Provided is a method of manufacturing a glass roll (GR), including: a conveying step of conveying a band-shaped glass film (G2) in a lateral conveying direction by a conveying device (4); and a roll-up step of rolling up the glass film (G2) into a roll shape. The conveying step includes an inspection step of measuring a state of each of end portions (Gd, Ge) in a width direction of the glass film (G2) by a detection unit (19a, 19b) under a state in which a tension is applied to the glass film (G2) that passes through an intermediate conveying region (MS) of the conveying device (4) by a tension applying portion.

Provided is a method of manufacturing a glass roll (GR), including: a conveying step of conveying a band-shaped glass film (G2) in a lateral conveying direction by a conveying device (4); and a roll-up step of rolling up the glass film (G2) into a roll shape. The conveying step includes an inspection step of measuring a state of each of end portions (Gd, Ge) in a width direction of the glass film (G2) by a detection unit (19a, 19b) under a state in which a tension is applied to the glass film (G2) that passes through an intermediate conveying region (MS) of the conveying device (4) by a tension applying portion.

A position of a band-shaped glass film (1) conveyed downward in a vertical direction is detected by a detection unit (21), and the conveyance speed of each of a plurality of conveyance devices (10, 11, 12, and 14) provided in a horizontal conveyance path (R2) is controlled based on detection data in the detection unit (21). Under a condition that, of the plurality of conveyance devices (10, 11, 12, and 14), the conveyance device (10) located on a most upstream side is defined as an upstream side conveyance device, and the conveyance devices (11, 12, and 14) on a downstream side of the upstream side conveyance device (10) are defined as downstream side conveyance devices, an upper limit and a lower limit are set to the conveyance speed of each of the downstream side conveyance devices (11, 12, and 14).

A device for picking up, shaping, and placing a thin glass pane, includes a frame with an upper side and a lower side, which is suitable to be directed at a glass pane with a thickness of less than 1 mm, and which is provided with a plurality of picking up pins that are arranged substantially parallel to one another and whose end directed at the glass pane is equipped with a suction cup, wherein the picking up pins are movable along their direction of extension independent of one another in order to adapt the arrangement of the suction cups to an intended shape of the glass pane.

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 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.

Various aspects of systems and methods are provided herein wherein a method, is provided including the steps of: depositing a hot, flexible ribbon material along a plurality of sequentially conveyed molds; rolling a pinch roller over the surface of the ribbon, such that at least one pinch region is actuated in the ribbon as the ribbon is pinched between a pinch edge of the pinch roller and the surface of the mold; and rolling a pin roller over the surface of the ribbon, cooling the ribbon to thereby separate the ribbon along the pinch region into discrete parts.

A system for acquiring surface data from one of the surfaces of a curved glass sheet and developing a surface definition of the glass sheet includes a conveyor for conveying the glass sheet in a first direction, at least one display projecting a preselected multi-phase non-repeating contrasting pattern, and at least one camera, each one of the cameras uniquely paired with one of the displays. The system may also include a control programmed to execute logic for controlling each of the camera/display pairs to acquire the desired images, and logic for analyzing and combining the data acquired by the cameras to construct a definition of the surface of the glass sheet.

Various aspects of methods and systems are provided, which detail: a method, comprising: depositing a hot, flexible glass-containing ribbon along a plurality of sequentially conveyed molds; rolling a pinch roller over the surface of the glass-containing ribbon, such that at least one pinch region is actuated in the glass ribbon as the glass ribbon is pinched between a pinch edge of the pinch roller and the surface of the mold; and cooling the glass ribbon, separating the glass ribbon along the pinch region into discrete glass parts.

A glass bending device is presented. The glass bending device includes a bending chamber, a tool for holding at least one glass pane by means of a suction effect, including a downward-directed frame-like, convex contact surface and a cover with a peripheral air-guiding plate surrounding the contact surface at least in regions. The tool is suitable for sweeping the edge of the glass pane at least in sections with an air flow and thereby pressing the glass pane against the contact surface. The glass bending device further includes a fan, which is connected to the bending chamber via a feed line and a return line and is suitable for extracting air from the bending chamber via the tool and the feed line to produce the air flow and for returning air back into the bending chamber via the return line. The return line is connected to the bending chamber above the tool.