A ribbon supporting apparatus includes a support surface defining a first plane. The ribbon supporting apparatus includes a first wall portion extending along a surface edge of the support surface. The first wall portion includes a first surface defining a second plane that is offset from the first plane. The first wall portion includes a first hardness. The ribbon supporting apparatus includes a second wall portion extending along the surface edge and includes a second surface attached to the first surface and a third surface defining a third plane. The second plane extends between the first plane and the third plane. The second wall portion includes a second hardness that is greater than the first hardness. Methods of supporting a ribbon are also provided.

In a method of manufacturing a glass film, in a cutting step, a crack (CR) formed in a non-product portion (Gc1, Gc2) along a longitudinal direction of a glass film (G2) is guided by a guiding member (17a, 17b) so as to propagate to an outer end portion (Gd) of the non-product portion (Gc1, Gc2) in a width direction.

A manufacturing method for a band-shaped glass includes a forming step, which forms a band-shaped glass, an annealing step, which performs an annealing treatment on the band-shaped glass, a cooling step, which cools the annealed band-shaped glass, a direction-changing step, which changes a feeding direction of the cooled band-shaped glass from a longitudinal direction to a horizontal direction, and a horizontal conveying step, which conveys the band-shaped glass in the horizontal direction while supporting the band-shaped glass at a horizontal conveyance part. In the horizontal conveying step, the band-shaped glass is conveyed in the horizontal direction while a first propulsion for driving the conveyance in the horizontal direction is provided at both sides in the width direction of the band-shaped glass by the horizontal conveyance part, the first propulsion being larger than a second propulsion provided at a center in the width direction of the band-shaped glass.

A process of forming a sintered article includes heating a green portion of a tape of polycrystalline ceramic and/or minerals in organic binder at a binder removal zone to a temperature sufficient to pyrolyze the binder; horizontally conveying the portion of tape with organic binder removed from the binder removal zone to a sintering zone; and sintering polycrystalline ceramic and/or minerals of the portion of tape at the sintering zone, wherein the tape simultaneously extends through the removal and sintering zones.

Embodiments of a method of forming a glass article are disclosed. The methods include supplying a glass ribbon in a first direction and redirecting the glass ribbon to a second direction different from the first direction without contacting the glass ribbon with a solid material. The glass ribbon may exhibit a viscosity of less than about 10.sup.8 Poise and a thickness of about 1 mm or less. Embodiments of a glass or glass-ceramic forming apparatus are also disclosed. The apparatus may include a glass feed device for supplying a glass ribbon in a first direction and a redirection system disposed underneath the glass feed device for redirecting the glass ribbon to a second direction. In one or more embodiments, the redirection system comprising at least one gas bearing system for supplying a gas film to support the glass ribbon.

A conveying apparatus can comprise one or more support members defining an interior passage and a first plurality of apertures. A first cross-sectional area of the interior passage at a first end portion of a support area can be greater than a second cross-sectional area of the interior passage at a second end portion of the support area. A tube can extend within the interior passage and comprises a second plurality of apertures. Methods are also provided for conveying a ribbon with one or more support members.

A process of forming a sintered article includes heating a green portion of a tape of polycrystalline ceramic and/or minerals in organic binder at a binder removal zone to a temperature sufficient to pyrolyze the binder; horizontally conveying the portion of tape with organic binder removed from the binder removal zone to a sintering zone; and sintering polycrystalline ceramic and/or minerals of the portion of tape at the sintering zone, wherein the tape simultaneously extends through the removal and sintering zones.

Methods of fabricating a glass ribbon comprise the step of bending a glass ribbon in a cutting zone to provide a bent target segment with a bent orientation in the cutting zone. The methods further include the step of severing at least one of the edge portions from the central portion of the bent target segment within the cutting zone. Further methods are provided including the step of bending a glass ribbon in a bending zone downstream from a downward zone, wherein the glass ribbon includes an upwardly concave surface through the bending zone. The methods further include the step of severing at least one of the edge portions from the central portion of a target segment within the bending zone.

A conveying apparatus can comprise one or more support members defining an interior passage and a first plurality of apertures. A first cross-sectional area of the interior passage at a first end portion of a support area can be greater than a second cross-sectional area of the interior passage at a second end portion of the support area. A tube can extend within the interior passage and comprises a second plurality of apertures. Methods are also provided for conveying a ribbon with one or more support members.

A process of forming a sintered article includes heating a green portion of a tape of polycrystalline ceramic and/or minerals in organic binder at a binder removal zone to a temperature sufficient to pyrolyze the binder; horizontally conveying the portion of tape with organic binder removed from the binder removal zone to a sintering zone; and sintering polycrystalline ceramic and/or minerals of the portion of tape at the sintering zone, wherein the tape simultaneously extends through the removal and sintering zones.