Donnelly Corporation

Donnelly Mirrors Limited

Martin De Vries, Jr

Donald L Bareman

Niels Alfred Olesen

James M Beebe

Mervin Dirkse

Eldon J Nyhof

Harold A Fitzgerald, Ii

James D Van Putten, Jr

A method of and apparatus for bending and tempering a sheet of glass heated to a formable state provides an improved rigid mold and pressing member for pressing the heated sheet against the rigid mold which cools and bends the sheet. The pressing member includes a conformable pressing element which permits a manifold to be positioned between the rigid mold and the pressing member to direct a gas to cool the heated sheet of glass during bending. The conformable pressing element is pressurized into a convex shape for initially pressing on a portion of the heated sheet and for rolling the heated sheet onto the rigid mold. The rigid mold and the conformable pressing element may each include a cover to increase the heat transfer from the heated sheet to the bending and tempering apparatus. Furthermore, the covers may have increased thermal conductivity in their peripheral regions for increased cooling of the edge of the sheet of glass.

Method and apparatus for tempering and bending glass

A method of and apparatus for bending a sheet of material heated to a formable, state such as glass, resinous polymeric material, viscoelastic material, and thermoplastic material, provides an improved pressing member for pressing the heated sheet against a first rigid mold which reduces the size of the buckles in the bent sheet, eliminates the need for a second rigid mold, reduces the process control steps, reduces the risk of damaging the rigid mold, increases the tolerances for the positioning of the sheet in the apparatus, and increases the range of application. The pressing member includes a flexible diaphragm which rolls the heated sheet against a rigid mold by first applying a pressure to a portion of the heated sheet and then radiating the pressure from that portion to the remaining surface area of the heated sheet in a rolling action. The bending apparatus includes a rigid mold and a flexible diaphragm pressurized into a convex shape for initially pressing on a portion of the heated sheet. A control system moves the pressing member toward the rigid mold and maintains the pressure on the flexible diaphragm so that as the pressing member is moved toward the rigid mold, the flexible member generally conforms to the shape of the rigid mold and rolls the heated sheet onto the rigid mold. To further reduce the size of any buckles, a holder for supporting the heated sheet between the rigid mold and the flexible diaphragm is provided. The holder includes a support surface for supporting the heated sheet generally planar before bending.

Method and apparatus for bending glass

Apparatus and method for testing an optical element sample such as a mirror simultaneously and substantially instantaneously both for the total amount of light reflected from and the total amount of light transmitted by a predetermined area of that sample. The apparatus includes a pair of axially aligned light-integrating spheres between which is clamped the test sample so that no light enters or escapes from either sphere. A preferably optically regulated, substantially collimated beam of light is directed through one sphere against the test sample at an angle to the sphere axis. Silicon photo-voltaic light sensitive detectors connected to amplified readout units indicate the total light reflectivity in one sphere and the total light transmission to the other sphere. The method includes directing a light beam against a test sample area at an angle other than normal to the surface of said sample area, simultaneously detecting the total amounts of reflected and transmitted light for the test sample area with light-integrating means, and indicating the detected total amounts of reflected and transmitted light.

Light reflectivity and transmission testing apparatus and method

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Holland, MI, United States of America

Martin De Vries, Jr