Abstract: A method for bending glass sheets is disclosed in which a heated glass sheet (12) is introduced between spaced upper and lower bending platens (16,18). Heat source (19), integral with platen (18), is operable for applying heat in close proximity to the glass sheet (12) between the platens (16,18) to maintain an optimal bending temperature and the glass sheet (12) is bent such that a specific geometric orientation of the bend on the glass sheet (12) is controllable and repeatedly reproducible during a production operation.

Abstract: A gas burner (20) disclosed has general utility but has particular utility when utilized in a closely spaced relationship to roller conveyed glass sheets to provide forced convection heating. The burner (20) includes a cobbustion member (38) in which gas and air are introduced in a tangential relationship with respect to its inner surface to provide a swirling motion that mixes the gas with the air for combustion prior to discharge through outlets (46) to provide the forced convection heating. A glass sheet heated by this gas burner forced convection on the roller conveyor and subsequently cooled has reduced roll-wave distortion and reduced edge distortion as compared to radiantly heated glass sheets.

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: A photovoltaic cell fabrication method and photovoltaic cell including a layer of amorphous silicon sandwiched between a transparent sheet electrode and a back sheet electrode. A third sheet electrode is insulated from the back sheet electrode and makes an electrical connection with the transparent sheet electrode at isolated areas by penetrating a dielectric layer which insulates the back and third sheet electrodes. The third sheet electrode also penetrates the back sheet electrode and the amorphous silicon layer at the isolated areas which, preferably, form an array of dots or point contacts with the transparent sheet electrode. The transparent sheet electrode is preferably disposed on a glass substrate and the point contacts result in an increase in the active area on the light incident surface of the cell. The frequent electrical connections of the third sheet electrode to the transparent sheet electrode result in lower power losses in the cell.

Abstract: A gas burner (20) disclosed has general utility but has particular utility when utilized in a closely spaced relationship to roller conveyed glass sheets to provide forced convection heating. The burner (20) includes a combustion member (38) in which gas and air are introduced in a tangential relationship with respect to its inner surface to provide a swirling motion that mixes the gas with the air for combustion prior to discharge through outlets (46) to provide the forced convection heating. A glass sheet heated by this gas burner forced convection on the roller conveyor and subsequently cooled has reduced roll-wave distortion and reduced edge distortion as compared to radiantly heated glass sheets.

Abstract: A glass bending and tempering apparatus (20) is disclosed as including a pair of opposed bending platens (24) for receiving a heated glass sheet (22) to be bent therebetween. At least one of the bending platens (24) is deformable and includes an actuator (32) for deforming the platens from a planar shape to a bent shape to bend the heated glass sheet. Said one platen (24) includes quench openings (42) that move with said platen during the deformation of the platen and subsequently supply quenching gas to temper the bent glass sheet (22).

Abstract: A fluid power transfer device includes a pair of rotors and vanes mounted for rotation in a hollow housing having an equatorial plane wherein conical faces of the rotors rollingly engage each other to form a line contact and wherein a hinge pin which hingedly connects the vanes is constrained to rotate in the equatorial plane of the housing. A sun gear sector is connected to the side of each vane opposite the hinge pin. A ring gear sector is connected to the inner end of each output shaft to rotate therewith. A pinion planet gear connects each ring gear sector to each sun gear sector so that the pinion planet gears rock back and forth between their respective sectors as the vanes rock about the hinge pin. The pinion planet gears are elongated and confine the hinge pin to the equatorial plane. The pinion planet gears also act as splines to transfer torque. Each rotor includes a pair of rotor portions and an interconnecting outer band.

Abstract: A combined bending and quench station (30) disclosed comprises a roller conveyor (36) proximate a glass heating furnace (32). The roller conveyor (36) includes elongated rolls (38) spaced from each other in a parallel relationship. A plurality of molds (40) are located generally between the rolls (38). Each mold (40) has a glass engagement surface (42). An actuator (48) engages the glass engagement surfaces (42) with the heated glass sheet (34) to provide bending. Upper and lower blastheads (44,46) supply quenching gas that impinges with the bent glass sheet (34) while engaged with the molds (40) to fix the shape and provide tempering of the bent glass sheet.

Abstract: Silica glass having a substantially smooth, planar surface is formed by floating sintered silica glass on a molten metallic bath. The molten metallic bath is maintained at a sufficiently high temperature to heat-polish the sintered silica glass surface which is in thermal contact with the bath to form a substantially smooth, planar surface. A method for producing silica glass includes floating sintered silica glass on a molten metallic bath to provide the sintered glass with a substantially smooth surface. The resultant silica glass has many applications, but has particular utility for semiconductor substrates, integrated circuit masks, and other electronic applications.

Abstract: A furnace (12) including a roller conveyor (18) and gas burners (20) distinct from the conveyor for supplying forced convection that is the dominant mode of heat transfer to glass sheets during a heating process. The gas burners (20) have general utility but have particular utility when utilized in a closely spaced relationship to the roller conveyed glass sheet to provide the forced convection heating. Each burner (20) includes a combustion member (38) defining an elongated combustion chamber (42) extending transversely to the direction of conveyance. Gas and air are introduced into the combustion chamber (42) in a tangential relationship with respect to its inner surface to provide a swirling motion that mixes the gas with the air for combustion prior to discharge through outlets (46) to provide the forced convection heating.

Abstract: A fluid power transfer device includes a pair of rotors and vanes mounted for rotation in a hollow housing having an equatorial plane wherein conical faces of the rotors rollingly engage each other to form a line contact and wherein a hinge pin which hingedly connects the vanes is constrained to rotate in the equatorial plane of the housing by two pairs of guide shoes. The guide shoes are slidably received within grooves formed on the inner surface of the housing and each of the hinged vanes in slidably received and connected to its guide shoes within its respective rotor. The conical faces and the housing cooperate to define a working chamber which is divided into working compartments by the hinged vanes and the line contact. The rotors transfer power between their respective shafts and an operating fluid introduced into one of the working compartments. A fuel system is also disclosed for use with the device when operated as an engine.

Abstract: A glass sheet tempering method and system (10) disclosed utilizes a heating chamber (22) and a quenching chamber (26) which contain ambients at superatmospheric pressure during both the heating and quenching. Forced convection heating is preferably performed in an improved furnace (14"). In one embodiment, heated gas flow is provided by centrifugal blowers which blow air across a plurality of spaced heat tubes. The heated gas flow is directed toward a glass sheet positioned within the heating chamber to provide rapid heating of the glass sheet. In a second embodiment, the heated gas flow is provided by upper and lower sets of opposed gas jet pumps connected to a gas supply. A pressure gas supply including a compressor maintains the superatmospheric pressure of the heating and quenching chambers (22,26). A recirculating gas supply (32) feeds compressed quenching gas to opposed blastheads (28,30) to perform the tempering.

Abstract: A glass sheet press bending system (20) disclosed has a bending station (30a,30b,30c,30d) for providing press bending between upper and lower molds (32,42) without intrusion into or through a conveyor (26) on which glass sheets are heated prior to the bending. The upper mold (32) is positioned above the conveyor (26), while the lower mold (42) is movable horizontally at an elevation above the conveyor from a first position adjacent the upper mold to a second position below the upper mold whereupon vertical movement therebetween performs the press bending between the molds. A transfer mold (48) receives the bent glass sheet from the upper mold (32) for cooling.

Abstract: A glass sheet tempering method and system (10) disclosed utilizes a heating chamber (22) and a quenching chamber (26) which contain ambients at superatmospheric pressure during both the heating and quenching. Forced convection heating is preferably performed in an improved furnace (14"). In one embodiment, heated gas flow is provided by centrifugal blowers which blow air across a plurality of spaced heat tubes. The heated gas flow is directed toward a glass sheet positioned within the heating chamber to provide rapid heating of the glass sheet. In a second embodiment, the heated gas flow is provided by upper and lower sets of opposed gas jet pumps connected to a gas supply. A pressure gas supply including a compressor maintains the superatmospheric pressure of the heating and quenching chambers (22,26). A recirculating gas supply (32) feeds compressed quenching gas to opposed blastheads (28,30) to perform the tempering.

Abstract: A method capable of accurately forming a heated glass sheet to a deep, abrupt, or complex curvature are disclosed as utilizing a first curved mold (42) that initially forms the glass sheet at a first forming station (20) preferably by the operation of gravity. The initially formed glass sheet is moved horizontally preferably by movement on the first curved mold (42) to a second forming station (22). A second curved mold (48) of the second forming station (22) engages the initially formed glass sheet to provide accurate forming preferably by downward movement of the second curved mold that provides the engagement thereof with the glass sheet. In the preferred construction disclosed, the heated glass sheet is transferred from a furnace conveyor (28) to a topside conveyor (32) for depositing onto the first curved mold (42), and a transfer conveyor (55) transfers the formed glass sheet from the second curved mold (48) to a quench station (24) for tempering.

Abstract: An apparatus capable of accurately forming a heated glass sheet to a deep, abrupt, or complex curvature are disclosed as utilizing a first curved mold (42) that initially forms the glass sheet at a first forming station (20) preferably by the operation of gravity. The initially formed glass sheet is moved horizontally preferably by movement on the first curved mold (42) to a second forming station (22). A second curved mold (48) of the second forming station (22) engages the initially formed glass sheet to provide accurate forming preferably by downward movement of the second curved mold that provides the engagement thereof with the glass sheet. In the preferred construction disclosed, the heated glass sheet is transferred from a furnace conveyor (28) to a topside conveyor (32) for depositing onto the first curved mold (42), and a transfer conveyor (55) transfers the formed glass sheet from the second curved mold (48) to a quench station (24) for tempering.

Abstract: A roller conveyor furnace (12) is disclosed as including at least one gas jet pump (24) for providing forced convection heating of glass sheets during conveyance on rolls (22) of the furnace conveyor (20). A source (26) of compressed gas located externally of the furnace is communicated with the gas jet pump to supply a primary gas flow thereto and induce an amplified extent of a secondary gas flow in order to provide a combined flow of heated gas that produces the forced convection heating. Upper and lower arrays (70,72) of the gas jet pumps are disclosed as being usable separately or in cooperation with each other in one embodiment to maintain temperature uniformity and glass shet planarity. Each array includes an associated conduit support (74,76) that mounts the gas jet pumps thereof in a spaced relationship transverse to the direction of conveyance either above or below the conveyor rolls.

Abstract: An improved glass sheet quench (14) is disclosed as including opposed blastheads (26,28) each of which includes elongated plenum housings (34) including openings (42) positioned therealong in a spaced relationship and oriented to supply jets (44) of quenching gas angularly in opposite directions from the plenum housing toward a heated glass sheet therebetween for impingement therewith to cool the glass sheet. This angular supply of the quenching jets permits the use of half as many plenum housings as is ordinarily needed such that the plenum housings can be spaced farther from each other to provide a greater flow area for spent quenching gas to escape from between the blastheads. Flat glass embodiments of the quench (14,14a) and bent glass embodiments of the quench (14' 14a) are disclosed and may incorporate sheet metal and tube plenum housings (34) or drilled metal bar plenum housings (34').

Abstract: A roller conveyor furnace (12) is disclosed as including at least one gas jet pump (24) for providing forced convection heating of glass sheets during conveyance on rolls (22) of the furnace conveyor (20). A source (26) of compressed gas located externally of the furnace is communicated with the gas jet pump to supply a primary gas flow thereto and induce an amplified extent of a secondary gas flow in order to provide a combined flow of heated gas that produces the forced convection heating. Upper and lower arrays (70,72) of the gas jet pumps are disclosed as being usable separately or in cooperation with each other in one embodiment to maintain temperature uniformity and glass sheet planarity. Each array includes an associated conduit support (74,76) that mounts the gas jet pumps thereof in a spaced relationship transverse to the direction of conveyance either above or below the conveyor rolls.

Abstract: Sheet glass is heated during conveyance within a furance housing having a fixed roof and vertically movable side doors that define side slots through which ends of conveyor rolls project outwardly to be supported and frictionally driven by continuous drive loops slidably driven over external support surfaces that extend alongside the side slots. A vacuum holder of the apparatus is positioned within the furnace housing above the conveyor and has a downwardly facing surface with spaced openings in which a vacuum is drawn to receive a glass sheet from the conveyor and support the sheet above the conveyor. The holder surface is disclosed as being both planar and curved and as having a porous cover of ceramic fibers so as to distribute the vacuum and prevent marring of the glass as it is supported. A greater vacuum is drawn to initially support the glass and a lesser vacuum is subsequently drawn to prevent glass deformation at the spaced openings.