Treating glass sheets

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS FOR BENDING GLASS SHEETS COMPRISING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A HEAT-SOFTENED GLASS SHEET IN A GIVEN PLANE, A PAIR OF SOLID GROWING MEMBERS HAVING COMPLEMENTARY CURVED SHAPING SURFACES LOCATED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID PLANE, A COVER MEMBER OF A FLEXIBLE MATERIAL THAT DOES NOT MAR GLASS NOR IS AFFECTED BY EXPOSURE TO THE TEMPERATURE OF A HAT-SOFTENED GLASS SHEET ON CONTACT THEREWITH ONEACH OF SAID COMPLENTARY SHAPING SURFACES, EACH OF SAID CURVED SHAPING SURFACES HAVING AN AXIS OF CURVATURE, EACH OF SAID CURVED SHAPING SURFACES HAVING OPPOSITE EDGES ON SAID SURFACES, SAID EDGES BEING SPACED WITH RELATION TO ONE ANOTHER ON EACH SHAPING SURFACE IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO SID AXIS OF CARVATURE, AND MEANS ATTACHED TO AT LEAST ONE OF SAID PRESSING MEMBERS TO PROVIDE RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID PRESSING MEMBERS IN A DIRECTION ANGULARLY DISPOSED RELATIVE TO SAID PLANE TO CAUSE SAID PRESSING MEMBERS TO APPLY PRESSURE AGAINST THE OPPOSITE SURFACES OF A HEAT-SOFTENED GLASS SHEET SUPPORTED IN SAID GIVEN PLANE, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A PAIR OF TENSIONING MEMBERS FLANKING EACH PRESSING MEMBER, ONE OF SAID TENSIONING MEMBERS BEING ADJACENT EACH OF SAID OPPOSITE EDGES OF EACH SHAPING SURFACE, EACH SAID TENSIONING MEMBER HAVING A SHAPED SURFACE CONFORMING TO THAT OF SAID EDGE OF THE CURVED SHAPING SURFACE OF THE SOLID PRESSING MEMBER WHICH IT FLANKS, MEANS ATTACHED TO EACH SAID TENSIONING MEMBER AND TO ITS ASSOCIATED PRESSING MEMBER TO ADJUST THE POSITION OF THE TENSIONING MEMBER RELATIVE TO AN ADJACENT EDGE OF THE CURVED SURFACE OF THE PRESSING MEMBER TO WHICH IT IS ATTACHED IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO SAID AXIS OF CURVATURE OF SAID SHAPING SURFACE, SAID SHAPED SURFACE OF THE TENSIONING MEMBER BEING LOCATED FACING SAID GIVEN PLANE OF THE MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID GLASS SHEET, THE SHAPED SURFACE OF THE TENSIONING MEMBER BEING AT LEAST AS GREAT A DISTANCE FROM SAID GIVEN PLANE AS SAID EDGE OF THE CURVED SURFACE FO THE SOLID PRESSING MEMBER WHICH IT FLANKS, EACH OF SAID COVER MEMBERS HAVING AN END PORTION EXTENDING BEYOND EACH OF THE OPPOSITE EDGES OF SAID SHAPING SURFACES, AND MEANS ATTACHING EACH SAID END PORTION TO AN ADJACENT TENSIONING MEMBER TO SHAPE SAID COVER MEMBERS TO CONFORM TO SAID SHAPING SURFACE ON WHICH IT IS LOCATED AND TO MAINTAIN SAID COVER MEMBER IN TENSION BETWEEN SAID PAIR OF TENSIONING MEMBERS IN CONTACT WITH SAID SHAPING SURFACE.