Provided is a device for correcting meandering of a strip material capable of correcting meandering caused in the strip material and conducting stable conveyance even when the meandering amount is small. The device for correcting meandering in a non-contact conveyance of a strip material that supports and conveys the continuously travelling strip material at a non-contact state by floating the strip material using a group of one or more floaters arranged in series, is characterized in that a gas nozzle for jetting a gas to a lower surface of the strip material is disposed in at least one section between the most upstream floater among the floater group and a conveyance roll located immediately upstream of the floater, between adjacent two floaters and between the most downstream floater among the floater group and a conveyance roll located immediately downstream of the floater as a mechanism for imparting tilting to the strip material to operate the tilting of the strip material in the widthwise direction above the floater.

Disclosed is a winding method using an air expansion structure, which accurately controls the winding process by preset inflation parameter values and preset winding parameter values, so as to create space for a membrane to contract after winding, that is, to relieve the stress of the membrane, so as to avoid the situation of deviation or innermost side wrinkling during winding of the membrane, and the rewinding procedure is not needed, so that the complexity of the working procedure is reduced.

Disclosed is a winding method using an air expansion structure, which accurately controls the winding process by preset inflation parameter values and preset winding parameter values, so as to create space for a membrane to contract after winding, that is, to relieve the stress of the membrane, so as to avoid the situation of deviation or innermost side wrinkling during winding of the membrane, and the rewinding procedure is not needed, so that the complexity of the working procedure is reduced.

Disclosed are apparatuses and methods for non-contact processing a substrate, for example a glass substrate, overtop a gas layer. The support apparatus includes a plurality of gas bearings positioned on a pressure box supplied with a pressurized gas. Some embodiments are directed to a method of supporting and transporting softened glass. The method includes placing the glass in proximity to a gas bearing device having a support surface with a plurality of outlet ports disposed therein. Some embodiments are directed to a glass processing apparatus comprising an air table configured to continuously transport and support a stream of glass and a plurality of modular devices supported by a support structure and disposed above the air table. Some embodiments are directed to a method for flattening viscous glass using a two-sided gas bearing device or a one-sided gas bearing device.

Disclosed are apparatuses and methods for non-contact processing a substrate, for example a glass substrate, overtop a gas layer. The support apparatus includes a plurality of gas bearings positioned on a pressure box supplied with a pressurized gas. Some embodiments are directed to a method of supporting and transporting softened glass. The method includes placing the glass in proximity to a gas bearing device having a support surface with a plurality of outlet ports disposed therein. Some embodiments are directed to a glass processing apparatus comprising an air table configured to continuously transport and support a stream of glass and a plurality of modular devices supported by a support structure and disposed above the air table. Some embodiments are directed to a method for flattening viscous glass using a two-sided gas bearing device or a one-sided gas bearing device.

A conveyance device includes a support having a support face configured to support a conveyed object and a fluid introduction device disposed outside the support. The fluid introduction device is configured to introduce a fluid between the support face of the support and the conveyed object, to form a fluid layer for floating the conveyed object. The conveyance device further includes a conveyor configured to convey the conveyed object being floating from the support via the fluid layer.

In a method and a device for correcting meandering of a strip material in an apparatus that performs conveyance of the strip material at a non-contact state by floating a continuously traveling strip material by a floater group, the strip material is tilted by forcibly changing a height position in the widthwise direction of the strip material in at least one of a zone between the most upstream floater in the floater group and a conveyance roll located immediately upstream of such a floater, a zone between two adjacent floaters, and a zone between the most downstream floater in the floater group and a conveyance roll located immediately downstream of such a floater, whereby the height position in the widthwise direction of the strip material above the floater is changed and a static pressure applied to the strip material above the floater is changed to correct meandering thereof.

In a method and a device for correcting meandering of a strip material in an apparatus that performs conveyance of the strip material at a non-contact state by floating a continuously traveling strip material by a floater group, the strip material is tilted by forcibly changing a height position in the widthwise direction of the strip material in at least one of a zone between the most upstream floater in the floater group and a conveyance roll located immediately upstream of such a floater, a zone between two adjacent floaters, and a zone between the most downstream floater in the floater group and a conveyance roll located immediately downstream of such a floater, whereby the height position in the widthwise direction of the strip material above the floater is changed and a static pressure applied to the strip material above the floater is changed to correct meandering thereof.

Disclosed are apparatuses and methods for non-contact processing a substrate, for example a glass substrate, overtop a gas layer. The support apparatus includes a plurality of gas bearings positioned on a pressure box supplied with a pressurized gas. Some embodiments are directed to a method of supporting and transporting softened glass. The method includes placing the glass in proximity to a gas bearing device having a support surface with a plurality of outlet ports disposed therein. Some embodiments are directed to a glass processing apparatus comprising an air table configured to continuously transport and support a stream of glass and a plurality of modular devices supported by a support structure and disposed above the air table. Some embodiments are directed to a method for flattening viscous glass using a two-sided gas bearing device or a one-sided gas bearing device.

An apparatus for introducing transverse trapezoidal corrugations into a traveling web is provided, and includes a plurality of corrugating rollers for imparting corrugations to the web. In disclosed embodiments four such rollers are provided in a roller train defining respective first, second and third nips therebetween, wherein the teeth of the first and second rollers have rounded distal faces and those of the third and fourth rollers have flattened distal faces. Methods of yielding a trapezoidal corrugated web also are disclosed.