Abstract: A succession of glass sheets are processed, for example by heating, bending and toughening in the production of windshield glasses. Each glass sheet is suspended vertically in an elongated furnace from a transport member, and when hot is lifted from the furnace into the lowermost of a vertical series of treatment stations, for example a bending station followed by a toughening station, by a lifting device which engages the transport member. Subsequently the transport member is supported independently of the lifting device at a level above the furnace so that the lifting device can then be lowered to lift the next glass sheet from the furnace.