A pulling roll for glass manufacture made from a millboard material fired to minimize or eliminate weight loss during operation. Methods for preparing and using such a pulling roll are also disclosed.

Provided is a glass ribbon manufacturing apparatus in which at least one of support rollers configured to support both sides of a glass ribbon (G) in a width direction in an annealing region and a cooling region is a shape stabilization roller configured to stabilize a shape of the glass ribbon (G) curved in the width direction. The shape stabilization roller includes a first roller (11) arranged on one surface side of the glass ribbon (G) and a second roller (12) arranged on another surface side of the glass ribbon (G). Inner end portions (11c) of rollers (11a) of the first roller (11) are all positioned on an outer side, in the width direction, of outer end portions (12c) of rollers (12a) of the corresponding second roller (12) in the width direction.

A method of forming a glass sheet comprises: (a) forming a ribbon of glass from molten glass with a pair of forming rollers; (b) reducing horizontal temperature variability of the ribbon of glass to be 10° C. or less across 80 percent of an entire width of the ribbon of glass before the ribbon of glass cools to a glass transition temperature; (c) controlling a cooling rate of the ribbon of glass while the ribbon of glass moves vertically downward within a setting zone such that the ribbon of glass has a first average cooling rate before the ribbon of glass cools to the glass transition temperature and a second average cooling rate after the ribbon of glass cools to the glass transition temperature, the first average cooling rate being less than the second average cooling rate; and (d) separating a glass sheet from the ribbon of glass.

Apparatus for manufacturing glass including a forming body configured to form a glass ribbon and a glass scoring apparatus positioned below the forming body. The glass scoring apparatus includes a frame, a cross-member assembly and a movable scoring unit coupled thereto. At least four drive assemblies are mounted on the frame, each drive assembly including a threaded shaft, a drive motor coupled to the threaded shaft and configured to rotate the threaded shaft, and a ball nut assembly engaged with threads of the threaded shaft and coupled to the cross-member assembly such that rotation of the threaded shafts by the drive motors causes the cross-member assembly to vertically rise or lower. Multiple scoring devices are provided to enable bidirectional scoring of the glass ribbon.

Apparatuses and methods are described for cooling glass forming rolls during the glass manufacturing process. The apparatus and methods mix a liquid, such as water, and a gas, such as air, to form a liquid and gas mixture that is provided to an inside surface of the glass forming rolls to dissipate heat. In some examples, the apparatus and methods control the amount of liquid and air provided to the glass forming roll based on detecting temperatures of the glass forming rolls. In some examples, a computing device automatically controls the amount of liquid and gas mixture provided to the glass forming rolls, and may further control the proportions of each of the liquid and gas to be mixed. The apparatus and methods may allow for a more consistent glass thickness across the glass sheet, as well as a reduction in glass sheet defects.

A method for producing thing glass strips is provided that avoids camber defects. The method includes using a glass strip forming device that has a drawing device; drawing, using the drawing device, the thin glass strip away from the glass strip forming device; measuring, using a measuring device, variables that are dependent on a differing length of edges of the thin glass strip at at least two measurement locations spaced apart transversely to a longitudinal extension of the thin glass strip; determining a difference or a quotient of the variables. The difference or the quotient is used to determine a control variable by which the glass strip forming device is controlled so as to counteract a difference in velocities of the thin glass strip between the two opposite edges.

A method of manufacturing a glass film includes a forming step of forming a band-shaped glass film by pulling down a glass ribbon flowing down from a forming trough while sandwiching the glass ribbon from both front and back sides through use of roller pairs and a conveyance direction changing step of changing a conveyance direction of the glass film from the vertical direction to the horizontal direction by conveying the glass film along a conveyance path having an arc shape while supporting the glass film from a back surface side with a roller conveyor so that a front surface of the glass film after having passed through the conveyance path faces upward. A first roller to be brought into abutment against the glass film from the front surface side is arranged between a roller pair arranged in a lowermost stage and the roller conveyor.

A method for producing a glass article includes a forming step (P1) of forming a glass ribbon (2) from a molten glass (6) and a transport step (P2) of transporting the glass ribbon (2) along a transport path. In the transport step (P2), a first roller (9a) and a second roller (9b) configured to transport the glass ribbon (2) while in contact with a first end portion (2s) and a second end portion (2t) of the glass ribbon (2) in the width direction, respectively, are disposed, and a speed difference is provided between the first roller (9a) and the second roller (9b).

A glass manufacturing apparatus includes a delivery apparatus defining a travel path extending in a travel direction. The delivery apparatus conveys a glass ribbon along the travel path in the travel direction of the delivery apparatus. The glass manufacturing apparatus includes a first forming roll and a second forming roll spaced apart from the first forming roll to define a gap. The first forming roll and the second forming roll receive the glass ribbon along the travel path within the gap. A drive apparatus is coupled to the first forming roll and the second forming roll. The drive apparatus moves one or more of the first forming roll independently of the second forming roll or the second forming roll independently of the first forming roll to change a width of the gap.

Various improvements for dual-elevation edge roll system used in fused downdraw glass forming process are disclosed.