A method of forming a glass article includes providing a first glass sheet. The first glass sheet is heated to a temperature suitable for shaping. The first glass sheet is deposited on a first bending tool. An edge portion of the first glass sheet is disposed over a shaping surface of the first bending tool. The shaping surface of the first bending tool is configured to provide in the first glass sheet a compression area and a tension area. The first glass sheet is shaped on the first bending tool and the compression area is formed in the edge portion of the first glass sheet. The compression area includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion has a width which is greater than a width of a second portion.

Methods and systems are provided for automated shaping of a glass sheet. The methods comprise preheating the glass, bending the glass through selective, and focused beam heating through the use of an ultra-high frequency, high-power electromagnetic wave, and computer implemented processes utilizing thermal and shape (positional) data obtained in real-time, and cooling the glass sheet to produce a glass sheet suitable for use in air and space vehicles.

A device for manufacturing curved glass, includes a bending station that has a solid concave bending upper mold and a complementary lower countermold, the upper mold being placed above the lower countermold, a conveyor to convey the glass to a final holder placed under the bending upper mold, the final holder being circumscribed, seen from above, by the lower countermold, the final holder forming a surface for receiving the glass, the glass being in an optimal bending position when on this surface, the lower countermold being of the frame type and being able to move vertically in order to pass below or above the surface for receiving the glass, the bending upper mold and the lower countermold being able to move with a relative vertical movement that allows them to be brought together, in order to clamp therebetween the periphery of the glass, and to move apart from each other.

Apparatus and methods for processing a glass sheet that includes a threading tool movable between an open position and a closed position, a glass sensor, a gripping device sensor and a controller in communication with the glass sensor and the gripping device sensor, and configured to coordinate and control movement of the threading tool between the open position and the closed position based on the detected presence of the glass sheet and the detected presence of the gripping device. A control system is also provided.

A method is provided that includes providing a glass sheet of a thickness of at most 300 μm and irradiating the glass sheet with a pulsed laser beam. The laser beam has a light intensity inside the glass sheet leaves a filamentary damage along its path through the glass sheet. The laser beam and the glass sheet are moved relative to each other so that due to the pulses of the laser beam filamentary damages are inserted next to one another along a path running on the glass sheet. During the insertion of the filamentary damages, a tensile stress is applied on the glass at the filamentary damages and in the direction transverse to the path of the adjacent filamentary damages so that the glass sheet separates along the path during insertion of the filamentary damages.

The invention relates to a method for shaping a glass sheet having a reflective low emissivity coating thereon comprising the steps: (i) positioning the coated glass sheet at a furnace entrance; (ii) conveying the coated glass sheet through the furnace to heat the glass sheet to a temperature suitable for shaping; (iii) transferring the coated glass sheet on to a first bending tool for supporting the coated glass sheet, the first bending tool having a fixed wall and first, second and third movable walls; (iv) moving at least one of the first, second and third movable walls to adjust the position of the coated glass sheet on the first bending tool ring from a first position to a second position; and (v) shaping the coated glass sheet between the first bending tool and a die. Apparatus for carrying out the method is also disclosed.

A cooling frame for a bent glass sheet, includes a support track for the sheet and a removable bearing piece that is able, in a bearing position and during cooling of the sheet by air blowing, to bear on the top face of the sheet and at the periphery thereof. The bent sheet cooled on the cooling frame maintains contact with the frame during the cooling operation and its shape complies better with that which is desired.

A glass sheet forming and annealing system disclosed provides control of edge stresses by maintaining a press formed glass sheet on an annealing ring (72) below a heated upper forming mold (58) within a forming station (12) for slow cooling toward the glass strain point temperature.

A mold shuttle positioning system in a glass sheet forming system includes a mold mounted on a support frame. A shuttle frame including a pair of generally parallel elongate beams for receiving and supporting the mold support frame thereon. At least one support wheel assembly including a wheel and a shuttle guide is mounted in proximity to each of the shuttle beams to position and support each one of the beams as the shuttle frame is moved to position the mold supported thereon at one of multiple desired processing locations. At least one mold guide is mounted on the support surface of one of the beams for receiving and fixing the position of the mold support frame relative to the shuttle frame to align and prevent movement of the mold support frame with respect to the shuttle frame in any direction as the mold support frame is supported thereon.

A method of shaping glass sheets is provided. A first glass sheet is shaped after it has been deposited on a first bending tool at a first position and an edge portion of the first sheet contacted to move the first sheet to a second position relative to the first bending tool, and a second glass sheet is also shaped after it has been deposited on the first bending tool at a first position and an edge portion of the second sheet contacted to move the second sheet to a second position relative to the first bending tool. The second position of the first edge portion of the first sheet is different than the second position of the first edge portion of the second glass sheet relative to the first bending tool. The first and second glass sheets may be of different sizes, and may be laminated together after each is shaped.