A device for the gravity-bending of a glass sheet, includes a longitudinal roughing mold including two longitudinal roughing supports, and a finishing frame including two lateral finishing supports and two longitudinal finishing supports, the supports forming shaping rails. The distance between middles of the longitudinal finishing supports is shorter than that between middles of the lateral finishing supports. The roughing mold and finishing frame are movable vertically relative to each other during bending to switch from a rough-bending to a final-bending configuration. In the rough-bending configuration, the shaping rails of the longitudinal roughing supports are higher up than those of the longitudinal finishing support. In the final-bending configuration, the shaping rails of the longitudinal finishing supports are higher up than those of the longitudinal roughing supports. The shaping rails of the lateral finishing supports are the only ones under lateral edges of the glass in the roughing and final-bending configurations.

A device for the gravity-bending of a glass sheet, includes a longitudinal roughing mold including two longitudinal roughing supports, and a finishing frame including two lateral finishing supports and two longitudinal finishing supports, the supports forming shaping rails. The distance between middles of the longitudinal finishing supports is shorter than that between middles of the lateral finishing supports. The roughing mold and finishing frame are movable vertically relative to each other during bending to switch from a rough-bending to a final-bending configuration. In the rough-bending configuration, the shaping rails of the longitudinal roughing supports are higher up than those of the longitudinal finishing support. In the final-bending configuration, the shaping rails of the longitudinal finishing supports are higher up than those of the longitudinal roughing supports. The shaping rails of the lateral finishing supports are the only ones under lateral edges of the glass in the roughing and final-bending configurations.

A glass sheet used in the making of an aircraft windshield is shaped using the cut-to-size method instead of the out-after-bend method. In a preferred aspect of the invention the cut-to-size method is practiced using a bending iron having a sheet shaping rail having a stationary shaping rail portion mounted on a support member and an articulating shaping rail portion pivotally mounted on the support member for movement from a non-shaping position to a shaping position.

A glass sheet used in the making of an aircraft windshield is shaped using the cut-to-size method instead of the out-after-bend method. In a preferred aspect of the invention the cut-to-size method is practiced using a bending iron having a sheet shaping rail having a stationary shaping rail portion mounted on a support member and an articulating shaping rail portion pivotally mounted on the support member for movement from a non-shaping position to a shaping position.

A method of forming a scribe line in a strengthened glass substrate includes providing a strengthened glass substrate having a first surface, a second surface, a first edge and a second edge. The first and second surfaces have a strengthened surface layer under a compressive stress, and a central region under tensile stress. The method further includes applying a scoring blade to the first surface at an initiation location that is offset from the first edge by an initiation offset distance greater than a diameter of the scoring blade, and translating the scoring blade or the strengthened glass substrate such that the scoring blade scores the first surface. The translation is terminated such that the scoring blade stops at a termination location that is offset from the second edge of the strengthened glass substrate by a termination offset distance greater than the diameter of the scoring blade.

A method of forming a scribe line in a strengthened glass substrate includes providing a strengthened glass substrate having a first surface, a second surface, a first edge and a second edge. The first and second surfaces have a strengthened surface layer under a compressive stress, and a central region under tensile stress. The method further includes applying a scoring blade to the first surface at an initiation location that is offset from the first edge by an initiation offset distance greater than a diameter of the scoring blade, and translating the scoring blade or the strengthened glass substrate such that the scoring blade scores the first surface. The translation is terminated such that the scoring blade stops at a termination location that is offset from the second edge of the strengthened glass substrate by a termination offset distance greater than the diameter of the scoring blade.

A device for the gravity-bending of a glass sheet, includes a longitudinal roughing mold including two longitudinal roughing supports, and a finishing frame including two lateral finishing supports and two longitudinal finishing supports, the supports forming shaping rails. The distance between middles of the longitudinal finishing supports is shorter than that between middles of the lateral finishing supports. The roughing mold and finishing frame are movable vertically relative to each other during bending to switch from a rough-bending to a final-bending configuration. In the rough-bending configuration, the shaping rails of the longitudinal roughing supports are higher up than those of the longitudinal finishing support. In the final-bending configuration, the shaping rails of the longitudinal finishing supports are higher up than those of the longitudinal roughing supports. The shaping rails of the lateral finishing supports are the only ones under lateral edges of the glass in the roughing and final-bending configurations.