Abstract: A method includes firing a first burner into a furnace process chamber in a first initial condition, firing a second burner into the process chamber in a second initial condition, and measuring temperature at each of an array of locations in the process chamber. The first burner is adjusted to a first adjusted condition while the second burner is being fired at the second initial condition, and a resulting first temperature change is measured at each of the locations. The second burner is adjusted to a second adjusted condition while the first burner is being fired at the first initial condition, and a resulting second temperature change is measured at each of the locations. The measured first and second temperature changes are recorded as reference data for adjusting burner conditions to adjust temperatures at each of the locations. The method can thus be used to improve temperature uniformity throughout the array of locations.

Abstract: A disclosed method includes serially moving a plurality of dies through a series of interconnected chambers that are selectively sealable from each other. Through the series of interconnected chambers, each of the dies is introduced into a controlled gas environment, each of the dies is introduced into a controlled temperature environment, a process-environment-sensitive material is pressurized in each of the dies, and each of the dies is cooled. A disclosed apparatus includes a series of interconnected chambers that are selectively sealable from each other. A first one of the chambers is configured to establish a controlled gas environment therein, a second one of the chambers is configured to establish a controlled temperature environment therein, a third one of the chambers is configured to pressurize a process-environment-sensitive material and a fourth one of the chambers is configured to cool the process-environment-sensitive material.

Abstract: The method for polishing glass products, comprises the following steps: specifying a contour or form or shape of the glass product; detecting the location or position of the glass product; calculating a path for a laser beam on the basis of the contour of the glass product and the location of the glass product; and scanning the path with the laser beam for polishing the glass product in order to fuse mold joints together or smoothen/polish them.

Abstract: The method for converting harmful polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) oil into a resource according to the invention comprises chemical decomposition treatment, pelletizing treatment and thermal decomposition treatment. The chemical decomposition treatment uses a decomposing agent including calcium oxide powder whose surface is coated with a vegetable oil and quartz porphyry powder, causes a decomposing action of CaO and far-infrared rays, which are emitted from quartz porphyry, to act onto polychlorinated biphenyl oil, and decomposes the polychlorinated biphenyl oil into powder including a metal salt. The pelletizing treatment hardens the powder produced by the chemical decomposition treatment into pellets. The thermal decomposition treatment melts the pellets produced by the pelletizing treatment and glass cullet at a temperature above the thermal decomposition temperature of the PCBs for molten integration of the pellets and glass cullet as slag.

Abstract: A process for forming a glass sheet, which is a process for continuously forming a glass sheet, and which comprises a step of introducing a vapor film-forming agent, which is not vapor at least around room temperature and which is vapor at a temperature above the glass transition point of the glass, into a support composed of a structure or a material capable of internally containing liquid, and a step of sliding the support and the glass of which temperature is above the glass transition point against each other via a thin layer of a vaporized vapor film-forming agent.

Abstract: In a quenching apparatus for quenching a glass sheet that has been heated and bent in a heating furnace, a cooling gas blows onto the glass sheet to provide a distribution of a temperature and/or a distribution of a static pressure in at least one section in the quenching apparatus. The distribution of a temperature provides different temperatures between the both surfaces of the glass sheet, while the distribution of a static pressure is nonuniform in a part of at least one surface of the glass sheet. The distributions can modify a shape of the glass sheet given in the heating furnace so that a degree of freedom in shape for manufacturing a bent and tempered glass sheet by utilizing its self-weight can be improved.

Abstract: A system for tempering glass plates has preheating zone (1) in which several glass plates (7) stacked vertically in compartmented car (6) are heated together to a temperature below the tempering temperature of for example 650.degree. C. (for example 300.degree. C.). Preheated glass plates (7) are moved individually from preheating zone (1) into heating zone (2). In heating zone (2) glass plates (7) are heated to the tempering temperature, their being inclined to the vertical at an acute angle and being held by air cushions between two heating plates. On the lower edge of the two heating plates of heating zone (2) there is transport device which supports glass plates (7) simultaneously to the bottom. Glass plates (7) heated to the tempering temperature are moved into cooling zone (3) which has cooling plates aligned parallel to the heating plates and between which glass plate (7) is pushed for quenching.

Abstract: An apparatus for heating an elongated glass body, which, for example, may be used as a pre-form for the drawing of glass fibers, includes a rotatable first chuck wherein the first end of the elongated glass body may be rotatably secured. In addition the apparatus includes a second rotatable chuck whereat the second end of the elongated glass body is introduced into a quartz tube and this quartz tube is clamped into the rotatable second chuck. A burner, which is adapted to slide parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongated glass tube, heats the elongated glass body in such a manner, that a so called fire polish of the elongated glass body for the improvement of its surface quality occurs. A method for heating the elongated glass body is also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method of reducing marking of a heat softened glass sheet which results when portions of the sheet are contacted by glass sheet handling equipment. The portions of the sheet susceptible to marking are sprayed with an inert material having a melting point and decomposition temperature of at least 1200.degree. F. to form a layer that protects the sheet portion against marking from the equipment. In one particular embodiment of the invention, the lower major surface of a glass sheet is sprayed with an aqueous solution of sodium sulfate to form a layer of sodium sulfate along the glass surface which protect against marking of the glass by conveyor rolls.

Abstract: A glass sheet strip annealing lehr (16) is disclosed as including a housing (18) along which a conveyor (26) including a gas support (28) supports a glass sheet strip G by pressurized gas for movement between entry and exit ends (22,24) of the housing before a conveyor drive (32) engages the strip after the surfaces thereof are cooled below the strain point. Best results are achieved when the glass sheet strip is supported only by the gas support (28) until its surfaces are placed in compression. Lower and upper manifolds (34,36) respectively support and convey the glass sheet strip within the housing (18) preferably by a recirculating gas flow supplied by gas burner (76) and associated gas jet pumps (78).

Abstract: Multiple fold, single tube glass vessels, as well as a process and device for producing multiple fold, single tube glass vessels. An even number of parallel glass tubes open at both ends are assembled under the influence of heat into a multiple fold, single tube glass vessel that is characterized by an essentially constant wall thickness and by an essentially constant inside diameter. The object of the invention is to produce multiple fold, single tube glass vessels suitable in particular as discharge vessels for compact lamps.

Abstract: A flat glass sheet is manufactured using the float process. Before annealing of glass carried on rollers, the glass is conveyed by a fluid bed formed by a mixture of gases, in order to cool the glass to approximately 600.degree. C. before it reaches an annealing lehr.

Abstract: Apparatus operable in accordance with the method of the present invention is provided for selectively cooling areas of a glass sheet during heating in the lehr in order to eliminate hot spots and minimize undesirable sagging of portions of the glass sheet. The apparatus includes a gas hearth block upon which the glass sheet is supported during heating and an air nozzle or air nozzles connected to a source of compressed room temperature air located over those areas of the glass sheet that tend to develop hot spots. The air nozzle or air nozzles blow cooler air onto those selected areas of the glass sheet and even out the temperature of the heated glass sheet. This may be done prior to forming and/or tempering the glass sheet. The method and apparatus of the present invention is particularly useful with automobile glazings, such as sidelights and rear windows, bearing peripheral dark banding which show an increased tendency to sag during heating, particularly at the top edge portions.

Abstract: A glass sheet gas support (20) is disclosed as having a set of elongated gas supply openings (26) for supplying pressurized gas to support a glass sheet and as also including a set of elongated gas exhaust openings (28) for exhausting the gas and constructed to including progressively increasing gas flow areas in opposite directions from ends (36) of each exhaust opening to a central portion (38) thereof in order to prevent gas pressure buildup between an upwardly facing surface (24) of the manifold and the supported glass sheet at a central location. In one embodiment, the manifold (22) defines each gas exhaust opening (28) with progressively increasing widths from its ends (36) toward the central portion (38) thereof and is preferably constructed as a cast refractory platen (42) which cooperates with a manifold member (58) that mounts gas jet pumps (60) fed products of combustion from a gas burner (62) to provide recirculating flow of gas to and from the supply exhaust openings.

Abstract: A system for sealing a mount in a cathode-ray tube using first and second tiers of burners includes a first valve in an oxygen supply line and a third valve in a fuel supply line connected to the first tier, and a second valve in the oxygen supply line and a fourth valve in the fuel supply line connected to the second tier for controlling, respectively, the flow of oxygen and fuel therethrough. The system comprises a preignition timing relay responsive to a start signal and coupled to both the first and the third valves for effecting a preignition gas flow period. An ignition timer is responsive to the preignition timing relay and is coupled to both the first and the third valves and to an igniter for effecting an ignition latchup interval at the end of the preignition gas flow period. A first timing relay is responsive to the ignition timer and is coupled to both the first and the third valves for effecting a first-tier gas flow period following the preignition gas flow period.

Abstract: A method for sealing a mount including a wafer in a neck of a stationary cathode-ray tube comprises positioning a first tier of burner tips completely around the neck such that the burner tips are aimed nonradially along directions tangent to a first circle, the plane of the first circle being aligned along the wafer. The first tier of burner tips is split into at least first and second radial segments, each segment being connected to means for moving the segment toward and away from the neck. The first tier of burner tips, while remaining stationary, provide a vortical pattern of flames around the neck. The radial segments are then removed from around the stationary neck sufficiently to allow the tube to proceed along a conveyor line.

Abstract: Apparatus for sealing a mount including a wafer into a neck of a cathode-ray tube oriented along an axis comprises two tiers of burner tips. The first tier is disposed completely around the axis at a first distance therefrom and similarly aimed nonradially along directions tangent to a first circle. The second tier of burner tips is disposed completely around the axis below the first tier at a second distance from the axis and similarly aimed nonradially along directions tangent to a second circle. The first distance and the diameter of the first circle are greater, respectively, than the second distance and the diameter of the second circle.

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: A heating system comprising one or more heaters capable of heating by radiation as well as convection incorporating nozzle means extending from an electrically heated gas glow pipe to direct the flow of hot gas providing said convection heating to a region where pressure flow and heat are desired.

Abstract: Glass sheets arriving at a bending station where their under surfaces are exposed to a hot gas support bed are delivered with minimum misalignment and misorientation by engaging each sheet simultaneously across its entire width with at least two rotating conveyor rolls. The latter are spaced from one another longitudinally of a path of glass sheet travel a distance sufficient to optimize flow of hot gas against the engaged glass sheet surface. This invention enables the leading edge of glass sheets of either rectangular or non-rectangular outline to nest within aligning means located in a fixed but adjustable position at the bending station. Provision is made to handle two or more sheets arriving at the bending station in side-by-side relation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a fire-finishing machine for glass articles, of the type comprising a frame, a vertical rotary assembly mounted on the frame, drive means for ensuring the rotation of the vertical assembly which further comprises means for supporting article supporting cups intended to move over a circular path and burner holder means provided to follow the cups in their movement, wherein the supply of the burners is subjected to the action of adjustable means for opening and closing the flows of fuel so that the burners are adjusted once and for all in optimum manner and it is possible to vary the portion of path of the cups where fire-finishing takes place. The invention is more particularly applied to the manufacture of glass articles whose shape may or may not be of revolution.

Abstract: Tempered flat glass sheets produced by the gas hearth process tend to become warped and/or kinked. Grooving the surface of the gas hearth bed at its exit portion only in the vicinity of supply passages not interspersed with exhaust passages reduces the warping and kinking to a significant degree.

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.