Method and apparatus for curving sheets in the plastic state
AssigneeSaint-Gobain Industries
InventorClaude Presta
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The sheet to be curved, such as glass at a softening temperature, is advanced on a fixed curved bed formed by a series of curved rods having angles of inclination which provide the bed with an increasing curvature profile. The edges of the sheet gradually sag as the sheet advances. The curved bed is followed by a bed having a constant profile formed by curved rods having the same inclination. The peaks of the rods advantageously lie in a straight line. Means are provided for simultaneously changing the inclinations of the curved rods when sheets of a different curvature are to be made.
Claims20
A process for bending to a predetermined curvature a sheet of material in the plastic state, such as a sheet of glass brought to the softening temperature, on a bed formed by a series of curved rods pivotally mounted in a support structure, which comprises inclining the curved rods at different angles of inclination to form a curved bed with a curvature profile which increases progressively to a curvature corresponding to the predetermined curvature, holding the rods at said angles of inclination to form a fixed curved bed with said increasing curvature profile, and advancing the sheet on said fixed bed in the direction of increasing curvature thereof by a rotationally driven sleeve disposed about at least one of the curved rods.
Apparatus for bending to a predetermined curvature a sheet of material in the plastic state, such as a sheet of glass brought to softening temperature, which comprises a series of curved rods forming a curved bed for receiving said sheet, a rotationally driven sleeve disposed about at least one of said rods for advancing a sheet along said bed, said rods having aligned end sections forming respective axes of rotation of the rods, and means for holding said rods at different angles of inclination to provide a fixed bed having a curvature profile which increases progressively in the direction of advancement of the sheet to a curvature corresponding to said predetermined curvature.
A process for bending to a predetermined curvature a sheet of material in the plastic state, such as a sheet of glass brought to the softening temperature, on a bed formed by a series of curved rods pivotally mounted in a support structure, which comprises inclining the curved rods at different angles of inclination to form a curved bed with a curvature profile which increases progressively to a curvature corresponding to the predetermined curvature, maintaining the peaks of said rods in a straight line, holding the rods at said angles of inclination with the peaks thereof in said straight line to form a fixed curved bed with said increasing curvature profile, and advancing the sheet on said fixed bed in the direction of increasing curvature thereof by a rotationally driven sleeve disposed about at least one of the curved rods.
Apparatus for curving a sheet of material in a plastic state, such as a sheet of glass brought to a softening temperature, which comprises a series of curved rods having aligned end portions, means for mounting said rods for pivoting about respective axes formed by said aligned end portions, means for simultaneously changing the angles of inclination of said rods while maintaining the peaks thereof in a substantially straight line, means for holding the rods at different angles of inclination to form a fixed bed with an increasing curvature profile and a rotationally driven sleeve disposed about a least one of said rods for advancing the sheet along said fixed bed in the direction of increasing curvature thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.