The present invention relates to a mold including a master mold having a first region master mold molding surface having a shape corresponding to a first region of a molded body, and a second region master mold molding surface having a shape corresponding to a second region of the molded body, and in which the master mold includes: an inner mold having the first region master mold molding surface; an outer mold having an accommodating concave portion capable of accommodating the inner mold therein and the second region master mold molding surface on at least a part of an outer edge of the accommodating concave portion; and a buffer material provided between the inner mold and a bottom surface of the accommodating concave portion, the buffer material being pressed and deformed with relative movement of the inner mold and the outer mold.

A method for bending panes, includes providing a pane heated to bending temperature, securing the pane against a contact surface of a first bending mould, pressing the pane between the first bending mould and a press frame, transporting the pane on the press frame to a second bending mould, pressing the pane between the second bending mould and the press frame, securing the pane against the contact surface of the second bending mould, wherein surface pre-bending occurs in the inner region of the pane, transporting the pane on a tempering frame to a cooling device for the thermal tempering of the pane, wherein during transport, surface final bending occurs in the inner region of the pane by gravity.

An apparatus for immobilizing a pane having a circumferential side edge within a positional tolerance on a carrier mold, wherein the apparatus includes a stopper, which is movable between a first position and a second position, which has a free end and an end opposite the free end that is connected to a device for moving the stopper between the first position and the second position. In the second position, the free end of the stopper is directed toward the side edge of the pane to be immobilized and the distance between the free end of the stopper and the side edge corresponds at most to the positional tolerance. In the first position, the free end of the stopper is offset back and/or upward in the plane of the pane compared to the second position.

A device and a process for the gravity bending of a glass sheet or a stack of glass sheets, referred to as the glass, includes the gravity bending of the glass on a skeleton including a contact rail supporting the glass in the peripheral zone of the lower main face thereof, the contact rail including concave curvatures in each of the sides of the skeleton, a counter-skeleton including a metal bar being present during the bending at a distance d from the edge face or from the peripheral zone of the upper main face of the glass, the peripheral zone of a main face being the zone between the edge of the glass and a distance from the edge of the glass of 50 mm of the main face, d being within the range from 0.1 to 50 mm.

A method is provided for measuring optical characteristics of a glass sheet as the glass sheet is conveyed in a system for fabricating glass sheets including one or more processing stations and one or more conveyors for conveying the glass sheet during processing. The method comprises providing a background screen including contrasting elements arranged in a pre-defined pattern and a camera for acquiring an image of the background screen; acquiring data associated with a shape of a glass sheet travelling on a conveyor upstream from the background screen; removing the glass sheet from the conveyor; and positioning the glass sheet between the camera and the screen and thereafter acquiring an image of the background screen; re-positioning the glass sheet for continued movement of the glass sheet on the conveyor; and performing one or more processing operations using the acquired image data to analyze the optical characteristics of the glass sheet.

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.

The invention relates to a method for shaping a glass sheet comprising the steps (i) heating the glass sheet to a temperature suitable for shaping; (ii) depositing the glass sheet on a first bending tool for supporting the glass sheet thereon, the glass sheet being in a first position relative to the first bending tool; (iii) contacting an edge portion of the glass sheet such that the glass sheet is moved to a second position relative to the first bending tool; and (iv) shaping the glass sheet on the first bending tool. Positioning devices for moving a hot glass sheet during the method of the invention are described. A glass shaping line for carrying out the method is also described.

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.

A glass cutting line includes automatic remnant storage and retrieval including cutting table with integrated squaring stop and y-break breaking bar facilitating sub-plate cutting. The cutting table is configured for sub-plate cutting mode which provides the ability to cut portions of a stock sheet and release the cut portion in the form of a remnant and or individual workpieces to breakout before the entire sheet is finished scoring without the sub-plate leaving the cutting table.

Apparatus and methods for processing a glass sheet are disclosed. A first plurality of fluid outlets are directed at a first major surface of a glass sheet and a second plurality of fluid nozzles are directed at a second major surface of the glass sheet. The first plurality of fluid nozzles and second plurality of fluid nozzles are spaced apart at an adjustable gap, and the gap can be increased or decreased during processing the glass sheet. The apparatus and methods can be used to reduce bow in a glass sheet.