Abstract: A powered draw belt of a belt conveyor for conveying glass sheets has a main supporting surface, and is fitted with a suction retaining device for securing a glass sheet to the draw belt; the retaining device having at least one hollow body at least partly covering the main supporting surface; the hollow body defining a supporting surface for the glass sheet, and having at least one elastically deformable portion spaced apart from the main supporting surface to define, with the main supporting surface, a variable-volume chamber connectable to a suction source.

Abstract: A rough mold of a machine for forming glass items is provided with a multifunctional group, which has a common support head; a handling device for moving the common head along a first handling axis; and a further handling device for rotating the common head about a second handling axis; the common head being fitted with a mold closing member for sealing the top opening of the rough mold, and at least one further operating member selectable from a funnel-shaped member for guiding at least one glass gob into the rough mold, a blowing member for blowing pressurized air into the rough mold, and one or more members for treating the inner surface of the rough mold.

Abstract: The corners of a sheet of glass travelling in a longitudinal direction are ground by a corner bevelling assembly having a fixed frame; a movable frame; a grinding wheel; a supporting arm supporting the grinding wheel and fitted to the movable frame; and an actuating device interposed between the fixed frame and the movable frame, and having a first powered guide-slide assembly for moving the movable frame in a direction parallel to a longitudinal travelling direction of the sheet, and a second powered guide-slide assembly for moving the movable frame with respect to the fixed frame in a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; the corner bevelling assembly also having a reference locator which, in use, is positioned against a longitudinal lateral surface, parallel to the longitudinal direction, of the sheet; a relative-motion assembly for enabling movement, parallel to the transverse direction, of the reference locator with respect to the supporting arm; and a device for detecting the

Abstract: The corners of a sheet of glass travelling in a longitudinal direction are ground by a grinding assembly having a fixed frame; a movable frame; a grinding wheel; a supporting arm supporting the grinding wheel and fitted to the movable frame; and an actuating device interposed between the fixed frame and the movable frame, and having a first powered guide-slide assembly for moving the movable frame in a direction parallel to a longitudinal travelling direction of the sheet, and a second powered guide-slide assembly for moving the movable frame with respect to the fixed frame in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; the grinding assembly also having a locator fixed to the supporting arm and defining a stop to keep the sheet at a distance from the grinding wheel; and a compensating device interposed between the supporting arm and the movable frame, and having a third guide-slide assembly and a flexible controlled-damping device.

Abstract: A rough mold of a machine for forming glass items is provided with a multifunctional group, which has a common support head; a handling device for moving the common head along a first handling axis; and a further handling device for rotating the common head about a second handling axis. The common head being fitted with a mold closing member for sealing the top opening of the rough mold, and at least one further operating member selectable from a funnel-shaped member for guiding at least one glass gob into the rough mold, a blowing member for blowing pressurized air into the rough mold, and one or more members for treating the inner surface of the rough mold.

Abstract: Insulating glass is produced by forming an assembly having at least two facing glass sheets and at least one inner spacer frame separating the glass sheets, and by depositing a bead of sealant on an outer peripheral edge of the assembly; the sealant being deposited by keeping the assembly stationary in a vertical position, and moving a dispenser head along an endless path about the assembly; the dispenser head being moved about the assembly by resting at least one glass sheet on underlying movable supporting members, detaching the supporting members successively from the assembly to let the dispenser head through, and moving the supporting members back onto the assembly once the dispenser head has passed.

Abstract: A powered draw belt of a belt conveyor for conveying glass sheets has a main supporting surface, and is fitted with a suction retaining device for securing a glass sheet to the draw belt; the retaining device having at least one hollow body at least partly covering the main supporting surface; the hollow body defining a supporting surface for the glass sheet, and having at least one elastically deformable portion spaced apart from the main supporting surface to define, with the main supporting surface, a variable-volume chamber connectable to a suction source.

Abstract: A glassware manufacturing method and machine, whereby the inner surfaces of the molds of the various forming sections of the machine are treated using a common processing member, and the exhaust substances produced by the treatment are aspirated simultaneously with or at a predetermined time during the treatment by a suction device having at least one suction hood associated with the processing member.

Abstract: In a machine for forming glass items, a mold having two half-molds movable between a closed forming position and an open extraction position by a mold opening/closing group is provided. The mold includes two handling arms, each connected to a respective half-mold, which are rotated about respective fixed hinge axes by a single linear actuator. The mobile member translates in a direction parallel to the fixed hinge axes, and is connected to the handling arms by a mechanical transmission having a respective guide-and-slide assembly for each handling arm.

Abstract: A transfer assembly for transferring glass articles from a supporting surface onto an unloading conveyor, wherein a pickup member, for engaging the articles for transfer, is hinged to one end of a first powered actuating rod, and is connected to one end of a second powered actuating rod movable independently of the first powered actuating rod to adjust the angular position of the pickup member about a movable hinge axis as the pickup member rotates between a pickup position and a release position in which the articles are released onto the unloading conveyor.

Abstract: A system for feeding glass sheets to a processing line for processing the sheets has a sheet pickup station; a number of movable carriages which are moved into the pickup station and each support one or more packs of sheets positioned substantially on edge; a movable loading machine for removing the sheets off the carriages and transferring them to the processing line; a store for housing the carriages with respective packs of sheets; and a supply station for restocking the store and which is separate from the pickup station.

Abstract: A system for feeding glass sheets to at least one sheet processing line has a sheet withdrawal station, in which are housed stands for supporting packs of sheets and a loading machine mobile in a rectilinear transfer direction to withdraw the sheets from the stands and transfer them to the processing line; the stands being arranged along the transfer direction on opposite sides of the loading machine and having first and, respectively, second inclined side resting surfaces of the respective sheet pack facing the loading machine and converging one towards the other and downwards, and being mobile from and towards the withdrawal station under the thrust of a common transfer unit.

Abstract: The corners of a sheet of glass travelling in a longitudinal direction are ground by a corner bevelling assembly having a fixed frame; a movable frame; a grinding wheel; a supporting arm supporting the grinding wheel and fitted to the movable frame; and an actuating device interposed between the fixed frame and the movable frame, and having a first powered guide-slide assembly for moving the movable frame in a direction parallel to a longitudinal travelling direction of the sheet, and a second powered guide-slide assembly for moving the movable frame with respect to the fixed frame in a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; the corner bevelling assembly also having a reference locator which, in use, is positioned against a longitudinal lateral surface, parallel to the longitudinal direction, of the sheet; a relative-motion assembly for enabling movement, parallel to the transverse direction, of the reference locator with respect to the supporting arm; and a device for detecting the

Abstract: The corners of a sheet of glass travelling in a longitudinal direction are ground by a grinding assembly having a fixed frame; a movable frame; a grinding wheel; a supporting arm supporting the grinding wheel and fitted to the movable frame; and an actuating device interposed between the fixed frame and the movable frame, and having a first powered guide-slide assembly for moving the movable frame in a direction parallel to a longitudinal travelling direction of the sheet, and a second powered guide-slide assembly for moving the movable frame with respect to the fixed frame in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; the grinding assembly also having a locator fixed to the supporting arm and defining a stop to keep the sheet at a distance from the grinding wheel; and a compensating device interposed between the supporting arm and the movable frame, and having a third guide-slide assembly and a flexible controlled-damping device.

Abstract: In a machine for forming glass items, a forming section has a forming assembly, and a bottom support structure for supporting the forming assembly. The forming section has a rough mold; a finish mold; a transfer assembly for transferring at least one glass mass being formed from the rough mold to the finish mold; an extractor for extracting at least one glass item from the finish mold; a glass mass guide device, a mold closing device, and a punching device associated with the rough mold. The forming section also has and a pneumatic blower device and a cooling device associated with at least the finish mold The bottom support structure has a bottom hollow frame, and at least one top plate separate from the bottom frame and on which the whole forming assembly rests and is connected.

Abstract: In a machine for forming glass items, a mold having two half-molds movable between a closed forming position and an open extraction position by a mold opening/closing group is provided. The mold includes two handling arms, each connected to a respective half-mold, which are rotated about respective fixed hinge axes by a single linear actuator. The mobile member translates in a direction parallel to the fixed hinge axes, and is connected to the handling arms by a mechanical transmission having a respective guide-and-slide assembly for each handling arm.

Abstract: A rough mold of a machine for forming glass items is provided with a multifunctional group, which has a common support head; a handling device for moving the common head along a first handling axis; and a further handling device for rotating the common head about a second handling axis. The common head being fitted with a mold closing member for sealing the top opening of the rough mold, and at least one further operating member selectable from a funnel-shaped member for guiding at least one glass gob into the rough mold, a blowing member for blowing pressurized air into the rough mold, and one or more members for treating the inner surface of the rough mold.

Abstract: A transfer assembly for transferring glass articles from a supporting surface onto an unloading conveyor, wherein a pickup member, for engaging the articles for transfer, is hinged to one end of a first powered actuating rod, and is connected to one end of a second powered actuating rod movable independently of the first powered actuating rod to adjust the angular position of the pickup member about a movable hinge axis as the pickup member rotates between a pickup position and a release position in which the articles are released onto the unloading conveyor.

Abstract: On a glassware molding machine, a molten glass rope travelling in a feed direction is cut crosswise into at least one glass gob by supplying thermal energy to the cutting portion of the rope by means of a heating head, so as to locally alter the viscosity of the rope and detach the gob.

Abstract: A glassware manufacturing method and machine, whereby the inner surfaces of the molds of the various forming sections of the machine are treated using a common processing member, and the exhaust substances produced by the treatment are aspirated simultaneously with or at a predetermined time during the treatment by a suction device having at least one suction hood associated with the processing member.