Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a curved glass thermal forming device and method. The curved glass thermal forming device includes a furnace body having a feed port and a discharge port, wherein the furnace body includes a heating segment, a forming segment and a cooling segment, a rotary table capable of rotating and used for circularly conveying glass to the heating segment, the forming segment and the cooling segment in sequence is arranged in the furnace body, a plurality of female dies for carrying glass are arranged on the rotary table so as to cooperate with a male die in the forming segment to perform press fit forming on the glass.

Abstract: A reflow furnace that can reduce both the flux clinging defect in a circuit board, and the thermal cracking defect in an electronic component has a heat zone in which a circuit board with a mounted electronic component is heated, and a cooling zone in which the heated circuit board is cooled, and includes: a shield disposed between the heat zone and the cooling zone and having an opening for passage of the circuit board; and a tunnel-like cover physically coupled to the opening and extending along a transport direction of the circuit board.

Abstract: Methods for processing glass using select wavelength radiation in a convective environment, broadly referred to as “Local Temporary Annealing”, “LASER Edge Strengthening” and “LASER Enhanced Thermal Strengthening.” Local Temporary Annealing allows strengthened glass to be brought to a neutral stress state so daughter units can be cut from strengthened glass and other processes usually only performed on annealed glass. LASER Edge Strengthening allows surface compression to be thermally imparted to the edges of a whole sheet or daughter units cut from annealed glass, or modification of residual edge stress profiles in strengthened glass to produce stable, strengthened edges. LASER Enhanced Thermal Strengthening allows surface compression to be imparted to a sheet of annealed glass whilst maintaining reduced surface temperatures so the glass has superior geometric stability and surface compression can be imparted at levels not conventionally possible.

Abstract: Glass is heated from above and below while the glass resides on rolls (3) in a tempering furnace (1). The upper surface of the glass (4) is heated by hot air jets formed by sucking air from inside the furnace (1) and pressurizing the hot air and recycling it back to the upper surface of the glass. Air which has been taken from outside the furnace (1) and pressurized by a compressor (17) and heated is blown to the lower surface of the glass.

Abstract: Glass is heated from above and below while the glass resides on rolls (3) in a tempering furnace (1). The upper surface of the glass (4) is heated by hot air jets formed by sucking air from inside the furnace (1) and pressurizing the hot air and recycling it back to the upper surface of the glass. Air which has been taken from outside the furnace (1) and pressurized by a compressor (17) and heated is blown to the lower surface of the glass.

Abstract: A method of tempering glass and an apparatus for tempering glass, in which a heater is used and high frequency is generated. The method includes a heating step of heating a piece of glass using a heater and a high frequency generator and a cooling step of cooling the piece of glass by quenching.

Abstract: Unit for the surface treatment of flat glass, in particular in the form of a ribbon or a sheet, especially by modifying the chemical, optical or mechanical properties, or the deposition of one or more thin films, comprising heating and cooling means for creating a controlled temperature gradient through the thickness of the glass, means for heating that face to be treated, in order for it to always be at the required temperatures and for the times necessary for obtaining effective treatments of the surface thereof and means for cooling the opposite face in order for this opposite face to have a viscosity of between 1013 dPa·s and 2.3×1010 dPa·s.

Abstract: The present invention provides a glass article using a glass composition including a base glass composition and colorants. The base glass composition includes, expressed in mass %: 65 to 80% of SiO2; 0 to 5% of Al2O3; 0 to 10% of MgO; 0 to 15% of CaO; 5 to 15% of MgO+CaO; 10 to 18% of Na2O; 0 to 5% of K2O; 10 to 20% of Na2O+K2O; and 0 to 5% of B2O3, and the colorants consist essentially of, expressed in mass %: 0.6% to 1.0% of T-Fe2O3; 0.026 to 0.8% of TiO2; 0 to 2.0% of CeO2; 0.01 to 0.03% of CoO; 0 to 0.0008% of Se; and 0.06 to 0.20% of NiO. The glass article has a grayish color tone, and has a visible light transmittance in a range of 15% to 40%, which is measured with the illuminant A at a thickness of 3.1 mm.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for tempering a glass container. The method includes the steps of pre-heating the glass container to a first predetermined temperature. The method also includes the steps of applying radio-frequency energy to the pre-heated glass container to heat the glass container to a second predetermined temperature and, after a predetermined amount of time, simultaneously cooling at least one surface of the heated glass container to a third predetermined temperature to treat the glass container. The method further includes the steps of, after a predetermined amount of time, quenching the treated glass container to a fourth predetermined temperature to produce a tempered glass container.

Abstract: A convection furnace for a tempered glass sheet (1), into which furnace the glass sheet arrives along a hauling track, as on turning rolls (3), and the furnace has also heating resistances (5) against glass sheet (1) for heating the blast air, a blast apparatus and blast channelling (4), (2) for blasting said air against the glass sheet. The blast channelling comprises elongated channels (2) in the glass sheet (1) direction, inside of which there is at least a part of each blast air heating resistance (5) and each channel (2) has below the resistance line a broadening and in the broadening a bottom part (9), whereby bottom part (9) is furnished with blast holes (7, 8).

Abstract: In a method and an apparatus for heating glass panels in a tempering furnace equipped with rollers, glass panels are carried on a conveyor defined by rollers into a tempering furnace for the duration of a heating cycle, followed by carrying the glass panels into a tempering station. The glass panels are heated in the tempering furnace by bottom- and top-heating radiation elements as well as by bottom- and top-heating convection elements through which convection air is supplied to the tempering furnace. The glass panels' bottom side is heated by the bottom-heating convection elements, which are arranged lengthwise along the furnace and define convection heating zones side by side in a lateral direction of the tempering furnace. Thus, convection heating effects of the convection heating zones can be altered relative to each other for profiling the heat transfer coefficient in a lateral direction of the furnace.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for bending glass panels. The upper tier of successive mould carriers (9) defines a number of heating sections, the last one of which is an actual bending section (4b). The lower tier of successive mould carriers (9) defines a number of cooling sections (5, 6, 7), which are located below the heating sections. The mould carriers are provided with an open-structured or otherwise highly heat transmissive bottom (10). Underneath bending sections (4a), effecting gravitational bending on an upper mould carrier track (1), lie cooling sections (5), each of which is individually provided with controlled cooling air circulation by means of cooling air exhaust fans (23). Following the sections (5) performing the controlled cooling or annealing, the mould carriers (9) are adapted to be conveyed along a lower mould carrier track nonstop under a plurality of preheating sections (3a, 3) by a single passage.

Abstract: A system and method for heating, forming, and tempering a glass sheet includes pre-heating the glass sheet to at least a first predetermined temperature. The system and method includes also applying radio-frequency energy to the glass sheet to heat it to at least a second predetermined temperature and cooling at least one outer surface of the glass sheet to at least a third predetermined temperature to temper the glass sheet.

Abstract: For heat conditioning flat panel glass substrates the substrates are directly exposed in vacuum to the radiation of lamps, the lamps being selected so that their spectral radiation characteristics (b, c) fit with the absorption characteristics (a) of the glass of the substrate.

Abstract: A furnace particularly for heat treatments of glass sheets, comprising a longitudinally-elongated chamber which contains roller conveyor elements for the glass sheets. The furnace comprises irradiation-heating elements combined with first and second elements for heating by forced air convection in which the air temperature is controlled by adjusting its circulation rate, the elements being located respectively above and below the conveyor elements and therefore above and below the sheets being treated.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for heating glass sheets in a tempering furnace. The tempering furnace (1) includes rollers (3) for conveying and oscillating the glass sheets (4) during heating, and resistors (5, 6) for heating the glass sheets (4) from above and from below. The lower part of the tempering furnace (1) is cooled at the initial stage of the heating period, and the lower surfaces of the glass sheets (4) are heated at the final stage of the heating period by forced convection. This ensures good control over heat equalization in the tempering furnace (1), increases furnace power, prevents curving of the glass sheets (4), and also reduces heat shock from ceramic rollers at the initial heating stage.

Abstract: A method and an equipment for heating glass in a tempering furnace provided with rollers. In a tempering furnace glass (3) is heated from above with upper resistors (4) and from below with lower resistors (5). The heating resistors (4, 5) are dimensioned such that their combined power is greater than the maximum heating power needed by the furnace, and that the resistors are controlled such that the maximum amount of resistor power being used simultaneously corresponds to the maximum heating power needed by the furnace. This allows heat to be directed at a desired place in the furnace also at the initial stage of heating, and a single resistor is efficient and fast, allowing heat to be directed quickly at places where it is needed.

Abstract: A method and equipment for adjusting the temperature of glass sheets in a tempering furnace. The tempering furnace (1) comprises rollers (3) for conveying and oscillating the glass sheets (4) during heating, and resistors (5, 6) for heating the glass sheets (4) from above and from below. The temperature of the glass sheets (4) is measured inside the tempering furnace (1) during heating and the dwell time of the glass sheets (4) in the furnace is adjusted based on the temperature measurements. This enables exact control of the final temperature of the glass from the beginning, and the temperature can be kept uniform independently of the measures taken by the operator.

Abstract: In a quenching apparatus for quenching a glass sheet that has been heated and bent in a heating furnace, a cooling gas blows onto the glass sheet to provide a distribution of a temperature and/or a distribution of a static pressure in at least one section in the quenching apparatus. The distribution of a temperature provides different temperatures between the both surfaces of the glass sheet, while the distribution of a static pressure is nonuniform in a part of at least one surface of the glass sheet. The distributions can modify a shape of the glass sheet given in the heating furnace so that a degree of freedom in shape for manufacturing a bent and tempered glass sheet by utilizing its self-weight can be improved.

Abstract: A system for tempering glass plates has preheating zone (1) in which several glass plates (7) stacked vertically in compartmented car (6) are heated together to a temperature below the tempering temperature of for example 650.degree. C. (for example 300.degree. C.). Preheated glass plates (7) are moved individually from preheating zone (1) into heating zone (2). In heating zone (2) glass plates (7) are heated to the tempering temperature, their being inclined to the vertical at an acute angle and being held by air cushions between two heating plates. On the lower edge of the two heating plates of heating zone (2) there is transport device which supports glass plates (7) simultaneously to the bottom. Glass plates (7) heated to the tempering temperature are moved into cooling zone (3) which has cooling plates aligned parallel to the heating plates and between which glass plate (7) is pushed for quenching.

Abstract: A surface of a ceramic article, such as a glazed surface on a whiteware article, is treated with radiant energy such as infrared light from a laser to provide a localized remelting of the material at the surface in a fusing step. After the fusing step, the surface is treated with further radiant energy, desirably over a larger surface encompassing the fused zone and also desirably at a lower power density so as to limit the rate of cooling of the fusion zone and the immediately surrounding regions, thereby preventing thermal stress cracking. The fusion zone and surrounding regions desirably are preheated by additional radiant energy immediately prior to the fusing step so as to further limit thermal stresses during the fusing step. The process can be employed, among many other uses, for repair of glaze defects and for decoration.

Abstract: The invention relates to a hardening furnace, in particular for sheets of glass (2) and the like. In the furnace, the glass sheets (2) are sustained and transported by a conveyor plane (1) of the roller type above and beneath which plane an upper radiating surface (3) and a lower radiating surface (4) are arranged. The upper radiating surface (3) is composed of a plurality of longitudinal strips (31) arranged side-by-side and parallel to the movement direction of the plane (1), while the lower radiating surface (4) is constituted by a plurality of transversal strips (41) arranged transversally to the said movement direction. Each of the strips (31 and 41) is separated from the contiguous strips and represents the lower and upper walls of chambers (32 and 42) separated one from the other. In each said chamber (32 and 42) there is a device which confers regulatable thermal energy, for example, a radiating tube (15).

Abstract: A curving furnace has at least one curving station, of which the walls are equipped with resistors. The series of upper resistors are subdivided into one or more axial zones in which the resistors are oriented parallel to the height of the glass sheets, and into one or more transverse zones in which the resistors are oriented perpendicularly. The heating power of a given zone is regulated independently of the heating powers associated with the other zones.

Abstract: A furnace for heating glass sheets moving along the axis of the furnace has at least one differentiated heating cell, the heating elements of which disposed at the vault side are constituted of sets of electrical resistors controlled in temperature or in power and adjustable in height independently for each set. A portion of the electrical resistors are mounted parallel to the axis of the furnace, the other heating cells each constituting a longitudinal heating zone independent of the other longitudinal zones and having, at the vault side, heating elements composed of sets of electrical resistors subdivided into several independent transverse sub-zones, in which the electrical resistors are mounted perpendicularly to the axis of the furnace. The invention is applicable to the manufacture of curved and toughened panes.

Abstract: The invention relates to a glass sheet bending or supporting mould which is made primarily by casting of a ceramic material and which includes a curving or flat shaping surface, a number of orifices (10, 11) in a shaping surface (7, 8) as well as channels (16, 17) extending through the mould material and in communication with orifices (10, 11). Said channels (16, 17) are formed as distribution channels common to a plurality of orifices (10, 11) and connected to each other by means of transverse connecting channels (161, 171) for building a ladder-like or lattice-like distribution manifold (16, 161; 17, 171). The invention relates also to a mould manufacturing method, wherein a ceramic-based material is cast in a manufacturing mould which, prior to a casting operation, is fitted with a temporary filling matching a desired distribution manifold and having a ladder-like or lattice-like configuration.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a mould assembly for bending complex shapes on a glass sheet. The invention relates also to a bending mould and its manufacturing method. A heated glass sheet placed upon a ring mould is bent to its final shape by means of an over-head non-contacting mould (6) whose curved lower surface (7, 8) is provided with blasting orifices (10) and suction orifices (11). Blasting orifices (10) are used to blow hot air for heating a glass sheet at least locally while building an air cushion between shaping surface and glass sheet. The hot air blown from blasting orifices (10) is used to apply a greater heat volume to those sections of the glass sheet surface in which the bending radius of a glass sheet is the smallest or deformation (elongation, bending) is the greatest.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for preventing the arching of glass sheets in the roller-equipped furnace of a horizontal tempering plant. In order to equalize the total thermal effect applied to the top and bottom surfaces of a glass sheet, the top surface of a glass sheet is subjected at least at the initial stage of a heating cycle to an intensified convection heat effect by blasting air into the furnace through blasting pipes (3) positioned adjacent to the top surface of a glass sheet. An object of this blasting is to compensate a vigorous heat transfer caused by hot rollers to the bottom surface of a glass sheet in the beginning of a heating cycle. In order to intensify a heat equalization between the opposite surfaces of a glass sheet, the furnace space below a glass sheet is cooled by passing the air to be blown into the furnace into a blasting manifold (3) through a heat-exchange manifold (6) positioned below a bearing surface formed by rollers (2).

Abstract: A gas burner (20) disclosed has general utility but has particular utility when utilized in a closely spaced relationship to roller conveyed glass sheets to provide forced convection heating. The burner (20) includes a cobbustion member (38) in which gas and air are introduced in a tangential relationship with respect to its inner surface to provide a swirling motion that mixes the gas with the air for combustion prior to discharge through outlets (46) to provide the forced convection heating. A glass sheet heated by this gas burner forced convection on the roller conveyor and subsequently cooled has reduced roll-wave distortion and reduced edge distortion as compared to radiantly heated glass sheets.

Abstract: A blow back control device (10) for use in a glass tempering system (12) is disclosed as including an air supply member (28) mounted between a glass heating furnace (14) and a quenching station (24). The air supply member (28) supplies a planar jet of high pressure blow back control air generally in a direction of glass sheet conveyance (A) away from an exit opening (20) of the furnace (14) and toward the quenching station (24) at an angle in the range of between 0.degree. and 25.degree. formed between the planar jet of high pressure air and a plane of conveyance of a glass sheet (16) along a conveyor (22) to deflect cooling air, supplied by blastheads (26,26') from entering the furnace (14).

Abstract: A gas static bearing unit for carrying rollers which is suitable as a heat-resistant bearing inside a horizontal furnace for glass sheets. The bearing unit consists of a bearing 1 which automatically adapts to the orientation of the section of roller 27 mounted in the bearing 1 and which rests on two pins 8, 9 each having a spherical head 16, 17 as a support surface. The first spherical head 17 is mounted stationarily and oscillatingly, and the second spherical head 16 is mounted on a planar base 23 to allow pivoting and sliding around the stationary pin 9. A system of bores 30, 31, 32, 33 makes it possible to supply the rotating clearance with compressed air.

Abstract: A device and a process for heating glass sheets in horizontal position, to bend them or temper them, by means of two series of resistors, the series being distributed on both sides of the path followed by the glass sheet and on a portion of the length of this path. Each resistor group is distributed in longitudinal zones or in crosswise subzones of various widths along the longitudinal zones, the power furnished to each longitudinal zone being regulated independently of the power furnished to the other longitudinal zones and being distributed in a controlled way between the crosswise zones and the longitudinal zones.

Abstract: A furnace (12) including a roller conveyor (18) and gas burners (20) distinct from the conveyor for supplying forced convection that is the dominant mode of heat transfer to glass sheets during a heating process. The gas burners (20) have general utility but have particular utility when utilized in a closely spaced relationship to the roller conveyed glass sheet to provide the forced convection heating. Each burner (20) includes a combustion member (38) defining an elongated combustion chamber (42) extending transversely to the direction of conveyance. Gas and air are introduced into the combustion chamber (42) in a tangential relationship with respect to its inner surface to provide a swirling motion that mixes the gas with the air for combustion prior to discharge through outlets (46) to provide the forced convection heating.

Abstract: Shields tend to retain heat while shading glass sheets from a heat source. As the shield retains more heat, it loses its effectiveness to shade the glass sheet. A second shield is positioned between the glass sheet and the hot shield to maintain effective shading of the glass sheet for proper heat distribution and forming of the sheet.

Abstract: A glass sheet tempering method and system (10) disclosed utilizes a heating chamber (22) and a quenching chamber (26) which contain ambients at superatmospheric pressure during both the heating and quenching. Forced convection heating is preferably performed in an improved furnace (14"). In one embodiment, heated gas flow is provided by centrifugal blowers which blow air across a plurality of spaced heat tubes. The heated gas flow is directed toward a glass sheet positioned within the heating chamber to provide rapid heating of the glass sheet. In a second embodiment, the heated gas flow is provided by upper and lower sets of opposed gas jet pumps connected to a gas supply. A pressure gas supply including a compressor maintains the superatmospheric pressure of the heating and quenching chambers (22,26). A recirculating gas supply (32) feeds compressed quenching gas to opposed blastheads (28,30) to perform the tempering.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of driving a glass tempering system and to a glass tempering system for carrying out the method. The main components of the system are a loading section, a heating furnace, a quench and cooling section and an unloading section. The sections are provided with conveyors, which are made of horizontal rollers and can be driven in unison or separately. The furnace and quench and cooling section conveyors are provided with a common drive mechanism for driving the conveyors either at the same rate of speed or for permitting stoppage of the quench and cooling section conveyor. Instead of stopping the quench and cooling section conveyor, it can be coupled to the common drive mechanism through a reduction gear to effect a very slow movement after the quenching is finished and a glass sheet load is being cooled to a handling temperature.

Abstract: A glass furnace, e.g. for annealing or tempering glass, has a roller conveyor whose fused rollers rest upon stub rollers overshot by a belt which alternately overshoots and undershoots the stub rollers. A drive for the belt includes a pair of motors connected to the belt with overrunning clutches and driven in opposite senses to alternately drive the belt and thereby prevent play in the movement of the latter. The heater overlying the conveyor has a matrix array of individually or collectively controllable infra-red heaters.

Abstract: A glass furnace, e.g. for annealing or tempering glass, has a roller conveyor whose fused rollers rest upon stub rollers overshot by a belt which alternately overshoots and undershoots the stub rollers. A drive for the belt advantageously is controlled by a computer allowing display of the heater parameters etc. and includes a pair of motors connected to the belt with overrunning clutches and driven in opposite senses to alternately drive the belt and thereby prevent play in the movement of the latter. The heater overlying the conveyor has a matrix array of individually or collectively controllable infrared heaters.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for equalizing the temperature of conveyor rolls in a glass-tempering furnace, said furnace comprising a thermally insulated housing (1) confining a heating chamber (8), conveyor rolls (4), extending horizontally between the side walls of chamber (8) and lying one after the other in the lengthwise direction of the chamber, heating resistors (5 and 6) in the chamber above and below the array of conveyor rolls, as well as means for driving the conveyor rolls unidirectionally during a first cycle and reciprocally during a second cycle. Since the reciprocating movement means that a glass sheet remains longer in contact with the midsection rolls, these rolls cool more rapidly. In order to equalize the temperature of the rolls, the end sections of the furnace are provided with screen plates (7) mounted between heating resistors (6) below the array of conveyor rolls and the rolls (4) themselves.

Abstract: A roller conveyor furnace (12) is disclosed as including at least one gas jet pump (24) for providing forced convection heating of glass sheets during conveyance on rolls (22) of the furnace conveyor (20). A source (26) of compressed gas located externally of the furnace is communicated with the gas jet pump to supply a primary gas flow thereto and induce an amplified extent of a secondary gas flow in order to provide a combined flow of heated gas that produces the forced convection heating. Upper and lower arrays (70,72) of the gas jet pumps are disclosed as being usable separately or in cooperation with each other in one embodiment to maintain temperature uniformity and glass sheet planarity. Each array includes an associated conduit support (74,76) that mounts the gas jet pumps thereof in a spaced relationship transverse to the direction of conveyance either above or below the conveyor rolls.

Abstract: A lehr for heat treating glass articles is assembled from a series of modules to define an elongated insulated tunnel. A belt conveyor extends throughout the tunnel for moving articles from one end to the other. Duct work connection between the tunnel and the ambient air and associated heating and blower means establish heating, tempering and cooling zones respectively within the lehr in the direction of conveyor movement. Temperature sensors adjacent both flights of the conveyor are linked with a control panel to permit establishment of any desired temperature curves.

Abstract: In order to control the thickness of a metal or metal compound coating which is formed on a face of a freshly formed ribbon of hot glass during its travel from a flat glass forming installation by contacting such face at a coating station with a fluid medium or fluid media comprising a substance or substances from which the coating is formed, preparatory to being coated, the glass (4) is thermally conditioned (e.g. selectively or differentially heated) at a thermal conditioning station between the flat glass forming installation and the coating station, so as to eliminate or reduce temperature gradients across the ribbon width to be coated.

Abstract: A method for the prevention of the curving of glass sheets in the roller-equipped furnace of a horizontal tempering plant utilizes a substantially turbulent air flow over the upper surface of the glass sheet for intensifying the convection heat action applied to the upper surface of the glass sheet. The furnace is fitted with perforated pipes which are connected to a source of compressed air for blowing horizontal air jets above the upper surface of the glass sheet.

Abstract: A roll drive mechanism (14) for a horizontal roller conveyor (12) of glass sheet processing equipment (10) has particular utility with a heating furnace (18) of a glass sheet tempering system. First and second continuous drive loops (22,24) of the drive mechanism extend along the conveyor and are alternately engageable in a driving relationship with conveyor rolls (16) over associated lengths (26,28,30) of the conveyor that are selectively adjustable to provide a desired transition between adjacent conveyor sections driven by different drive loops. First and second electric motor drives (32,34) respectively drive the loops to provide synchronous or independent glass sheet conveyance over the different lengths of the conveyor.

Abstract: A conveyor for a glass-treating furnace has ceramic rollers forming the conveying bed for the glass to be treated. The rollers are of uniform section throughout their length, and are supported adjacent opposite ends on driving rolls. The rollers directly contact the surfaces of the driving rolls and drive to the rollers is effected by frictional contact only. The rollers are held in position by a pair of adjacent driving rolls, and two driving rolls cooperate in driving the ceramic rollers. The rollers do not have any pins or other projections. The life of the rollers is extended and removal of old rollers and insertion of new rollers is facilitated.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for the heat treatment of a float glass ribbon in which a tunnel lehr is provided with arrays of parallel heat-exchange tubes above and below the path of the ribbon and for each of the longitudinally divided zones of these arrays, the tubes are grouped and provided with respective heaters at the upstream end of the zone while all of the tubes at the zone are connected to a flow at the downstream end for drawing the heated air through the tubes. The temperature of the glass ribbon is measured at the upstream end and the throughflow of the individual groups is controlled selectively to ensure a homogeneous temperature distribution in the glass ribbon.

Abstract: Primary and secondary quench sections and radiant electrical heaters for a roller hearth glass tempering furnace having a roller track supporting the endless conveyor drive belts, and adjustable locators for conveyor roller spacing. At least the primary quench section includes high flow, low suction air cooling devices. The heating zone size may conform to the size of the glass part being treated. Optionally, the glass part may be reciprocated five inches or less in either direction while being heated or cooled. Fully adjustable roller and drive belt support systems control the horizontal plane of the track and thus maintain a more level conveyor bed. A unitized zone construction allows for future increase or decrease in product output, simply by installation of one or more heating zones and lengthening of drive belts. A wear-resistant, disposable Teflon and/or silicone axle can be used. The furnace incorporates soft, heat-resistant fabric belts which are Teflon and/or silicone rubber coated.

Abstract: A roller hearth glass tempering furnace having a roller track supporting the endless conveyor drive belts, and adjustable locators for conveyor roller spacing. The heating zone size conforms substantially to the size of the glass article being treated. The glass part is reciprocated approximately five inches or less in either direction while being heated or cooled. Fully adjustable roller and drive belt support systems control the horizontal plane of the track and thus maintain a more level conveyor bed. A unitized zone construction allows for future increase or decrease in product output, simply by installation of one or more heating zones and lengthening of drive belts. A wear-resistant, disposable Teflon and/or silicone axle can be used. The furnace incorporates soft, heat-resistant fabric belts which are Teflon and/or silicone rubber coated.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for filming and tempering a pre-cut glass sheet in a continuous process. The glass sheet is heated initially to a temperature sufficient for pyrolysis. The heated glass is sprayed with a coating composition which reacts with the glass to form a metal oxide film on its surface. The filmed glass is re-heated to both restore the heat lost by spraying and to bring its temperature to a level sufficient for tempering. The glass sheet is then tempered by subjecting it to rapid cooling. The method can be modified to include a secondary spraying wherein after the glass is first sprayed it is re-heated as in the initial step and then re-sprayed before completing the process. Apparatus for carrying out the above described method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for the heat treatment of a float glass ribbon in which a tunnel lehr is provided with arrays of parallel heat-exchange tubes above and below the path of the ribbon and for each of the longitudinally divided zones of these arrays, the tubes are grouped and provided with respective heaters at the upstream end of the zone while all of the tubes at the zone are connected to a flow at the downstream end for drawing the heated air through the tubes. The temperature of the glass ribbon is measured at the upstream end and the throughflow of the individual groups is controlled selectively to ensure a homogeneous temperature distribution in the glass ribbon.

Abstract: A glass furnace, e.g. for annealing or tempering glass, has a roller conveyor whose fused rollers rest upon stub rollers overshot by a belt which alternately overshoots and undershoots the stub rollers. A drive for the belt advantageously is controlled by a computer allowing display of the heater parameters etc. and includes a pair of motors connected to the belt with overrunning clutches and driven in opposite senses to alternately drive the belt and thereby prevent play in the movement of the latter. The heater overlying the conveyor has a matrix array of individually or collectively controllable infrared heaters.