GB784972A - Method and apparatus for bending glass sheets or plates - Google Patents

Abstract

784,972. Glass bending. LIBBEY-OWENSFORD GLASS CO. Jan. 25, 1956 [Feb. 3, 1955], No. 2420/56. Class 56. In the bending of glass sheets, particularly for windscreens, the plane glass is allowed to sag on to a convex mould, a concave mould is applied to the bent glass, both moulds with the interposed glass are inverted and the convex mould is removed leaving the glass in the concave mould for the continuation of the heat treatment. A glass sheet 37 on the convex surface 21 of a mould 12 supported by a rack 11 enters a furnace 47 on a conveyer 50 at C and is heated to bending temperature in zone 48. A concave mould 28, supported by a rack 27, is lowered on a hook 60 through a trapdoor 51, the angles 34 of rack 27 engaging the uprights 17 (not shown) of rack 11, as in Fig. 3. When the moulds 12, 28 are aligned with the cubicles 46, means therein move jaws 61 inwardly so that bevelled surfaces 62 engage the side bars 15, 32 on the moulds which are thus held tightly together. The means in the cubicle 46 then invert the mould assembly. The convex mould 12 is removed through the trapdoor 53 and the bending and annealing are completed on the concave mould 28. The furnace may be modified for tempering glass by the provision of an air hood after the bending zone, and further modified to produce pattern cut tempered glass by the provision at the end of the bending furnace of a sheet handling and cutting station followed by a reheat furnace and a tempering hood.