Abstract: A glass sheet is cut while at a temperature at about its annealing point temperature by scoring the glass sheet along a line of cut and imparting a bending moment to the glass along the scored line to open the glass. The glass sheet remains at its elevated temperature throughout the cutting operation to reduce or eliminate additional heating required for subsequent processing.

Abstract: In a method of forming a glass product having a smooth surface according to this invention, a glass plate is placed on a male mold which is formed to have dimensions corresponding to the inner dimensions of the glass product and contacts its inner peripheral edge portion, an outer peripheral portion to be deformed of the glass plate is heated to a temperature higher than that of a central portion, serving as the smooth surface, of the glass plate so as to be deformed on the male mold by its weight, and the deformed glass plate is pressed by a female mold formed to have dimensions corresponding to the outer dimensions of the glass product.

Abstract: Disclosed are techniques of heating and bending glass sheets by gravity, in particular for the production of laminated automobile glazings. In the techniques considered, the glass sheet is carried in a horizontal position by a carriage that brings it step by step into the cells of a furnace where it remains successively during its heating. According to the invention, the heat capacity of walls (26) of the cells has a value lower than that of carriage (18) and of the glass sheet. To heat all the glass sheets in the same way and to limit the reaction time of the furnace, the temperature of heating resistors (31) is regulated, and the weight of the carriage to be heated is limited. The latter can advantageously consist of two parts, one of which remains outside the furnace.

Abstract: The use is described of oxide ceramic materials for compression molds for shaping elements made from glass or a glass-containing ceramic and having high surface quality and tight tolerances. The materials are polycrystalline, monophasal or polyphasal materials which are contact-inert towards the optical elements to be pressed and which, in addition, have significantly better mechanical and thermal properties than monocrystalline substances, which, in principle, exhibit an anisotropic behavior as a consequence of their geometrical anisotropy. The material intended for use according to the invention can comprise a Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 ceramic or a ZrO.sub.2 -- and/or HfO.sub.2 -containing ceramic. The material can also be built up in several phases, i.e. can contain a matrix component and at least one particle component dispersed discretely in it. They are preferably ZrO.sub.

Abstract: A manufacturing line for tempering glass sheets includes a furnace, an oven, a bending station, and a chilling section positioned in order along a generally horizontally extending conveyor for the glass sheets. The oven extends between the furnace and the bending station to maintain the glass sheets at a predetermined temperature. The oven has sidewalls formed of a plurality of brushes and is selectively extensible along the path of travel of the glass sheets. The oven includes controlled heating devices. The chilling section includes a plurality of tubes positioned above and below the path of travel of the glass sheets and connected to a source of air under pressure. The tubes are arranged in rows generally perpendicular to the path of travel and columns generally parallel to the path of travel in order to cause the glass sheets to meet predetermined fragmentation specifications.

Abstract: Apparatus for forming glass to metal hermetic seals in a terminal assembly of a housing part wherein an upwardly directed glass melting heating gradient is applied to a housing part having a glass sleeved terminal pin supportedly disposed in an aperture therein with sufficient heat intensity to flow the glass sleeve in an upwardly direction from bottom to top to fuse the terminal pin in the housing part with minimal voids.

Abstract: A blow back control device (10) for use in a glass tempering system (12) is disclosed as including an air supply member (28) mounted between a glass heating furnace (14) and a quenching station (24). The air supply member (28) supplies a planar jet of high pressure blow back control air generally in a direction of glass sheet conveyance (A) away from an exit opening (20) of the furnace (14) and toward the quenching station (24) at an angle in the range of between 0.degree. and 25.degree. formed between the planar jet of high pressure air and a plane of conveyance of a glass sheet (16) along a conveyor (22) to deflect cooling air, supplied by blastheads (26,26') from entering the furnace (14).

Abstract: In a method of vacuum refining molten glass or the like, selenium is provided in the molten glass to serve as a foaming agent, which yields improved refining. Alternatively, colored glass compositions that include selenium as a colorant are refined at higher than normal pressures to retain selenium in the glass without sacrificing refining performance.

Abstract: A novel method for fabricating glass micropipettes comprises assembling glass tubes side-by-side in a bundle, softening an axially central region of the bundle by heating, axially elongating the softened central region to create two opposing tapers, and then dividing the bundle in two at the axial midpoint of the central region to thereby create two micropipettes. The distal tip end of each micropipette at which it was separated from the other is then relatively advanced toward a hot flame to create a spherical enlargement at the tip end. This spherical enlargement facilitates subsequent gripping of this end when the micropipette is subsequently finished to produce desired orifice sizes for the barrels at the distal tip end. It is also desirable to perform a twisting step after the softening step and before the elongating step.

Abstract: New fiber optic elements and a new microchannel plate forming method for ximity focussed image intensifier tubes and a method for making them are provided. Higher resolution is provided at the center of the field of view by the use of graded fiber and channel sizes and by the use of convex and concave surfaces in proximity focus.

Abstract: A mold blank for manufacturing eyeglass lenses containing a flat top bifocal segment. A ceramic platform is first constructed containing an optical surface having a recess corresponding to the flat top bifocal segment. A concave-convex glass mold blank polished on both sides is placed on the optical surface and across the recess of the platform and the mold blank together with the platform is placed in a furnace. The furnace is then heated to a preselected temperature at which the mold blank thermally deforms and sags against the optical surface and into the recess. Upon cooling the mold blank can be used to mold plastic eyeglass lenses. A method for making the mold blank is also disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus for shaping a tube into circle includes a dummy rod to be engaged to a rear end of the tube for constituting an extention of the tube and a support for supporting the combination of the tube and the dummy rod so that the combination is movable toward the front end of the tube. The support initially supports the tube section of the combination and finally supports the dummy rod section of the combination. A heater is located in front of the support for locally softening the tube. A turning arm is coupled at its free end to the front end of the tube for pulling the tube along a circle around the axis of the other end of the turning arm so that the tube is shaped into a circle defined by the turning movement of the turning arm. A motor moves the combination ahead.

Abstract: A glass bending and tempering apparatus (10) is disclosed as including a first platen (14) for receiving a heated glass sheet (12) to be bent. The first platen (14) is deformable and includes an actuator (16) for deforming platen (14) from a planar shape to a bent shape. A second platen (22) is mounted above lower platen (14) for bending and quenching glass sheet (12) therebetween the platens. A template (24) is located on the other side of the second platen (22) away from glass sheet (12). Second platen (22) is pressed against template (24) as first platen (14) is deformed from the planar shape to the bent shape to bend the heated glass sheet thereagainst second platen (22), the second platen (22) conforming to template (24). Quenching gas is supplied by both platens (14,22) through quench openings (18) that move with the platens (14,22) to temper the bent glass sheet between the platens.

Abstract: Gradient optical density transmissive light directing devices (24, 26, 28, 30) and fabrication thereof are disclosed herein. Examples of such devices include concentrators, lenses and compound lenses. The present invention teaches a process for the fabrication of glass light transmitting devices having a chosen gradient in index of refraction either bidirectionally (radially and longitudinally relative to an optical axis) or in three dimensions. The present invention further describes the design of several interesting optical devices by particular choices of the gradient in the index of refraction thereof. Such articles have numerous uses in the optics, optical fiber and solar technology industries for the purposes of designing compound lens systems using a single, integral lens, coupling light into fibers and for concentrating and directing light from a source having a significant angular variation to an energy collecting and/or conversion devices such as a photovoltaic cell, to name but a few applications.

Abstract: Processes in which glass parts are strengthened by ion exchange with cations in a molten salt bath are improved by removal of the small amounts of moisture and other forms of the hydroxyl group present in the salt melt by either chemical or electrolytic means, prior to the ion exchange. The chemical means involve reacting the hydroxyl-containing compounds with the chlorine-containing gas, while the electrolytic means involve electrolysis to gaseous hydrogen and oxygen. Preferred embodiments further include a gas purge prior to the chemical or electrolytic treatment.

Abstract: An apparatus for molding glass optical elements by means of at least one molded glass mold is disclosed. The optical element, which may be a lens and which may be formed of glass, is molded within an apparatus that comprises a pair of molds of which at least one is a molded glass mold, a constraining means and a ring disposed intermediate the molds. The interior diameter of the ring and the molding surfaces of the molds comprise the optical element molding cavity.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for conveying formed, heated glass sheets from a glass forming station, through a glass tempering station, to a lehr, utilizes a shuttle ring conforming in outline and elevation to the marginal edges of the glass sheet. The shuttle ring receives the glass sheet from the lower shaping mold, by the relative downward vertical movement of the lower shaping mold away from the upper shaping mold. The glass sheet thus deposited on and supported by the shuttle ring is transported through the tempering station to the lehr.

Abstract: A steel slag or iron slag which is a by-product generated at the time of steel or iron metallurgy and a method of manufacturing the same are disclosed. This slag is characterized in that it contains at least 0.15 wt % of boron component in the form of B.sub.2 O.sub.3 and has resistance against degradation in the fused slag cooling-down process and against generation of yellowish turbid water at the time of contact of slag with rain water.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of bending a glass sheet to be tempered as well as to a glass sheets bending and tempering apparatus. An array of conveyor rollers in a glass sheets bending and tempering section is adapted to be curved around an axis of curvature transverse to the traveling direction in a manner that, beginning from a horizontal plane, the plane of a roller line curves with a continuously diminishing radius of curvature until the final radius of curvature is reached. During the curving process, the tangent of the mid-portion of a curved conveyor section is maintained substantially in a horizontal plane. Thus, each point in a glass sheet curves substantially at the same rate over the entire glass sheet area and, hence, local rapid deformations do not occur. During the curving process, a glass sheet is maintained in motion by means of the rollers of a curved roller conveyor.

Abstract: A system for lubricating glass forming molds and guide members by flame spraying the molten gobs of glass as they fall to the molds with powdered graphite where the graphite spray is directed from two sides of the falling gob or gobs. Any overspray that does not impinge on the gob or adhere to the gob during the flame spraying of the lubricant is collected by positioning an exhaust header in direct alignment with the flame spray direction to draw the combustion products and powdered lubricant overspray into an exhaust system to keep the area around the feeder clean and free of airborne particles.The mounting of the burners and exhaust headers on a support which is movable relative to the gob drop path without actually crossing the path facilitates the implementation of the lubricant system of the invention.