US Patent 6896646 Pulling rolls for use in manufacturing sheet glass

Pulling rolls (13) for glass ribbons (11) are provided. The rolls include a shaft (17), a plurality of heat-resistant discs (15) mounted on the shaft in face-to-face contact, and a pair of fittings (25 or 25,31) affixed to the shaft which apply an axial compressive force to the discs. The axial compressive force gives the portions (27) of the roll surface (33) which contact the glass ribbon during use a Shore D hardness at room temperature of between 30 and 55. The rolls achieve a long service life without applying excessive force to the glass ribbon or generating high levels of particulate contamination.