A tool for local cooling by contact of a glass sheet at a temperature higher than 450° C., known as a contact tool, includes a contact face suitable for coming into contact with the glass sheet, the tool including an internal pipe for the circulation of a coolant, in particular air. The tool is used in a device for bending and/or cooling a glass sheet, in particular individual, the tool coming into contact with the glass sheet while it is held by a bending tool or by a cooling frame after bending. A compression zone is created that is capable of being drilled to form an edge having compressive stresses.

Provided is a method of manufacturing a glass article, including: a preparation step of preparing a glass preform (1) including a first thin-walled portion (1a) and a first thick-walled portion (1b) at different positions in a width direction; a forming step of drawing the glass preform (1) downward while heating the glass preform (1) through use of a redraw method, to thereby form a glass ribbon (2) including a second thin-walled portion (2a) and a second thick-walled portion (2b) at different positions in the width direction; and an article formation step of obtaining a glass roll (3) serving as a glass article from the glass ribbon (2).

A system for shaping glass or metal sheets or panels for use in solar collectors or microwave antennae may include an oven and an adjustable mold. The adjustable mold may comprise a molding surface located within the oven. The molding surface may be coupled to position actuators located outside of the oven via coupling elements. A sheet or panel may be placed in the oven and heated until the sheet or panel softens and takes the shape of the molding surface. The molding surface may be adjusted to achieve different shapes for glass or metal sheets or panels.

A method of forming a glass article includes providing a first glass sheet. The first glass sheet is heated to a temperature suitable for shaping. The first glass sheet is deposited on a first bending tool. An edge portion of the first glass sheet is disposed over a shaping surface of the first bending tool. The shaping surface of the first bending tool is configured to provide in the first glass sheet a compression area and a tension area. The first glass sheet is shaped on the first bending tool and the compression area is formed in the edge portion of the first glass sheet. The compression area includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion has a width which is greater than a width of a second portion.

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.

The invention relates to use of selected materials in systems for heat treatment, various forms of such material, related systems and methods for determining such materials. In particular the invention relates to the use of a cover of analumina-chromium alloy material with a Cr content of more than 5 w % (percent by weight) for one or more parts within a system suited for heat treatment.

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 glass sheet used in the making of an aircraft windshield is shaped using the “cut-to-size” method instead of the “cut-after-bend” method. In a preferred aspect of the invention the “cut-to-size” method is practiced using a bending iron having a sheet shaping rail having a stationary shaping rail portion mounted on a support member and an articulating shaping rail portion pivotally mounted on the support member for movement from a non-shaping position to a shaping position.

A tempering frame for thermal tempering of glass panes, includes a carrier frame and a support frame that is joined to the carrier frame via a plurality of connection elements and is arranged completely within the carrier frame, wherein the support frame has an upper primary surface for placing a glass pane, a lower primary surface, a front edge, and a rear edge, and wherein the support frame has recesses introduced in the rear edge, which are arranged between adjacent connection elements.

The invention relates to a device for bending sheets of glass, comprising an upper bending form and a bending support, the upper bending form and/or the bending support being laterally mobile relative to one another, the bending support comprising a pre-bending mold for the gravity bending of a sheet of glass and a press-bending mold configured for pressing the sheet of glass against the upper form, of these two molds of the bending support one being surrounded by the other when viewed from above, at least one of these two molds of the bending support being able to be given a relative vertical movement with respect to the other.