Abstract: This invention covers shaping glass sheets to complicated shape by first preliminarily shaping said sheets to a prebent shape while supported on an outline mold, then completing the shape while cradling the prebent sheets within a thin flexible blanket of fiber glass cloth during final shaping by blow forming. This invention also covers a technique of cradling glass sheets in a flexible fiber glass blanket that is wrapped over the margin of the glass sheets to be shaped by blow forming. The margin of the blanket is reversely wrapped over a frame-like ring that prevents the marginal edge from curling and maintains the cradle in tension against the lower major surface of the glass sheet during shaping by blow forming.

Abstract: Apparatus for shaping a glass sheet to a complicated shape including a pair of sharply bent areas extending across its transverse dimension and a substantially spherically sagged portion intermediate the areas of sharp bending.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for shaping glass sheets by gravity sagging using a pair of oblique slides to support an opposite pair of edges of a flat glass sheet, which is supported on said slides in shaping relation over an outline shaping mold and heated until it sags to conform to the upward facing shaping surface of the mold disposed between and below said slides. The gist of the present invention is to selectively apply cooling fluid against the glass sheet adjacent one of the opposite glass sheet side edges whenever the opposite side edge begins to slide and sag an observable amount more than the adjacent side edge. The selective application is discontinued when both of the glass sheet edges are in approximate horizontal alignment with one another. If necessary, this process is repeated throughout the gravity sagging operation, thereby ensuring that the glass sheet comes to rest on the peripheral shaping surface of the outline mold in proper alignment therewith.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for shaping glass sheets by gravity sagging on essentially continuous-surfaced molds having gas vents. The molds are usable in a gas fired kiln wherein dirt and dust particles are likely to be lodged onto the upward facing shaping surface of the mold and impress marks on the heat-softened glass sheet as it is being shaped by gravity sagging. The gist of the present invention is to blow gas between the bottom surface of the glass and upward facing shaping surface of the continuous-surfaced mold as the glass sags toward the shaping surface so as to remove the dust and dirt particles as late as possible during the glass sheet shaping operation and still permit the applied gas to escape from between the shaping surface and the glass sheet bent into conformity therewith. The applied gas also hardens the lower glass surface.