Gravity bending glass sheets

Abstract

A gravity bending mold for bending glass sheets is disclosed. The gravity bending mold comprises an intermediate mold having an intermediate movable mold section and a final mold having a final movable mold section. Each movable mold section is movable between an operable position and an inoperable position respectively. The intermediate and final movable mold sections are adapted successively to engage a glass sheet during a gravity bending operation. There is a mechanical connection between the intermediate and final movable mold sections, the mechanical connection being selectively disposable in a first configuration, at which the intermediate and final movable mold sections are in the operable and inoperable positions respectively, and in a second configuration, at which the final and intermediate movable mold sections are in the operable position and inoperable positions respectively. When the mechanical connection is moved from the first configuration to the second configuration, the intermediate movable mold section moves to the inoperable position and the final movable mold section correspondingly moves to the operable position to take the place of the intermediate moveable mold section. There is also provided a method of bending glass sheets using such a mold.