed to each other during the sealing step, said first and second cylinder having the same length and different diameters (and therefore the containing volumes), which are proportional to the required extrusion ratio. The inner pushing pistons 185 and 186 of these cylinders 178 and 179 are actuated contemporaneously, being PLC controlled, by the piston 184 of an oil dynamic cylinder 177 placed thereupon, which is secured to the support structure by means of an upper plate 218 and vertical bolts 217, and delimiting an inner chamber 187 communicating with an oil supply (not indicated) through an electronic controlled proportional valve (not indicated), which cylinder has a containing volume identical to that of both the cylinders 178 and 179, and the containing volumes of such cylinders 178 and 179 are proportional to each other, in the example the one is a tenth of the other one, and this for optimizing the quantities of the materials introduced from time to time into the same cylinders and then delivered contemporaneously, and therefore for optimizing the mixing ratio of these materials during the sealing operation. Furthermore, the extruding and mixing unit 20 is constituted by two pipe fittings 192 and 193 for the inlet of the material, which are intercepted by a relative valve 192' and 193' (see Figs. 63-68), and which are communicating at a side thereof with the corresponding cylinder 178 and 179 and at the other side thereof with the respective containers (not shown) of the sealing and catalyst materials. Such inlet pipe fittings 192 and 193 are fixed to a lower base 198 of the support structure 179', into which there are also contained two nonreturn valves 208 and 197, communicating with the relative cylinders 178 and 179 and PLC controlled, for allowing or preventing the passage of the materials contained into the cylinders 178 and 179 toward a lengthened mixing cylinder 190, which is connected at its one end portion 195, by means of a pipe fitting 196, with the lower base 198 and communicating with the outlets of the non- return valves 197 and 208, and connected at its other end portion to mixing head 201 which will be described later on. Such non-return valves 208 and 197 are controlled by a respective electric sensor 199 and 200, which are secured externally the oil dynamic cylinder 177 and are adapted to detect the displacement of the heads of the pistons 186 and 185, in a manner to provide for opening or closing said non-return valves 208 and 197 respectively when they do not come into contact and come into contact with the relative heads of such pistons 186 and 185. In turn, the lengthened mixing cylinder 190 is provided with a helical-shaped broken and lengthened member 191, extended for a part of the length of the same mixing cylinder and constitutes, like the case of the preceding lengthened member 75, a static mixer of per se known type, performing also in this case the function of mixing homogeneously to each other the two components (sealing material and catalyst material), which are introduced into the same mixer, and are coming from the respective containing cylinders 178 and 179, so as to introduce constantly such mixed material into the mixing head 201 and to inject this mixed material along the grooves of the different sides of the glass plates, through the injection nozzle of such head 201.

The various required steps for loading the sealing and catalyst materials, which are PLC controlled, are schematically illustrated by the Figs. 63-68. In the first loading step, illustrated by the Fig. 63, the non-return valves 208 and 197 are shut off , while the valves 192' and 193' are opened, so that the sealing and catalyst materials are pumped from the respective containers into corresponding cylinders 178 and 179, with quantities which are different and proportional to each other, and are enough to perform the sealing of a side at a time of the glass plates. The introduction of such materials into the cylinders 178 and 179 causes the relative pistons 185 and 186 to be progressively raised. When the loading step is ended, as visible from the Fig. 64, the materials have filled up the inner chambers of the cylinders 178 and 179, with consequent raising of the corresponding pistons 185 and 186, and under this condition the valves 192' and 193 ' are shut off, while the non-return valves 208 and 197 are opened. At this point, the injection and extrusion step of the materials is started, see Fig. 65, in which the proportional valve of the oil dynamic cylinder 177 is activated under PLC control, for regulating the oil inlet into the inner chamber 187 of such cylinder, with consequent thrust of the oil against the piston 184, which pushes both the pushing pistons 185 and 186, which in turn push the sealing and catalyst materials contained into the relative cylinders 178 and 179 toward the mixing cylinder 190, by passing through the relative non-return valves 208 and 197, which are open. The oil quantity being introduced into the oil dynamic cylinder 177 is such that to determine the contemporaneously introduction of the sealing and catalyst materials into the mixing cylinder 190, with the exact proportions of these materials and the quantities exactly necessary for performing the sealing of each side of the glass plates. During all this extrusion step, moreover, the same pressure of the materials mixed into the mixer 190 does not permit the same to return toward the respective containing cylinders 178 and 179, and the materials mix themselves to each other in the same mixer only, where they stay for a limited time which is sufficient to prevent the same materials to harden, and therefore to make difficult or even impossible the sealing.

If the sealing and the catalyst materials aren't enough to complete the sealing of each side of the glass plates, the described different steps are repeated until the sealing of each side has been completed. At the end of each sealing step of a side, the non-return valves 208 and 197 are shut off contemporaneously, and the non-return valves 192' and 193' of the relative cylinders 178 and 179 are opened, with consequent introduction into them of the relative sealing and catalyst materials, in the quantities needed for performing the sealing of a subsequent side of the glass plates with the just described criteria. If during the previous sealing step some residual mixed sealing material is still remained into the mixing cylinder 190, this material under pressure cannot return into the relative cylinders 178 and 179, since the non-return valves 197 and 208 are both shut off.

The new sealing and catalyst materials being introduced into the cylinders 178 and 179, and any possible residual sealing material under pressure push upward the relative pistons 185 and 186, with consequent thrust upward by these latter of the oil dynamic cylinder 177 which raises itself and, therefore, lets the oil to flow freely from the inner chamber 187 toward the relative oil supply, by regulating suitably the associated proportional valve. At determinate intervals, the cylinders 178 and 179 are "washed" for preventing the employed materials to adhere to the walls and to harden, thereby risking to compromise the subsequent sealing steps. To this purpose, the Figs. 66-68 show the three washing steps which are performed. In the first washing step, shown in the Fig. 66, both the cylinders 178 and 179 are fully emptied from all the material respectively contained therein, which, thanks to the opening of the non-return valves 208 and 197, is therefore introduced into the mixing cylinder 190 and extruded in the relative side of the glass plates.

In the second washing step, visible from the Fig. 67, the relative cylinder 178 only is filled again with sealing material, by opening the relative valve 192', while the catalyst material isn't introduced into the relative cylinder 179, since the valve 193 ' is shut off. Under this condition, the non-return valves 208 and 197 are shut off, while the electric sensor 200 of end of stroke of the cylinder 179 is inactivated by the PLC and therefore does not effect any detection. In the subsequent third washing step, visible from the Fig. 68, the not catalyzed material introduced into the cylinder 178 is, thanks to the opening of the relative non-return valve 208, injected into the mixing cylinder 190 and extruded in the relative side of the glass plates. With this operation, the relative materials contained both in the mixing cylinder 190 and the extrusion head are discharged ("washed").

The Figs. 70-75 show now the injection and extrusion head 64, which is substantially constituted by the same components of the preceding head and is secured again to a support structure 209, in the interior of which also said extrusion and mixing unit 20 is secured, and at the outside of which there are fixed the gears 102, 103 and 104, and the same above described control members and feeler pins, as well as the nozzle 88, which is supported on a support block 220 and is communicating through a channel 210 to such outlet of the mixing cylinder 190, which is supported by a support block 207 secured to the support structure 209. The channel 210 is intercepted (see Figs. 74 and 75) by an adjustment cock, formed by a lengthened cylindrical rod 224 wound by a spring 223 and housed at its one end portion through the through hole 223 ' of a shaped support piece 225, situated in the support block 207 in a position below to that of the mixing cylinder 190. The rod 224 is shaped with a mushroom-like head 224' at its end portion supported in the support piece 225, and such mushroom-like head 224' is adapted to co-operate with a corresponding opening 225" of the end portion of the channel 210, which is opposite to that in which the nozzle 88 is situated, so as to close or open such an opening depending on the position in which the rod 224 is displaced. The other end portion of the rod 224 is inserted through both a through hole 222' of a cylindrical bush 222, housed into the through hole 223', and through a through hole 22 Γ of a projected arm 221, which is housed into an external seat (not indicated) of the support piece 225. The terminal shank 22 of the rod 224 is threaded, for receiving the relative clamping nuts (not indicated), allowing on the one hand the rod 224 and the arm 221 to be secured and supported into position and on the other hand a limited axial displacement of the same rod and arm.

The projected arm 221 is pushed by a mechanical member (not indicated) mounted into the support structure 209 and PLC controlled, in a manner that such arm acts against the rod 224 for displacing it from a rest position to an operative position, and vice versa, wherein in the rest position the rod is compressed by the spring 223, thereby compressing also the mushroom-like head 224' against the opening 225" of the channel 210, with consequent closing of such an opening and stopping the passage of the sealing material toward the nozzle 88, and in the operative position the rod 224 isn't more compressed and the spring 223 is released and bring the mushroom-like head 224' back, thus making free the opening 225' of the channel 210 and so allowing the sealing material to pass through the same channel up to the nozzle 88, with consequent delivery of the sealing material. Also in this case, the extrusion and mixing unit 20 is provided with the same above described carriages and components (not shown) for the alternate sliding of the same unit along the vertical axis Y and the horizontal axis Z. Figs. 58-62 now describe in detail the various operative steps of the machine working cycle, which is controlled by the master microprocessor (PLC) of the machine control circuit. The sealing machine referred to is provided on its loading station with a first sensor 173, adapted to signal the presence of the glass plates being loaded, and a second sensor 174, moved away from the first sensor in the longitudinal direction and adapted to signal the presence of the fully loaded glass plates. Furthermore, a third sensor 175 is situated directly upstream the sealing station, and is adapted to signal the arrival of the glass plates, with consequent stop of advancing of the same. Besides, also in this case, the machine is provided with a further sensor (not shown) situated in the machine unloading zone and made and operating like the preceding third sensor 154. From Fig. 58 it is noted that the glass plates 145 to be sealed, after having been assembled to each other in the separate production lines and previously described succinctly, are disposed by the operator on to the powered rollers 176 of a transport carriage 174', which is arranged near the machine loading zone and, if the loading zone is free or if the previously worked glass is always directed toward the machine unloading zone, the plates 145 are let to slide by the powered rollers 176 until the lower rollers 38 of the first support and transport structure 12, which rollers are aligned with the powered rollers 176, and some initial rollers of which are powered too. The presence of the plates being transported by the powered rollers 176 is detected by the first sensor 173, which through the PLC provides for driving in rotation the powered rollers of the series of rollers 38, which therefore let the glass plates to slide in the advancing direction A toward the sealing station. Such an advancing continues until the glass plates come into contact with the second sensor 174, and remain into contact therewith, and lose the contact with the first sensor 173 (see Fig. 59), and under this condition the plates advancing is stopped, near the initial position in which the transport carriage 170 is placed. At this point, a pneumatic piston (not shown) is operated for displacing forward the transport carriage 170, up to near the stopped glass plates, and under this condition the body of the carriage 170, which is provided with a projected part coated with gummy material for avoiding breakages of the glass, arrives at the height of the glass and hooks it, and subsequently is operated to advance in the advancing direction A toward the sealing station.

In this way, thanks to the fact that the glass plates are hooked by the carriage 170 only when they are stopped as described above, there is avoided with safety that the carriage 170 displaces itself before hooking the glass plates, and may cause the fall of the same plates.

As soon as the carriage 170 is arrived upstream the extrusion zone, in which the third electronic sensor 175 is positioned, the glass plates come into contact with such third electronic sensor (see Fig. 60), and under this condition the PLC operates the slowing down of the carriage up to stop thereof, in order to avoid that the glass plates with greater weight may still advance, pushed by their inertia. In this way, the glass plates of any dimension will stop themselves always in the established position. All the positions taken on by the transport carriage 170 along its advancing path are detected by the encoder of the same carriage, which transmits this information to the PLC.

In this way, when the carriage 170 is stopped in correspondence of the third sensor 175, the PLC is able to determine the dimension of the glass plates, by deducting from the maximum distance which can be covered by the carriage 170, which is already known in advance, and is referred to the position in which the third sensor 175 is positioned, the distance actually covered by the same carriage. Thereafter, based on the so detected information of the length of the glass plates, the PLC determines automatically the co-ordinates of the glass plates centre, by deducting from the length of the positioning of the glass plates (which is fixed) the so detected length of the glass plates, and by halving the result. At this point, the PLC transmits to the powered carriage 17 the information of the co-ordinates of the glass plates centre, and controls the displacement in the direction B of such powered carriage along the relative machine sliding guide members (which are situated in the right side of the machine), of such a distance that to hook with its suction cups the glass plates centre (see Fig. 61), which distance is measured by the encoder of the same carriage and calculated

automatically by the PLC, by deducting from the length of positioning of the glass plates (which is fixed) the measured length of the glass plates and by halving the result.

In this way, whichever the length of the glass plates is, the powered carriage 17 is always advanced up to the central position of the glass plates, for drawing such plates within extremely short times. Under this condition, the transport carriage 170 is disengaged from the glass plates and is returned back again in the preceding starting position thereof, for transporting further glass plates with the same criteria as above described, while in turn the powered carriage 17 with the glass plates is advanced in the direction A at first toward the sealing station, in which such glass plates are sealed along their sides (see Fig. 62 showing a sealing step) and, after the sealing step, is still advanced in the same direction A up to the unloading station, on the terminal position detected as before by the relative sensor positioned here, for stopping the advancing and unloading the glass plates from the machine, and subsequently returning back of the powered carriage 17 in the preceding starting position thereof. Thanks to these constructive and operative provisions, this machine version is able to reduce as much as possible the loading and unloading times, the measuring of the glass plates etc... , in which the sealing operation of the glass plates isn't performed. The sealing of the glass plates is still performed with the same above described steps, and under this condition the extrusion and mixing unit 20 provides for introducing as described the sealing and catalyst materials into the mixing cylinder 190, with the proportions established for these two materials, and from it the mixed material is injected through the nozzle 88 into the peripheral groove of each side of the glass plates, on quantities calculated by the PLC and exactly requested from time to time for sealing each side.

During all the extrusion steps, any few second there are repeated all the above described sequences for keeping steadily the distance between the nozzle 88 and the glass plates, for measuring the depth of the groove, for metering the sealing material by the proportional metering valve, and for extruding the sealing material by means of the thrust of the oil dynamic piston 177, and this for allowing the peripheral groove of each side to be filled up always correctly with the required sealing material, even in the case of not perfect mounting of the frame 8 of the same glass plates during the preceding operations. Figs. 76 a)-r) now show the different sealing operative steps of the sides of a glass plate on the present machine. These sealing steps are performed in the same way of those previously described, so that for convenience there are shown only the positions along each side of the glass plates of the component parts of the extrusion head 64, which are the following :

- in the Fig. 76 a) it is displaced in the lower starting zone of the first vertical side 148 ;

- in the Fig. 76 b) it is displaced in the upper terminal zone of the first side 148, and the head is starting to rotate of 90°, so as to position it in the starting zone of the second upper horizontal side ; - in the Fig. 76 c) it is rotated of 90° and is still positioned in the above starting zone ;

- in the Figs. 76 d) and e) it is positioned on the upper side, in two different positions consecutive to each other ;

- in the Fig. 76 f) it is positioned in the terminal zone of the upper side, and the head is starting to rotate of 90°, for positioning itself in the upper starting zone of the third vertical side ;

- in the Fig. 76 g) it is rotated of 90° and is still positioned in the above starting zone ;

- in the Fig. 76 h) it is displaced downward in an intermediate zone along the third side ;

- in the Fig. 76 i) it is displaced in the lower terminal zone of the third side, and the head is starting to rotate of 90°, for positioning itself in the starting zone of the fourth horizontal side ;

- in the Fig. 76 1) it is rotated of 90° and is still positioned in the above starting zone ;

- in the Figs. 76 m) and n) it is positioned along the fourth side, into two different and consecutive positions ;

- in the Figs. 76 o) and p) it has been displaced in the terminal zone of the fourth side and, by keeping it always rotated like along the fourth side, it provides for completing in succession the sealing of the lower starting zone of the first vertical side ;

- in the Fig. 76 r) it is beginning to be detached from the first side, in that the sealing of all the sides of the glass plates has been terminated.

Therefore, the machine working cycle is repeated always in the same manner for working all the sides and all the angles of the glass plates. At the extrusion end of the last side, the glass plates are drawn from the powered carriage 17, which transports them up to the machine unloading zone.