Apparatus for bending glass panels

An apparatus for bending glass panels, said apparatus comprising:

• an upper mould carriage track with successive mould carriages whose front or rear wall separates successive heating compartments and several successive bending compartments from each other, the mould carriages being adapted for an intermittent conveyance towards a press-bending compartment having its ceiling provided with a descendable and ascendable male mould;
• a lower mould carriage track with successive mould carriages whose rear or front wall separates successive cooling compartments from each other, the mould carriages being adapted for an intermittent conveyance in a direction opposite to the conveying direction of the mould carriages present on the upper mould carriage track;
• a number of bending moulds supported by the mould carriages;
• preheating compartments present in the upstream end of the upper mould carriage track, in which the heating of glass panels is effected by means of forced convection for which thermal energy has been obtained from glass panels presently annealing in downstream end compartments of the lower mould carriage track;
• radiation heating means on the ceiling of preheating compartments at least in some of the preheating compartments;
• radiation heating means on the ceiling of gravitationally working bending compartments;
• an intermediate floor which separates the bending compartments and preheating compartments from compartments therebelow;
• a lift mechanism for lowering the mould carriages from the upper track onto the lower track together with bent glass panels;
• wherein the mould carriages are provided with an open-structured or otherwise highly heat transmissive bottom, the mould supporting carriage having its bottom fitted with bearer elements and the press-bending compartment has its lower section fitted with brace elements for the mould carriage, which provide bracing for the bearer elements during a press-bending operation performed by means of the male mould, and
• wherein the brace elements are provided with lifting and lowering mechanisms, and the brace elements comprise:
• a frame, which has the brace elements arranged in connection therewith and which extends partly beyond the press-bending compartment's walls;
• power units, which are arranged in connection with a frame portion remaining outside the press-bending compartment's wall and by which the frame is ascendable and descendable.