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 machining of glass sheets and in particular to holding of said glass sheets during grinding of their edges. The glass sheets are locked on their work plate with an electromagnet. This locking provides an effective holding while freeing space above the glass sheets.

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: Apparatus is disclosed for grinding the edges of a glass sheet which is positioned on a motor driven rotary table. The apparatus includes a grinding disc mounted to rotate in a toolholder which may be moved in relation to the axis of rotation of the rotary table by a constant torque motor so as to apply a constant grinding pressure between the grinding tool and the glass sheet. A plurality of manometer capsules or other pressure measuring devices whose voltage outputs depend on applied pressure, are used to produce signals to regulate the constant grinding force. The toolholder is movably mounted on a larger positioning carriage which can also be moved in relation to the axis of rotation of the rotating table in order to compensate for irregular glass sheet shapes. This positioning is effected by signals from a distance to voltage converter fed into an adjustment circuit which drives a positioning motor.

Abstract: A grinding apparatus for glass panes includes a slide and a grinding head with a grinding tool mounted on the slide. The grinding head is capable of rotation through 360.degree. during movement of the slide by an X-Y path control. A motor drives the grinding head under control of control signals derived directly during the grinding process from signals taken from the information carrier determining the X-Y path control of the slide.

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: A system for control of movement of a cross sled which follows movement in an X-Y coordinate system according to a stored program, and for extending or shortening the path of movement either in the X-direction or Y-direction, or both directions.

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: Method for correcting the control program of an automatic glass cutting machine including the steps of adding in counters signal pulses representative of travel of a scanning head in X and Y directions, checking the counter totals at the starting and end points of travel of the scanning head and introducing pulses in the program to bring the counter totals to a zero value.A device for correcting the control program of an automatic glass cutting machine having counters for adding signal pulses representative of travel of a scanning head in X and Y directions and a pulse generator for each counter which may put a required number of pulses into memory to bring the total count in the counters to zero at the completion of travel of the scanning head.

Abstract: A Cartesian coordinate tracing table for entering a program into a memory of an automatically controlled machine. The tabel has guide bars extending in the X and Y directions. Two rotary generators which are responsive to movement of a cursor in the X and Y directions generate electrical signals for transmission to a memory. One rotary pulse generator is mounted on a carriage movable along the guide bar extending in the X direction. The other rotary pulse generator is mounted on a cursor slidable along the guide bar extending in the Y direction which in turn is mounted on the carriage. Each rotary pulse generator includes a rotatable shaft having a driving roller which contacts a guide bar to provide the driving force to the generator.

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: 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: A carriage carrying a cutting tool is guided along a predetermined path of travel, and motive power is provided by a linear induction motor having an armature mounted on the carriage and a plurality of short inductor windings discontinuously spaced along the path of travel. Means actuated by the carriage energizes predetermined windings successively in turn. Elastic means reverses the carriage at the end of the path of travel and switch means reverses the power on the return trip. D-C braking is provided as the carriage approaches its starting position.