Importance

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Abstract

A glass sheet bending system (10) is disclosed as including a compressed gas bending unit (28) located above a horizontal conveyor (22) on which glass sheets are heated within a furnace (12) of the system. A downwardly facing curved surface (26) of a holder (24) above conveyor (22) receives a heated glass sheet from the conveyor for bending. Compressed gas fed through outlets (34) of the bending unit (28) provides inclined gas jets directed in a generally perpendicular relationship to the holder surface (26) with a sufficient intensity to bend the glass sheet on the holder (24) to the curved shape of its surface. The conveyor (22) of the system is preferably of the roller type including spaced rolls (36) and the bending unit (28) is disclosed as including a pair of supply conduits (48) extending upwardly between the rolls to supply compressed gas to a pair of delivery conduits (52) which define the outlets (34). A blow-up unit (60), a vacuum drawing unit (64) for the holder, and a vertically operable actuator (66) for the holder preferably cooperate with the bending unit (28). A curved mold (30) is moved to below the holder (24) to receive the bent glass sheet and further bending of the glass sheet preferably takes place on the mold under the operation of gravity. The system also includes a quench unit (16) to which the mold (30) moves the bent glass sheet for tempering in order to improve its mechanical properties.

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First Claim