Abstract: In a substantially horizontal conveyor or conveying heated glass sheets, a positioning device for aligning the sheets in a direction transverse to the conveying direction. It includes thrust rods advanced by the engagement of cam followers moving with the thrust rod on cams stationary with respect to the conveyor. Draw springs return the thrust rods to their initial position. The thrust rods are mounted on crosswise carriages, which are in turn mounted on carriages movable in the conveying direction and in synchronism with the glass sheets. The thrust rods are pivotally mounted on the crosswise carriages about horizontal axes, and so their distal ends can be displaced out of the plane of the glass sheets during the return movement of the carriage.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for shaping a glass sheet according to which the sheet is lifted above the conveying plane by a device for supporting a glass sheet consisting of a box open at the bottom whose opening at the bottom corresponds to the shape of the glass sheet to be grasped and which is slightly smaller than the glass sheet so that, on the edges of the glass sheet, a narrow annular contact surface is formed and so that the partial vacuum prevailing in the box is limited to such a value that the weight of the glass sheet is essentially compensated for, then is applied against a bending form by a current of hot gas directed upward. The process is used in the production of shaped glazings.

Abstract: A glass sheets is loaded flat on the end of a conveyor going through a tunnel furnace; comes out again through the other end of the conveyor after having reached its bending temperature; is conveyed by a first transfer device to a bending unit which includes at least one upper bending form; is vacuum-gripped by the upper bending form; is raised along with the upper bending form; is bent to the desired shape by the bending unit; and then is directed by a second transfer device to a cooling station for heat tempering. The transfer from the furnace to the bending unit is obtained by reversible movement, parallel to the general direction of movement of the glass sheet, from the front end of a flexible conveyor belt the rear end of which is under the transport plane of the glass sheet. The initial position of the front end of the flexible sheet is located between the downstream end of the conveyor and the bending unit.

Abstract: A process for bending a glass sheet, in particular one for motor vehicles, with curved areas having small radii of curvature. The bending device used is a bending press having a male type mold and a female type mold. The female type mold consists of at least two mold parts hinged together. After part of the glass sheet heated to bending temperature has been received by the bending press, at least one swivelling mold part of the female type mold is swivelled around the swivel axis, against the male type mold. An adjustable electric motor serves as the drive motor to move the swivelling mold parts. The angular velocity of the swivel action of the swivelling mold parts during the bending process is adjusted as a function of the temperature of the glass sheet and the desired degree of deformation.

Abstract: A device for air-tempering, optionally associated with bending of glass plates includes a covering made of a metal fabric and exhibiting a thermal conductivity less than 3 and preferably less than 0.2 W.M.sup.-1.K.sup.-1. It has utility for coverings of frames intended to carry glass plates during their tempering and/or their bending and/or their transport.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for shaping a glass sheet according to which the sheet is lifted above the conveying plane by a device for supporting a glass sheet consisting of a box open at the bottom whose opening at the bottom corresponds to the shape of the glass sheet to be grasped and which is slightly smaller than the glass sheet so that, on the edges of the glass sheet, a narrow annular contact surface is formed and so that the partial vacuum prevailing in the box is limited to such a value that the weight of the glass sheet is essentially compensated for, then is applied against a bending form by a current of hot gas directed upward. The process is used in the production of shaped glazings.

Abstract: A blow box for the thermal tempering of panes of glass. To temper different sizes of glass, the air supply to selected blow tubes or blow tube groups in a blow box having a blow nozzle field disposed to handle relatively large panes of glass is blocked in the edge areas of the blow box, and in this manner the blow nozzle field supplied with forced air is adapted to the shape and size of the glass pane to be tempered. The adaptation of the blow nozzle field to the shape and size of the glass panes takes place, for example, with the aid of a template-like slide block having an opening corresponding to the glass pane, which slide block is arranged inside the air distributing box immediately in front of the front plate provided with the nozzle pipelets and which can be exchanged for a different slide block.

Abstract: A method and installations for curving sheets of glass. The sheets of glass (9) are heated to the curving temperature in a horizontal position in a continuous furnace (1) and are pressed in a curving station (4) which is adjacent to the continuous furnace (1) by means of an annular frame against a solid surface curving form (40). During the pressing between the annular frame and the solid surface curving form (40), the sheets of glass (9) are pressed against said solid surface curving form (40), in the area located inside the annular frame, by the static pressure of a hot gas under pressure, with the static pressure of the gas being produced in a chamber (32) whose upper surface (33) is defined by the annular frame and is closed by the sheet of glass (9) applied in a sealed manner against said annular frame.

Abstract: A gas static bearing unit for carrying rollers which is suitable as a heat-resistant bearing inside a horizontal furnace for glass sheets. The bearing unit consists of a bearing 1 which automatically adapts to the orientation of the section of roller 27 mounted in the bearing 1 and which rests on two pins 8, 9 each having a spherical head 16, 17 as a support surface. The first spherical head 17 is mounted stationarily and oscillatingly, and the second spherical head 16 is mounted on a planar base 23 to allow pivoting and sliding around the stationary pin 9. A system of bores 30, 31, 32, 33 makes it possible to supply the rotating clearance with compressed air.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a curved automobile glass pane. The glass sheet heated in a continuous roller conveyor furnace to bending temperature, is picked up by a traveling suction device and transported to a curving station adjoining the furnace. In the curving station the glass sheet is deposited onto a curving device which is comprised of a curving-form frame and a curving form which form occupies the interior space of the frame. The suction device is withdrawn, and a hot gas stream is applied from above, which stream impinges on the glass sheet, whereby said sheet is forced against the curving device comprised of the curving-form frame and interior curving form. Then the glass sheet is lifted from the interior curving from by means of the curving-form frame which frame now serves as a support ring, and sheet is transported to the neighboring cooling station.

Abstract: A blow box for thermal tempering of panes of glass is disclosed. To temper different sizes of glass, the air supply to selected blow tubes or blow tube groups in a blow box having a blow nozzle field disposed to handle relatively large panes of glass is blocked in the edge areas of the blow box. In this manner, the blow nozzle field supplied with forced air is adapted to the shape and size of the glass pane to be tempered. The adaptation of the blow nozzle field to the shape and size of the glass panes takes place, for example, with the aid of a template-like slide block having an opening corresponding to the glass pane, which slide block is arranged inside the air distributing box immediately in front of the front plate provided with the nozzle pipelets and which can be exchanged for a different slide block.

Abstract: A process for bending glass plates into convex shape and, in particular, to their precise positioning with a view to that bending. The glass plates to be convexed are centered while a hot gas is blown under said plates in order to take up a part of the weight of the glass thanks to that blown gas. It makes possible a recentering of the glass plates without deterioration of said plates in spite of their friction on the rollers carrying them.

Abstract: In a method of curving a glass sheet with the aid of a hot gas stream with a large cross sectional area, whereby the glass sheet is pressed against a curving form, in certain prescribed edge regions of the glass sheet in static pressure component of the flowing gas is increased by reducing the flow speed of the flow component (of the hot gas stream) traveling in the radial direction along the surface of the glass sheet, which speed reduction is accomplished by the interposition of barriers in the path of this flow component. The preferred such barriers are pressure baffles (38), which are disposed at certain selected locations on the edge of the curving form (31), said baffles being oriented perpendicularly to the terminal tangents of the forming surface (32) of the curving form (31).

Abstract: Curving of glass sheets by application of said sheets against an upper curving form and possibly subsequently, after the deposit of said sheets onto a lower curving form, by depressing in accordance with said upper form is improved. After the taking up of a sheet of glass by the upper form, a current of hot gas is blown under the glass sheets in order to produce a pneumatic pressing. The process and opportunities enables the manufacture of curved glasses in accordance with complicated shapes and/or with an accentuated curvature but, nevertheless, with a surface free from defects.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the manufacture of a curved double sheet of glass intended for further processing into a sheet of curved laminated safety glass. In a horizontal position the glass sheets are heated successively to bending temperature in a roller oven and are successively bent in a bending station subsequent to the roller oven, in that the sheets are pressed against a bending mold (2) arranged above the transport rollers (1) by a hot gas stream directed against the glass sheets from beneath. After bending, the first glass sheet (10) of a pair of glass sheets is held in a waiting position in such a manner that its shape is supported. After the bending of the second individual glass sheet (10'), the two glass sheets (10, 10') are stacked and cooled together.

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: In an adhesive connection between the marginal area of an auto glass pane (1) and the emplacement flange (2) of the window frame of an auto body, a completely enclosed hollow space (8) is provided in the adhesive bead (4) which provides the connection by, e.g., having a hose (7) made of elastic synthetic material embedded in the adhesive bead (4). The hollow space (8)serves as an aid in window removal by being filled with compressed air with the aid of a hollow needle (9). In this way, the elastically or plastically distortable adhesive bead (4) is expanded, and the glass pane is pushed out of the window-frame (3) sufficiently that the separation of the adhesive bead (4) is considerably facilitated.

Abstract: A frame for holding a glass sheet in a substantially vertical position. The frame has two uprights joined by upper and lower crosspieces. A lower support means adapted to engage a bottom edge of a glass sheet is carried by the lower crosspiece. Upper support means freely movable in a vertical direction are adopted to engage the upper edge of the glass sheet and form part of the frame.