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US 4,229,200 AGranted
Drop forming glass sheets with auxiliary shaping means
AssigneePPG Industries, Inc.
InventorSamuel L. Seymour
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Heat softened glass sheets are held by a flat vacuum platen, portions of the glass sheet are pre-shaped by auxiliary shaping means while the glass sheet is being held, and then the glass sheet is dropped onto a shaping mold to impart the complete desired curvature to the glass sheet.
Claims13
A method of shaping glass sheets comprising the steps of:
- heating a glass sheet to approximately its softening point;
- bringing a major portion of a surface of the glass sheet into close proximity to a flat platen with a portion of the glass sheet extending beyond a side of the platen;
- drawing a vacuum through the platen so as to retain the glass sheet on the platen;
- engaging the extending portion of the glass sheet with shaping means so as to pre-shape the extending portion of the glass sheet;
- bringing the glass sheet on the platen to an elevated essentially horizontal orientation with the glass sheet on the underside of the platen;
- bringing into vertical alignment with and beneath the glass sheet held on the platen a shaping mold having a contour defining the desired contour for the glass sheet;
- and
- releasing the glass sheet from the platen so as to fall onto the shaping mold and conform to the contour defined by the shaping mold.
5 more elements
An apparatus for shaping glass sheets comprising:
- a furnace for heating glass sheets to a softened condition;
- support means adjacent the furnace for supporting heated glass sheets;
- conveyor means for transferring glass sheets from the furnace to the support means;
- a platen having a flat, perforated plate on one side thereof and an enclosed interior space in communication with a source of vacuum;
- means for bringing the flat, perforated plate and a side of a glass sheet into close proximity to each other so as to transfer support of a major portion of the glass sheet from the support means to the platen with a portion of the glass sheet extending beyond a side of the platen;
- shaping means aligned with the extending portion of the glass sheet and adapted to engage and pre-shape the extending portion of the glass sheet;
- means for bringing the pre-shaped glass sheet on the platen into a generally horizontal orientation, with the glass sheet on the underside of the platen;
- a shaping mold having upwardly facing shaping surfaces defining the desired curvature and corresponding to the shape of the glass sheet;
- and
- shuttle means for alternately bringing the platen and the shaping mold into and out of superimposed, vertically spaced relationship to each other, wherein the shaping mold in the superimposed position is supported at an elevation below the platen so as to receive and shape a glass sheet dropped from the platen.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.