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 method and an apparatus for tempering glass sheets. A glass sheet is heated to a tempering temperature and quenching is conducted by blasting cooling air to both surfaces of the glass sheet. The quenching of a top surface and a bottom surface of the glass sheet's both side portions is commenced earlier or is performed at the early stage of quenching more effectively than the quenching of a top surface and a bottom surface of the glass sheet's intermediate portion. As a result, the compression stress required for a desired tempering degree is established on both surfaces of the side portions earlier than on both surfaces of the intermediate portion. In order to achieve this, the cooling air enclosures above and below a glass sheet are provided with a subarea of weakened cooling effect.

A method and an apparatus for tempering glass sheets. A glass sheet is heated to a tempering temperature and quenching is conducted by blasting cooling air to both surfaces of the glass sheet. The quenching of a top surface and a bottom surface of the glass sheet's both side portions is commenced earlier or is performed at the early stage of quenching more effectively than the quenching of a top surface and a bottom surface of the glass sheet's intermediate portion. As a result, the compression stress required for a desired tempering degree is established on both surfaces of the side portions earlier than on both surfaces of the intermediate portion. In order to achieve this, the cooling air enclosures above and below a glass sheet are provided with a subarea of weakened cooling effect.

A method for supporting a heated glass sheet in connection with a glass processing operation may include adjusting a support structure so that multiple spaced apart support members of the support structure cooperate to define a shape that corresponds to a desired end shape of the glass sheet. The method may further include contacting the glass sheet with the support members until the glass sheet has been sufficiently cooled. Furthermore, the support structure may include a frame and a support assembly associated with the frame, the support assembly including the support members and a support connected to the support members such that at least a portion of each support member is adjustable with respect to the support. The support may further be connected to the frame at two locations on the frame such that the support spans an open area between the two locations on the frame.

A strengthened glass sheet product as well as process and an apparatus for producing the product. The process comprises cooling the glass sheet by non-contact thermal conduction for sufficiently long to fix a surface compression and central tension of the sheet. The process results in thermally strengthened glass sheets having improved breakage properties.

A strengthened glass sheet product as well as process and an apparatus for producing the product. The process comprises cooling the glass sheet by non-contact thermal conduction for sufficiently long to fix a surface compression and central tension of the sheet. The process results in thermally strengthened glass sheets having improved breakage properties.

A glass tempering furnace and a method for heating a glass sheet. The glass sheet is heated in the glass tempering furnace by blowing heating air on the top surface of the glass sheet, and the blowing distance of the heating air from the top surface of the glass sheet is adjusted.

A glass tempering furnace and a method for heating a glass sheet. The glass sheet is heated in the glass tempering furnace by blowing heating air on the top surface of the glass sheet, and the blowing distance of the heating air from the top surface of the glass sheet is adjusted.

The invention relates to a method for bending and tempering a glass sheet, the method comprising: heating a flat glass sheet in a furnace for the purpose of bending and tempering; feeding a flat glass sheet by a transfer conveyor from the furnace onto a bending conveyor, when the bending conveyor is straightened; bending the bending conveyor and the glass sheet to the desired curvature; cooling the glass sheet by air blasts, when the bending conveyor and the glass sheet are at the desired curvature. The transfer conveyor transfers the glass sheet away from the furnace to the bending conveyor in the longitudinal direction of the rollers of the furnace, which is the transverse direction in relation to the direction of movement of the glass sheet in the furnace during heating. The invention also relates to a device applying the method.

Methods of shaping a glass sheet are described comprising heating the glass sheet to a temperature for shaping; positioning the glass sheet on a shaping support; shaping the glass sheet on the shaping support, wherein during the shaping of the glass sheet at least one portion of the glass sheet is deliberately cooled. In preferred embodiments, the shaping of the glass sheet involves press bending a heat softened glass sheet between a lower shaping support and an upper shaping member, and wherein during the shaping of the glass sheet on the shaping support only a portion of the major surface of the glass sheet facing the lower shaping support is cooled by directing one or more jet of air onto said portion.