Abstract: A method for bending a sheet is described. The method includes the following steps: a) at least one sheet is inserted into a pre-bending ring with a movable bending ring holder, the at least one sheet is heated at least to an approximately softening temperature, and the at least one sheet is prebent in the pre-bending ring to 5% to 50% of a final edge bending, b) the pre-bent sheet is lifted out of the pre-bending ring by means of a suction device and is bent further, beyond a bending obtained in the pre-bending ring, c) the at least one sheet is laid down by means of the suction device in a final-bending ring on the movable bending ring holder and the at least one sheet is bent to a final bending, and d) the at least one sheet is cooled down in the final-bending ring and the at least one sheet is bent by means of the suction device to 100% to 130% of an overall final edge bending.

Abstract: A furnace for heating an object in a space, including a refractory ceramic wall, a heat source, at least one metal plate coated with an adherent layer of ceramic material on one of its principal faces, the coated plate being placed between the wall and the source, the adherent layer being situated facing the source. The coated metal plate acts as a thermal barrier and improves heating efficiency of the heat source. The furnace may for example serve to bend by gravity glass sheets placed on a bending frame.

Abstract: Provided is a cutting method for a glass sheet, comprising radiating a laser beam to a cutting portion (C) of a glass sheet (G) having a thickness of 500 ?m or less to fuse the glass sheet (G), wherein a narrowest gap between fused end surfaces (Ga1 and Gb1) of the glass sheet (G), which face each other in the cutting portion (C), is managed to satisfy a relationship of 0.1?b/a?2, where “a” is a thickness of the glass sheet (G) and “b” is the narrowest gap.

Abstract: An apparatus for drawing a glass ribbon including an edge roll assembly that contacts the glass ribbon with a force that is dynamically altered by an actuator electrically coupled to a sensor that measures the force applied against the ribbon. Dynamic, or real-time, variation of the edge roll force minimizes stress variability in the glass ribbon and improves ribbon shape control.

Abstract: A glass tube cleaning and cutting device and a method for same configured to cut a continuous glass tube at a predetermined length by intermittently contacting a cutting blade with the outer circumference surface of the continuously travelling continuous glass tube formed by tube pulling while blowing air to impose scratches and thermal shock on the outer circumference surface of the continuous glass tube so as to obtain a plurality of cut-off glass tubes, the glass tube cleaning and cutting device includes: a blower provided on a more downstream side of the travelling continuous glass tube than the cutting blade, the blower being configured to blow opposing air opposed to air into a tip end opening of the continuous glass tube.

Abstract: Provided is a method for manufacturing an optical fiber. The method includes the steps of: heating and melting a silica-based optical fiber preform in a drawing furnace; drawing the melted preform into a linear shape from the drawing furnace, continuously cooling and solidifying the preform to form a bare optical fiber; coating the bare optical fiber with a resin to form an optical fiber; and continuously taking up the optical fiber while applying a tensile force, wherein, when a surface temperature of the cooled and solidified bare optical fiber reached down to 100° C. or lower, a surface of the bare optical fiber is reheated while applying a tensile force so as to remelt only a surface layer of the bare optical fiber, and the surface layer of the bare optical fiber is re-solidified, the bare optical fiber is coated with a resin, and the tensile force is released afterward.

Abstract: A mold includes a first mold, an second mold located upon the first mold, and a mold core located between the first mold and the second mold. The first mold defines a receiving space, and comprises a bottom surface in the receiving space. The bottom surface in the receiving space defines at least one guiding groove. A bottom surface in the at least one guiding groove defines at least one air outlet. The mold core is received in the receiving space and supported by the bottom surface in the receiving space. The mold core defines a mold cavity and a plurality of micro-holes communicating with the mold cavity and the at least one guiding groove.

Abstract: A bottle of one-piece integrally formed construction has a body with a closed base and a shoulder at an end of the body remote from the base, and a neck extending from the shoulder along an axis and terminating in a neck finish for attachment of a closure. The bottle neck includes at least one internal embossment for affecting flow of liquid from the body through the neck. In exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, the at least one internal embossment includes at least one internal annular rib or at least one internal rib coplanar with the neck axis or at least one internal spiral rib or at least one internal elliptical rib.

Abstract: A glass base material elongating method of sequentially feeding rod-like glass base materials hung by a glass base material feeding mechanism into a heating furnace, and pulling a glass rod with a smaller diameter by a pulling chuck at a lower part of the heating furnace, includes: aligning, by an alignment guiding device that guides the glass rod, a guiding center of the alignment guiding device with an axis of the glass rod, the alignment guiding device guiding the glass rod between the heating furnace and the pulling chuck.

Abstract: A glass-plate manufacturing method employing a down-draw process includes: a forming step of forming a sheet glass by making a molten glass flow downward along opposite side surfaces of a forming member and merge at a lower section of the forming member; and a cooling step of cooling the sheet glass while drawing the sheet glass downward with rollers. In the cooling step, an above-glass-strain-point temperature control step is performed which is a step of performing a temperature control in the width direction of the sheet glass in a temperature region ranging from the lower section of the forming member to where the temperature of the sheet glass falls below a temperature region near the glass strain point, and includes: first, second and third temperature control steps as defined herein.

Abstract: To provide a vacuum-degassing method and a vacuum degassing apparatus excellent in the effect of vacuum-degassing molten glass, more specifically, a method for vacuum-degassing molten glass and a vacuum degassing apparatus, capable of effectively suppressing formation of reboil bubbles. A method for vacuum-degassing molten glass, which comprises melting glass materials to be silicate glass and passing the resulting molten glass in a flow passage in a vacuum degassing vessel, the interior of which is maintained in a reduced pressure state, to vacuum-degas the molten glass, wherein vacuum-degassing is carried out under conditions satisfying the following formula (1) at a bottom portion of the vacuum degassing vessel: SS=pSO2/Pabs <2.0??(1) wherein SS is the supersaturation degree of SO2 in the molten glass, pSO2 is the partial pressure (Pa) of SO2, and Pabs is the pressure (Pa) at the bottom portion of the glass flow passage of the vacuum degassing vessel.

Abstract: An optical fiber preform, and method for fabricating, having a first core, a second core spaced from the first core and first and second regions, the first region having an outer perimeter having a first substantially straight length and the second region having an outer perimeter having a second substantially straight length facing the first straight length. One of the regions can comprise the first core and the other comprises the second core. The preform can be drawn with rotation to provide a fiber wherein a first core of the fiber is multimode at a selected wavelength of operation and a second core of the fiber is spaced from and winds around the first core and has a selected longitudinal pitch. The second core of the fiber can couple to a higher order mode of the first core and increase the attenuation thereof relative to the fundamental mode of the first core.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for forming sheet glass (78) includes a pair of rollers (12a, 12b) arranged in opposing relation to form a nip gap (38). At least one of the rollers (12a, 12b) is translatable to adjust a width (39) of the nip gap (38). A pair of spacer belts (34, 36) passes in between the pair of rollers (12a, 12b). The spacer belts (34, 36) are spaced apart along a length of the pair of rollers (12a, 12b) and have a thickness to set the width (39) of the nip gap (38). At least one actuator (42a, 42b) is coupled to at least one of the rollers (12a, 12b) and operable to adjust a width (39) of the nip gap (38) until the pair of spacer belts (34, 36) is gripped by the pair of rollers (12a, 12b) and the thickness of the pair of spacer belts (34, 36) sets the width (39) of the nip gap (38).

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of forming a glass container may include forming a glass container comprising a sidewall at least partially enclosing an interior volume. At least a portion of the interior surface of the sidewall may have an interior surface layer with a persistent layer heterogeneity relative to a midpoint of the sidewall. The interior surface layer of the glass container may be removed from the interior surface of the sidewall such that a modified interior surface of the sidewall has an interior region extending from about 10 nm below the modified interior surface into a thickness of the sidewall. The interior region may have a persistent layer homogeneity relative to the midpoint of the sidewall such that the modified interior surface is resistant to delamination.

Abstract: Strengthened glass substrates with glass fits and methods for forming the same are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a method for forming a glass frit on a glass substrate may include providing a glass substrate comprising a compressive stress layer extending from a surface of the glass substrate into a thickness of the glass substrate, the compressive stress having a depth of layer DOL and an initial compressive stress CSi. A glass frit composition may be deposited on at least a portion of the surface of the glass substrate. Thereafter, the glass substrate and the glass frit composition are heated in a furnace to sinter the glass fit composition and bond the glass frit composition to the glass substrate, wherein, after heating, the glass substrate has a fired compressive stress CSf which is greater than or equal to 0.70*CSi.

Abstract: A bottle of one-piece integrally formed construction has a body with a closed base and a shoulder at an end of the body remote from the base, and a neck extending from the shoulder along an axis and terminating in a neck finish for attachment of a closure. The bottle neck includes at least one internal embossment for affecting flow of liquid from the body through the neck. In exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, the at least one internal embossment includes at least one internal annular rib or at least one internal rib coplanar with the neck axis or at least one internal spiral rib or at least one internal elliptical rib.

Abstract: A device for manufacturing a hollow glass item is provided. The device includes a mold having a cavity with a shape substantially corresponding to the outer shape of the glass item and a punch movable between a passive position outside the cavity and an active position inside the cavity, the punch including a hollow body having at least one raised or hollow pattern on at least one outer surface. A method and a punch are also provided.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for fabricating continuous glass ribbons are disclosed. The method includes forming the continuous glass ribbon by drawing the continuous glass ribbon from a draw housing in a drawing direction, heating at least one portion of a central region of the continuous glass ribbon at a heating location downstream of the draw housing, sensing a temperature of the continuous glass ribbon at a sensed temperature location downstream of the draw housing, and automatically controlling the heating of the at least one portion of the central region of the continuous glass ribbon based on the sensed temperature to mitigate distortion of the continuous glass ribbon.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an optical fiber preform includes: producing a core rod having a core rod diameter; inserting the core rod into a glass fluorine-doped intermediate cladding tube so as to form a core assembly, the intermediate cladding tube having an inner diameter and an outer diameter, wherein the inner diameter is larger than the core rod diameter, the radial difference between the inner diameter and the core rod diameter defining an annular gap; and applying a negative pressure inside the annular gap; and forming a core preform by heating the core assembly to collapse the intermediate cladding tube around the core rod while maintaining the negative pressure, wherein heating includes moving a heater outside the intermediate cladding tube and along an axial direction of the same, and forming an overcladding region surrounding the core preform so as to form an optical fiber preform.

Abstract: To provide a process for producing granules, wherein a component in an exhaust gas discharged from a glass melting furnace can be reused as a raw material for alkali-free glass, and a heating and drying step is not required for the reuse. Exhaust gas G1 formed in a process for melting a raw material of glass containing a boron component is brought in contact with contacting liquids L1 and L2 to obtain treated liquids S1, S2 and S3 having the boron component in the exhaust gas G1 dissolved therein; magnesium hydroxide is added to the mixture of the treated liquids in a treated liquid tank 14 to obtain a liquid containing a boron component and a magnesium component; by using the liquid, a granulation liquid is prepared; and in the presence of the granulation liquid, a raw material mixture for producing alkali-free borosilicate glass is granulated to produce granules.