Methods of producing a glass sheet each comprise the step of creating a vacuum to force the entire lateral portion of the glass ribbon to engage an anvil portion of a breaking device in the elastic zone. The vacuum is provided by a plurality of pressure zones that are operated independent from one another, wherein each pressure zone is provided with a set of suction cups. In further examples, glass ribbon breaking devices each include a plurality of pressure zones that are configured to be operated independent from one another with each pressure zone being provided with set of suction cups.

Apparatus and methods for processing a glass sheet can include a coating chamber including a dispensing port to dispense a coating on a major surface of the glass sheet. In some embodiments, an apparatus can include a fog chamber including an enclosure, a fog generator to provide fog to the enclosure, and a passage in the enclosure from which fog can exit the enclosure to contact a major surface of the glass sheet. In some embodiments a method can include providing a glass sheet to a coating chamber, and dispensing a coating on a major surface of the glass sheet. In some embodiments, a method can include providing a glass sheet to a fog chamber, providing fog to an enclosure of the fog chamber, and contacting a major surface of the glass sheet with the fog by passing the fog from the enclosure through a passage in the enclosure.

A method for laser processing a transparent workpiece includes forming a contour line having defects in the transparent workpiece, which includes directing a pulsed laser beam oriented along a beam pathway through a beam converting element and through a phase modifying optical element such that the portion of the pulsed laser beam directed into the transparent workpiece includes a phase shifted focal line having a cross-sectional phase contour that includes phase contour ridges induced by the phase modifying optical element and extending along phase ridge lines. Moreover, the phase shifted focal line generates an induced absorption within the transparent workpiece to produce a defect within the transparent workpiece including a central defect region and a radial arm that extends outward from the central defect region in a radial defect direction oriented within 20 of the phase ridge lines of the phase shifted focal line.

A method for producing a glass film is provided. The method includes: heating a portion of a glass preform so that in the heated portion the glass has a viscosity of less than 10.sup.9 dPa.Math.s, or drawing a glass from a melt; withdrawing the glass using a drawing device, wherein in case of drawing from a preform the drawn glass film is thinner than the glass preform; heating at least one point by means of a laser, the point being located in an edge region of the drawn glass film that is being formed by withdrawing the glass, wherein at the site of the laser focus the glass has a viscosity of not more than 10.sup.9 dPa.Math.s before the laser is switched on and wherein heating is performed in such a manner that at least one notch is provided in parallel to the drawing direction.

Apparatuses and methods for heating moving continuous glass ribbons at desired lines of separation and/or for separating glass sheets from continuous glass ribbons are disclosed. An apparatus includes a translatable support portion and a heating apparatus coupled to the support portion. The heating apparatus is configured to contact the continuous glass ribbon across at least a portion of a width of the continuous glass ribbon at the desired line of separation as the support portion moves in a draw direction, thereby preferentially applying heat to a first side of the continuous glass ribbon at the desired line of separation as the continuous glass ribbon moves in the draw direction.

Methods of separating a glass web include the step (I) of exposing a path on the glass web to at least one laser beam to produce thermal stress along the path without damaging the glass web. The methods further include the step (II) of creating a defect on the path while the path is under thermal stress produced during step (I), whereupon the glass web spontaneously separates along the path in response to the defect.

The present invention relates to a laser cutting technology for cutting and separating thin substrates of transparent materials, for example to cutting of display glass compositions mainly used for production of Thin Film Transistors (TFT) devices. The described laser process can be used to make straight cuts, for example at a speed of >1 m/sec, to cut sharp radii outer corners (<1 mm), and to create arbitrary curved shapes including forming interior holes and slots. A method of laser processing an alkaline earth boro-aluminosilicate glass composite workpiece includes focusing a pulsed laser beam into a focal line. The focal line is directed into the glass composite workpiece, generating induced absorption within the material. The workpiece and the laser beam are translated relative to each other to form a plurality of defect lines along a contour, with adjacent defect lines have a spacing of 0.1-20 microns.

A glass manufacturing apparatus may be configured to facilitate a process of separating a glass ribbon along a separation path extending across a width of the glass ribbon. In one example, the glass manufacturing apparatus comprises at least one anvil-side vacuum port defined by an elongated nose and an elongated anvil member. The anvil-side vacuum port is configured to remove glass debris during the process of separating the glass ribbon. In another example, the glass manufacturing apparatus comprises a scoring device and a score-side vacuum port configured to remove glass debris generated during the process of separating the glass ribbon.

A method includes forming a continuous ribbon of glass. The continuous ribbon includes a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, a first edge region, a second edge region opposite the first edge region, and a central region extending between the first edge region and the second edge region. Each of the first edge region and the second edge region has a greater thickness than the central region of the continuous ribbon. An indented pattern is formed longitudinally along the first edge region of the continuous ribbon by forming a first series of indentations in the first surface of the continuous ribbon and forming a second series of indentations in the second surface of the continuous ribbon. The indented pattern includes intermediate segments interconnected with one another by webs. Each intermediate segment is thicker than adjacent webs.

A method for separating and transporting a glass sheet from a glass ribbon includes drawing the glass ribbon along a draw path in a conveyance direction, scoring the glass ribbon with a scoring device, to produce a score line across at least a portion of a width of the glass ribbon, engaging a first edge of the glass ribbon at a first position downstream of the score line in the conveyance direction with a first robotic handling device, engaging a second edge of the glass ribbon at a second position downstream of the score line in the conveyance direction with a second robotic handling device, and synchronously moving the first robotic handling device and the second robotic handling device to bend the glass ribbon about the score line and separate the glass sheet from the glass ribbon.