Abstract: The present invention relates to a ring-like member for use in a glass sheet bending and tempering process most adapted to a process wherein a glass sheet is released from engagement against a vacuum mold of a shape having sharply bent regions about longitudinally spaced, transversely extending lines of relatively sharp bending onto said ring-like member. The vacuum mold has a distance between the sharply bent regions at operating conditions that either equals or is slightly less than the distance desired in the bent glass. In a preferred embodiment, the ring-like member is split into two shaping rails, which are separable to adjusted positions wherein the sharply bent regions are spaced to conform to the distance desired therebetween in the bent glass sheet.

Abstract: An improved apparatus including a localized heater that moves along the direction of conveyance with conveyed glass sheets to provide localized heating of a portion of each glass sheet to be bent without heating the rest of the glass sheet prior to its subsequent treatment. This invention is especially suitable for locally heating designated portions of glass sheets as they are heated while being conveyed through a furnace on a horizontal roller conveyor where the designated portion of glass sheets are to be formed with bends having relatively short radii of curvature at a bending station. The apparatus includes a pair of elongated localized gas heaters, each of which is positioned above the portion of the glass sheet which requires significant bending. These heaters are mounted on a carriage driven by a drive mechanism.

Abstract: Sheet glass is heated during conveyance within a furance housing having a fixed roof and vertically movable side doors that define side slots through which ends of conveyor rolls project outwardly to be supported and frictionally driven by continuous drive loops slidably driven over external support surfaces that extend alongside the side slots. A vacuum holder of the apparatus is positioned within the furnace housing above the conveyor and has a downwardly facing surface with spaced openings in which a vacuum is drawn to receive a glass sheet from the conveyor and support the sheet above the conveyor. The holder surface is disclosed as being both planar and curved and as having a porous cover of ceramic fibers so as to distribute the vacuum and prevent marring of the glass as it is supported. A greater vacuum is drawn to initially support the glass and a lesser vacuum is subsequently drawn to prevent glass deformation at the spaced openings.

Abstract: Sheet glass is heated during conveyance within a furnace housing having a fixed roof and vertically movable side doors that define side slots through which ends of conveyor rolls project outwardly to be supported and frictionally driven by continuous drive loops slidably driven over external support surfaces that extend alongside the side slots. A vacuum holder of the apparatus is positioned within the furnace housing above the conveyor and has a downwardly facing surface with spaced openings in which a vacuum is drawn to receive a glass sheet from the conveyor and support the sheet above the conveyor. The holder surface is disclosed as being both planar and curved and as having a porous cover of ceramic fibers so as to distribute the vacuum and prevent marring of the glass as it is supported. A greater vacuum is drawn to initially support the glass and a lesser vacuum is subsequently drawn to prevent glass deformation at the spaced openings.

Abstract: The present invention relates to shaping and tempering glass sheets using a pair of cooling stations and an access area with a common tunnel-like furnace and a common shaping station. The cooling stations are located near the common glass sheet shaping station along angularly diverging paths of movement from said shaping station so that a first cooling station for chilling a glass sheet bent about an axis of curvature approximately parallel to its initial path of movement through the furnace is located along an extension of the path and a second cooling station for chilling a glass sheet bent about an axis substantially normal to the path of glass sheet movement through the furnace is located to one side of said shaping station and said access area is located to the other side of said shaping station. The access area permits ready change of shaping molds at the shaping station.

Abstract: A flat glass sheet of a given outline configuration is supported in a shaping station by a combination of a gas hearth bed portion and readily replaceable flat plate means comprising spaced plates having spaced edges of conforming shape that define an elongated slot conforming to the outline shape of at least a portion of the periphery of the flat glass sheet. The gas support bed portion provides hot gas under pressure to float the flat glass, and the flat plate means is located in close proximity to an end of the gas hearth bed portion to provide a narrow space at the level of the gas hearth bed portion for escaping gas between the flat plate means and the extending glass sheet portion to limit sag of the extending glass sheet portion. The flat plate means may be covered by material that does not mar hot glass, such as boron nitride, in case the glass sheet portion sags a limited distance to slide in contact with the flat plate means before it is lifted on a shaped, ring-like member.

Abstract: This invention concerns shaping sheets of glass or other deformable material to compound shapes. A sheet having a desired transverse component of curvature engages the downward facing surface of a deformable vacuum mold having a lower transversely curved wall and is held thereagainst by vacuum while still hot enough to be distorted as the vacuum mold deforms to apply the longitudinal bending component to the sheet to be shaped.

Abstract: The method of the invention provides a thin film deposit of a binary glass for use in integrated circuits which binary glass has a softening or flow point far below temperatures at which glasses normally used in connection with integrated circuits flow. After the binary glass has been deposited (on a semiconductor substrate), it is heated and reflowed. Preferably the glass comprises a mixture of germanium dioxide and silicon dioxide wherein the germanium dioxide is no greater than approximately 50 mole percent of the mixture. Phosphorus is added to the glass film for passivation of the underlying devices.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for press bending glass sheets into nonsymmetrical shapes including opposed press rings having complementary nonsymmetrical shaping surfaces, one of said press rings having a displaceable segment forming a part of the shaping rail to clamp the sheet against the opposed shaping rail and avoid drifting of the sheet relative to said shaping rails.

Abstract: A glass sheet bending system (10) is disclosed as including a compressed gas bending unit (28) located above a horizontal conveyor (22) on which glass sheets are heated within a furnace (12) of the system. A downwardly facing curved surface (26) of a holder (24) above conveyor (22) receives a heated glass sheet from the conveyor for bending. Compressed gas fed through outlets (34) of the bending unit (28) provides inclined gas jets directed in a generally perpendicular relationship to the holder surface (26) with a sufficient intensity to bend the glass sheet on the holder (24) to the curved shape of its surface. The conveyor (22) of the system is preferably of the roller type including spaced rolls (36) and the bending unit (28) is disclosed as including a pair of supply conduits (48) extending upwardly between the rolls to supply compressed gas to a pair of delivery conduits (52) which define the outlets (34).

Abstract: This invention relates to shaping glass sheets by roll forming to either simple or complex curvatures about a single axis of bending or to compound curvatures comprising components of curvature about mutually perpendicular axes of bending by a controlled, repeatable program of roll forming without causing the glass sheets to stop their forward movement during their shaping. The apparatus used to perform this process has a minimum of moving parts, thus minimizing maintenance problems and reducing downtime for maintenance and repair.

Abstract: The geometric pattern for the support framework is obtained by projecting a subdivided icosahedron onto a parabolic surface. The resulting framework has forty primary planar triangular faces or sections, each of which are, in the embodiment shown, subdivided equally into 4 secondary planar triangular sections. At the dead center of the framework pattern is the outline of a pentagon, formed of five equal-size triangular sections. The framework terminates in a rim which lies completely in a single plane. Triangular reflecting members, which comprise the reflecting surface portion of the apparatus, are supported interiorly of the framework by standoff elements. Intermediate along each edge of the reflecting members is a tensioning element which bends the reflecting member so that the intermediate edge points, as well as the vertices of each reflecting member, lie on the surface of an imaginary paraboloid, the reflecting members thus approximating a parabolic curve.

Abstract: Engage a glass sheet having a painted border portion on one surface between press bending molds of different outline size in such a manner as to avoid having either mold contact the painted border portion and stick to the paint to distort the shaped glass on retracting the molds.

Abstract: The method is characterized by moulding at least one slab of a thermoplastic, normally solid material under heat treatment against a matrix having a form substantially matching that of the final mirror to form a shell (6) introducing into the shell a material selected from the group consisting of; (1) glass bubbles of a thermoplastic, normally solid material; (2) a composition of a powder of a thermoplastic, normally solid material together with an expanding agent, and; (3) mixtures thereof, and bringing the glass bubbles and the powder particles of the composition resp., the latter after expansion, to adhere, on one hand to each other, and on the other to the shell to form a porous supporting structure. The mirror blank according to the invention comprises a shell (6) of a thermoplastic, normally solid material and a supporting structure of the material in said group filling the shell, the glass bubbles and the powder particles resp. being attached to each other and to the shell.

Abstract: Sheet glass is heated during conveyance within a furnace housing having a fixed roof and vertically movable side doors that define side slots through which ends of conveyor rolls project outwardly to be supported and frictionally driven by continuous drive loops slidably driven over external support surfaces that extend alongside the side slots. A vacuum holder of the apparatus is positioned within the furnace housing above the conveyor and has a downwardly facing surface with spaced openings in which a vacuum is drawn to receive a glass sheet from the conveyor and support the sheet above the conveyor. The holder surface is disclosed as being both planar and curved and as having a porous cover of ceramic fibers so as to distribute the vacuum and prevent marring of the glass as it is supported. A greater vacuum is drawn to initially support the glass and a lesser vacuum is subsequently drawn to prevent glass deformation at the spaced openings.

Abstract: A method of handling a glass part to be treated and shaped in a hot liquid bath of a composition having a melting point greater than ambient temperature comprises the steps of: placing at least one glass part on at least one flexible porous member suspended by its edges; immersing the glass part, flexible member and a form in the hot bath; drawing the immersed glass part against the form by pulling the edges of the flexible porous member over the form; removing the form, glass part and flexible member from the bath as a unit, whereupon the glass and a portion of the bath composition hardens, the bath composition clinging to the glass and porous member; removing the form from the glass; and, removing the flexible porous member, and essentially all of the bath composition clinging to the glass. Protection for the glass and further ease of handling are provided where a second flexible porous member is placed between the glass and the form.

Abstract: This invention relates to heat treating glass sheets, and particularly relates to shaping and tempering a glass sheet comprising a step of supporting the sheet while heat softened with its upper surface against a glass sheet holder. In order to minimize surface distortion resulting from the heat-softened glass sheet replicating any surface deficiencies in the holder such as surface blemishes if the sheet is forced against a continuous surface by an upward flow of gas pressure, or those resulting from perforations through the bottom wall of the holder if the holder is of the vacuum type that holds the glass sheet thereagainst by suction, the present invention interposes a soft, fluffy, porous cover of fiber glass fabric, perferably knit fabric composed of texturized yarns between the upper surface of the glass sheet and the glass sheet holder.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus (12) for deep bending glass sheets disclosed provides minimal sliding of the glass sheet with respect to a curved bending mold (44) utilized, insures accurate positioning of the glass sheet on the mold for bending to the desired shape, and permits relatively abrupt end bends to be performed. A heated glass sheet (G) is initially supported against a downwardly facing surface (26) of a holder (24) above the curved bending mold (44) which has an upwardly concave shape. An upward gas flow (49) from a gas supply unit (48) at a central portion (50) of the glass sheet (G) is supplied and continued as opposite extremities (52) of the glass sheet are released and dropped downwardly onto the mold. Thereafter, termination of the upward gas flow (49) from the gas supply unit (48) releases the central portion (50) of the glass sheet (G) for bending on the mold (44). After the bending, a mold is moved to a quench unit (22) for tempering of the bent glass sheet.

Abstract: A tong supporting carriage is provided with an elongated tong support member having elongated slots with low friction bearing means for supporting in free sliding and rotating relation a vertical rod having a clevis attached to its lower end. A lever arm having tongs suspended freely on tong suspension points on opposite sides of said clevis is attached to the clevis intermediate its ends. When two pairs of tongs are used to grip a glass sheet to be bent about a vertical axis of bending, the tong suspension points move with the tongs gripping localized portions of the upper edge of the glass sheet and pivot the vertical rod, which slides longitudinally toward the other vertical rod as the distance between points subtended by the vertical rods on the glass sheet decreases as the glass sheet bends about a vertical axis. Kinking of the glass in the vicinity of the tong gripping points is thus minimized.

Abstract: In the shaping of sheets of heat-softenable material such as glass and other deformable materials, a hot sheet engages an apertured lower sheet of a deformable vacuum box while the sheet and the box are flat and conforms to the changing shape of the box. Since the box intermittently engages a hot deformable sheet for shaping and releases the deformed sheet after shaping, its lower apertured sheet is exposed to a wide temperature cycle, which causes the lower apertured sheet to warp away from the shape desired for the deformable sheet. The present invention provides structure for the deformable box that avoids such warpage while retaining the ability of the box to maintain sufficient vacuum to hold and distort the hot sheet while the box changes shape into its desired configuration with minimum warpage therefrom so that the hot sheet develops a desired curved configuration while held thereagainst during deformation of the box.

Abstract: Bending and tempering of a glass sheet is achieved in that the glass sheet is submitted to the tempering phase while still being placed, as in the forming phase, on a forming ring integral with a frame which holds the latter, in order to maintain the previously formed shape unaltered. Vertical upward and downward movement is achieved both in the forming zone and in the glass sheet discharge zone by means of a rotating coupling device which supports the frame with forming ring and the glass sheet placed thereupon. Means are provided for conveying the frame with integral forming ring in the horizontal direction from the forming zone to the subsequent tempering and discharge zones, and other overlying similar means are provided to return the frame and forming ring from the discharge zone to the forming zone. A passageway or chamber is formed in the upper nozzle section of the tempering zone, through which may pass the frame and forming ring, as well as their horizontal driving members during the return traverse.

Abstract: A method of producing a curved glass sheet having a colored coating layer formed in a selected region, such as a marginal region in the case of a window glass for the rear window of an automobile, by applying a coloring agent comprising inorganic pigment and glass frit of a low melting temperature onto a flat glass sheet surface, heating the glass sheet and press-bending the heat-softened glass sheet while the applied coloring agent is in fused state. As a novel feature, the coloring agent comprises alumina powder which adheres to the surfaces of the glass frit particles until fusion of the glass frit on the glass sheet surface. The presence of alumina powder prevents a shaping tool pressed against the glass sheet from adhering to the fused layer of the coloring agent.

Abstract: Polarized ophthalmic glass lenses are made from conventional ophthalmic glass. This is accomplished by heating a sheet of ophthalmic glass, which includes a reducible metal oxide as part of its composition, to its softening point in a reducing atmosphere for a time interval sufficient to reduce the metal oxide to metal to a predetermined depth on at least one surface of the sheet. Following this reduction of the metal oxide, the sheet is held at an elevated temperature to permit the reduced oxides to nucleate. Then, the sheet is stretched in one direction to elongate the nucleated metal particles in parallel lines. The glass then is shaped, cut into lenses, permitted to cool, and the outer surface of the lens blanks are ground and polished in a conventional manner, leaving the stretched elongated metal particles on the inner surface thereof to create polarized ophthalmic lenses.

Abstract: A flexible radiant energy reflecting surface, including a laminate composed of a metal ply, a glass ply having a front face and a rear face, the glass ply being bonded over its entire rear face to the metal ply, in an inter-ply bond, and a radiant-energy reflecting surface associated with one of the plies. The relative thicknesses of the glass and metal plies, the moduli of elasticity of the glass and metal plies, and the efficiency of the inter-ply bond are such that the rear face of the glass ply is not subjected to tensile stresses when the laminate is flexed, within the elastic limit of the metal, such that the front face of the glass ply has a concave curvature of a radius of 10 meters.

Abstract: In a mold for shaping an apertured glass sheet comprising a shaping plate having a heat capacity more than that of the glass sheet per unit area and a shaping surface complementary to that desired for the glass sheet, areas having less heat capacity per unit area than that of the shaping plate are preferably obtained by cutting apertures in the shaping plate. These apertures or low heat capacity areas are located in the shaping plate in position to face corresponding apertures of the glass sheet to be shaped. When the shaping is performed by press bending the sheet between a pair of molds, preferably both press bending molds of press bending apparatus are apertured. The apertures or areas of low heat capacity in the molds are preferably slightly larger than the apertures in the glass sheet undergoing shaping to improve the stress pattern around the peripheral portion of the glass sheet apertures.

Abstract: Shaping a glass sheet between pressing molds of complementary curvature while the glass sheet moves continuously from a furnace exit to a cooling area by moving the molds synchronously with the glass sheet and simultaneously toward and away from one another in such a manner that their relative orientation to one another is not changed during glass sheet engagement.

Abstract: For the manufacture of formed parts made of glass, as for example, grill gratings or grease pans for kitchenstoves, a piece of plate glass that is cut to size is placed on a mold which corresponds to the shape of the desired piece of glass; and is heated. In order to prevent a premature lowering of the softening piece of plate glass, during the softening process, it is supported by a gas cushion.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for press bending sheets into complex shapes including at least one press member of outline or ring-type construction having a plurality of shaping pads mounted within the outline of the shaping ring in combination with configurated conveyor rolls for preliminarily bending a heat-softened glass sheet prior to final bending into the ultimately desired configuration.

Abstract: Shaping sheets of heat-softenable material while suspended from cable means.

Abstract: An automotive back window for flush glazing is manufactured by subsurface scoring a glass sheet to define an automotive back window blank in the sheet surrounded by sheet supporting glass portions. An endless band of ceramic paste is silk screened over the score as screen portions beyond the screen pattern are supported by the supporting glass portions. The sheet is thereafter baked to remove volatiles in the paste, the supporting glass portions removed from the blank and the blank having the baked pattern is bent and/or tempered.

Abstract: Glass sheets are shaped while heat-softened by engaging a surface thereof against an apertured surface of a vacuum mold within a heating furnace. After releasing the glass sheet for further processing, the vacuum mold is removed from the furnace without the glass sheet for cooling and returned to the furnace in sufficient time to engage the next glass sheet to be shaped. This invention avoids the need to overheat the glass to compensate for cooling that occurs when a mold engages a glass sheet outside a furnace to shape the latter without losing control of the maximum temperature to which the mold is subjected during a glass sheet shaping program.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for bending sheets in the plastic state, such as sheets of glass at their softening temperature, in two directions. The apparatus comprises a first bed of arcuate rods which can be positioned to impart a transverse curvature to the sheet and a second bed of arcuate rods which can be positioned to impart a longitudinal curvature to the sheet. Advantageously the bending is performed in a heated enclosure at a temperature at least equal to that at which the sheet is later tempered.

Abstract: Apparatus for shaping glass sheets to a complicated shape including a longitudinal component of bend and a complicated transverse component of bend within a tunnel-like lehr. An outline mold with guides for aligning one or more glass sheets for proper orientation and alignment thereon supports the glass while the glass is bent by gravity sagging to provide a longitudinal component of bend and to deliver the sag bent glass to a position between upper and lower pressing molds having complementary shaping surfaces conforming to a complicated bend including a complicated transverse bend component. Special alignment means are provided to orient and align the outline mold relative to said pressing molds so that the lower pressing mold can lift the sag bent glass off the outline mold into engagement with the upper pressing mold to impress the transverse bend component and return the glass with its complicated shape to the outline mold for controlled cooling and removal from the lehr.

Abstract: A method for bending glass sheets is provided wherein glass is heated just to the softening point in a molten salt bath, then mechanically forced around a cylindrical or conical form using a forming member which hinges to follow the glass sheet onto the form, thereby maintaining the optical characteristics of the glass sheet by avoiding exertion of force along the plane of the glass sheet.The apparatus for use with the invention comprises a forming member which maintains contact with the part being formed at the same spot throughout the forming operation, means for supporting the part, and means for actuation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a bent plate glass using a forming bed, in which a plate glass mounted on the forming bed is locally heated along a heating line whereby the plate glass is locally softened, after first heating the entire flat plate glass. The heating line is positioned offset from a desired bending line and curved outwardly therefrom whereby the heating line becomes coincident with the desired bending line due to transformation of the initial heating line as the plate glass deforms under its own weight as it is heated to softening temperature.

Abstract: In press bending glass sheets delivered while heat-softened into a shaping station between an upper vacuum mold and a lower lifting mold wherein the glass sheet is first lifted on said lifting mold, transferred by suction to said vacuum mold, lifted while engaged by said vacuum mold to provide clearance for entry of a ring-like member to a position below said vacuum mold, stopping the suction in said vacuum mold to drop said glass sheet onto said ring-like member and removing said glass sheet from said shaping station while supported on said ring-like member, the rate of production is increased by lowering said vacuum mold into a parking position closely adjacent to the uppermost position permitted for said lifting mold to provide clearance for delivering a succeeding glass sheet to said shaping station and reducing the vertical distance needed to lift the glass sheet to a position where it can be transferred by suction to the vacuum mold once the ring-like member clears said shaping station.

Abstract: A glass sheet is suspended from a series of tongs which grip the upper margin of the sheet and apply individual forces at the gripping locations at least some of which have components acting out of the plane of the sheet. The magnitude and direction of each of said forces is selected to ensure that the suspended sheet, when at forming temperature, adapts towards a predetermined curved shape. The sheet may be bent with the forces acting at the gripping points before and/or after bending, and the sheet adopts the required curved shape when it is sufficiently stiffened to be influenced by the remanent forces applied at the gripping points.

Abstract: Heat-softened glass sheets are shaped by being lifted by vacuum drawn through a platen and then dropped onto a shaping mold. The dropping of the glass sheets is assisted by rapidly replacing the vacuum in the platen with super-atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: Glass sheets are shaped while heat-softened by engaging a surface thereof against an apertured surface of a deformable vacuum mold and deforming the vacuum mold while maintaining the heat-softened glass sheet in vacuum engagement thereagainst.

Abstract: Hydraulic fluid actuated pistons are operatively connected to shaping molds used to shape glass sheets by moving the molds between a glass-engaging position and a retracted position. The piston is movably mounted within a piston cylinder to form two chambers. Hydraulic fluid is applied under pressure alternately to one or the other chamber to actuate movement of the piston and the glass sheet shaping mold connected to the piston. When hydraulic fluid is applied under pressure, it tends to become heated to a temperature at which the hydraulic fluid carbonizes and/or foams. Either of these occurrences reduces the efficiency of the hydraulic fluid to actuate uniform piston motion.

Abstract: Applying a boron nitride composition to a flexible fiber glass fabric cover for a press bending mold for shaping heat-softened glass sheets having a portion painted with a composition consisting essentially of a finely divided frit-pigment mixture by impregnating at least the portion of the cover that engages the painted portion of the glass sheet reduces the likelihood of marking the press bent glass sheet in unwanted regions. In addition, such impregnation facilitates removing the press bending molds from the press bent glass sheet when the press bending molds are separated after engaging the heat-softened glass sheet.

Abstract: In shaping a pair of glass sheets simultaneously to a complicated shape including a longitudinal component of bend and a complicated transverse component of bend such as one that is S-shaped in elevation or other complicated shapes, the pair is sag bent in unison on an outline mold to sag bend the sheets to a shape approximating their longitudinal component of bend, then the pair of sag bent sheets is lifted on a solid mold having a complicated shape including said complicated transverse component of bend to impress said transverse component of bend (into engagement with an upper pressing mold of complementary curvature, if needed) and supported on said solid mold for the minimum time sufficient to develop said complicated shape.

Abstract: An apparatus wherein each glass plate is arranged between a male mold and female mold and is successively intermittently moved through a heating molding chamber and the male mold is depressed and undepressed whenever the glass plate stops in a fixed position in the heating molding chamber to quickly and continuously produce Braun tubes of an accurate shape.

Abstract: This invention relates to securing a cover of flexible material such as fiber glass cloth tightly against a shaping surface of a solid mold used to shape glass sheets. The securing means is located within the outline of the solid mold to avoid having cover attachment means beyond the solid mold outline. This permits the use of a solid mold of maximum size compared to that of an outline mold when glass sheets are shaped by a process that requires the solid mold to pass through a position occupied by an outline mold.

Abstract: When glass sheets are shaped by a bending method in which the glass is first shaped to a longitudinal component of bend by gravity sagging onto an outline mold followed by press bending against a solid lower shaping mold to complete the bend which includes a complicated transverse component of bend, a particular speed cycle is provided to lift and lower the lower shaping mold to minimize the duration of the shaping cycle and to minimize the chance of misaligning the glass relative to the outline mold during transfer of the glass from the outline mold to the lower shaping mold and its return to the outline mold. This speed cycle includes a rapid initial lifting speed and final lowering speed of the lower shaping mold while it is out of contact with the glass and a lower speed of lifting and lowering when the lower shaping mold contacts and supports the glass.

Abstract: Shaping glass sheets by lifting a heat-softened glass sheet on a lower mold having an upwardly facing surface defining a given sharpness of bend and transferring said glass sheet by suction to an upper vacuum mold having a downwardly facing shaping surface defining a lesser sharpness of bend. Optionally, a ring-like member defining a sharpness of bend that may be equal to, less severe, or more severe than that defined by the upper vacuum mold moves between the molds when the latter are separated to impose a shape in the glass sheet that is correlated with the shape defined by the ring-like member. The ring-like member is used to support the glass sheet for rapid cooling if the glass sheet is to be tempered. Only the ring-like member need be changed when a change in production pattern is made.

Abstract: Shaping a tong-gripped glass sheet between pressing molds of complementary curvature while the glass sheet moves continuously from a furnace exit to a cooling area by moving the molds synchronously with the glass sheet and simultaneously toward and away from one another in such a manner that their relative orientation to one another is not changed during glass sheet engagement. When the mold movement is so controlled, there is less danger of twisting the tongs, which may damage the glass, the tongs and/or the molds, than when the mold orientation is changed during glass engagement.

Abstract: An energy saving method for the bending of glass sheets is disclosed. A sheet of glass is heated in an oven, conveyed to a curving form which includes a plurality of arched rods for imparting a desired curvature to the glass sheet, and finally the curved glass is tempered. The glass is heated in the oven to a first temperature that is only about 10.degree. C. greater than the required temperature of the glass at the commencement of the tempering step. Heat loss from the glass between the steps of heating and tempering is minimized by the disclosed apparatus which comprises a thermally insulating enclosure as well as means for cooling the rods.

Abstract: Heat-softened glass sheets are held by a flat vacuum platen and dropped onto a shaping mold to impart the desired curvature to the glass sheet.

Abstract: Heat softened glass sheets are held by a flat vacuum platen, portions of the glass sheet are pre-shaped by auxiliary shaping means while the glass sheet is being held, and then the glass sheet is dropped onto a shaping mold to impart the complete desired curvature to the glass sheet.