Abstract: A method and apparatus for supporting and heating glass sheets for tempering or bending on a hot gas cushion. One edge of the glass is supported on transport rollers and the rotation axes of the rollers are transverse relative to the plane of the glass. The glass sheet is supported by means of gas pressure on a planar surface which has an angle of inclination of 2-20° relative to horizontal plane. The angle of inclination is sloping towards that edge of the glass which is supported by the transport rollers. Gas is expelled through the planar surface by way of gas outlet slots or holes. As the glass is moving, a gas is drawn or blown by fans from a certain part of the glass through the planar surface more than from the rest of the area by adjusting the rotating speed of the fans or by changing the suction pressure or delivery side pressure of the fans.

Abstract: A conveyor for a sheet glass tempering furnace, comprising a roller conveyor and an inclined airborne conveyor, as well as support and transport rollers at a lower edge of the airborne conveyor. The roller conveyor includes a horizontal level conveyor and an adapter conveyor between the horizontal level conveyor and the airborne conveyor. The adapter conveyor features a horizontal level upstream end and an inclined downstream end, the inclination angle of which matches substantially that of the airborne conveyor. The adapter conveyor has its rollers increase in inclination step by step when proceeding from the up-stream end towards the downstream end.

Abstract: A nozzle housing assembly, which is used in a convection heating furnace for a heat treatable glass sheet. The nozzle housing assembly comprises an elongated enclosure, at least one elongated heating resistance in the enclosure for heating convection air, and orifices in a bottom surface of the enclosure for blasting heated convection air against the glass sheet. The enclosure is divided with a flow-throttling partition into a top supply duct and a bottom nozzle box, the heating resistances being housed in the latter. Flow-throttling openings present in the partition are positioned to comply with the location and shape of the heating resistances.

Abstract: The mould construction for bending glass sheets includes a framework and support plates on vertical planes, the curvature of the upper edge of the plates essentially corresponding to the desired bending curvature of the glass sheet. On the upper edges of the support plates are slots and pipes forming the mould surface are positioned in the slots. The slots are dimensioned with play with respect to the pipes, but to lock the upward movement of the pipes from the slots. The support plates are supported on the framework in such a way that one end of the mould surface is lower than the other end. The difference in height, that is, the inclination of the mould surface, is dimensioned so as to effect the resting of the edge of the glass sheet placed on the mould against the end stoppers during the bending stage.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of heating glass panels for tempering. The horizontal glass panels are heated in a lehr by upper and lower convection blast and by upper and lower radiation heating, information representing a load of the glass panels and used for the control and/or regulation of heating is read, the upper radiation heating is controlled and/or regulated in the way of a matrix by a profiling both in a conveying direction and a direction lateral thereto. At least the upper convection blast is controlled and/or regulated in various sections of the lehr in the way of a matrix by a profiling both in a conveying direction and a direction lateral thereto, and the relative blast effects of convection blowing elements successive in the conveying direction are regulated for a profiling in the conveying direction. The invention relates also to an apparatus applying the method.

Abstract: A nozzle housing assembly, which is used in a convection heating furnace for a heat treatable glass sheet. The nozzle housing assembly comprises an elongated enclosure, at least one elongated heating resistance in the enclosure for heating convection air, and orifices in a bottom surface of the enclosure for blasting heated convection air against the glass sheet. The enclosure is divided with a flow-throttling partition into a top supply duct and a bottom nozzle box, the heating resistances being housed in the latter. Flow-throttling openings present in the partition are positioned to comply with the location and shape of the heating resistances.

Abstract: An apparatus for heating glass sheets for tempering. The apparatus including a heating furnace having a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction, a conveyor in the furnace for carrying glass sheets in the longitudinal furnace direction, and an arrangement for circulating and heating convection air. The arrangement includes nozzle enclosures provided with jet orifices for blasting heated convection air towards the conveyor. The nozzle enclosures lengthwise of the furnace are disposed at an acute angle relative to the glass traveling direction. The angle is at least 2 degrees, preferably 2-10 degrees, most preferably about 3-5 degrees.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for supporting and heating glass sheets for tempering or bending on a hot gas cushion. One edge of the glass is supported on transport rollers and the rotation axes of the rollers are transverse relative to the plane of the glass. The glass sheet is supported by means of gas pressure on a planar surface which has an angle of inclination of 2-20° relative to horizontal plane. The angle of inclination is sloping towards that edge of the glass which is supported by the transport rollers. Gas is expelled through the planar surface by way of gas outlet slots or holes. As the glass is moving, a gas is drawn or blown by fans from a certain part of the glass through the planar surface more than from the rest of the area by adjusting the rotating speed of the fans or by changing the suction pressure or delivery side pressure of the fans.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for bending a glass panel. A heated flat glass panel is fed from a furnace onto a bending conveyor while the bending conveyor is in a straight configuration. The bending conveyor and the glass panel are arched to a desired curvature while the glass panel travels along the bending conveyor. An interpolating position-setting for the tempering conveyor's upstream end with respect to the tempering conveyor's bending radius is performed in such a way that a certain point at the tempering conveyor's upstream end coincides with a certain point at the bending conveyor's stationary downstream end. This position-setting is performed by moving the tempering conveyor in vertical and horizontal directions and by pivoting the tempering conveyor so as to change an angle between its center line of curvature and a vertical line.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for controlling a treatment process in safety glass production by means of information representing a load of glass panels. Flat glass panels are conveyed through a heating lehr (2) and a quenching section (22). The treatment process is preceded by using a line camera (6) for reading the information representing a load of glass. This information is used in controlling the treatment process. The load-representing information is supplemented by automated detection of a glass panel's coating or the absence of coating. A glass panel's thickness is also measured. This information about coating and thickness is used in quenching for automated regulation of a quenching time and a blast pressure. Such information is also particularly useful for the automated control of convection heating (3c) included in the heating device.

Abstract: A method for measuring the sagging of a glass panel in the process of bending the glass panel on a ring mould. The method includes measuring the sagging at a glass panel's measuring point and the measurement data is applied to control progress of the bending process, especially heating of the glass panel or abortion of the bending process. A reference plane stationary with respect to the ring mould is established, a distance gauge is used for measuring a distance between the reference plane and the distance gauge, and a distance gauge is used for measuring a distance between the glass panel's measuring point and the distance gauge. The glass panel's sagging is determined by comparing the distance between the reference plane and the distance gauge to the distance between the glass panel's measuring point and the distance gauge.