# US 8,739,572 B2 · Component based glass casting system and method

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- Number: US 8,739,572 B2
- Document ID: US8739572B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/135,000
- Filed: 2008-06-06
- Published: 2009-12-10
- Granted: 2014-06-03
- Earliest claimed: 2008-06-06
- Applicants: Christopher Mini
- Inventors: Christopher Mini
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8739572B2

## CPC

- C03B 29/00: Reheating glass products for softening or fusing their surfaces; Fire-polishing; Fusing of margins
- C03B 19/00: Other methods of shaping glass (manufacture or treatment of flakes, fibres or filaments from softened glass, minerals or slags C03B37/00)
- C03B 19/09: by fusing powdered glass in a shaping mould
- C03B: MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES

## Abstract

A system and method for providing component based glass casting are disclosed. One embodiment comprises arranging at least one metal shape to define boundaries of a casting dam, lining the boundaries with ceramic fiber paper to create a containment including the at least one metal shape and the ceramic fiber paper, inserting glass in the containment, and firing the glass and the containment in a kiln to cast a glass shape corresponding to a portion of the containment.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A reconfigurable component based glass casting system with multiple basic shapes for use in construction of a containment with multiple possible complex shapes, the component based glass casting system comprising:
a first plurality of metal shapes, each of the first plurality of metal shapes having a first geometry having a straight first section and a straight second section, wherein the first section is connected to the second section at a first angle;
a second plurality of metal shapes, each of the second plurality of metal shapes having a second geometry having a straight first section and a straight second section, wherein the first section is connected to the second section at a second angle that is different than the first angle of the first plurality of metal shapes;
ceramic fiber paper to line the metal shapes; and
a fastener to couple the ceramic fiber paper with the first plurality of metal shapes and with the second plurality of metal shapes to create a containment to hold glass for a glass casting process, wherein the containment is the ceramic fiber paper and the first plurality of metal shapes and the second plurality of metal shapes combine to create a reconfigurable casting dam to shape the containment, wherein any one of the first plurality of metal shapes can be reconfigured with any one or more of the first or second plurality of metal shapes to create a different containment than the containment with multiple possible complex shapes.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The component based glass casting system of claim 1, wherein the fastener is glue.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The component based glass casting system of claim 2, wherein the glue is a polyvinyl acetate glue.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The component based glass casting system of claim 1, further comprising glass pieces to fill the containment, wherein the glass pieces conform to the shape of the containment when the glass is sufficiently heated.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The component based glass casting system of claim 1, further comprising:
a plate, wherein the plate, the first plurality of metal shapes, the second plurality of metal shapes, and the ceramic fiber paper are arranged to create a concave containment; and
glass pieces to fill the concave containment, wherein the glass pieces conform to the shape of the concave containment when the glass is sufficiently heated to create a three-dimensional glass casting.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The component based glass casting system of claim 1, wherein the metal shapes are composed of a flexible light-gauge stainless steel.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The component based glass casting system of claim 1, wherein the containment is used to hold the glass as an inclusive dam.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The component based glass casting system of claim 7, wherein the containment further includes an exclusive dam to create a void in the glass shape.