Patents by Inventor Francois Malard

Francois Malard has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Apparatus for obtaining cambered and/or glazed glass sheets
    Patent number: 5268016
    Abstract: An apparatus for cambering glass sheets includes a reheating furnace for reheating a glass sheet, a sealed cambering station and a conveyor for transferring a heated glass sheet from the furnace to the cambering station. The cambering station includes a shaping upper member. The glass sheet therein is raised into engagement with the upper member, for example by gas pressure, in order to camber the glass sheet. Hot gas ducts surrounding the upper member blow hot gas onto the upper member in such a way as to increased the temperature thereof to a temperature higher than that of the glass sheet when the glass sheet enters the cambering station. Therefore, the glass sheet can be introduced into the cambering station at a relatively low temperature and heated to a temperature high enough for cambering only when in contact with the upper member. The cambered glass sheet can then be discharged to a cooling station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1993
    Assignee: Saint-Gobain Vitrage International
    Inventors: Denis Mathivat, Bernard Letemps, Francois Malard
  • Process and apparatus for obtaining cambered glass sheets
    Patent number: 5100454
    Abstract: An apparatus for cambering glass sheets includes a reheating furnace for reheating a glass sheet, a sealed cambering station and a conveyor for transferring a heated glass sheet from the furnace to the cambering station. The cambering station includes a shaping upper member. The glass sheet therein is raised into engagement with the upper member, for example by gas pressure, in order to camber the glass sheet. Hot gas ducts surrounding the upper member blow hot gas onto the upper member in such a way as to increased the temperature thereof to a temperature higher than that of the glass sheet when the glass sheet enters the cambering station. Therefore, the glass sheet can be introduced into the cambering station at a relatively low temperature and heated to a temperature high enough for cambering only when in contact with the upper member. The cambered glass sheet can then be discharged to a cooling station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1992
    Assignee: Saint-Gobain Vitrage International
    Inventors: Denis Mathivat, Bernard Letemps, Francois Malard