GB956022A - Method of bending glass sheets and apparatus therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

<PICT:0956022/C1/1> <PICT:0956022/C1/2> <PICT:0956022/C1/3> A glass sheet is heated to sag it into contact with a skeleton shaping surface, including a main portion and an end portion pivotally mounted thereto, while being supported adjacent its tips and with additional support from two points spaced apart transversely of the sheet between the respective longitudinal extremities of the main and end portions, this additional support being maintained for equal times at both of the support points. A conventional multi-part skeleton mould comprising a main mould 1 with shaping rails 3 and a counterweighted pivoted end mould 2 with a shaping rail 6, has additional support provided for a glass sheet 17 by an intermediate supporting device 20. The device 20 has a supporting framework comprising two bars 21 secured to the end piece 13a of the mould supporting frame 13, cross-pieces 22 and 23 and a strut 24. Plates 28 and 29 extend upwardly from the cross-pieces 22 and 23 and carry pivotally within notches 30 closed by rods 44, a plate 33 engaged by means of notches 34 on each end. The plate 33 has secured to it a glass supporting arm 32, its limbs 38 and 39 carrying upstanding lugs 40 and 41. Further support for the arm 32 is provided by two struts 35 to the plate 33. The vertical positioning of the arm 32 is such that it is out of contact with the glass sheet 17 when the mould is in its closed position. In another embodiment, for use with glass sheets of highly irregular outline, the cross-piece 23 and the arm 32 are set at an angle to the end-piece 13a and the limbs 38 and 39 are of unequal length. An additional, fixed, intermediate support member is also provided. In a further embodiment a plurality of pivoted supporting arms similar to arm 32 are provided. Specification 956,021 is referred to.