Abstract: Siloxane organic hybrid polymers and a method of making them by condensation polymerization reaction of organoalkoxysilane in the presence of organic film-forming polymers are disclosed. Alkali metal carboxylic acid catalyst is also disclosed, as well as the incorporation of cerium oxide for attenuation of ultraviolet radiation.

Abstract: Low absorbance coatings of silicon-nickel alloy in the form of oxides, nitrides and oxynitrides are disclosed along with a method for producing them by sputtering silicon-nickel targets comprising 3 to 18 weight percent nickel in atmospheres comprising reactive gases such as nitrogen, oxygen and mixtures thereof which may further comprise inert gas such as argon. The presence of nickel in the range of 3 to 18 weight percent provides target stability and enhanced sputtering rates over target of silicon alone or alloyed with aluminum, while maintaining a low refractive index and low absorbance, not only when sputtering in oxygen to produce an oxide coating, but also when sputtering in nitrogen or a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen to produce coatings of silicon-nickel nitride or oxynitride respectively.

Abstract: The present invention provides a mount assembly for a vehicle window, comprising a bracket having a section with first and second opposing major surfaces, a receiver having first and second spaced apart leg members positioned such that when the section of the bracket is positioned between the first and second leg members, at least a portion of the first leg member contacts the first major surface of the bracket and a portion of the second leg member contacts the second major surface of the bracket to provide a clamping force against the section of the bracket, and an interlocking assembly to interlock the fastener and bracket when the section of the bracket is positioned between the leg members.

Abstract: A sound dampening glazing, for example an automotive windshield, in one embodiment of the invention includes a pair of glass sheets having facilities therebetween. In cross section and moving from one glass sheet to the other, the facilities include a polyvinyl butyral sheet, an intermediate sheet having a surface harder than the surface of the interlayer to smooth the interlayer surface e.g. an intermediate polyester sheet, a sheet of dampening material, a polyester sheet, a polyvinyl butyral sheet. In another embodiment, the automotive windshield has two sheets of dampening material, the sheets have sound dampening properties in different temperature ranges to as to provide the automotive windshield with sound dampening properties over a wider temperature range. Methods for making the glazings of the instant invention are also disclosed.

Abstract: A multi-sheet glazing unit includes a closed spacer frame, the spacer frame has one side having a pair of legs joined to a base to provide the spacer frame with a U-shaped cross-section. An inner sheet has an edge mounted in an edge receiving member mounted between the legs of the U-shaped side of the spacer frame. The remaining edges of the inner sheet are within the interior of the closed spacer frame and spaced from the spacer frame. The inner sheet is held within the spacer frame by sheet retaining members mounted to the spacer frame. A sheet e.g. glass sheet is secured by a moisture-impervious adhesive to outer surface of each of the legs of the spacer frame. One type of sheet retaining members has a horizontal member and a vertical member, and a locking member. The locking member is mounted on the horizontal member spaced from the vertical member to form a groove to hold the inner sheet within the closed interior of the spacer frame.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for a shaping sheet including a support frame and a shaping rail supported on the frame. The shaping rail has a sheet shaping surface that conforms in elevation and outline to a final desired shape of a marginal edge of a glass sheet to be shaped. An auxiliary rail having a sheet shaping surface which generally corresponds to a preliminary shape of a selected marginal edge portion of the sheet is positioned along a section of the shaping rail having a sheet shaping surface portion which generally corresponds to the final desired shape of the selected marginal edge portion of the sheet.

Abstract: A low emissivity coated article comprising a glass substrate and a coating comprising a layer of infrared reflective metal between layers of antireflective metal oxide is heated to a temperature below the strain point of the substrate for a sufficient time to anneal the coating without affecting the substrate to improve the chemical and mechanical durability of the coating.

Abstract: The invention provides an articulated bending mold for shaping heat softened substrates, e.g., glass sheets, into curved shapes. The bending mold has a central portion with at least one, and preferably two, pivoting end sections. A biasing assembly is mounted on the side of the mold between the end section pivot points, preferably outboard of the end section pivot points and in proximity to an outer side of the end section. The biasing assembly includes a weight arm with a linkage assembly mounted on one end of the weight arm and connected to the end section, preferably at or near an outer corner of the end section.

Abstract: A heater has a heat resistant, thermally and electrically insulating tube having an elongated opening through a wall of the tube and extending along at least a portion of the tube, and a heating element positioned within the tube and extending along at least a portion of the opening. A first portion of a section of the element extending along the opening is exposed and a second portion of the section of the element extending along the opening is shielded by the tube. In one particular embodiment of the invention, the tube is a cylindrically shaped aluminum oxide tube, the heating element is a nichrome wire coil, and the elongated opening is a slot having a constant width which extends between opposing ends of the tube.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a vibration dampening/sound absorbing aircraft transparency which includes an outboard pane assembly, a vibration dampening/sound absorbing pane assembly and a spacer frame assembly for retaining the outboard pane assembly and the vibration dampening/sound absorbing pane assembly in spaced-apart generally parallel facing relationship to provide a space therebetween. The vibration dampening/sound absorbing pane assembly is a multilayer laminate which includes a substrate, an adhesive interlayer provided over a surface of the substrate and a sound dampening material layer provided over the adhesive interlayer and adhered by the adhesive interlayer to the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a connector for a glass antenna system having a coil, a first mounting member electrically secured to a first end of the coil, and a second mounting member electrically secured to a second end of the coil. The second mounting member includes an arrangement to permit electrical connection of the connector to a ground. The connector is provided with an arrangement such that the first and second mounting members may be secured to a glass substrate. In one particular embodiment of the invention, the coil is formed from copper wire and includes a ferrite core which extends through the coil. In addition, the first mounting member includes an arrangement to permit electrical connection of the connector to a radio signal receiving device.

Abstract: An antireflectance coating is disclosed comprising a first graded layer wherein the composition is varied throughout the thickness of the layer such that the refractive index of the graded layer varies from a low refractive index approximately matching the refractive index of the substrate at the interface of the graded layer and the substrate to a higher refractive index at the surface of the graded layer opposite the interface with the substrate, and a second substantially homogeneous layer of a composition selected to have a refractive index which is approximately the square root of the product of the higher refractive index of the graded layer and the refractive index of the incident medium at the surface of the second layer opposite the interface of the second layer with the graded layer, having an optical thickness of approximately at least one quarter of a selected design wavelength.

Abstract: Multilayer high transmittance, low emissivity coatings deposited over transparent substrates have improved mechanical durability, e.g. scratch resistance by the inclusion of at least one mechanical durability enhancing layer (hereinafter "MDE layer"). The MDE layer includes one or more pairs of a zinc oxide sublayer having deposited thereover a sublayer of an oxide of zinc and tin. In one embodiment of the present invention, the MDE layer is composed of two sublayers which includes a first sublayer of an oxide of zinc having deposited thereover a second sublayer of an oxide of zinc and tin. In another embodiment of the invention, the MDE layer is composed of four sublayers which includes a first sublayer of an oxide of zinc, having deposited thereover a second sublayer of an oxide of zinc and tin, having deposited thereover a third sublayer of an oxide of zinc, having deposited thereover a fourth sublayer of an oxide of zinc and tin.

Abstract: Magnetic forces are applied to a side of a spacer frame mounted on a glass sheet to maintain the side of the spacer frame in alignment i.e. the plane containing base of the spacer frame perpendicular to the plane containing the surface of the glass to which the spacer frame is adhered. Thereafter a glass sheet is mounted on the other surface of the spacer frame. The sheets are adhered to the spacer frame by a sealant layer. After the sheets are assembled, the sheets are urged toward one another to flow the sealant to seal the space between the sheets.

Abstract: A multiple-layer, high transmittance, low emissivity coated article is disclosed comprising at least two infrared reflective metal layers alternatingly combined with at least three metal oxide antireflective layers to produce a coating with superior low emissivity and low visible reflectance, especially for use to reduce heat load in automobiles, wherein the coating furthermore is electroconductive for use in an electrically heatable transparency.

Abstract: The present method includes an apparatus for filling and sealing an opening in a laminate and in particular sealing the cut-out notch area of a vehicle windshield. A mold fixture includes a mold, a backing plate, a sealant inlet and a vent. The mold has resilient sealant contacting surfaces that provide a smooth surface for forming the surface of the sealant filling the opening. The mold fixture is clamped to the laminate such that selected portions of the mold overlay the opening and remaining portions of the mold overlay selected portions of the laminate immediately adjacent the opening. Sealant is injected into a cavity formed by the laminate and the mold fixture to seal the opening. The sealant is allowed to cure to achieve a desired hardness and the mold fixture is then removed from the laminate.

Abstract: The wiper rest area of an automotive windshield is heated by a heatable member optionally mounted on a polyester substrate or heating element. The windshield includes outer and inner glass sheets secured together by an interlayer. The heating element is positioned on inner surface of the outer glass sheet and held in position by the interlayer securing the inner and outer sheets together. The heating element or heatable member has extensions extending beyond the edge of the windshield to provide external electrical access to the heatable member to power the heating element to heat the wiper rest area or position.

Abstract: A multiple-glazed window unit of the type which includes two or more sheets maintained in spaced relationship to each other by a spacing assembly to form an airspace wherein surfaces of the unit in contact with the airspace are subject to the accumulation thereon of moisture and/or organic contaminants present in the airspace is rendered self-desiccating of accumulated moisture and/or self-cleaning of accumulated organic surface contaminants by coating such surfaces with a photoelectrolytically-desiccating coating and/or a photocatalytically-activated self-cleaning coating. Upon exposing the coatings to actinic radiation, at least a portion of the accumulated moisture is removed by photoelectrolysis and/or at least a portion of the organic contaminants are removed by photocatalytic decomposition. A desiccant may or may not be associated with the airspace to assist in maintaining a moisture-free airspace.

Abstract: An apparatus for coating a moving substrate which provides means for directing a coating composition vapor toward a substrate surface and moving portions of the vapor in opposite directions. The apparatus of the present invention may have the exhaust means on either side of the vapor directing means spaced at different distances from the vapor directing means, or the exhaust means may be spaced equally from the vapor directing means, but at different distances from the substrate surface. In another embodiment, the apparatus comprises the means to alter the flow volume of the vapor directing means and the two exhaust means such that the flow volume of the first and second exhaust means are not equal, such as by the exhaust means having openings of unequal surface area, wherein the exhaust means may be spaced equally or unequally from the vapor directing means at the same or different distances from the substrate surface.

Abstract: A rack has a front wall and back wall connected to a base to secure glass sheets in the rack on edge tilted toward the back wall. The front restraints are mounted on the front gate and sheet support members mounted on the rear gate to secure the sheets in position on the rack. The front gate and/or rear gate each have a pair of spaced posts with each of the posts having an end insertable in cavities provided on the base. Each of the insertion ends of the posts has a hole in one surface and an opposite sloping surface. The front gate and back gate are mounted on the base by positioning the insertion end on the edge of the cavity and tilting the gates to the vertical position to drop the insertion end of the posts in the cavities. A pin in each of the cavities passes into the hole at the insertion end of the posts to secure the gates on the base.The front restraints and sheet support members include an elongated tube having a plurality of collars rotatably mounted therein.