Abstract: Methods of fabricating a glass ribbon comprise the step of bending a glass ribbon in a cutting zone to provide a bent target segment with a bent orientation in the cutting zone. The methods further include the step of severing at least one of the edge portions from the central portion of the bent target segment within the cutting zone. Further methods are provided including the step of bending a glass ribbon in a bending zone downstream from a downward zone, wherein the glass ribbon includes an upwardly concave surface through the bending zone. The methods further include the step of severing at least one of the edge portions from the central portion of a target segment within the bending zone.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems for shaping a glass sheet comprising a roll conveyor comprising a plurality of rollers for conveying the glass sheet along a plane; a lift jet array comprising a plurality of nozzles, one or more of the plurality of nozzles comprising a tip having a plurality of orifices; and a shaping mold located above the roll conveyor, wherein the lift jet array is positioned below the roll conveyor such that each nozzle tip is located above the centerline of the plurality of rollers. Also disclosed herein are methods for shaping a glass sheet comprising heating the glass sheet and conveying the glass sheet on a roll conveyor to a position between the lift jet array and the shaping mold, wherein gas flows from the lift jet array with a force sufficient to lift the glass sheet from the roll conveyor.

Abstract: A process using a three-piece mold for making a three-dimensionally shaped glass article having a flat area and a curved/bend area is disclosed. The process includes placing a glass sheet on a mold having a shaping surface with a desired surface profile for the shaped glass article including a flat area and a bend area, moving a flat area plunger toward the glass sheet to compress the glass sheet, heating a portion of the glass sheet corresponding to an area above the bend area of the mold to a temperature above a forming temperature, and moving a bend area plunger toward the heated glass sheet to compress the heated glass sheet. A temperature of the glass sheet in the area above the bend area of the mold is higher than a temperature of the glass sheet in the area above the flat area of the mold when compressing the heated glass sheet with the bend area plunger.

Abstract: A mold includes a first mold, an second mold located upon the first mold, and a mold core located between the first mold and the second mold. The first mold defines a receiving space, and comprises a bottom surface in the receiving space. The bottom surface in the receiving space defines at least one guiding groove. A bottom surface in the at least one guiding groove defines at least one air outlet. The mold core is received in the receiving space and supported by the bottom surface in the receiving space. The mold core defines a mold cavity and a plurality of micro-holes communicating with the mold cavity and the at least one guiding groove.

Abstract: An apparatus for shaping a glass sheet includes an engagement member including a flexible bumper comprising a flexible material. The flexible bumper is configured to operate at the forming temperature to reduce an impact stress between the engagement member and the edge portion of the glass sheet. In another example, an apparatus for shaping a sheet of glass includes a push member configured to engage an end edge portion of the glass sheet to push the glass sheet to be transported over the support surface. The push member includes a push flange extending in a direction away from the support surface. The push flange includes a plurality of apertures configured to increase the resistance of conductive heat transfer between the end edge portion of the glass sheet and the push member. In a further example an engagement member can fabricated from a material having a coefficient of thermal conductivity that is less than a coefficient of thermal conductivity of the stainless steel.

Abstract: An apparatus for shaping a glass sheet includes an engagement member including a flexible bumper comprising a flexible material. The flexible bumper is configured to operate at the forming temperature to reduce an impact stress between the engagement member and the edge portion of the glass sheet. In another example, an apparatus for shaping a sheet of glass includes a push member configured to engage an end edge portion of the glass sheet to push the glass sheet to be transported over the support surface. The push member includes a push flange extending in a direction away from the support surface. The push flange includes a plurality of apertures configured to increase the resistance of conductive heat transfer between the end edge portion of the glass sheet and the push member. In a further example an engagement member can fabricated from a material having a coefficient of thermal conductivity that is less than a coefficient of thermal conductivity of the stainless steel.

Abstract: Non-contact, gas-ejecting bearings (3) are provided for conveying flexible glass sheets (13), such as LCD substrates, at high conveyance speeds, e.g., speeds of 40 meters/minute and above, e.g., 60 meters/minute. Gas is provided to the bearing's orifices (22) from a plenum which operates at a pressure Pplenum and the bearings have a calculated static pressure Pmidpoint at the midpoints (27) between the bearing's centermost orifice (26) and each of its nearest neighbors (28) in a horizontal direction which satisfies the relationship Pmidpoint/Pplenum?0.05. The bearings (3) can reduce the time-averaged, peak-to-peak variation in the spacing between a LCD substrate (13) traveling at, for example, 60 meters/minute and the face (20) of the bearing (3) to less than 500 microns, thus reducing the chances that the substrate (13) will hit and be damaged by the bearing (3).

Abstract: A non-contact dancer mechanism for conveying a web of brittle material includes a guide rail and a variable position web support plenum adjustably positioned on the guide rail. The variable position web support plenum may include an arcuate outer surface with a plurality of fluid vents for emitting a fluid to support the web of brittle material over and spaced apart from the arcuate outer surface thereby preventing mechanical contact and damage to the web of brittle material. A support plenum counterbalance may be mechanically coupled to the variable position web support plenum, wherein the support plenum counterbalance supports at least a portion of the weight of the variable position web support plenum on the guide rail. Apparatuses incorporating the non-contact dancer mechanism and methods for using the non-contact dancer mechanism for handling continuous webs of brittle material are also disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing tempered glass. A heating unit heats a glass substrate that is intended to be tempered. A pattern-forming unit forms a pattern on a surface of the glass substrate heated by the heating unit. A dielectric heating unit increases the temperature of the inner portion of the glass substrate, on which the pattern is formed by the pattern-forming unit. A cooling unit cools the glass substrate, the inside temperature of which is increased by the dielectric heating unit.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for guiding flexible glass ribbons (13) without mechanically contacting the central portion (4) of the ribbon are provided in which two curved sections are formed in the ribbon which stiffen the ribbon so that lateral forces can be applied to the ribbon without causing it to buckle. The curvatures of the curved sections are along the direction of motion (15) of the ribbon and can be produced using curved air-bars (12,14) and/or pairs of cylindrical rollers (5a,5b,16a,16b). The lateral forces can be applied by pairs of guide rollers (7a,7b,9a,9b) which can be mounted on spring-loaded pivot arms (6,19,29) and can have a complaint outer coating or sleeve (35). The guiding system can be used in the winding of the glass ribbon onto a cylindrical core (11).

Abstract: A method for forming a continuous glass sheet from a tube of glass includes expanding and thinning the tube of glass by drawing the tube of glass over susceptor bearing comprising a porous sidewall defining an internal chamber. The diameter of the susceptor bearing may increase between a top portion and a bottom portion. The tube of glass may be maintained at a temperature above a softening point of the glass as the tube of glass is drawn over the susceptor bearing. The tube of glass is suspended over the susceptor bearing by blowing the tube of glass away from the susceptor bearing in a radial direction with a pressurized fluid supplied to the internal chamber and emitted from the porous sidewall as the tube of glass is drawn over the susceptor bearing. Thereafter, the tube of glass is cooled and sectioned to form a continuous glass sheet.

Abstract: Processes and apparati for shaping sheet glass or thermoplastic materials use force from a layer of a flowing fluid, such as air, between the sheet and a mandrel at close to the softening temperature of the thermoplastic. The shape is preserved by cooling. The shape of the air bearing mandrel and the pressure distribution of the fluid contribute to the final shape. A process can be conducted on one or two surfaces such that the force from the air layer is on one or two surfaces of the sheet. The gap size between the sheet and mandrel determines the pressure profile in the gap, which also determines the final sheet shape. In general, smaller gaps lead to larger viscous forces. The pressure profile depends on the shape of the mandrel, the size of the fluid gap and the sheet and the fluid supply pressure.

Abstract: The method of continuously producing flat glass includes rolling a fluid glass sheet between upper and lower shaping rollers to shape and calibrate the glass sheet, generating a respective gas cushion between the fluid glass sheet and each shaping roller from a liquid, controlling the pressure of the gas cushion between the fluid glass sheet and the upper shaping roller to completely prevent contact of the glass sheet with the upper shaping roller, controlling the pressure of the gas cushion between the fluid glass sheet and the lower shaping roller to form a linear contact area between the fluid glass sheet and the lower shaping roller and controlling the contact area width according to speed and viscosity of the glass sheet in order to transport it without slipping and reduce cooling path length.

Abstract: The method of supporting and transporting hot flat glass on a gas bed for ceramicizing includes arranging a number of spaced-apart porous or perforated planar segments to form a base with a gas-permeable support surface so that slits, which are narrower than the planar segments, are formed between them, forcing gas through the porous or perforated planar segments and conducting the gas away through the slits between them so as to form the gas bed with no static pressure zones and with a parabolic pressure distribution and producing a predetermined temperature profile for ceramicizing through which the hot flat glass is transported on the gas bed without deformation and without any contact between it and the base. The resulting glass ceramic has smoother surfaces without pits or deformations.

Abstract: An apparatus for bending a glass sheet includes a final hearth bed. This final hearth bed has a top surface that is upwardly convexly curved along a plane perpendicular to an axis of the glass sheet. The top surface has an upstream end, a downstream end that is at a level lower than that of the upstream end, and an intermediate point defined therebetween. The top surface has (a) a first section that extends from the upstream end to the intermediate point and that is parallel with the axis or upwardly inclined relative to the axis and (b) a second section that extends from the intermediate point to the downstream end and that is downwardly inclined relative to the axis. The final hearth bed has a bottom surface that is along the first direction or inclined downwardly relative to the first direction.

Abstract: A microstructure is formed in a viscous glass or plastic substrate by pressing a structured surface of a forming tool corresponding to a negative of the microstructure to be produced in the viscous glass or plastic substrate. After the microstructure has been formed, the forming tool is removed from the surface. In order to help form the microstructure and remove the forming tool from the substrate the forming tool has an at least partially porous base body (1) and an operative layer (2) structured with a negative structure consisting of grooves (11) extending to the porous base body (1). The forming of the microstructure in the substrate is assisted by applying suction to the porous base body (1) so that the grooves (11) fill more easily and completely with melted glass or plastic material. The removal of the forming tool after forming the microstructure is assisted by applying an overpressure to the porous body to help release the solidified glass or plastic material from the forming tool.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a glass blank having a predetermined contour from a plate glass. In this method, first, the plate glass PG is scored with an outline OL surrounding a part GB to be the glass blank. Next, the plate glass is scored with cutting lines CL connecting the outline with the outer edge of the plate glass. Thereafter, the plate glass is substantially horizontally supported such that only the inner part inside the outline is kept into contact with a support and the other part is floated. Finally, the plate glass is broken along the cutting lines and the outline by blowing hot air onto the outline and the outline to generate thermal stress on the plate glass along the cutting lines and the outline. Thus, the glass blank of which the edge is flawless is obtained.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a curved sheet of glass which includes a heating furnace for heating a sheet of glass therein, the heating furnace having an outlet opening for discharging a curved sheet of glass, and an array of beds housed in the furnace for transferring a sheet of glass successively over the beds in the furnace in a first direction toward the outlet opening while shaping the sheet of glass complementarily to an upper surface of the beds, each of the beds having a plurality of hot air ejecting holes for ejecting hot air to keep the sheet of glass out of contact with the beds, the beds including a final bed disposed near the outlet opening and inclined upwardly toward the outlet opening, the final bed having an upper panel including at least a portion curved in the first direction near the outlet opening to curve the sheet of glass in the first direction.

Abstract: A heated and softened glass sheet is put on a bending surface of a frame unit to be preliminarily bent by gravity before the glass sheet is pressed by an upper mold and the frame unit. There are steps for using a certain means for controlling an amount of preliminary bending to control deformation of the glass sheet caused by the preliminary bending; and pressing the preliminarily bent glass sheet by the upper mold and the frame unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for shaping a tubular object made of glass or glass ceramics or any other thermoplastic material, comprising the following method steps:

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a curved sheet of glass which includes a heating furnace for heating a sheet of glass therein, the heating furnace having an outlet opening for discharging a curved sheet of glass, and an array of beds housed in the furnace for transferring a sheet of glass successively over the beds in the furnace in a first direction toward the outlet opening while shaping the sheet of glass complementarily to an upper surface of the beds, each of the beds having a plurality of hot air ejecting holes for ejecting hot air to keep the sheet of glass out of contact with the beds, the beds including a final bed disposed near the outlet opening and inclined upwardly toward the outlet opening, the final bed having an upper panel including at least a portion curved in the first direction near the outlet opening to curve the sheet of glass in the first direction.

Abstract: A pressure pad array is used to float glass sheets from a glass heating furnace to a ring mold in a press bending station. The pressure pads have transversely spaced, longitudinally-extending slotted nozzles angled towards one another to provide a static pressure area for floating the glass sheet. The slotted nozzles are aligned with the direction of glass sheet travel and the space between adjacent pressure pads is covered by a spacer baffle to generate additional static pressure flotation areas. The static pressure areas formed by the slotted nozzles generally produce uniform pressure profiles extending longitudinally and transversely against the sheet's underside to stably float the glass sheets on a heated gas cushion.

Abstract: A method for forming glass sheets is performed by a system (10) that includes a furnace (12) having a heating chamber (14) in which a topside transfer device (20) has a downwardly facing surface (22) to which vacuum and pressurized air are supplied to receive and support a heated glass sheet from a conveyor (16) without any direct contact. A forming station (24) located externally of the furnace has a vertically movable upper mold (28) whose temperature is not greater than 500° C. The upper mold (28) cooperates with a horizontally movable lower ring (34) that transfers the heated glass sheet from the topside transfer device (20) to the forming station under the control of a first actuator (40). A second actuator (42) moves the upper mold (28) downwardly to cooperate with the lower ring (34) in forming the glass sheet. The external forming station (24) includes heat loss reducing apparatus (43) for reducing heat loss of the hot glass sheet during the forming.

Abstract: A method for forming glass sheets is performed by a system (10) that includes a furnace (12) having a heating chamber (14) in which a vacuum platen (20) has a downwardly facing surface (22) to which a vacuum is supplied to support a heated glass sheet received from a conveyor (16). A forming station (24) located externally of the furnace has a vertically movable upper mold (28) whose temperature is not greater than 500° C. The upper mold (28) cooperates with a horizontally movable lower ring (34). A first actuator (39) moves the vacuum platen (20) vertically to transfer a heated glass sheet from the conveyor (16) to the lower ring (34) which is then moved by a second actuator (40) to the forming station (24). A third actuator (42) then moves the upper mold (28) downwardly to cooperate with the lower ring (34) in forming the glass sheet. The forming station (24) includes apparatus (43) for reducing heat loss of the glass sheet during the forming.

Abstract: A gas is supplied to the surface of the glass sheet transferred between a heating furnace and a cooling apparatus for tempering the glass sheet. The gas is supplied from the upstream side with respect to the direction of transfer of the glass sheet by an air curtain device. This gas runs along the glass sheet surface (upper surface) downstream with respect to the direction of transfer to obstruct the flow of cooling gas from the cooling apparatus in the upstream direction. The gas prevents cooling air from the cooling apparatus from invading the heating furnace so that the difference of the curvature of the glass sheet on the front and rear part can be eliminated.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacturing a curved sheet of glass which includes a heating furnace for heating a sheet of glass therein, the heating furnace having an outlet opening for discharging a curved sheet of glass, and an array of beds housed in the furnace for transferring a sheet of glass successively over the beds in the furnace in a first direction toward the outlet opening while shaping the sheet of glass complementarily to an upper surface of the beds, each of the beds having a plurality of hot air ejecting holes for ejecting hot air to keep the sheet of glass out of contact with the beds, the beds including a final bed disposed near the outlet opening and inclined upwardly toward the outlet opening, the final bed having an upper panel including at least a portion curved in the first direction near the outlet opening to curve the sheet of glass in the first direction.

Abstract: A chest for cooling glass plates. A box is formed from a rigid support having at least a side panel on which are fixed nozzles. Each nozzle is made of two plate flanges and a strap perforated with blow holes. The flanges are made in a single piece having tabs folded in the direction of the neighboring flanges. Elements fixing the flanges mutually and fixing the straps to the flanges are produced by riveting or interposition of a sealant.

Abstract: A process for shaping glass sheets with a surface-shaping mould, against which the glass sheets are pressed using a pressure drop produced by sucking out the air from the space lying between the moulding face and that face of the glass sheet on the opposite side from the glass sheet, in which the pressure drop is a maximum at the edge of the glass sheet and decreases towards the center of the glass sheet, because of fact that air is introduced via air-inlet apertures opening into the moulding face, the air is again extracted by subjecting suction apertures made in the moulding face inside the region covered by the respective glass sheet to a vacuum. Furthermore, pressure between the glass sheet and the moulding face also in the region where the air is introduced is set to a value at most equal to the pressure beyond the glass sheet, in order to avoid any formation of bulging. A shaping mould suitable in particular for implementing this process is also described.

Abstract: A block assembly for a lehr includes a plurality of blocks extending longitudinally, each of the blocks having a seal surface for mating and overlapping with an adjacent one of the blocks.

Abstract: The method of the present invention overcomes the hot-sticking problems between an inorganic non-metallic material (=insulator) to be molded and a forming die by maintaining an assembly comprising a forming die and the insulator in a polarized state during molding. Processes using said method lead to an improved surface quality of the molded insulator. A device for reducing said hot-sticking comprises a die (2) which acts as conductor, an electrode (3) which may act as support for the insulator (1) to be molded, means (5) for polarizing the assembly of said conductor, insulator and electrode which means (5) are connected by live electric wires (4) with said die and electrode.

Abstract: Apparatus (32) for handling hot glass sheets includes a roll conveyor (14) and a topside transfer platen (18) that overlap to provide assistance in the initial support of heated glass sheets by the topside transfer platen through the use of a vacuum and pressurized air respectively applied to first and second sets of holes (40, 42) in a downwardly facing surface (38) of the topside transfer platen.

Abstract: A block assembly for a lehr includes a plurality of blocks extending longitudinally, each of the blocks having a seal surface for mating and overlapping with an adjacent one of the blocks.