Abstract: A pressure pad array is used to float glass sheets from a glass heating furnace to a ring mold in a press bending station. The pressure pads have transversely spaced, longitudinally-extending slotted nozzles angled towards one another to provide a static pressure area for floating the glass sheet. The slotted nozzles are aligned with the direction of glass sheet travel and the space between adjacent pressure pads is covered by a spacer baffle to generate additional static pressure flotation areas. The static pressure areas formed by the slotted nozzles generally produce uniform pressure profiles extending longitudinally and transversely against the sheet's underside to stably float the glass sheets on a heated gas cushion.

Abstract: A strip floater, heat treat furnace is provided with a plenum housing defining a plenum chamber which is positioned within a refractory lined furnace enclosure. The plenum chamber contains i) a fan housing holding a recirculation fan, ii) a header and pressure pad arrangement for heating and floating strip passing through the furnace, and iii) a recirculation duct for collecting and refreshing spent furnace atmosphere. The entire furnace atmosphere circulation loop from the fan housing through the header and pressure pads and back to the fan housing from the return duct after strip impingement is thus closed and sealed thereby preventing refractory fibre and foreign matter entrainment in the gas streams impinging the strip while improving the temperature control of the furnace atmosphere and strip.