Abstract: Apparatus capable of tempering bent glass sheets of different sizes and shapes including sharp bends about axes oblique to the length and width of the glass sheets is made possible by supporting end nozzle boxes of tempering apparatus in such a manner that they can be moved relative to center nozzle boxes and also permitting limited pivotal adjustment of the end nozzle boxes about both essentially horizontal and essentially vertical axes to permit the end nozzle boxes to move into positions conforming to the shape of corresponding end portions bent to different orientations relative to the length and/or width of the central portion of the bent glass sheets having different glass sheet patterns, including flat patterns.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for the automatic assembly of a flexible interlayer sheet with one or more bent glass sheets using residual heat from bending the glass sheets to make the flexible interlayer sheet sufficiently tacky to avoid relative sliding between the sheets comprising the subassembly or sandwich that is assembled.

Abstract: The present invention relates to shaping and tempering glass sheets using a pair of cooling stations and an access area with a common tunnel-like furnace and a common shaping station. The cooling stations are located near the common glass sheet shaping station along angularly diverging paths of movement from said shaping station so that a first cooling station for chilling a glass sheet bent about an axis of curvature approximately parallel to its initial path of movement through the furnace is located along an extension of the path and a second cooling station for chilling a glass sheet bent about an axis substantially normal to the path of glass sheet movement through the furnace is located to one side of said shaping station and said access area is located to the other side of said shaping station. The access area permits ready change of shaping molds at the shaping station.

Abstract: A flat glass sheet of a given outline configuration is supported in a shaping station by a combination of a gas hearth bed portion and readily replaceable flat plate means comprising spaced plates having spaced edges of conforming shape that define an elongated slot conforming to the outline shape of at least a portion of the periphery of the flat glass sheet. The gas support bed portion provides hot gas under pressure to float the flat glass, and the flat plate means is located in close proximity to an end of the gas hearth bed portion to provide a narrow space at the level of the gas hearth bed portion for escaping gas between the flat plate means and the extending glass sheet portion to limit sag of the extending glass sheet portion. The flat plate means may be covered by material that does not mar hot glass, such as boron nitride, in case the glass sheet portion sags a limited distance to slide in contact with the flat plate means before it is lifted on a shaped, ring-like member.

Abstract: In the bending and tempering of sharply bent glass sheets supported on a ring-like member for conveyance of the bent glass sheet through a cooling station, a transfer device for unloading the sharply bent, tempered glass sheet is provided. The transfer device is so constructed and arranged that it does not cause a bottleneck in high speed, mass production of sharply bent, tempered glass sheets, avoids uncontrolled departures from the desired shape of the bent, tempered glass sheets, particularly those that develop in the marginal edge portion of the glass sheets that must fit exactly into glass sheet receiving frames of installation structures or vehicles, provides clearance for the sharply bent glass sheets and enables the glass sheet to transfer so gently as to inhibit the likelihood of breakage resulting from uncontrolled dropping of bent, tempered glass sheets during their handling.

Abstract: This invention concerns shaping sheets of glass or other deformable material to compound shapes. A sheet having a desired transverse component of curvature engages the downward facing surface of a deformable vacuum mold having a lower transversely curved wall and is held thereagainst by vacuum while still hot enough to be distorted as the vacuum mold deforms to apply the longitudinal bending component to the sheet to be shaped.

Abstract: The present invention relates to apparatus for aligning a pair of bent glass sheets of matching configuration for assembly with a position occupied by a flexible sheet of interlayer material to form a sandwich to be laminated.

Abstract: Assembly apparatus including a vacuum mold for supporting a flexible sheet of interlayer material for assembly against a bent glass sheet or between a pair of bent glass sheets of matching configuration has a first apertured wall shaped to conform to the shape of the bent glass, and a second apertured wall of conforming shape adapted for coupling to a vacuum source to form and hold the flexible sheet of interlayer material against the mold in unwrinkled condition. The mold is pivoted to a carriage from a mold loading orientation of convex elevational configuration to a mold unloading orientation of concave elevational configuration. Carriage movement between a mold loading station and an assembly station is correlated to the elevational configuration of the mold in assembling said flexible sheet of interlayer material against one or more bent glass sheets.

Abstract: This invention relates to an arrangement of vacuum cups in a bent glass sheet sandwich assembly apparatus and a method of using said arrangement that provides a temporary bias to the central portion of a bent glass sheet to insure that a flexible sheet of interlayer material applied to the bent glass sheet initially engages its central portion and the area of engagement extends gradually to the edge of the sheets to avoid entrapment of air or other vapors in the interface of the resulting subassembly. When another bent glass sheet is applied to the opposite surface of the flexible sheet of interlayer material, the subassembly is temporarily biased once more to insure initial engagement in the central portion gradually extending to the edge of the sheets to avoid entrapment of air or other vapors in the interface of the subassembly with the second bent glass sheet.

Abstract: This invention relates to applying a protective composition to the vicinity of a scored region of a glass sheet. The scored region is weakened and develops vents as a result of the scoring. Such vents are likely to develop breakage when the glass sheet is subjected to a thermal treatment associated with tempering. The application of the protective composition is made before the glass sheet is subjected to thermal processing by heating to above its strain point followed by rapid cooling below its strain point. The protective composition flows at a lower temperature than the glass sheet to which it is applied and is capable of healing the scored region during the thermal treatment to which the glass sheet is subjected after the application of said protective composition, thereby reducing the tendency of a vent to develop into glass breakage during said thermal treatment.

Abstract: A soldering tool with a resilient hold-down attachment is described together with a manner of using the tool or a plurality of such tools to solder a braided lead wire to a bus bar fused to a glass substrate. Such tools are used to make heated backlights for automobiles.

Abstract: This invention relates to a stop adapted for attachment to outline molds of different outline configurations defining shapes of different depths of bend desired for glass sheets to be shaped to different patterns. The stop comprises a glass engaging member of disc-like configuration having a front surface oriented to face an edge surface of a glass sheet to be mounted in engaging relation to said front surface when loaded onto a selected one of said outline molds. The glass engaging member of disc-like configuration is supported in eccentric relation to a rod supported in fixed relation relative to a localized portion of an upwardly facing shaping surface defined by a shaping rail of said selected outline mold.

Abstract: Nozzles are arranged in different densities transverse to a path of travel for glass sheets moving through a pass-through quench to facilitate removal of spent tempering medium to both lateral sides of said path of travel.

Abstract: An assembly system for loading glass sheets of different size on a conveyor that comprises a plurality of loading tables for assembling a group of consecutive or non-consecutive glass sheets on any selected one or other of said loading tables. The formed group of glass sheets has a greater density than that of a group formed by assembling consecutive glass sheets of different size onto a single loading table. Means is provided to transfer each group of glass sheets when completed onto a treatment conveyor without disturbing the arrangement of the glass sheets within said group.

Abstract: A ceramic roll for transporting glass sheets for thermal treatment is drivingly connected to a drive shaft through a metal end cap using one or more circumferentially expandable, radially compressible, split metal rings that wedge into the circumferential space between the end portion of the roll and the inner surface of the metal end cap. The metal end cap is of uniform diameter throughout its axial length that surrounds the end of the roll. This construction is cheaper to fabricate than prior art metal end cap constructions of more complicated structure.

Abstract: Heat strengthened glass is treated to have a break pattern that permits the fractured glass sheet to be retained within an installation frame by moving a glass sheet through a heating area, force cooling the side portions of the moving sheet while cooling the intermediate portions of the sheet at a lesser rate to establish a temperature gradient between the side portions and the intermediate portion, and subsequently applying quenching medium to the entire moving sheet. The temperature gradient in the sheet is achieved by a plurality of baffles, e.g. plates having an imperforate center portion and apertured or slotted end portions and facilities movable relative to quenching nozzles to control passage of quenching medium through the slotted end portions of the baffles to control the temperature gradient imparted to the glass sheet. The movable facilities also permit tempering of glass sheets of varying transverse dimensions.

Abstract: This invention involves a method of using deairing rings comprising flexible channel members of a novel construction around the periphery of an assembly of glass and flexible plastic sheets during its lamination and the construction of said novel deairing rings. The deairing rings are readily applied to and removed from the assemblies to be laminated and are so constructed as to facilitate the lamination of large windows, particularly those having sharp corners.

Abstract: A novel solderless connection between a bus bar and an array of electroconductive wires avoids cracks in plastic window elements, particularly the outer component of curved lightweight heated windows, particularly those used in aircraft.

Abstract: A laminated glass product is produced without an autoclave by a technique that applies an excess of liquid plasticizer to each upwardly facing interfacial surface of an assembly to be laminated in various stages of assembly while said upwardly facing surface is exposed to ensure the absence of air bubbles in the ultimate laminated product.

Abstract: This invention relates to shaping glass sheets by roll forming to either simple or complex curvatures about a single axis of bending or to compound curvatures comprising components of curvature about mutually perpendicular axes of bending by a controlled, repeatable program of roll forming without causing the glass sheets to stop their forward movement during their shaping. The apparatus used to perform this process has a minimum of moving parts, thus minimizing maintenance problems and reducing downtime for maintenance and repair.