Glasstech, Inc.

Other

Glasstech International L.p.

Dexter H McMaster

Harold A McMaster

Ronald A McMaster

Norman C Nitschke

Joseph O Kramer

Eustace H Mumford

Thomas E Feehan

An apparatus (10) for conveying a glass sheet (12) disclosed includes an air floatation glass sheet heating furnace (14) having a downwardly sloping heating bed (15). The furnace (14) includes an endless conveyor means (18) revolvable in situ and a plurality of restraining bars (20) supported by the conveyor means (18) and revolving with the conveyor means (18). The restraining bars (20) are movable sequentially adjacent the heating bed (15) and away from the heating bed (15) while revolving with the conveyor means (18). The restraining bars (20) are adapted to engage a leading edge of the glass sheet (12) to restrain the sheet so that the glass sheet (12) is moved along the heating bed (15) at a conveyor speed while the restraining bars (20) are moved adjacent the heating bed (15) and to slow the movement of the glass sheet (12) from the conveyor speed to a speed approaching a zero speed by a transition of the movement of the conveyor means (18) and restraining bars (20) from adjacent the heating bed (15) to away from the heating bed (15).

Apparatus and method for conveying glass sheets

A positioning device (10) is disclosed for catching a hot glass sheet (12) without relative motion between the glass sheet (12) and positioning device (10) as it arrives at a topside support device (14) in a glass sheet heating furnace (18). The positioning device (10) includes a first actuator (30) for actuating longitudinal movement of the glass sheet (12) and a second actuator (32) for actuating transverse movement of the glass sheet (12) for decelerating, and positioning the glass sheet (12) during deceleration, to an accurate stationary position relative to the topside support device (14).

Device for positioning hot glass sheets

A method for bending glass sheets is disclosed in which a heated glass sheet (12) is introduced between spaced upper and lower bending platens (16,18). Heat source (19), integral with platen (18), is operable for applying heat in close proximity to the glass sheet (12) between the platens (16,18) to maintain an optimal bending temperature and the glass sheet (12) is bent such that a specific geometric orientation of the bend on the glass sheet (12) is controllable and repeatedly reproducible during a production operation.

Method for bending glass sheets

A glass bending and tempering apparatus (10) is disclosed as including a first platen (14) for receiving a heated glass sheet (12) to be bent. The first platen (14) is deformable and includes an actuator (16) for deforming platen (14) from a planar shape to a bent shape. A second platen (22) is mounted above lower platen (14) for bending and quenching glass sheet (12) therebetween the platens. A template (24) is located on the other side of the second platen (22) away from glass sheet (12). Second platen (22) is pressed against template (24) as first platen (14) is deformed from the planar shape to the bent shape to bend the heated glass sheet thereagainst second platen (22), the second platen (22) conforming to template (24). Quenching gas is supplied by both platens (14,22) through quench openings (18) that move with the platens (14,22) to temper the bent glass sheet between the platens.

Glass sheet bending and tempering apparatus

A glass bending and tempering apparatus (20) is disclosed as including a pair of opposed bending platens (24) for receiving a heated glass sheet (22) to be bent therebetween. At least one of the bending platens (24) is deformable and includes an actuator (32) for deforming the platens from a planar shape to a bent shape to bend the heated glass sheet. Said one platen (24) includes quench openings (42) that move with said platen during the deformation of the platen and subsequently supply quenching gas to temper the bent glass sheet (22).

Growing community of inventors

Perrysburg, OH, United States of America

Dexter H McMaster