Abstract: An apparatus for tempering a bent glass sheet is disclosed. The apparatus comprises means for conveying the sheet through the apparatus and a pair of blastheads for quenching the sheet with quench gas. Each blasthead comprises a plurality of spaced elongate plenums for supplying quench gas to an array of quench nozzles, the nozzles being mutually inclined to provide diverging jets of quench gas. The plenums extend transversely to the direction of conveyance of the sheet, and the array of nozzles is curved in at least one direction. The array may comprise rows of nozzles extending along lines which are curved in the direction of elongation of the plenums; preferably the curvature of the rows matches the average local curvature of the bent glass sheet in the corresponding direction. Also disclosed is a production line incorporating the apparatus.

Abstract: An apparatus and a process are disclosed for manufacturing glass sheets of a complex form for vehicles. The apparatus includes a roller heating oven, a supporting air bed in a shaping section, a shaping ring for conveying the sheet of glass in a vertical direction toward an upper shaping mold, and a ring for conveying the sheet of glass horizontally toward a tempering station. The air bed is formed with frustoconical nozzles of such a size as to enable the shaping ring to pass through them so as to be movable to a position beneath its floating position.

Abstract: An apparatus and a process as disclosed for manufacturing a glass sheet having a complex form for vehicles. The apparatus includes a roller heating oven, a supporting air bed in a shaping section, and a shaping ring for conveying the glass first to an upper shaping mold and then to a tempering station. The air bed is formed with fustoconical nozzles of such a size as to enable the ring to pass through them and to be placed beneath the a floating plane of the glass. The ring undergoes a first vertical movement to lift the glass toward the shaping mold and a second horizontal movement to convey the glass to the tempering station.