Claims
- 1. Apparatus for bending glass sheets comprising: a heating chamber for heating glass sheets to a sufficiently high temperature to permit bending thereof; a conveyor for conveying glass sheets through the heating chamber; a holder for receiving a heated glass sheet from the conveyor; said holder having a downwardly facing surface of a predetermined shape against which a differential gas pressure supports the heated sheet of glass received from the conveyor in preparation for bending; a mold having a generally open center and a curved shape over at least a substantial portion thereof with a greater curvature than said predetermined shape of the holder surface; and means for providing relative movement between the mold and the holder such that the mold is positioned below the holder to receive the heated glass sheet from the holder for substantial sag bending of the glass sheet on the mold solely under gravity.
- 2. Apparatus for bending glass sheets comprising: a heating chamber for heating glass sheets to a sufficiently high temperature to permit bending thereof; a conveyor for conveying glass sheets generally horizontally through the heating chamber; a holder positioned within the heating chamber above the conveyor to receive a heated glass sheet therefrom; said holder having a downwardly facing surface of a predetermined shape against which a diferential gas pressure supports the heated sheet of glass received from the conveyor in preparation for bending; a mold having a generally open center and a curved shape over at least a substantial portion thereof with a greater curvature than said predetermined shape of the holder surface; said mold being movable horizontally to a position within the heating chamber between the holder and the conveyor to receive the heated glass sheet from the holder for substantial sag bending of the glass sheet on the mold solely under gravity; and an actuator for moving the mold from the heating chamber for cooling in a time to control the extent of bending.
- 3. A method for bending glass sheets comprising: heating a glass sheet to a sufficiently high temperature for bending; supporting the heated glass sheet against a downwardly facing holder surface of a predetermined shape; and releasing the glass sheet from the holder surface onto a curved mold having a generally open center and at least a substantial portion with a greater curvature than said holder surface such that the glass sheet bends substantially on the mold solely under gravity.
- 4. A method for bending glass sheets comprising: conveying a glass sheet through a heating chamber for heating thereof to a sufficiently high temperature for bending; supporting the heated glass sheet within the heating chamber against a downwardly facing holder surface of a predetermined shape; releasing the heated glass sheet onto a curved mold having a generally open center and at least a substantial portion with a greater curvature than said holder surface such that the glass sheet bends substantially on the mold solely under gravity; and moving the mold from the heating chamber for cooling in a time to control the extent of bending of the glass sheet.
Parent Case Info
This is a division of application Ser. No. 118,822, filed Feb. 5, 1980 now Pat. No. 4,282,026 as a continuation of application Ser. No. 872,201 which was filed on Jan. 25, 1978 and is now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
3607200 |
McMaster |
Sep 1971 |
|
3846104 |
Seymour |
Nov 1974 |
|
4202681 |
McMaster et al. |
May 1980 |
|
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
118822 |
Feb 1980 |
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Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
872201 |
Jan 1978 |
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