Horizontal press bending using a splitting vacuum/pressure pickup
AssigneePPG Industries, Inc.
InventorsDeWitt W. Lampman, George R. Claassen, Michael T. Fecik
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A horizontal press bending arrangement for press bending heat softened glass sheets during transfer into a shaping station. The glass sheet is conveyed through a roller hearth or gaseous support hearth type furnace to heat the sheet to its heat deformable temperature. The sheet is then transferred beneath a vacuum/pressure pick-up to support the glass sheet in non-engaging contact therewith. The sheet is next deposited on a lower mold. The vacuum/pressure pick-up thereafter splits in two and moves out of the shaping station to allow the sheet to be shaped between a pair of vertically aligned shaping molds. After shaping the shaped sheet is removed for further processing, e.g., tempering.
Claims30
An apparatus for shaping a glass sheet comprising:
- means to heat said glass sheet to its heat softening temperature;
- a shaping station including vertically aligned mold means;
- a shuttling vacuum/pressure pickup with a downwardly facing glass sheet supporting surface;
- means to move said pickup from between a first position between said aligned mold means to a second position adjacent said mold means;
- means to transfer said glass sheet from said heating means to said shuttling vacuum/pressure pickup;
- means to support said glass sheet from said pickup including means to direct pressurized gas to said supporting surface and means to draw a vacuum along said supporting surface such that said pickup supports said heat softened glass sheet by vacuum from above while said pressurized gas prevents contact between said glass sheet and said supporting surface;
- means to deposit said sheet from said pickup to between said mold means while said pickup is at said first position;
- and
- means to shape said glass sheet between said aligned mold means.
A method of shaping a glass sheet comprising:
- heating said glass sheet to its heat softening temperature;
- positioning a movable holder at a first position between vertically aligned mold means;
- transferring said heat softened sheet to said movable holder while said holder is at said first position;
- supporting said heat softened glass sheets from above with said holder in substantially non-contacting engagement therewith;
- depositing said glass sheet at said mold means;
- moving said holder from said first position between said mold means to a second position adjacent to said mold means;
- and
- shaping said glass sheet between said mold means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.