Continuous furnace for heating glass panes to bending and/or toughening temperature

Abstract

A continuous furnace (straight-through furnace) for heating glass panes to their curving and/or toughening temperature is constructed as a circular furnace and comprises an annular, horizontal hot gas support bed (3). On this annular hot gas support bed (3) the glass panes are carried, each by means of a template (56) of heat-resistant metal plate, also floating on the hot gas support bed (3), in a circuit from the feed station (6) to the discharge station (7). The templates (56) are each mounted on the arms (17) of a star-type turntable (16) concentrically to the support bed (3). At the discharge station (7) the glass panes, heated to bending and/or toughening temperature, are removed from the furnace by means of a radially traversable suction plate (42) and transferred into a bending and/or toughening device disposed laterally alongside the furnace.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.