Glass bending lehr with pre-heat hood

A method of shaping glass sheets including the steps of supporting a glass sheet on support means comprised of a material having a greater heat capacity than glass, conveying said support means and said glass sheet into a horizontally elongated heating chamber wherein the entire glass sheet is heated to a temperature sufficient to soften the glass sheet as it passes from an entrance end of the heating chamber to a longitudinally spaced exit end of the heating chamber, shaping the glass sheet while in the softened condition, removing the glass sheet from said support means, and conveying said support means back to the entrance end of the heating chamber so as to support a subsequent sheet of glass through the heating and shaping steps, wherein the improvement comprises:

• trapping waste heat escaping from the heating chamber in a partially closed hood structure having a top, sides, and an open bottom spaced from and overlying at least a portion of said heating chamber so that the air within said hood becomes heated above ambient temperatures, and passing said support means through the heated air within said hood during the step of conveying the support means back to the entrance end of the heating chamber.