Abstract: An apparatus and a method for cutting float glass is disclosed. A burner and water spray are arranged to cause thermal stress cracking along a cutting line extending along a continuous glass ribbon, parallel with the edge of the ribbon. The thermal stress cracking is initiated without the use of mechanical force. Preferably, the burner is used to initiate the thermal stress crack, by increasing the power supplied to the glass.

Abstract: A neutral-colored soda-lime-silicate glass with high light transmission in the visible region. The glass has a basic composition which contains at least the following constituents: SiO2, 66-75 weight %; Na2O, 10-20 weight %; CaO, 5-15 weight %; MgO, 0-6 weight %; Al2O3, 0-5 weight %; and K2O, 0-5 weight %; and incorporates a colorant portion comprising the following constituents: Co, 0.1-1 ppm; Fe2O3, ≦0.03 weight % (total iron content); and FeO/Fe2O3, >0.4. The glass possesses a light transmittance (illuminant D 65 according to DIN 67 507) of at least 89% at a reference thickness of 4 mm.

Abstract: A soda-lime glass containing vanadium which can be produced by the float process with high UV absorption for wavelengths below 350 nm. The glass comprises 70 to 74 weight % SiO.sub.2, 0 to 2 weight % Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, 0.1 weight % or less Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3, 0 to 0.15 weight % TiO.sub.2, 7.5 to 10 weight % CaO, 3.5 to 5.4 weight % MgO, 12 to 15 weight % Na.sub.2 O, 0 to 1 weight % K.sub.2 O, 0 to 0.02 weight % BaO, 0.1 to 0.3 weight % SO.sub.3, 3 to 7 weight ppm CoO and 0.1 to 0.3 weight % V.sub.2 O.sub.5.

Abstract: Method for determining the optical quality of a transparent plate, particularly a float glass plate, in which two parallel light beams having a reciprocal spacing are directed onto the plate under an acute angle, relative to the plate normal, the light beams reflected by the plates are received separately by a detector having a photosensitive detector and the direction of the reflected light beams is evaluated, in which all four light beams A1, A2, B1, B2 reflected by the two surfaces of the plate are received by a position-sensitive detector, the reciprocal spacing and the angle of incidence .epsilon..sub.