Abstract: An insulating window structure has an inner glass pane spaced from an outer glass pane by a spacer frame extending around the panes so that the panes define between them, within the frame, a gas-filled space. According to the invention, at least one of the panes is anchored to the frame by a resilient connecting unit having a spring characteristic (restoring force plotted along the ordinate versus displacement plotted along the abscissa) which has a substantially horizontal portion at the center of this characteristic and at which the working point of the resilient unit is provided.

Abstract: In the manufacture of glazing panels comprising sheets marginally bonded together, in order to simplify and speed up production, an apparatus for effecting bonding between at least one such sheet and one or more members assembled in marginal contact therewith. The apparatus includes treatment means which is carried by a frame. In order to accomodate assemblies of different sizes carried by a support, each beam of the frame is coupled at one end relative to a movable coupling, whereby the end of each beam is movable along another beam in the direction of whose length its end coupling is movable, so that the size of the frame can be adjusted.

Abstract: When a laminated light transmitting fire-screening panel is formed by sandwiching at least one layer of intumescent material between at least two plies of glazing material, there is a risk that air will be entrapped between the various plies as they are bonded together.In order to reduce such entrapment of air, the sandwich is assembled while there is present between the or each layer and any panel sheet element which is to be brought into contact therewith, an atmosphere which immediately prior to such contact consists at least in part of one or more materials which is more soluble in the intumescent material than is air, and the sandwich assembly is then subjected to heat and/or pressure to bond it together to form the laminate. Such more soluble material is preferably the vapor phase of a solvent for the intumescent material, for example water.

Abstract: An insulating window structure with improved sound-damping properties comprises an inner window pane, an outer window pane, a spacing frame holding the two panes apart so that they define a gas space between them, and a membrane-like yieldable member connecting at least one of these panes to the frame. The membrane-like member is in the form of a strip whose bending strength or stiffness is small by comparison with that of the pane to which it is bonded at least over the edge regions of the latter pane and the strip at which the bonding is effected. The strip is dimensioned and composed of a material such that transverse undulations developed at the edges of the pane are not resisted, i.e. the undulations along the edges of the pane are followed by the strip without significant resistance.

Abstract: An insulating window structure has an inner glass pane spaced from an outer glass pane by a spacer frame extending around the panes so that the panes define between them, within the frame, a gas-filled space. According to the invention, at least one of the panes is anchored to the frame by a resilient connecting unit having a spring characteristic (restoring force plotted along the ordinate versus displacement plotted along the abscissa) which has a substantially horizontal portion at the center of this characteristic and at which the working point of the resilient unit is provided.

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: In capacitive systems comprising a dielectric sheet 11 having a first electrode 12 on one side, and on the other side in capacitive relation with the first electrode 12, second and third electrodes 13, 14 which are mutually spaced by a gap 15 especially for use in touch control switches, it is desired to achieve a favorable compromise between high capacitance modification as between touched and untouched condition of the first electrode 12, and the total amount of material used to form the electrodes.To this end, the third or outer electrode 14 is shaped to surround at least the major part of the periphery of the second or inner electrode 13, and the ratio of the area of the inner electrode 13 to the area of the outer electrode 14 is greater than 0.25 to 1.

Abstract: When forming a multi-ply laminate having at least one thermoplastic structural ply forming an outer ply of the laminate, known processes comprise degassing and bonding steps during which gas is removed from between assembled structural plies of the laminate and the plies are heated to cause them to bond together while a moulding plate is in contact with the or each exposed thermoplastic ply.

Abstract: In the formation of a metal or metal compound coating on a face of a heated glass substrate during its displacement in a downstream direction through a coating station at which the said face is contacted with at least one downwardly inclined stream of droplets comprising a substance or substances from which said coating is formed, there is a problem in achieving coatings of homogeneous structure and in providing uniform coverage of the substrate. To help reduce these problems each droplet stream delivered by spray guns 9 is inclined downwardly towards the substrate 4 in the upstream or downstream 6 direction, and one or more counter-currents of gas is or are caused to flow adjacent the substrate path from ducts 15, 16 and towards the front of each droplet stream, (the front being where the droplets have the longest trajectories), and suction force is exerted in exhaust ducting 13, 14 whose entrance is located for drawing gases away from the front of the droplet streams at a higher level.

Abstract: In the formation of a metal or metal compound coating on a face of a heated glass substrate during its forward displacement along a tunnel by contacting the substrate at a coating station in the tunnel with at least one stream of droplets comprising one or more substances from which said coating is formed, and simultaneously exerting suction forces in exhaust ducting to draw environmental gases away from that station, the coating may sometimes be spoiled by side reactions or by the spurious deposition of substances from the atmosphere within the tunnel. To help reduce this spoiling, the exhaust ducting comprises at least one exhaust duct (12) whose entrance is located in said tunnel (1) forwardly or rearwardly of the coating station and which forms or is associated with a barrier wall (16) located so as to prevent gases from passing over said duct, towards and into contact with the droplet stream(s) (9, 10).

Abstract: In the formation of a metal or metal compound coating on a face of a heated glass substrate during its forward displacement by contacting such face at a coating station with at least one stream of droplets comprising one or more substances from which the coating is formed, problems are encountered in controlling the thickness of the coating.To facilitate such control, the or each droplet stream (21) is downwardly inclined towards the substrate (4) in the forward (6) direction or in a rearward direction, and at least one current (25) of preheated gas is discharged into the environment above the substrate (4) to flow in the same forward or rearward direction as the droplet stream(s) (21) and into contact therewith, the preheated gas current temperature being such as to influence the temperature of the droplets on their way to the substrate.The invention includes apparatus for performing the method.

Abstract: In the formation of a metal or metal compound coating on a face of a heated glass substrate during its forward displacement by contacting such face, at a coating station with at least one stream of droplets comprising one or more substances from which said coating is formed there is a problem in forming uniform high quality coatings which are free from structural defects.To help reduce this problem, the stream(s) of droplets (e.g. from spray gun 20) is or are repeatedly displaced along a transverse path (defined by guide 15) across the substrate (4), and gas is propelled (e.g. from discharge nozzles 24) unidirectionally forwardly or rearwardly across said transverse path, out of line with the droplet stream(s).

Abstract: Soda-lime glass contains by weight the following glass forming oxides:______________________________________ SiO.sub.2 60 to 75% Na.sub.2 O 10 to 20% CaO 0 to 16% K.sub.2 O 0 to 10% MgO 0 to 10% Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 0 to 5% BaO 0 to 2% BaO + CaO + MgO 10 to 20% K.sub.2 O + Na.sub.2 O 10 to 20% ______________________________________In order to produce a tinted glass having favorable properties as regards its cost, color and freedom from haze, the following coloring agents (proportions by weight) are incorporated in the glass: ______________________________________ Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 0.3 to 0.5% Cr.sub.2 O.sub.3 0.0075 to 0.0230% Se 0.0005 to 0.0019% Co 0.0040 to 0.0070% Ni 0.0050 to 0.

Abstract: A flexible radiant energy reflecting surface, including a laminate composed of a metal ply, a glass ply having a front face and a rear face, the glass ply being bonded over its entire rear face to the metal ply, in an inter-ply bond, and a radiant-energy reflecting surface associated with one of the plies. The relative thicknesses of the glass and metal plies, the moduli of elasticity of the glass and metal plies, and the efficiency of the inter-ply bond are such that the rear face of the glass ply is not subjected to tensile stresses when the laminate is flexed, within the elastic limit of the metal, such that the front face of the glass ply has a concave curvature of a radius of 10 meters.

Abstract: A composition of matter for use as a vitreous fertilizer comprising a soluble vitreous constituent comprising the following ingredients: 35 to 55 moles %, P.sub.2 O.sub.5 ; less than 10 moles %, K.sub.2 O; and the balance to 100 moles %, CaO and/or MgO. The balance of the composition, if any, is constituted by optional additions of nutrient proportions of one or more micro-nutrients in plant assimilable form, and/or optional additions of one or more plant-inert filler materials. Such compositions have favorable nutrient release rates. The invention also encompasses compositions of matter adapted for use as a plant fertilizer which comprises soluble vitreous plant nutrient release material in expanded or cellular form, and to methods of plant cultivation using such compositions.

Abstract: A solar panel comprising at least one solar energy transducer laminated between a transparent vitreous sheet and a second sheet in which the transducer is imbedded in a layer of transparent polymeric material which bonds the sheets together. The polymeric material comprises an acrylic compound. A method of making the aforesaid solar panel in which the acrylic compound is allowed to set in situ is described.

Abstract: In the manufacture of glazing panels comprising sheets marginally bonded together, in order to simplify and speed up production, a method of effecting bonding between at least one such sheet and one or more members assembled in marginal contact therewith, comprising bringing the assembly within the sphere of treatment means which is carried by a frame and causing the treatment means to act simultaneously on each side margin of the assembly to bond it together. In an apparatus for performing the method, in order to accommodate assemblies of different sizes carried by a support, each beam of the frame is coupled at one end relative to a movable coupling, whereby the end of each beam is movable along another beam in the direction of whose length its end coupling is movable, so that the size of the frame can be adjusted.

Abstract: In the formation of a metal or metal compound coating on a face of a heated glass substrate during its forward displacement through a coating station by contacting the substrate with at least one stream of droplets comprising a substance or substances from which said coating is formed there is a problem in achieving coatings of high uniform quality.In order to help meet this problem, the droplet stream(s) 23 from spray gun(s) 20 is or are inclined downwardly and forwardly (6) or downwardly and rearwardly towards the substrate 4 and at least one jet of gas is discharged (from nozzle 22) into the environment above the substrate so that it travels in the same (forward or rearward) direction above the substrate 4 and impinges against such droplet stream(s) 23.

Abstract: A tin oxide coating is formed on a hot glass substrate during conveyance through two successive coating zones in the first of which it is contacted with an acetylacetonate or alkylate of titanium, nickel or zinc to cause deposition of a metal oxide undercoating on the substrate, and in the second of which zones such metal oxide coating on the still hot substrate is contacted by a gaseous medium comprising a tin halide to cause deposition of a coating of tin oxide.

Abstract: A heat-reflecting panel having a neutral-color outer appearance has a transparent film support, such as a glass pane, an interference film having a refractive index >2 disposed on the support, a heat reflecting gold film of a thickness of 70-105 A disposed on the side of the interference film remote from the support, and neutralization film formed from chromium, iron, nickel, titanium or alloys thereof, or an alloy of chromium, aluminium and iron, the neutralization film disposed on the side of the gold film remote from the interference film.