Abstract: In one embodiment or aspect of the present disclosure, a glass slit cutter may include a body, a cutting wheel extending from the body and configured to cut a slit in a pane of glass, a reference wheel extending from the body and configured to guide the cutting wheel along the pane of glass. The cutting wheel and the reference wheel rotate about a common axis within the body.

Abstract: A lightweight vacuum pickup is constructed using a honeycomb platen as the sheet engaging member of the pickup. The cells of the honeycomb platen are selectively sealed to control the amount of vacuum drawn through the platen. When used to transfer heat softened glass sheets, the lower sheet engaging surface of the platen is sealed with a dense material cloth which restricts airflow therethrough. The cloth includes holes positioned within the periphery of the glass sheet to be engaged by the pickup.

Abstract: A travelling vacuum pickup is used to transfer heat softened glass sheets from a heating furnace to between a pair of vertically alignment pressing molds. The downstream movement of the pickup is synchronized with the downstream movement of the glass sheets to be engaged so that there is no relative downstream movement therebetween as the pickup lifts and engages the glass sheet.

Abstract: A press bending apparatus includes a shaping station having an upper mold with a shaping surface having a generally concave downward elevational configuration and a lower mold with an apertured shaping surface complementing the shaping surface of the upper mold. A vacuum shuttle transfers heat softened glass sheets from a heating furnace to the shaping station where it deposits the glass sheets on the lower vacuum mold. The glass sheet is shaped between the molds. A rotating arrangement rotates the lower mold and the shaped glass sheet held thereagainst by vacuum from a first position wherein the shaping surface of the lower mold faces upward to a second position wherein the shaping surface of the lower mold faces downward. The shaped glass sheet is then deposited on a tempering ring. A rotating arrangement maintains vacuum in the lower mold as the mold rotates.