Abstract: A method for forming a continuous glass sheet from a tube of glass includes expanding and thinning the tube of glass by drawing the tube of glass over susceptor bearing comprising a porous sidewall defining an internal chamber. The diameter of the susceptor bearing may increase between a top portion and a bottom portion. The tube of glass may be maintained at a temperature above a softening point of the glass as the tube of glass is drawn over the susceptor bearing. The tube of glass is suspended over the susceptor bearing by blowing the tube of glass away from the susceptor bearing in a radial direction with a pressurized fluid supplied to the internal chamber and emitted from the porous sidewall as the tube of glass is drawn over the susceptor bearing. Thereafter, the tube of glass is cooled and sectioned to form a continuous glass sheet.

Abstract: The method produces glass tubes having a predetermined inner profile according to a Vello-method or Down-Draw method, wherein molten glass emerges from an outlet orifice of a melt feed and is drawn over a shaping body to form a hollow drawing bulb, and the drawing bulb is drawn over a profile forming body downstream of the shaping body to form the predetermined inner profile. To enable a reliable, risk-free positioning of the profile forming body within the drawing bulb, the profile forming body is axially moved either from below the shaping body via an inner space of the glass tube or via an inner bore of a shaft supporting the shaping body until reaching an operational position in the inner space of the glass tube. An apparatus for performing the method is also described.

Abstract: In a known method for drawing a tubular quartz glass strand, SiO2-containing starting material is fed to a melting crucible, softened therein into a viscous quartz glass mass (27), and said mass is pulled vertically downward as a cylindrical quartz glass strand (5; 33) through a die (4; 34) provided in the bottom region of the melting crucible (1), said die having a gap-shaped outlet (25; 36), which is defined by a bottom opening and a die inside part, and thereafter the quartz glass cylinder is cut to length.

Abstract: In the process a glass tube line is drawn from a glass tube production plant and the glass tube is severed from the glass tube line. At the same time the still heated glass tube is subjected to a selective local heat treatment of the at least one tube end section prior to cooling down completely in order to reduce the stresses in the respective tube end section. Not the entire glass tube but instead only the respective tube end section is subjected to the selective local heat treatment. The heat treatment is performed in particular in such a manner that the mechanical tensile stress in the region between 7 mm and 20 mm from the tube end or ends is reduced to below 6.0 MPa, more preferably to below 4.5 MPa.

Abstract: In a known drawing method for producing cylinder-shaped components from quartz glass, a quartz glass strand (10) is drawn in the direction of a drawing axis (12) from a deformation region of a quartz glass mass (9) and pieces having a cutting length (S) are separated therefrom. The cylinder-shaped components are produced from the pieces. In order to provide a simple drawing method for producing quartz glass components, wherein the effects of geometric disruptions, in particular variations in diameter and material rejects, are reduced, the separation of the quartz glass strand (10) is carried out at a separating position (T), wherein the distance of the separating position from the deformation region (9) is set in a way such that a disruption of the quartz glass strand geometry created by the separation lies in an end region of the component to be produced or between two neighboring components during a subsequent separation.

Abstract: In a known method for drawing a tubular quartz glass strand, SiO2-containing starting material is fed to a melting crucible, softened therein into a viscous quartz glass mass (27), and said mass is pulled vertically downward as a cylindrical quartz glass strand (5; 33) through a die (4; 34) provided in the bottom region of the melting crucible (1), said die having a gap-shaped outlet (25; 36), which is defined by a bottom opening and a die inside part, and thereafter the quartz glass cylinder is cut to length.

Abstract: In the process a glass tube line is drawn from a glass tube production plant and the glass tube is severed from the glass tube line. At the same time the still heated glass tube is subjected to a selective local heat treatment of the at least one tube end section prior to cooling down completely in order to reduce the stresses in the respective tube end section. Not the entire glass tube but instead only the respective tube end section is subjected to the selective local heat treatment. The heat treatment is performed in particular in such a manner that the mechanical tensile stress in the region between 7 mm and 20 mm from the tube end or ends is reduced to below 6.0 MPa, more preferably to below 4.5 MPa.

Abstract: In the method molten glass emerges from an outlet opening of a melt feed. The molten glass is drawn over a shaping body so as to form a hollow drawing bulb. According to the invention, the drawing bulb is drawn over a profile forming body positioned downstream of the shaping body so that inner circumferential surfaces of the drawing bulb are deformed while abutting against outer surfaces of the profile forming body to form the predetermined inner profile. The distance between the shaping body and the profile forming body can be changed to vary the wall thickness of the glass tube.

Abstract: A transparent substrate for a cover for a solar battery and a method for producing the same are presented. Hemispherical concave portions are formed in a surface of light entering side of a cover glass almost over the entire surface wherein the ratio d/D of the depth d of the central portion of each concave portion to the radius D of the opening of the concave portion is from 0.10 to 0.50 and the proportion of area occupied by a flat portion where no concave portion is formed in the surface of light entering side is not more than 40%.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for producing a glass rod. The device comprises a Danner blowpipe (1); a nozzle for applying stream of glass to the surface of the Danner blowpipe (1) at one end of said blowpipe (supply end) at a relatively high temperature in order to form a glass film, which is removed at the other end (discharge end) in the form of a bulb at low speed. According to the invention, the device is characterised as follows: the Danner blowpipe (1) is constructed as follows: the peripheral wall consists of an external metal jacket (2) and a ceramic body (3) surrounded by said jacket; a respective clamping plate (6.1, 6.2) is provided at the supply end and at the discharge end; the discharge-end clamping plate (6.2) is connected in a fixed manner to the shaft (6); the supply-end clamping plate (6.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for forming glass articles containing enclosed channels. The method comprises the following steps: a) delivering and depositing a first length of a molten glass ribbon (18) to a surface of a mold (20) having a mold cavity (22) possessing at least one channel-forming groove (22) and a peripheral surface, wherein the first length (18) overlies the mold cavity (22) and the peripheral surface; b) allowing the first length of the molten glass ribbon (18) to substantially conform to the contour of the mold cavity (22) resulting in the formation of at least one channel in the first length of the molten glass ribbon (18); c) delivering and depositing a second length of the molten glass ribbon (26) to the exposed surface of the first length of the molten glass ribbon (18).

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for forming glass article from sheet glass. More specifically the apparatus comprises a mold, a plunger being cooperative alignment with the mold, wherein the mold and the plunger form a cavity exhibiting the shaped of the glass article, an outer trimmer for separating the glass article from the surrounding excess sheet glass, and an inner trimmer for forming the aperture in the glass article, and the method involves forming the aperture during the hot-forming process, therefore eliminating a post-formation step.

Abstract: Methods of an apparatus for producing profiled glass tubing utilizing the Danner process comprise flowing the molten glass over profiled blowpipe heads which are "super-profiled" in that the angles of ridges and grooves are more acute than the ridges and grooves resulting in the glass tubing. The particular profiles of the glass tubing are controlled by selecting the necessary drawing speed, viscosity of the glass, internal air pressure at the blowpipe head and throughput rate of the glass melt.

Abstract: Methods of an apparatus for producing profiled glass tubing utilizing the Danner process comprise flowing the molten glass over profiled blowpipe heads which are "super-profiled" in that the angles of ridges and grooves are more acute than the ridges and grooves resulting in the glass tubing. The particular profiles of the glass tubing are controlled by selecting the necessary drawing speed, viscosity of the glass, internal air pressure at the blowpipe head and throughput rate of the glass melt.

Abstract: A process is described for manufacturing vertically withdrawn pipes from quartz glass or glasses having a high content of silica with only minor diameter deviation. In an electrically heated furnace, the initial material is heated up to the softening point. A pipe is formed in a deformation zone and is downwardly withdrawn. In this deformation zone, a constant pressure difference is maintained between the pressure in the pipe interior and the pressure in a chamber and/or heating chamber. The pressure is continuously measured and controlled so as to be at a constant difference. In order to maintain a higher pressure in the pipe interior as opposed to the pressure in the chamber and/or the heating chamber, the withdrawn pipe end of the pipe to be manufactured is sealed.

Abstract: A process for the vertical drawing of glass tubes, optionally with safety strips, sealed bottoms, and, if desired, a pressure equalizing aperture wherein specific tube lengths are severed in succession from a continuous glass tube rod. The glass tube rod, closed at its beginning and exiting through a feeder head from a vessel which contains molten glass, is introduced, being under atmospheric pressure in the interior of the glass tube rod, in the still plastic condition into a pressure tank located downstream of the feeder head where the glass tube rod is exposed to a defined pressure and is conducted on a non-plastic condition out of the pressure tank by drawing. Thereafter, by heating the glass tube rod at an interval after leaving the pressure tank, a specific tube length is severed from the continuous glass tube rod essentially simultaneously with the formation of bottoms that seal the melted-off tube length and the continuous glass tube rod.

Abstract: A method of making a thick walled glass tube by depositing glass particles on the surface of a glass tube, sintering the particles, and drawing the resultant structure to form a capillary tube having a predetermined desired inside diameter.

Abstract: A composite capillary tube structure made of a plurality of glass layers and methods for making same. This composite includes inner and outer layers of fused silica glass separated by an intermediate layer of a glass material having a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than the fused silica glass. The glass material of the intermediate layer also has a glass transition temperature on the same order as that of fused silica, so that the fused silica layers are maintained under compressive forces over a temperature range of up to about 400.degree. C. Preferably, the intermediate layer is a borosilicate or aluminosilicate glass.

Abstract: In a process for preparing glass flowers having petals, the steps of preparing petals which comprise providing a blown elongated enlarged hollow bulb on a hollow glass tube, heating and manipulating the bulb so as to separate it into two vertical dish-like pre-petal members, removing the pre-petal members from the tube, elongating the ends of the pre-petal members so as to form solid tips, attaching the members to a glass flower stem at the tips and heating and manipulating the members so as to refine the shape of the petals.

Abstract: The invention provides an efficient and accurate method for reducing the diameter of a rod or tube of glass, e.g. fused quartz glass rod as a base material of optical fibers, by drawing when the rod or tube is heated and in a softened and plastically deformable state. Different from conventional methods in which the glass rod or tube is held in a horizontal disposition and drawn in the horizontal axial direction or the rod or tube is held vertically and drawing is effected by the downward movement of the lower grip, the rod or tube in the inventive method is held vertically and drawing thereof is effected by the upward movement of the upper grip along with the gradual downward shift of the heating zone relative to the lower grip so that the problems in the prior art methods such as warp and an uneven diameter profile of the drawn rod or tube can be minimized.

Abstract: In the method of making hollow glass articles wherein the article is subjected to an operation such that glass particles are deposited and held on the interior of the glass article, the method of removing such particles which comprises contacting the glass article with a resonator of an ultrasonic generator system and subjecting the article to ultrasonic vibrations from the ultrasonic generator.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for producing glass foil is disclosed in which a thin glass foil is produced by conveying a glass melt from a rotatable crucible of a smelting furnace through an annular distribution reservoir and a distributing disk having flow-through slots. Jets of glass emerge from the flow-through slots and are combined at a funnel-shaped wall into a hollow, cylindrical glass mass. Due to its weight and to heating by pressurized, gas-heated heating and cooling zones, the cylindrical glass mass flows downward, and is stretched until it reaches a pre-determined wall thickness by auxiliary conveyor belts. The hollow cylinder of glass is then split on one side by a separating device, flattened, conveyed to a bath of liquids, and then drawn-off at full width in the form of a glass foil by a draw-off guide roller. After the glass foil is drawn-off, the auxiliary conveyor belts are moved laterally so that they are no longer in physical contact with the glass cylinder.

Abstract: A suspended mass is shaped by melting all or a selected portion of the mass and applying acoustic energy in varying amounts to different portions of the mass. In one technique for forming an optical waveguide slug, a mass of oval section is suspended and only a portion along the middle of the cross-section is heated to a largely fluid consistency. Acoustic energy is applied to opposite edges of the oval mass to press the unheated opposite edge portions together so as to form bulges at the middle of the mass. In another technique for forming a ribbon of silicon for constructing solar cells, a cylindrical thread of silicon is drawn from a molten mass of silicon, and acoustic energy is applied to opposite sides of the molten thread to flatten it into a ribbon.

Abstract: Tubes of transparent, translucent or opaque fused silica are made by heating a hollow cylindrical blank in a drawing zone, drawing the blank from the zone while maintaining its interior under pressure and rotating same about its longitudinal axis, and calibrating the still-plastic tube immediately upon leaving the drawing zone in a calibration zone defined by two graphite plates. Apparatus for carrying out the method includes means for heating the blank to a drawing temperature in a drawing zone, means for drawing the blank from the zone, means for maintaining the interior of the blank under pressure and means for rotating the blank as it is drawn, and calibrating means for calibrating the still-plastic tube immediately upon leaving the drawing zone including two graphite plate means disposed on metal plates through which a coolant can flow.

Abstract: A method of uniformly breaking glass fibers in a bundle of fibers in which the apex of a cone is inserted into the end of the bundle. The fibers in the bundle are distributed in a single plane about the surface of the cone with the free ends of the fibers extending beyond the base of the cone. A sleeve on the bundle is shifted forwardly toward the base of the cone to firmly grip the fibers therebetween. The outer surfaces of the fibers are then scratched and a compressive force is exerted to the free end of the fiber bundle to cause the fibers to bend and break at the base of the cone.