Abstract: A suction mold has a central suction chamber having a flat shaping surface area and a pair of opposite side suction chambers disposed one on each side of the central suction chamber and having respective curved shaping surface areas. First, a vacuum is developed in the central suction chamber to attract a central area of the sheet of glass against the flat shaping surface area thereof, and then a vacuum is developed in the opposite side suction chambers to attract opposite side areas of the sheet of glass respectively against the curved shaping surface areas.

Abstract: A glass sheet that has been heated nearly to a softening point thereof is preliminarily bent by a conveyor roll device while being fed along a feed path to a bending press. The conveyor roll device has a succession of first straight rolls spaced along the feed path for supporting a central region of the glass sheet, and a succession of second straight rolls spaced along the feed path for supporting a marginal edge portion of the glass sheet. The second straight rolls are vertically tilted through progressively differing angles, respectively, along the feed path with respect to the first straight rolls. The first and second straight rolls alternate with each other along the feed path.

Abstract: A glass sheet that has been heated nearly to a softening point thereof is preliminarily bent by a conveyor roll device while being fed along a feed path to a bending press. The conveyor roll device has a succession of first straight rolls spaced along the feed path for supporting a central region of the glass sheet, and a succession of second straight rolls spaced along the feed path for supporting a marginal edge portion of the glass sheet. The second straight rolls are vertically tilted through progressively differing angles, respectively, along the feed path with respect to the first straight rolls. The first and second straight rolls alternate with each other along the feed path.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a curved glass sheet has a glass sheet conveyor mechanism for conveying a glass sheet heated up to its softening point in a heating furnace, and a mold assembly disposed downstream of the heating station with respect to a direction in which the glass sheet is conveyed by the conveyor mechanism, for curving the glass sheet to prescribed curvature. The glass sheet conveyor mechanism includes a pair of fixed rails extending in the glass sheet conveyance direction, a pair of movable rails disposed outwardly of and extending parallel to the fixed rails, the movable rails being movable transversely of the glass sheet conveyance direction, and traveling assemblies guided by the fixed rails for movement between a "standby position" where the softened glass sheet is received from the heating furnace and a "transfer position" where the glass sheet is transferred into the mold assembly.