Provided is an expandable device for fracturing a container for liquids, for example beverages, in particular alcoholic beverages, made of glass or a similar material, wherein the device has a first retracted position according to which the device can be accommodated at least partially in a recess at a bottom section of the container without causing fracture to the container and a second extended position according to which the device is able to cause a fracture at a bottom section of the container by impact against a solid surface such as a table, with the aim to prevent reuse or recycle of the container, for example with adulterated beverages.

A method for the separative processing of brittle-hard materials is provided. The method includes irradiating a surface of a workpiece made of brittle-hard material with a laser beam having a wavelength sufficient so that light of the laser beam is absorbed at the surface and so that the workpiece is heated to create a first temperature gradient in a direction from the surface to an interior of the workpiece; guiding the laser beam over the surface along an irradiated region; forming a second temperature gradient along the surface between the irradiated region and a non-irradiated region adjacent the irradiated region, the first and second temperature gradients interacting in such a way that, on account of thermomechanical stresses, the workpiece is separated below the surface with a portion of the workpiece being severed in the form of a chip.

A method for processing glass elements is provided. The method includes introducing a perforation line for parting a glass element introduced into the glass element during or after a hot processing process at an elevated temperature of at least 100 C. Spaced-apart filamentary flaws are introduced into the glass element along the predetermined course of the perforation line by a pulsed laser beam of an ultrashort pulse laser, and, during or after the introduction of the filamentary flaws, the glass element is cooled down so as to produce a temperature gradient, which induces a mechanical stress at the filamentary flaws, whereby the breaking force required for parting the glass element along the perforation line is reduced.

A method for processing glass tube ends is provided. The method includes providing a glass tube blank that has at least two tube end portions; actively cooling at least one tube end portion by a cooling station; and processing the at least one of the tube end portion.

The present invention comprises a new glass bottle cutting device generally used for standard sizes bottles, with an adjustable length for up to 19.5-inch bottles. The device consists of a base, an L shaped backstop, rollers (wheels), and a carbide blade. When using it the blade scores the glass bottle so that you can split it into two parts with little effort.

The present invention comprises a new glass bottle cutting device generally used for standard sizes bottles, with an adjustable length for up to 19.5-inch bottles. The device consists of a base, an L shaped backstop, rollers (wheels), and a carbide blade. When using it the blade scores the glass bottle so that you can split it into two parts with little effort.

A drinking implement includes: a first opening; a lumen; a second opening fluidly coupled to the first opening and the lumen; and a wall including a glass and extending from the first opening to the second opening and surrounding the lumen. The wall has an inner surface facing toward the lumen and an outer surface facing away from the lumen. The wall has a first compressive stress layer extending from the inner surface to a first depth within the wall, a second compressive stress layer extending from the outer surface to a second depth within the wall, and a tensile stress layer disposed within the wall at a depth between the first compressive stress layer and the second compressive stress layer. The second depth is from 0.05% to 25% of a thickness of the wall.

The present invention relates to a continuous method for the production of hollow quartz-glass ingots and an apparatus for said method, whereby the hollow quartz-glass ingots are cooled on the internal surface.

A method and apparatus for manufacturing a quartz glass ingot of large cross-sectional area by continuous flame-fusion whereby on-line crack-free cutting of the ingot is ensured by using the internal heat of the ingot to permit equilibration of the internal and surface temperatures while passing through one or more annealing chambers, thus ensuring controlled cooling to temperature at which it is possible to cut the ingot with a water-cooled saw.

A method and apparatus for manufacturing a quartz glass ingot of large cross-sectional area by continuous flame-fusion whereby on-line crack-free cutting of the ingot is ensured by using the internal heat of the ingot to permit equilibration of the internal and surface temperatures while passing through one or more annealing chambers, thus ensuring controlled cooling to temperature at which it is possible to cut the ingot with a water-cooled saw.