Horizontal press bending apparatus and method
AssigneePPG Industries, Inc.
InventorRobert G. Frank
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A horizontal press bending arrangement wherein heat softened glass sheets are shaped between a lower mold with a sheet shaping surface having a generally convex upward elevational configuration and an upper vacuum mold. After shaping the shaped glass sheet is deposited on an adjustable tempering ring. The ring adjusts in size from a first configuration corresponding to the contours of the shaped sheet immediately after shaping, to a second configuration corresponding to the contours of the shaped sheet after it has been cooled.
Claims26
An apparatus for shaping heat softened sheet material comprising:
- means to heat said sheet to its heat softened temperature;
- means to transfer said sheet to a shaping station including;
- an upper vacuum mold with a shaping surface having a generally concave downward elevational configuration corresponding to a desired configuration of said sheet;
- and
- a lower mold with a shaping station complementing said shaping surface of said upper mold;
- means to press said sheet between said upper and lower molds;
- a support ring having a sheet supporting surface with an elevational contour corresponding to the contour of said shaped sheet slightly inboard of said sheet perimeter immediately after shaping;
- means to move said ring from a first position between said upper and lower moles to a second position adjacent said upper and lower molds;
- means to deposit said sheet on said ring when said ring is in said first position;
- and
- means to cool said sheet while supported on said ring when said ring is at said second position.
A tempering ring for supporting hot shaped sheet material having a generally concave downward elevational configuration comprising:
- means to support said shaped sheet slightly inboard of said sheet perimeter;
- first means to mount a first portion of said support means to a frame;
- second means to mount a second portion of said support means to said frame;
- and
- means to slideably move said first and second portions of said support means relative to each other while supporting said hot shaped sheet.
A method of shaping heat softenable sheet material comprising:
- heating said sheet to its heat softened temperature;
- positioning said heat softened sheet at a shaping station including an upper mold with a shaping surface having a generally concave downward elevational configuration and a vertically aligned lower mold with a shaping surface generally complementing the shaping surface of said upper mold;
- pressing said sheet between said upper and lower molds;
- depositing said shaped sheet on a support ring;
- removing said ring with said shape sheet supported thereon from said shaping station;
- and
- cooling said sheet.
A method of supporting hot shaped sheet material comprising:
- supporting the periphery of said shaped sheet on a tempering ring in an initial configuration immediately after shaping while said sheet is in a shaped and expanded configuration;
- cooling said shaped sheet such that said sheet shrinks in dimensions;
- and
- adjusting said tempering ring to a final configuration such that said ring supports said sheet about said periphery after said sheet has been cooled.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.