Abstract: Glass sheet bending apparatus (20) including at least one deformable mold (22) has a linkage (26) that extends between mold members (24) and includes connector links (28) fixed to the mold members and having pivotal connections (32) to each other about axes that extend parallel to the glass sheet throughout the bending, and the linkage also has control links (34) that have pivotal connections (36) about axes that extend perpendicular to the glass sheet throughout the bending as well as having universal connections (38) to each other such that the linkage moves the mold members for bending with a constant radius of curvature. The bending apparatus (20) preferably has a pair of the deformable molds (22,44) that are arranged in lower and upper locations and have respective linkages (26,48) as well as having the mold members (24,46) thereof provided with quench openings (66) through which quenching gas is supplied to quench the bent glass sheet for heat strengthening or tempering.

Abstract: A glass sheet bending method is performed by apparatus (20) including at least one deformable mold (22) has a linkage (26) that extends between mold members (24) and includes connector links (28) fixed to the mold members and having pivotal connections (32) to each other about axes that extend parallel to the glass sheet throughout the bending, and the linkage also has control links (34) that have pivotal connections (36) about axes that extend perpendicular to the glass sheet throughout the bending as well as having universal connections (38) to each other such that the linkage moves the mold members for bending with a constant radius of curvature. The bending apparatus (20) preferably has a pair of the deformable molds (22,44) that are arranged in lower and upper locations and have respective linkages (26,48) as well as having the mold members (24,46) thereof provided with quench openings (66) through which quenching gas is supplied to quench the bent glass sheet for heat strengthening or tempering.

Abstract: Glass sheet bending apparatus (20) including at least one deformable mold (22) has a linkage (26) that extends between mold members (24) and includes connector links (28) fixed to the mold members and having pivotal connections (32) to each other about axes that extend parallel to the glass sheet throughout the bending, and the linkage also has control links (34) that have pivotal connections (36) about axes that extend perpendicular to the glass sheet throughout the bending as well as having universal connections (38) to each other such that the linkage moves the mold members for bending with a constant radius of curvature. The bending apparatus (20) preferably has a pair of the deformable molds (22,44) that are arranged in lower and upper locations and have respective linkages (26,48) as well as having the mold members (24,46) thereof provided with quench openings (66) through which quenching gas is supplied to quench the bent glass sheet for heat strengthening or tempering.

Abstract: A roller conveyor furnace (12) for heating flat glass sheets has top and bottom heating arrays (28,30) respectively located above and below the plane of conveyance with each heating array including a plurality of elongated heaters (32,34) extending parallel to the direction of conveyance and spaced laterally from each other with respect to the direction of conveyance. The top heating array (28) has one more heater (32) than the number of heaters (34) of the bottom heating array (30) and the bottom heaters (34) are located in a laterally staggered relationship with respect to the top heaters such that each bottom heater is located laterally between a pair of top heaters. A control (36) energizes the top and bottom heating arrays (28,30) to heat each bottom heater (34) only when the two top heaters 32 on opposite lateral sides thereof are heated to thereby prevent excessive lateral edge heating of the conveyed glass sheet.

Abstract: The present invention provides a glass bending device including an oven and a mold within the oven having a number of parallel horizontally extending pipes supported by at least two template plates. A number of parallel horizontally extending heating elements are suspended over the mold and can be raised or lowered by raising or lowering a template which acts on cables attached to the suspended heating elements. The second template causes the overall cross-sectional shape of the suspended heating elements to be the same as or the opposite of the shape of the second template.

Abstract: The present invention provides a glass bending mold including at least two vertical template plates mounted in an oven frame by fixing devices. The vertical template plates define the shape of glass bent in the bending mold and include recesses along an upper edge thereof. On top of the templates are laid horizontally extending pipes for supporting glass to be bent. The pipes are received by said recesses in the template plates and are supported by the template plates. One end of each of the pipes extends out of the oven through apertures in one wall of said oven. A lever device moves the pipes back and forth to rock the pipes in the recesses while glass to be bent is lowered on the pipes.

Abstract: The present invention provides a heating, bending and cooling system for glass, which comprises a horizontally-standing bending mold located in an oven. The mold includes two or more hollow supporting elements which are separated from each other. At least one of the ends of each of the supporting elements extends out of the chamber of the oven through a plate. The upper part of the chamber of the oven includes at least one hollow upper element which acts as a heating and cooling element which can be lowered to a position above the supporting elements. The supporting elements not only support a glass sheet placed thereon but also bend the glass sheet when it is heated. The supporting elements also act as heating elements and cooling elements. In addition, the supporting elements are oscillated to keep the surfaces of the supporting elements touching the glass in constant motion.

Abstract: A drive mechanism (32) for a roller conveyor (28) of a furnace (12) for heating flat glass sheets includes a primary drive loop (34) received by primary drive wheels (36) and also includes a plurality of secondary drive loops (50) each of which is associated with a pair of conveyor rolls (30). Internal teeth (42) of the primary drive loop (34) and external teeth (52) of the secondary drive loops (50) are engaged to provide a driving relationship therebetween, while internal teeth (54) of the secondary drive loops (50) drive gears (56) secured to the conveyor rolls (30). A plurality of idler gears (64) mesh with the external teeth (54) of the secondary drive loops (50) to maintain tensioning that prevents backlash and provides uniform reversal of all conveyor rolls as the driving changes from one direction to the other as well as allowing the conveyor rolls to be positioned with their high sides aligned so as to maintain planarity during the conveyance.

Abstract: A preheater (12) preheating flat glass sheets prior to further heating to a higher temperature is disclosed as including a conveyor (18) and a pair of opposed forced convection heaters (20) that each include a plurality of elongated housings (22) having a baffle (30) that extends diagonally between the housing ends (26) and is spaced from outlets (28) of the housing to provide a mixing chamber (32) that results in mixing of hot gas supplied from opposite directions to plenum of the housing. This mixing provides a uniform flow of hot gas through the outlets (28) between the housing ends and thereby provides uniform preheating of the glass sheet over its entire extent.

Abstract: A glass bending and tempering apparatus including a bending and tempering section, a deformable glass support device and a device for quenching a glass sheet is disclosed. The deformable glass support device is deformable from a substantially flat configuration to a configuration having a desired curvature. The device for quenching a glass sheet is conformable to the curvature of the support device during deformation of the support device. The apparatus also includes a mechanism for blowing air that is vertically movable relative to the support device.

Abstract: The invention relates to an adjusting device for the blast pressure in cooling nozzles of a glass tempering apparatus, said device comprising at least two blowers each with its own vane adjuster, blast ducts between the blowers and an air-distribution chamber, and a bypass duct linking the blast ducts. Between blast duct and air-distribution chamber downstream of by-pass duct there is fitted a throttle valve, which is in a throttle position when one blower is running with its vane adjuster partly or completely open. Thus, merely by adjusting said vane adjusters it is possible to cover a pressure range of 5-7000 Pa which is sufficient for glass thicknesses of 4-19 mm.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of bending a glass sheet to be tempered as well as to a glass sheets bending and tempering apparatus. An array of conveyor rollers in a glass sheets bending and tempering section is adapted to be curved around an axis of curvature transverse to the traveling direction in a manner that, beginning from a horizontal plane, the plane of a roller line curves with a continuously diminishing radius of curvature until the final radius of curvature is reached. During the curving process, the tangent of the mid-portion of a curved conveyor section is maintained substantially in a horizontal plane. Thus, each point in a glass sheet curves substantially at the same rate over the entire glass sheet area and, hence, local rapid deformations do not occur. During the curving process, a glass sheet is maintained in motion by means of the rollers of a curved roller conveyor.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of carrying glass sheets during heating and tempering as well as to a tempering apparatus for glass sheets, in which the method is applied. During heating, glass sheets are oscillated in a furnace (2) back and forth in a manner that the traveling distance forward on at least some of the reciprocating strokes is longer than the traveling distance backwards, whereby the transportation of each load of glass sheets from the upstream end of a furnace to the downstream end of a furnace occurs by means of the combined effect of several forward-directed long strokes. Shifting of a load of glass sheets from furnace into tempering section is effected by extending the forward-directed stroke of a load of glass sheets at the downstream end of said furnace while at the same time other loads of glass sheets in the furnace reverse for a backwards-directed stroke.

Abstract: The invention relates to an end cap for a ceramic spool as well as to a method of and device for mounting it on the end of such a spool. The quill portion (5) of an end cap is divided by means of slits (9) into strips (10), the first ends of which are rigidly connected to a ring (12) formed by the open quill end and the other ends are rigidly connected to a flange (13) closing the other quill end, with a stub axle (6) projecting from said flange. Provided in the middle of strips (10) are threaded holes (11). The annular jacket (7) of said auxiliary device (3) can be fitted around said end cap quill (5) with a small annular clearance remaining therebetween. The annular jacket (7) is circumferentially provided with holes (17) with screws (18) extending therethrough and engageable in threaded holes (11). By turning screws (18), said strips (10) can be bent outwards so as to fit the spool end (4) inside quill (5).

Abstract: The invention relates to a support frame for a resistor element in a heating furnace for glass sheets, said flame providing a substantially continuously extending, elongated rest surface for a resistor element. The support frame elements consist of trough-like castings and are fastened to each other in an articulated manner. The short frame elements are easy to cast and can be assembled into long continuous support frames for resistor elements, the thermal stresses of said frames not passing over the link points. A long continuous support frame structure makes it accordingly possible to employ resistor elements that are long and continuous and thus readily replaceable.

Abstract: The invention relates to a resistor element assembly for a glass sheet heating furnace and to a method of replacing a resistor element. A resistor element is built by placing successively in longitudinal direction ceramic elements, with a resistance wire wound therearound. Between the ceramic elements are fitted ceramic spacer blocks whose diameter exceeds that of the resistance wire coils. The resistor element is carried by a support frame upon the spacer blocks. A problem to be resolved is to provide a long resistor element, wherein the major variations in length between the components of various materials caused by major temperature variations do not produce deformations in resistance wires. This problem has been resolved by fitting between one end of the support frame and the corresponding end of the resistor element a tensioned spring which compresses the resistor element at all operating temperatures against a limit stop at the other end of the support frame.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of driving a glass tempering system and to a glass tempering system for carrying out the method. The main components of the system are a loading section, a heating furnace, a quench and cooling section and an unloading section. The sections are provided with conveyors, which are made of horizontal rollers and can be driven in unison or separately. The furnace and quench and cooling section conveyors are provided with a common drive mechanism for driving the conveyors either at the same rate of speed or for permitting stoppage of the quench and cooling section conveyor. Instead of stopping the quench and cooling section conveyor, it can be coupled to the common drive mechanism through a reduction gear to effect a very slow movement after the quenching is finished and a glass sheet load is being cooled to a handling temperature.