Abstract: This invention relates to securing a cover of flexible material such as fiber glass cloth tightly against a shaping surface of a solid mold used to shape glass sheets. The securing means is located within the outline of the solid mold to avoid having cover attachment means beyond the solid mold outline. This permits the use of a solid mold of maximum size compared to that of an outline mold when glass sheets are shaped by a process that requires the solid mold to pass through a position occupied by an outline mold.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for forming a colored shade band on an elongated area of a flexible sheet of interlayer material comprising applying a dye composition by electrostatic spraying against an elongated area of a surface of a flexible sheet of non-conductive interlayer material such as polyurethane or plasticized polyvinyl butyral. A flexible sheet to be coated is mounted on a support carriage at a loading and unloading chamber in a substantially horizontal support plane, is transferred to a coating chamber, is tilted into an oblique plane at said coating chamber where it is aligned with a platen mask, electrostatic spray means disposed to one side of said platen mask supplies an electrostatic spray of a dye composition through said platen mask to the elongated area of said flexible sheet.

Abstract: Forming a colored shade band on an elongated area of a flexible sheet of interlayer material comprising applying a dye composition by electrostatic spraying against a portion of a surface of a flexible sheet of non-conductive interlayer material such as polyurethane or plasticized polyvinyl butyral. A novel grounded shielding structure of electroconductive material comprises a primary shield located in close proximity to the upper surface of a workpiece to be partially coated. A preferred embodiment comprises primary and secondary shields with an optional manifold between the shields to ensure superior control of a pattern of graded intensity along the transverse dimension of an elongated area to be coated. One or both shields may be heated to avoid the deposit of spray particles that cause optical defects. The workpiece so coated is useful as an interlayer in shaded, bent laminated safety glass windshields.

Abstract: Shaping glass sheets by lifting a heat-softened glass sheet on a lower mold having an upwardly facing surface defining a given sharpness of bend and transferring said glass sheet by suction to an upper vacuum mold having a downwardly facing shaping surface defining a lesser sharpness of bend. Optionally, a ring-like member defining a sharpness of bend that may be equal to, less severe, or more severe than that defined by the upper vacuum mold moves between the molds when the latter are separated to impose a shape in the glass sheet that is correlated with the shape defined by the ring-like member. The ring-like member is used to support the glass sheet for rapid cooling if the glass sheet is to be tempered. Only the ring-like member need be changed when a change in production pattern is made.

Abstract: Tempered flat glass sheets produced by the gas hearth process tend to become warped and/or kinked. Grooving the surface of the gas hearth bed at its exit portion only in the vicinity of supply passages not interspersed with exhaust passages reduces the warping and kinking to a significant degree.

Abstract: A composite metal end cap for use with a ceramic roll in a ceramic roll conveyor for conveying glass sheets for thermal treatment comprising a flexible metal inner end cap member adapted for mounting in direct contact over an end of the ceramic roll and a rigid metal outer end cap member adapted for mounting over the inner end cap member, and means for moving said outer end cap member axially relative to said inner end cap member so as to increase radial clamping of said flexible metal inner end cap member against said ceramic roll on axially inward motion of said rigid, outer end cap member relative thereto in a controlled manner and to permit release of said flexible radial clamping between said flexible, metal, inner end cap member and said ceramic roll in response to an opposite direction of axial movement of said rigid, metal, outer end cap member.

Abstract: This invention relates to making continuous ribbons of clear, flexible interlayer material into a maximum number of interlayers having a coating of graded intensity along a longitudinal edge portion thereof for use in curved laminated safety glass windshields. The method avoids rubbing or differentially stretching the flexible interlayer material during processing, which includes cutting a continuous ribbon of clear, flexible interlayer material into successive interfitting flexible sheets of trapezoidal shape, applying a shade band, preferably by electrostatic spraying, to a predetermined portion of each sheet and laminating the sheet so treated to one or more rigid transparent sheets of glass or a recognized plastic substitute for glass.

Abstract: Shaping a tong-gripped glass sheet between pressing molds of complementary curvature while the glass sheet moves continuously from a furnace exit to a cooling area by moving the molds synchronously with the glass sheet and simultaneously toward and away from one another in such a manner that their relative orientation to one another is not changed during glass sheet engagement. When the mold movement is so controlled, there is less danger of twisting the tongs, which may damage the glass, the tongs and/or the molds, than when the mold orientation is changed during glass engagement.

Abstract: A ceramic roll for transporting glass sheets for thermal treatment is drivingly connected to a drive shaft through a metal end cap circumferentially grooved to receive a hard rubber O-ring that provides frictional engagement between the metal end cap and an end of the ceramic roll. The metal end cap is constructed and arranged to facilitate its mounting on and removal from the end of the ceramic roll.

Abstract: This invention relates to apparatus for handling a flexible sheet of interlayer material while forming a colored shade band on an elongated area thereof comprising applying a dye composition by electrostatic spraying against an elongated area of a surface of a flexible sheet of non-conductive interlayer material such as polyurethane or plasticized polyvinyl butyral. A flexible sheet to be coated is mounted on a support carriage at a loading and unloading chamber in a horizontal support plane. The carriage is transferred a finite distance to a coating chamber into alignment with carriage tilting means, which engages the carriage, preferably at its geometric center, to tilt the latter into an oblique plane at said coating chamber aligned with an obliquely disposed platen mask. Electrostatic spray means disposed to one side of said platen mask supplies an electrostatic spray of a dye composition through said platen mask to the elongated area of said flexible sheet.

Abstract: Producing glass sheets having improved break patterns over those produced either by typical heat strengthening procedures or by heating to a tempering temperature followed by natural cooling.

Abstract: Removing fragments when a glass sheet breaks during tempering by pivoting a lower nozzle housing of glass sheet tempering apparatus that cools a horizontally oriented glass sheet to an orientation such that glass fragments that are not removed by sliding when the lower nozzle housing pivots to an oblique position can drop by gravity to a fragment collection box without requiring sliding.

Abstract: This invention covers shaping glass sheets to complicated shape by first preliminarily shaping said sheets to a prebent shape while supported on an outline mold, then completing the shape while cradling the prebent sheets within a thin flexible blanket of fiber glass cloth during final shaping by blow forming. This invention also covers a technique of cradling glass sheets in a flexible fiber glass blanket that is wrapped over the margin of the glass sheets to be shaped by blow forming. The margin of the blanket is reversely wrapped over a frame-like ring that prevents the marginal edge from curling and maintains the cradle in tension against the lower major surface of the glass sheet during shaping by blow forming.

Abstract: This invention relates to press polishing transparencies for lightweight aircraft comprising at least one exterior sheet of acrylic resin involving the use of a polycarbonate pressing plate against the acrylic resin sheet. Both the polycarbonate pressing plate and as many sheets of acrylic resin as are included in the laminate may be press polished while flat by pressurized engagement against a smoothly surfaced flat glass pressing mold. Then, the polycarbonate pressing plate and as many sheets of acrylic resin as are included in the transparency are sag bent to conforming shapes with optional vacuum forming. The polycarbonate pressing plate so shaped is used directly against an acrylic resin surface without any parting material therebetween to press polish the outward facing surface of the acrylic resin sheet(s) so shaped and simultaneously laminate the shaped acrylic resin sheets when the latter are assembled with one or more layers of flexible interlayer material.

Abstract: A rotatable roll for conveying glass sheets during thermal treatment comprising a frangible ceramic roll of cylindrical configuration engaged in compression stress between a pair of metal spindles, one of which is coupled to drive means for rotation and both of which spindles are provided with heads approximately coextensive in cross-section with the end surfaces of the frangible ceramic roll. The interfacial surfaces between the end surfaces of the rolls and the heads of the spindles are provided with friction material. The other of said pair of metal spindles is biased in compression to apply axial compression stress to the ceramic roll while the latter rotates in unison with the spindles. A method of using a conveyor comprising at least some of said ceramic rolls for the thermal treatment of glass sheets is also described.

Abstract: Apparatus for shaping a glass sheet to a complicated shape including a pair of sharply bent areas extending across its transverse dimension and a substantially spherically sagged portion intermediate the areas of sharp bending.

Abstract: This invention relates to tempering curved, hot glass sheets supported with their concavely shaped major surfaces facing a first set of pipe-type nozzles and their convexly shaped major surfaces facing a second set of bar-type nozzle housings while tempering medium is applied simultaneously under pressure against said major surfaces.

Abstract: This invention relates to improvements in handling glass sheets during shaping. Each glass sheet in turn is heated to its deformation temperature and conveyed into a glass shaping station. The glass is lifted into engagement with an upper vacuum shaping mold while hot and held against the vacuum shaping mold by vacuum as the glass lifting mechanism retracts downward. A transfer and tempering ring-like member having an outline supporting surface conforming to and slightly inside the periphery of the bent glass sheet is brought into a position below the upper vacuum shaping mold. The vacuum on the upper mold is released to deposit the shaped glass sheet on the ring-like member. In case the outline of the glass sheet is irregular, the shaped glass may become tilted as it falls toward the ring-like member and be deposited in a misaligned position relative to said ring-like member.

Abstract: In forming heat-softened sheets by the roll forming method, continuously moving sheets of heat-softenable material, such as glass sheets, are conveyed continuously by spaced rotating cylindrical rolls along a conveyer into a roll forming station, where a set of rotating shaping rolls move transversely upward between adjacent stationary cylindrical conveyor rolls to provide rolling engagement against the lower surface of each moving glass sheet in succession in spaced relation above the level of the path of travel defined by the stationary conveyor rolls for sufficient time to shape the sheets. The sets of rotating shaping rolls move the shaped sheet onto a conveyor that extends through a cooling station. The sheets are flat entering the roll forming station and shaped to a curved configuration on leaving the roll forming station. The upper surfaces of the sheets are not touched during said shaping.

Abstract: In tempering glass sheets vertically hung from tongs, the uniformity with which tempering medium is applied toward the glass sheets during quenching is improved by providing the quenching apparatus with means to provide finer control of the flow rate of tempering medium against the opposite major surfaces of the glass sheets than one gets from valving branch conduits in order to prevent side-to-side swaying of the glass sheets during quenching, particularly when the sheets are curved. Such means to provide fine control is also useful in quenching glass sheets supported in other than vertical orientations during quenching.