Abstract: Disclosed is a material for a tempering process of glass plates utilizing a so-called contact process. It proposes a material with a base of an arrangement of thin metallic threads exhibiting a heat resistance on the order of 0.25.multidot.10.sup.-3 to 2.5.multidot.10.sup.-3 m.sup.2 .multidot.K.multidot.W.sup.-1 intended to be inserted between the cooling plates and the glass of a contact-tempering installation. The process makes it possible to temper glazings sufficiently so that they are used as automobile glazings and the durability of this thread-based material is compatible with an industrial usage.

Abstract: The invention relates to a heat conditioning chamber for controlled cooling following a high-temperature treatment of plane thin glass sheets, transported in horizontal position by a continuously driven roller conveyor. According to the invention, in the hottest zone in the chamber, the cooling is performed solely by absorption of radiation and continues in other zones by convection.

Abstract: A bending furnace for glazings comprises several heating cells, a station for bending by pressing, at least one cooling cell and a system for intermittent transport of glazings. The glazings are laid on bending rings (2), mounted on mobile carriages (3), coupled to one another in a train. The train is pulled by a pulling machine installed at the end of the furnace and outside the latter. The point of application of the pulling machine which moves carriages (3) and the length of the travel of this pulling machine are controlled as a function of the temperature to take into account the variation of length of the train. The precise positioning of the carriage in the pressing station is obtained by a detector (27) joined to pivoting stops (28, 36).

Abstract: A device for air-tempering, optionally associated with bending of glass plates includes a covering made of a metal fabric and exhibiting a thermal conductivity less than 3 and preferably less than 0.2 W.M.sup.-1.K.sup.-1. It has utility for coverings of frames intended to carry glass plates during their tempering and/or their bending and/or their transport.

Abstract: In an apparatus for bending glass panes in a horizontal position, comprising an upper bending mold and a lower frame-shaped mold, the bending force exerted by the bending mold is determined by the self-weight of the bending mold. In order that a uniform pressure shall be exerted by the upper bending mold on the entire periphery of the lower frame-shaped mold, the upper bending is mounted displaceable on its guide rods relative to them in a vertical direction and variable in its angular position relative to the guide rods. To achieve the desired relief of weight of the bending mold, the guide rods are suspended by cables from a frame which can be lowered. On the frame, hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders are disposed, which each exert, via a pulling cable acting on a guide rod, an adjustable force in the opposite direction to the self-weight of the bending mold.

Abstract: Glazings are preshaped before putting them through a step of tempering by contact. In a preferred variant, tempering by contact is applied only the central area of the glazing and the marginal zone thereof is tempered by blowing cold air.

Abstract: A process and device for obtaining bent-tempered motor vehicle glazings exhibiting a greatly bent marginal zone comprises a glass sheet heated in a furnace and shaped by pressing the glass sheet between a solid upper form and a bending frame, of which at least one side part is bent during pressing. The side part is covered with an elastically deformable felt material and is removed from the glass sheet during tempering, while the main part of the glass sheet remains supported by the bending frame which also serves as a tempering frame.

Abstract: Glass plates are bent by discharging a glass plate from a suction plate onto a concave circumferential bending ring. Within the furnace (1) the glass plate is gripped by the suction plate (27) and is moved with the latter out of the furnace (1) into a combined bending and tempering station (10) and is discharged there onto the circumferential bending ring (19) located between two blowing boxes (11,13). Immediately following the discharge of the flass plate onto the circumferential bending ring (19), the suction plate (27) moves back to its starting position and the glass plate is tempered in this position.

Abstract: A process for bending a glass sheet, in particular one for motor vehicles, with curved areas having small radii of curvature. The bending device used is a bending press having a male type mold and a female type mold. The female type mold consists of at least two mold parts hinged together. After part of the glass sheet heated to bending temperature has been received by the bending press, at least one swivelling mold part of the female type mold is swivelled around the swivel axis, against the male type mold. An adjustable electric motor serves as the drive motor to move the swivelling mold parts. The angular velocity of the swivel action of the swivelling mold parts during the bending process is adjusted as a function of the temperature of the glass sheet and the desired degree of deformation.

Abstract: A device for air-tempering, optionally associated with bending of glass plates includes a covering made of a metal fabric and exhibiting a thermal conductivity less than 3 and preferably less than 0.2 W.M.sup.-1.K.sup.-1. It has utility for coverings of frames intended to carry glass plates during their tempering and/or their bending and/or their transport.

Abstract: The invention relates to the tempering of sheets of glass and optionally their bending by the so-called contact process. It proposes a process in which the edge stresses of the glass sheets are reinforced by cooling the edges of the glass sheets in relation to their central zone, particularly by blowing on these edges with a cooling gas. It also proposes a device to perform this preferred cooling of the edges, as well as glass sheets thus tempered. The invention applies to the production of glazings having nonfragile edges, particularly for the automobile.