Abstract: Apparatus and method for moving a glass mass, such as a glass sheet in horizontal attitude through a bending section of a heating oven. The glass sheet at a deformation temperature is imparted movement along the conveyor system including a plurality of rollers, and a gaseous flow at high temperature, having a flow speed which varies continuously across the width of the glass sheet, impinges on its lower surface to at least partially balance the weight of the glass sheet in regions requiring good optical quality.

Abstract: The invention relates to the manufacture of laminated glass, comprising glass sheets and plastic sheets. In the manufacture, glass and plastic sheets are each cut to a final dimension desired for use in laminated glass, assembled in a preliminary way, and, then, by the action of temperature and pressure formed to the laminate. The cutting of the plastic sheets, is carried out more particularly a plastic sheet of polyvinyl butyral as an interlayer between outer sheets of silicate glass is carried out by a high pressure water jet.

Abstract: Process and apparatus for bending glass plates in horizontal or approximately horizontal position. The invention includes processing the glass plates by means of an installation comprising a glass reheating furnace, a bending station, and a horizontal conveyor for routing the glass plates through the furnace and bending station. A curved surface is placed above the horizontal conveyor in the bending station, and a blower is adapted to deliver a hot air current to bend the glass plates by heating them and applying pressure to urge them against the curved surface to which the desired configuration has been given. Then the glass plates are gently rested on a carrying frame where they continue to be supported, only in part, by said hot air current. The invention makes possible the bending of glass plates individually or, for example, in pairs.

Abstract: The invention is concerned with the thermal tempering of glass sheets. In the practice of the invention, the glass blowing assemblies (3, 4) of a glass blowing device for the thermal tempering of glass sheets are formed of a plurality of tubular bodies (15) which are disposed side by side and provided with blowing outlets (20) which are directed towards the glass sheet. The tubular bodies (15) are interconnected by joints (34) and maintained in position by deformable guide rails (24). The shape of rails (24) is obtained by means of adjustable fixing means (40) whose position can be changed by programmable servo-motors (47). The adjustment of fixing means (40) causes with it that of guide rails (24) and accordingly the shape of the glass blowing assembly (3, 4) constituted by the tubular bodies (15) is adjusted to the shape of the glass sheet.The invention finds utility in the thermal tempering of glass sheets which are curved cylindrically and spherically.

Abstract: The invention relates to bending of glass plates moving in a horizontal position, under the effect of their own weight, with a device comprising a shaping bed made of rotating shaping elements whose surfaces in contact with the glass plates, as they advance, define increasingly curved generatrices, these shaping elements being carried by a frame that can be inclined by pivoting around a transverse axis located at its upstream end. The frame is mounted on pivoting axes (XX', YY', ZZ') that are adjustable in height. Particular zones of the glass plates can be kept at a constant level during bending, which improves the optical quality of the glass plates thus bent.

Abstract: The invention relates to bending of glass sheets moving in a horizontal position. In a first phase glass sheets are bent on a shaping bed made up of rotating elements, then in a second phase these sheets are subjected to a complementary bending between two molds of a bending press. Air flow is used to help support the glass in the second phase.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for the control of the path of the grinding tool of an all-around edge grinding machine supporting a glass pane for movement about a rotational axis. The grinding tool is positively guided into contact with the edge of the glass pane as controlled by the contour of the glass pane. A scanning roller, also guided into contact with the edge of the glass panel provides the control heretofore described. Both the grinding head and scanning roller are movable in a direction toward the rotational axis of the glass pane. Path signals determined by the scanning roller are stored in a sliding register, and delayed at its output for a period of time required for movement of the glass pane through an angle which corresponds to the rotational angle (.alpha.,.beta.) between the point of contact of the scanning roller and the point of contact of the grinding tool on the edge of the glass pane. The path signals from the sliding register are used in position controlling the grinding tool.

Abstract: The invention is in a process, and the apparatus, for path control of a processing tool of a grinding machine for an all-around edge grinding of a glass pane. A cross sled supports the processing tool for movement in an X-Y coordinate system wherein the path of movement of the cross sled is controlled by a program. The path control, however, is critically controlled by the use of a scanning instrumentality including a scanning organ which scans the edge of the glass pane along a path of movement in front of the processing tool. The scanning organ is supported by an arm articulated about the axis of the processing tool. The scanning organ leads the processing tool by a set distance, equal to the length of the arm, and determines the values for the X- and the Y-coordinates. The values that are developed by the scanning organ are stored in a sliding register having an input from each of the two axes.

Abstract: A roller construction is described for use in glass bending apparatus employing an array of curved rods. A tubular sheath is rotatably mounted on a curved rod. The sheath comprises a tubular metal winding that is coaxial with the rod and a coaxial metal meshing adjacent either the inner or outer surface of the winding. Such a sheath provides both good torsional resistance and flexibility in the axial direction. When an array of such curved rods is used to define a cylindrical surface in glass bending apparatus, heated glass sheets may be bent on such array to conform their curvature to the surface defined by the rods.

Abstract: A device and a process for feeding glass sheets at a predetermined rate to a furnace having a main conveyor moving at a constant speed and extending through the furnace where glass sheets are to be positioned on the main conveyor separated by a predetermined spacing. An auxiliary conveyor moves supply sheets to the entry side of the main conveyor until a supply sheet is temporarily positioned closer to a sheet on the main conveyor than the predetermined spacing at which point the auxiliary conveyor is stopped. A sheet transfer device is provided for then transferring a supply sheet to the main conveyor from the stopped auxiliary conveyor at the speed of the main conveyor when the distance between the last sheet on the main conveyor and the supply sheet is equal to the predetermined distance.

Abstract: In the invention, an apparatus is designed for producing spacer frames for insulating glass window structures, made up of lengths of hollow molding joined together by male cornerpieces. Hollows and spaces at the corner joins are sealed or filled by injection of a sealing composition forced in by the use of a female injection head designed to take up a frame corner, and a driver for pushing the frame corner structure into the injection head. There is furthermore a work table for the frame parts in the working position on injection of the compound or sealant, and gripper structures for keeping the hollow molding lengths, forming the corner, in the desired position. At least one of the gripper structures is able to be moved towards the put-in male part of the cornerpiece after the hollow molding part has been gripped.

Abstract: A plastic sheet is laminated to a glass sheet for the manufacture of laminated safety glass by means of an elastic membrane rigidly held at its periphery and subjected to increasing gas pressure, the membrane thereby pressing the plastic sheet against the glass sheet progressively from the center out toward the edges of the latter.

Abstract: A form-cutting machine is disclosed for cutting a form in a flat surface of a sheet of material such as glass in response to a numerical control signal, the shape of the form being determined by the numerical control signal. The form-cutting machine comprises a frame, sheet-support means for supporting the sheet of material to be cut, an X-direction carriage-positioning assembly, a Y-direction carriage-positioning assembly, and a tool carriage having a cutting tool mounted on it so that the cutting tool can be positioned in a plane in which the cut is to be made. Each carriage-positioning assembly includes a carriage support member which extends generally perpendicular to a direction of motion, two guide members fixed to the frame which are spaced apart from one another and extend generally parallel to the direction of motion, and two sliders connected to ends of the carriage support member and slideably mounted on the two guide members.

Abstract: A plastic sheet is laminated to a glass sheet for the manufacture of laminated safety glass by means of an elastic membrane rigidly held at its periphery and subjected to increasing gas pressure, the membrane thereby pressing the plastic sheet against the glass sheet progressively from the center out toward the edges of the latter.

Abstract: An electric control system for a numerically-controlled form-cutting machine is disclosed. The form-cutting machine has two drive motors for moving a cutting tool respectively in an X direction and a Y direction. The control system comprises X-channel and Y-channel program-encoding means for encoding a program for numerically controlling the motion of the cutting tool in the X and Y directions respectively. The control system further comprises a magnetic-tape unit, for example, a cassette recorder, which can record the encoded programs on two tracks of magnetic tape. The control system further comprises X-channel and Y-channel program-decoding means for converting the signals played back from the magnetic-tape unit into signals suitable for controlling the motion of the cutting tool. The control system also includes conductive means interconnecting the components of the system.

Abstract: An inert chemical material comprising primarily paraffin or wax is deposited on a surface of a plurality of sheets of glass and the sheets stacked with the deposited paraffin or wax forming intercalations therebetween. The paraffin or wax material may be deposited in granular or molten form. Advantageously molten material is deposited in spaced drops to form spaced raised spots over the surface of each sheet. Preferred dimensions, melting temperatures, compositions, etc. are given. A first group of spots may be initially deposited of paraffin or wax material having a lower solidification temperature, and thereafter drops having a higher solidification temperature deposited thereon. Apparatus for performing the methods includes one or more heated reservoirs positioned over a conveyor and having a group of nozzles spaced laterally of a sheet of glass on the conveyor and actuated to deposit molten paraffin or wax material drop by drop on the surface of the glass sheet.

Abstract: A glazing including a sheet of glass and a sheet of plastic adhesively fastened thereto is manufactured by assembling into a stack the sheet of glass, the sheet of plastic, a thin flexible protective sheet, and a thick cushion sheet. The stack is enclosed in a bag of rubber or similar flexible material which is evacuated to degas the stack.. The bag with the stack therein is then subjected to heat and pressure in an autoclave to bond together the glass and plastic sheets, whereafter the protective and cushion sheets can be readily separated from the remainder of the stack.