Abstract: A process for producing coated, single twist glass yarns which comprises drawing a plurality of fibers formed from fibers of molten glass, applying to the fibers a sizing comprising a thermoplastic, thermosetting or photosetting composition, gathering the coated fibers into a yarn, imparting a continuous rotative twisting movement to the coated yarn and curing the coated yarn so as to polymerize and/or crosslink the sizing coating. An apparatus for performing this process comprises a spinneret having a plurality of nozzles or orifices from which fibers of molten glass are discharged; means for drawing a plurality of glass fibers from the spinneret; at least one coating applicator for applying the sizing coating to the glass fibers; guide means for gathering the coated fibers into a yarn; means for imparting a single twist to the coated yarn, such as a strap spindle device and means for curing the sizing coating wherein the coating is crosslinked and/or polymerized.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for moving a glass mass, such as a glass sheet in horizontal attitude through a bending section of a heating oven. The glass sheet at a deformation temperature is imparted movement along the conveyor system including a plurality of rollers, and a gaseous flow at high temperature, having a flow speed which varies continuously across the width of the glass sheet, impinges on its lower surface to at least partially balance the weight of the glass sheet in regions requiring good optical quality.

Abstract: Ion exchangeable glass compositions containing from 50 to 90 mole percent GeO.sub.2, from 5 to 30 mole percent Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, from 3 to 30 mole percent Li.sub.2 O, up to 30 mole percent Na.sub.2 O and up to 30 mole percent K.sub.2 O are provided. In another aspect, minor amounts of anhydrous fluorides and chlorides corresponding to these oxides are added to the glass compositions to aid in water removal. Glass articles formed of the germanate glass compositions of the present invention are readily ion exchangeable when contacted with certain salts. Strengthened germanate glass articles are also provided having an inner tension region and an outer compressive surface layer which provide good mechanical strength for the formed glass article. The strengthened germanate glass articles are made using the ion exchangeable germanate glass compositions of the present invention.

Abstract: A silicone-based composite coating system for a glass optical fiber, the system comprising a silicone polymer undercoating component and a silicone-polyimide block copolymer overcoating component, is provided. The coating system can be applied entirely on-line, improves the handling characteristics of the fibers over conventional silicone-coated fibers, offers an excellent combination of optical and elastic properties, and does not compromise the high-temperature operating characteristics of silicone-based coating systems.

Abstract: An article of glassware, particularly a glass container, of increased strength is made by a process in which the parison is treated in a manner which will cause the glass in the outer surface layer of the formed glassware article to be in a state of compression. Preferably a glaze having a coefficient of thermal expansion lower than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the glass of the parison is applied to the outer surface of the parison. Advantageously, the glaze is applied to the parison by a flame spray method or by dipping the parison into a fluidized bed containing powdered glaze.As an alternative, the glaze applied to the outer surface of the parison may be capable of being at least partially crystallized, after the glassware article has been formed from the parison, to produce an outer surface of the glassware article having a lower coefficient of thermal expansion than the base glass of the glassware article.

Abstract: A device and a process for heating glass sheets in horizontal position, to bend them or temper them, by means of two series of resistors, the series being distributed on both sides of the path followed by the glass sheet and on a portion of the length of this path. Each resistor group is distributed in longitudinal zones or in crosswise subzones of various widths along the longitudinal zones, the power furnished to each longitudinal zone being regulated independently of the power furnished to the other longitudinal zones and being distributed in a controlled way between the crosswise zones and the longitudinal zones.

Abstract: The invention relates to techniques for surface deionization of glass under the effect of a corona discharge. The invention consists of treating the object which is movable in relation to the electrodes situated at a short distance from said object which is brought to a high temperature. The treatment is carried out under a continuous current which is regulated in intensity. The treatment is accordance with the invention is preferably applied to sheets of glass during their production.

Abstract: Apparatus for producing mineral fibres from silicate raw materials such as basalt by blast drawing.When blast drawing is used to produce mineral fibres from basalt, there is arranged between the entry zone (26) of the chute (16) and the exit zone of the nozzle slot (10) of the blast nozzle unit (8), this slot forming the fiberization duct, a guide cell (13). The relative position of the side walls (29) of the guide cell is freely adjustable, so that desired flow conditions can be set and also the exit direction of the exit flow bundle (31) and hence the web formation can be controlled. As a consequence of a lateral distance (a) of the exit orifice (28) of the guide cell (13) relative to the entry flow bundle (27) additional secondary air is sucked in, which has a further cooling effect on the fibres.

Abstract: According to the invention, ventilating air blown around and/or in the walls of a mould is cooled so as to maintain substantially constant, at least during predetermined periods of time, the temperature of the air around and/or in the walls of the mould, irrespective of the ambient temperature.

Abstract: A system is provided for positioning a pair of electrodes on either side of the end portion of an optical fiber extending through a contact, to establish an arc through a cross-aperture in the contact and across the fiber to melt the fiber into a lens, which assures close control of the arc and which prolongs the life of the electrodes. The tips of the electrodes are positioned to lie slightly within opposite ends of the cross-aperture, to avoid establishing an arc between the electrodes which passes around the contact instead of through the cross-aperture. The electrodes are spaced apart by at least about eight times the diameter of the optic fiber, to avoid deposition of vapors from the heated optic fiber onto the electrodes. The cross-aperture extends to the tip of the contact, so the contact can be moved along its axis to a position where the electrodes lie on opposite sides of the fiber end portion.

Abstract: Bodies of borosilicate glass with a B.sub.2 O.sub.3 content of less than 13 percent by weight are provided with a microporous layer of a thickness of 5 to 20 .mu.m, and are thus turned into carriers for optical sensors. This process is characterized by the following steps. Thermal decomposition for 5 to 10 days at 500.degree. to 560.degree. C.; removal of the topmost layer of glass to a depth of at least 10 .mu.m in the part of the surface to be rendered porous; leaching of the separated borate phase with diluted mineral acids for a minimum of 2 days at 70.degree. to 98.degree. C.; and after-treatment of the microporous layer, including (a) chemical treatment with concentrated sulphuric acid and concentrated nitric acid for 2 hours at 20.degree. C., and (b) heat-treatment for 10 minutes to 2 hours at 450.degree. to 700.degree. C.

Abstract: An improved fiber glass bushing control system. One aspect of the system has a weighing means for weighing complete collections of glass fiber strands produced from forming from a bushing through attenuation, a monitoring means for the time of attenuation at constant strand speed and a program computer means that receives signals from the weighing means and the monitoring means. The program computer means has a means for establishing a database of the weights and times, a means for determining the throughput of the glass from the bushing from the weights and times, a means for determining average throughputs and including these averages in the database, a means for comparing the average throughputs to a standard set throughput, and a means for initiating an adjustment to the main bushing temperature controller, when the average throughput deviates from the set point throughput by a value greater than the sensitivity factor of the bushing.

Abstract: There is provided by this disclosure a method and apparatus for making fiber optic couplers that is comprised generally of the steps of stretching a fused optical fiber pair at a predetermined rate to produce first a tapered section, second a constant diameter cylindrical section, and third a final tapered section. The two optical fibers are placed in juxtaposition under a predetermined load, heated to a predetermined temperature until they fuse together to form a single entity having a predetermined width, length and circular cross section. The two moveable platforms apply a predetermined tensile load to the fibers and move the fibers past a heat source in a controlled manner to form the different sections.

Abstract: A system is described for forming a lens at the end of an optical fiber which extends through a hole in a contact, so the tip of the lens lies at a desired lens position located a predetermined distance rearward of the tip of the contact. The fiber is fixed to the contact at a position wherein the tip of the fiber lies forward of the desired lens position, at about the tip of the contact. The contact is positioned vertically, with the tip of the fiber pointing upwardly, and an arc is passed across the end portion of the fiber, to initially heat and bulge out a location on the fiber spaced rearward of the tip. As the fiber is heated, the tip portion falls into the bulging portion, while the bulging portion moves down, with the heating continued long enough so that the tip of the molten ball of glass lies at the desired lens position.

Abstract: A system is provided for forming an end of an optical fiber into a lens, which produces a lensed fiber having an especially smooth lens surface and high strength near the intersection of the lens and the rest of the fiber. A lens is formed by establishing a pair of electrodes on opposite sides of a fiber end portion and establishing an arc between the electrode tips for a sufficient current and time to melt the fiber end portion into a lens, with the arc being repeatedly terminated and restarted at a rate of thousands of times per second.

Abstract: In an apparatus for the production of a porous optical fiber preform in a reaction container is provided in which a bar like starting member is movably supported for rotating and reciprocally moving across a gas flow, and a burner is provided for generating glass particles. An opening is provided on one side of the reaction container for introducing a gas flow and another opening is located on the other side of the reaction container opposite to the first mentioned opening, so that the gas flow is rectified in the reaction container and the glass particles can be deposited on the starting member with a uniform density distribution.

Abstract: In an inside tube vapor phase deposition process for the production of doped silica glass by an oxidation reaction for optical fibre manufacture, in particular fluorine doped silica, the oxidation reaction is prevented from occurring until the reactant material, for example silicon tetrachloride and a fluorinating reagent, has been heated to a temperature above that required for the oxidation reaction. This preheating of the reactant material results in the oxidation reaction producing compositions of glasses which are not allowed from thermodynamic considerations at the lower temperature usually employed for the oxidation reaction, for example silica more highly doped with fluorine than hitherto achieved.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed which ensures highly accurate control of the core-cladding diameter, enabling the fabrication of a preform for the single mode fiber. Moreover, glass refining steps for dehydration, the removal of compound ions, the reduction of the absorption loss by transition metals, etc. and preform manufacturing steps are combined into a series of steps, and the entire manufacturing process can be mechanized and automatically controlled; therefore, the yield rate of product is high and the industrial-scale productivity is also excellent.

Abstract: Porous bodies of a material which comprises SiO.sub.2 as the main constituent are heated by passing a zone of high temperature through the body. The zone of high temperature is obtained by irradiation with light of a wavelength which is absorbed by the porous part of the body but is not absorbed by the densified part of the body (.lambda.<3 .mu.m). The device preferably comprises a rotatable radiation source (2) surrounding the body (6) to be densified.

Abstract: The process employs solid-state halides heated at high temperature, under pressure conditions necessary to their vaporization, and obtains their condensation to a solid state on the internal surface of a glass tube, which, after collapsing, forms the preform.

Abstract: To enable sequential fusion splicing of the optical fibers of two lengths of optical fiber ribbon, the fusion splicer has, on each side of the fusion station, means for arranging the exposed end portions of the optical fibers of each ribbon, over a limited length between the position at which they are lightly clamped and the cut back end of the ribbon, to follow a curved path whose centers of curvature lie on a line extending transversely of the ribbon. Preferably, one of these means is an externally screw threaded rod which extends under and transversely of the optical fibers of one of the ribbons and in the grooves of which the optical fibers are arranged to lie. By unscrewing the rod, each lightly clamped optical fiber in turn drops from the rod and straightens so that its end to be fusion spliced protrudes beyond the ends of the other optical fibers of the ribbon. Fusion splicing of the pair of aligned optical fibers is then effected.

Abstract: A fixture is provided which enables the rapid mounting of an optical fiber contact with its forward end at a predetermined position and orientation with respect to arc-creating electrodes. The fixture includes a frame with a vertical slot having a width greater than the diameter of the cylindrical contact, and a plurality of spring-biased plungers which enable the contact to be pushed sidewardly into the slot and which thereafter press the contact against the slot bottom. The contact can slide vertically along the slot and plungers until a stop on the contact abuts a corresponding stop on the fixture and an orienting pin on the fixture passes into a corresponding hole in the contact stop.

Abstract: A method and a device for applying a primary coating to an optical filament. In order to make the distribution of the coating material even, the flow of the coating material to be introduced into the crucible is divided in the crucible into two flows opposite in direction and advancing in the peripheral direction of the crucible. The two flows are caused to flow in the axial direction substantially at the opposite sides of the crucible. The axial flows are caused to flow in the peripheral direction of the crucible and joined by means of an outer channel extending around the crucible in the peripheral direction thereof. The flow is passed radially through throttle openings into an inner peripheral channel and further through a peripheral throttle slot into a conical channel along which it is led into a central chamber of the crucible, through which chamber the filament is drawn.

Abstract: There is disclosed a preform handling apparatus for orienting and testing a plurality of preforms. The preform handling apparatus of this invention comprises an orienter, an inverter and a tester. The orienter of the preform handling apparatus comprises a base driving mechanism, a rotatable circular disc carried by the base driving mechanism and a retaining wall which extends substantially around the circumference of the disc. An inverter of the present invention comprises two juxtaposed semicircular plates adapted to receive a preform in an upright position and to rotate the preform 180.degree. such that the preform is discharged from the inverter in an inverted position. A tester of the present invention comprises a hub subassembly and a star wheel subassembly for moving preforms along an arcuate path and further comprises a gage subassembly, a cam and a bridge subassembly for detecting defective preforms and preventing defective preforms from being processed into a final product.

Abstract: A plurality of optical waveguide preforms are simultaneously formed by depositing on a plurality of starting members layers of glass soot to build up a coating on each starting member. The soot layers are deposited by traversing a series of burners along the starting members in such a manner that a given one of the burners traverses the first starting member from a first end thereof to a second end thereof to form a layer of soot thereon. The remaining burners of the series similarly traverses the first starting member, a plurality of burners traversing the first starting member at any given time. After the first burner has traversed the first starting member it similarly traverses the second starting member. After the last of the series of burners has begun its traverse along the first starting member, the first of the series of burners completes its traverse of the second starting member and again begins traversing the first starting member immediately following the last of the series of burners.

Abstract: An apparatus for the manufacture of mineral fibers from a drawable material such as glass products, poured in the molten state onto a first centrifuging wheel before being conducted to a following wheel, each wheel transforming part of the molten material into fibers and dispatching the excess to the following wheel. A cooling water supply channel is arranged in the axis of each centrifuging wheel and is ridgidly coupled to the rotational movement of said wheel. Means of the helicoidal type, which are fixed to the channel, caused the water to advance to the end of the channel.

Abstract: Apparatus for removing dust from the atmosphere around an externally heated tube (1) having a deposit being made on its inside surface from a vapor phase, said dust being removed by setting up a laminar flow of dust-free air around the tube. The apparatus includes members (7, 8, 9, 10) for setting up laminar air flows in planes parallel to the axis of the tube and on either side thereof, together with members (15, 16) for setting up flows of air perpendicularly to the axis of the tube and on either side thereof.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for rapidly cooling optical fiber comprising passing optical fiber through an enclosure having a flat black internal surface, the walls of said enclosure having symmetrically oriented perforations or other symmetrically oriented means of passing cryogenic gas through the walls to contact optical fiber within the enclosure, the enclosure surrounded by a gas plenum to which gas is supplied to facilitate the symmetrical passage of cryogenic gas through the walls, whereby the cryogenic gas symmetrically contacts and cools the optical fiber and also serves to cool the walls of the enclosure.

Abstract: A pair of heat softened overlaying glass sheets are held by vacuum against an apertured engaging surface of a vacuum holder. The overlaying glass sheets can be shaped before, during, or after being held by the vacuum holder.

Abstract: An arrangement for introducing an auxiliary gaseous medium into the interior of an exhaust tube that is joined to a downstream end of a substrate tube from which a primary gaseous medium carrying glass soot particles during a chemical vapor deposition phase of an optical preform fabrication process emerges into the exhaust tube comprises a gas injection tube which is partly received in the exhaust tube with radial spacing therefrom except at a contact zone and having a free end disposed at the region of joinder of the exhaust tube with the substrate tube. The auxiliary gaseous medium flows through the gas injection tube into the joinder region for mixing thereat with the emerging flow of the primary gaseous medium. Relative circumferential movement is effected between the contact zone and at least the exhaust tube to release any soot present at the contact zone for entrainment in the mixed flow through the spacing and out of the exhaust tube.

Abstract: A loading device for a horizontal continuous furnace for the heating of glass plates comprises a roller conveyer (6) as part of a continuous conveying system. Support strips (12-15, 32-35) can be lowered and are arranged between conveying rollers (7) of the roller conveyer at a feed station (A). The glass plates (2, 3, 4, 5) are placed on the raised support strips (12-15, 32-35) and are lowered onto the conveying rollers at a preset time by simultaneous lowering of all support strips. Each support strip (12-15, 32-35) is supported independently of the other support strips on separate lifting devices (16-19, 36-39). These lifting devices (16-19, 36-39) are controlled by reflecting photoelectric barriers (22-25, 42-45) respectively dedicated to each support strip such that each support strip (12-15, 32-35) is individually raised to an upper position as soon as a glass plate transferred to the conveying rollers (7) has left the area of that support strip.

Abstract: An apparatus for synchronizing the movement of glass sheets through a furnace includes a stop for holding the sheets at the entrance to the furnace. An actuator is responsive to a synchronizing signal for moving the stop and releasing the sheet into the furnace. A reference point sensor detects a reference point associated with a rotating conveyor roller adjacent the entrance to the furnace when the reference point is in a predetermined spatial relationship to the glass sheet which is being held at the entrance. Thus, each glass sheet enters the furnace and engages the conveyor rollers in the same position such that any roller corrugation pattern is reproduced in the same position on each glass sheet. When two such glass sheets are laminated together to form a windshield, the roller corrugation patterns can be matched to reduce the optical distortion produced by the corrugation.

Abstract: A coating material is applied to drawn lightguide fibre (36') by an applicator (6) which tilts about x and y axes under the control of a concentricity monitor (7) to maintain the coating of the coated fibre (36) concentric about the fibre.

Abstract: A radiation coloration resistant glass is disclosed which is used in a radiation environment sufficient to cause coloration in most forms of glass. The coloration resistant glass includes higher proportions by weight of water and has been found to be extremely resistant to color change when exposed to such radiation levels. The coloration resistant glass is free of cerium oxide and has more than about 0.5% by weight water content. Even when exposed to gamma radiation of more than 10.sup.7 rad, the coloration resistant glass does not lose transparency.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for preparing a glass fiber circumferentially coated with an amorphous metallic alloy, wherein the glass fiber is drawn to substantially its final diameter and then coated with amorphous metallic alloy. The coating is accomplished by passing the drawn glass fiber vertically through an opening formed between two circumferentially abutting, counter-rotating, circumferentially grooved rolls having a pool of a glass-forming alloy continuously supplied from a crucible and supported in the nip of the rolls adjacent the opening. The drawn glass fiber first passes through the pool of molten alloy and then immediately into the opening defined between the two rolls, whereby the metallic alloy coated onto the drawn glass fiber is rapidly cooled to form an amorphous coating.

Abstract: A glass furnace, e.g. for annealing or tempering glass, has a roller conveyor whose fused rollers rest upon stub rollers overshot by a belt which alternately overshoots and undershoots the stub rollers. A drive for the belt advantageously is controlled by a computer allowing display of the heater parameters etc. and includes a pair of motors connected to the belt with overrunning clutches and driven in opposite senses to alternately drive the belt and thereby prevent play in the movement of the latter. The heater overlying the conveyor has a matrix array of individually or collectively controllable infrared heaters.

Abstract: An apparatus (30) for cooling a lightguide fiber (21) drawn from a molten portion of a glass preform (22) located in a furnace (23). The apparatus (30) has an upper chamber (34) and a lower chamber (36) each having a small opening in the lower portions thereof. The upper chamber (34) has a heat transfer liquid (35) therein and the lower chamber (36) is pressurized to prevent liquid from passing through the opening. The hot fiber (21) is cooled by the liquid as it is drawn through liquid (35) without physical contact with the periphery of the openings.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for equalizing the temperature of conveyor rolls in a glass-tempering furnace, said furnace comprising a thermally insulated housing (1) confining a heating chamber (8), conveyor rolls (4), extending horizontally between the side walls of chamber (8) and lying one after the other in the lengthwise direction of the chamber, heating resistors (5 and 6) in the chamber above and below the array of conveyor rolls, as well as means for driving the conveyor rolls unidirectionally during a first cycle and reciprocally during a second cycle. Since the reciprocating movement means that a glass sheet remains longer in contact with the midsection rolls, these rolls cool more rapidly. In order to equalize the temperature of the rolls, the end sections of the furnace are provided with screen plates (7) mounted between heating resistors (6) below the array of conveyor rolls and the rolls (4) themselves.

Abstract: The degree of cure of a traveling carbonaceous polymeric material (on 48), formed (at 34) from a plurality of chemical reactants (32) and subjected to a curing process (at 42 and 44) is determined by directing (with 86 and 88) into the traveling material radiations including a first infrared radiation (A1) from the group thereof adapted to selectively interact with molecular resonance vibrations at frequencies that are characteristic of respective terminal functional groups of atoms involved in reactions that take place in the material during the curing process. Also directed into the material is a second infrared radiation that is either of the kind (R) that does not exhibit substantial selective interaction with molecular resonance vibrations in the material or of the kind (A2) that is adapted to selectively interact with molecular resonance vibrations at a frequency that is characteristic of groups of atoms forming the backbones of the polymeric molecules in the material.

Abstract: An optical apparatus for focusing at least one image and optionally only one image of an object, said apparatus comprising a receiving surface and an optical imaging device between the image and the object to form an image of the object on the receiving surface. The imaging device comprising at least one glass body, at least a portion of which is a photonucleated opacified glass. The body has opposed surfaces, at least one of the surfaces having raised light focusing transparent optical pattern portions integral therewith and transparent channels connecting the raised transparent pattern portions to the surface opposed to the surface containing the pattern.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for pulling optical glass fibers in a containerless environment is disclosed which includes a single-axis acoustical levitation furnace (10) in which a specimen (S) is levitated and melted. A reflector unit (16) is carried in the interior of the furnace and includes a reflector (16a) disposed centrally about the acoustical axis of the levitator. The reflector unit includes a circular shroud (32) of insulation and a copper sleeve (34) inserted in the unit which is hollow at (34a) for receiving a cooling medium (38). A fiber pulling bore (40) is formed centrally in the reflector unit surrounded by cooling jacket (34a) to enhance solidification and formation of a fiber (F). A starting fiber strand is introduced into the melt and pulled outwardly through bore (40) whereby the specimen fiber is started and formed as pulled therethrough.

Abstract: An optical fibre pulling tower is made of tubular modular substructures (5) of synthetic granite mounted one on top of the other by means of joining plates (6) cast in situ. A baseplate (13) sits on a concrete raft (14) and is adjustable to be exactly upright.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an optical glass base material by injecting and depositing fine glass particles produced by chemically reacting glass stock which comprises means for growing the fine glass particles in a depositing direction to form porous rod-shaped base material, support means for supporting the porous rod-shaped base material after growing, and heat treatment means for sintering at least the outer periphery of the rod-shaped base material in a semisintering state before supporting the rod-shaped base material by said support means to harden the same. Thus, since the rod-shaped base material is held in the stable state through the support means, the mechanical strength of the base material is strengthened strength by the semisintering hardening through the heat treating means before being supported by the support means, the base material is not deformed nor damaged in the supported state, and a large base material may be fabricated.

Abstract: The invention relates to the analysis of defects in materials such as molten glass. According to the invention, the material passes by a monochrome beam the wavelength of which is below 3.times.10.sup.-6 m. The radiation is diffused by any defects present in the material. The analysis of the defects is conducted dependent on the position of the receiver detecting the diffused rays and on the shape of the signal received. The invention permits a continuous analysis of a flow of glass supplying a fiber-making machine.

Abstract: Optical fibers are coated under pressure to reduce the amount of bubbles entrapped in the coating and provide good coating concentricities. The fiber is drawn axially thru a thin-walled, cylindrical flow distribution sleeve which is located between a guide die and a sizing die. The sleeve contains a plurality of evenly distributed holes the number and size of which is such that radial flow of liquid toward the fiber is maintained over the entire length of the sleeve which is less than 1.27 cm.

Abstract: The surface energy of a glass article is reduced by adsorbing multivalent cations such as chromium onto a glass surface, then treating the surface with an aqueous solution of an alkali metal alkylate such as sodium stearate or oleate to strongly bond the long chain paraffinic or olefinic acid anion to the glass surface by ionic bonding of the alkylate anion to the adsorbed multivalent cation thereby rendering the glass surface non-wettable and lubricated.

Abstract: A glass furnace, e.g. for annealing or tempering glass, has a roller conveyor whose fused rollers rest upon stub rollers overshot by a belt which alternately overshoots and undershoots the stub rollers. A drive for the belt advantageously is controlled by a computer allowing display of the heater parameters etc. and includes a pair of motors connected to the belt with overrunning clutches and driven in opposite senses to alternately drive the belt and thereby prevent play in the movement of the latter. The heater overlying the conveyor has a matrix array of individually or collectively controllable infra-red heaters.

Abstract: Glass sheet handling devices are provided with glass sheet engaging surfaces composed of a phenolic resin reinforced with fibers of an aromatic polyamide composition. In a specific embodiment of this invention, a sufficient number of said fibers extend to an exposed surface of said devices to develop a coefficient of friction sufficient to prevent relative sliding between the exposed surface of said glass sheet engaging member and said glass sheet.

Abstract: A method for sealing a rim-like opening in a glass container is described. The surface of the opening is treated with tin and/or titanium oxide precursors and with or without one or more of the groups consisting of fluorides, sulfur oxides and sulfur oxide precursors and then overcoated with a chromium III organic metallic complex. A membrane comprising a thermoplastic film is pressed onto the coated opening surface and heated to cause glass-plastic adhesion, forming a closure. The coating steps may be applied to glass containers immediately after forming and annealing as appropriate, or may be applied to glass containers taken from storage.

Abstract: A glass furnace, e.g. for annealing or tempering glass, has a roller conveyor whose fused rollers rest upon stub rollers overshot by a belt which alternately overshoots and undershoots the stub rollers. A drive for the belt advantageously is controlled by a computer allowing display of the heater parameters etc. and includes a pair of motors connected to the belt with overrunning clutches and driven in opposite senses to alternately drive the belt and thereby prevent play in the movement of the latter. The heater overlying the conveyor has a matrix array of individually or collectively controllable infrared heaters.