Abstract: An apparatus for shaping heat softened glass sheets includes an upper mold having a full surface press face with a shaping surface generally contoured to the desired curvature of the sheets; a support device to support the sheets below the upper mold; a shaping rail having an upper sheet supporting surface that supports selected peripheral portions of the sheets, the sheet supporting surface having a profile corresponding to desired elevational contours of the selected peripheral portions of the sheets and complimenting corresponding portions of the upper mold shaping surface; a chamber positioned below the sheets; a moving device for moving the upper mold and the shaping rail relative to each other so as to press at least a periphery of the sheets against the upper mold shaping surface, and a connector to direct pressurized gas into the chamber to urge the sheets towards the upper mold press face.

Abstract: An interlayer composite includes a plastic sheet having a predetermined outer shape and a major surface; a pair of bus bars, and an adhesive layer securing the bus bars directly on the major surface of the plastic sheet in a fixed relationship to one another.

Abstract: An automotive transparency having a heatable wiper rest area includes a first glass sheet and a second glass sheet secured together by an interlayer material. An opaque band is positioned on the inner surface of the outer glass sheet along a portion of an edge of the outer sheet at an expected wiper rest areas; and an electrically conductive member is positioned on a major surface of the second glass sheet and extends along an edge portion of the second sheet at the wiper rest area. A plurality of bus bars positioned in electrical contact along the conductive member divides the conductive member into a plurality of heatable areas with a first lead electrically interconnecting selected ones of the bus bars and a second lead electrically interconnecting other selected ones of the bus bars with overlying portions of the first and second leads electrically isolated from each other.

Abstract: A composite laminate useable in the manufacture of articles having a member responsive to electrical stimuli, e.g. changes transmission, and/or is heated, as current passes through the member includes a pair of spaced bus bars adhesively secured to a major surface of a plastic sheet in a spaced relationship to one another. Each of the bus bars includes, among other things, an end portion having a protective sleeve and an air barrier to prevent air from moving between the inner surfaces of the protective sleeve and the underlying surface of the end portion of the bus bar. A method of making the composite laminate is also disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus for shaping heat softened glass sheets includes an upper mold having a full surface press face with a shaping surface generally contoured to the desired curvature of the sheets; a support device to support the sheets below the upper mold; a shaping rail having an upper sheet supporting surface that supports selected peripheral portions of the sheets, the sheet supporting surface having a profile corresponding to desired elevational contours of the selected peripheral portions of the sheets and complimenting corresponding portions of the upper mold shaping surface; a chamber positioned below the sheets; a moving device for moving the upper mold and the shaping rail relative to each other so as to press at least a periphery of the sheets against the upper mold shaping surface, and a connector to direct pressurized gas into the chamber to urge the sheets towards the upper mold press face.

Abstract: A heatable laminate includes a first substrate; an electrically conductive member on a portion of the first substrate; a pair of spaced bus bars each bus bar being in electrical contact with the electrically conductive member; a second substrate overlaying and the electrically conductive member and bus bars; an interlayer positioned between the two substrates; a first leads connected to one of bus bars and a second lead connected to the other bus bar, each lead having an end extending beyond the periphery of the first substrate to provide external electrical access to the bus bars; an electrically non-conductive sleeve over selected portions of each of the lead; and air barriers along selected portions of the sleeve to prevent air from enter between the substrates.

Abstract: The present invention also provides a transparency having a heatable wiper rest area comprising: a first glass sheet having an outer major surface and an inner major surface; a second glass sheet having an outer major surface and an inner major surface, wherein the inner major surface of the first glass sheet faces the inner major surface of the outer glass sheet; an interlayer material securing the inner major surface of the first glass sheet to the inner major surface of the second glass sheet; an opaque band positioned on the inner major surface of the outer glass sheet along at least a portion of a selected edge of the outer glass sheet at an expected wiper rest area; and a wiper rest area heating arrangement.

Abstract: A laminate, e.g. a heatable windshield has a pair of glass sheets laminated together about a member responsive to electrical stimuli, e.g. changes transmission or is heated as current passes through the member. A pair of spaced bus bars is in surface contact with the conductive member, and a lead assembly associated with each of the bus bars has a lead in contact with its respective bus bar and extends beyond the periphery of the sheets. The lead assembly further includes first and second air barriers to prevent air from moving between the sheets after the edge sealing procedure and during autoclaving of the laminate subassembly. The first air barrier is an adhesive between surfaces of the lead and inner surfaces of an electric and mechanical protective sleeve positioned over portions of its respective lead.

Abstract: A system and method for efficiently conducting a fundraising campaign over a wide-area network is provided. In accordance with the invention a method for conducting an efficient fundraising campaign by an organization over a wide-area network includes hosting a website, registering on the website, making a charitable donation on the website, contacting third parties via email messages soliciting charitable donations, and providing one or more reports, on the website, including information on the status of the fundraising campaign. The method further includes contacting third parties, via email messages, to provide information about one or more teams participating in a competition associated with the fundraising campaign. The method further includes providing information, in the reports, about the third parties that have been contacted via email messages.

Abstract: The present invention provides a glass sheet shaping arrangement whereby a glass sheet may be conveyed through a shaping station without being shaped and deposited into a glass collector beneath an upstream portion of the adjacent quench without impacting the lower quench or interfering with the operation of the quench. A furnace, shaping station and cooling station are all linearly aligned so that a glass sheet progresses through the glass sheet shaping arrangement without changing its advancing direction. A glass sheet is conveyed in a first direction along a first generally horizontal plane through the furnace to heat the sheet to its heat softening temperature. The sheet continues into the shaping station where it is lifted into engagement with an upper vacuum surface.

Abstract: A lightweight vacuum pickup is constructed using a honeycomb platen as the sheet engaging member of the pickup. The cells of the honeycomb platen are selectively sealed to control the amount of vacuum drawn through the platen. When used to transfer heat softened glass sheets, the lower sheet engaging surface of the platen is sealed with a dense material cloth which restricts airflow therethrough. The cloth includes holes positioned within the periphery of the glass sheet to be engaged by the pickup.

Abstract: A partial press for shaping heat softened glass sheets as they are supported on a bending mold and conveyed through a lehr includes a press member that contacts selected portions of the glass sheet. The press member moves with the glass sheet so that there is no relative horizontal movement between the press member and the glass sheet as the glass sheet is conveyed through the lehr.

Abstract: A travelling vacuum pickup is used to transfer heat softened glass sheets from a heating furnace to between a pair of vertically alignment pressing molds. The downstream movement of the pickup is synchronized with the downstream movement of the glass sheets to be engaged so that there is no relative downstream movement therebetween as the pickup lifts and engages the glass sheet.