Method and apparatus for producing all-glass multiple sheet glazing units

Claim 2

IN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING ALL-GLASS MULTIPLE SHEET GLAZING UNITS, THE COMBINATION OF, A FURNACE HAVING A SEALING AREA, MEANS SUPPORTING PAIRS OF GLASS SHEETS IN VERTICAL, PARALLELLY SPACED, FACE-TO-FACE RELATION FOR MOVEMENT ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATGH EXTENDING THROUGH SAID FURNACE, A SEALING FIXTURE MOUNTED IN SAID SEALING AREA TO MOVE BACK AND FORTH ALONG A SECOND PATH NORMAL TO SAID PREDETERMINED PATH, SEALING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID FIXTURE TO ENGAGE MARGINAL EDGES OF SAID SHEETS, CONVEYOR MEANS MOVING SAID SHEET INTERMITTENTLY BACK AND FORTH ALONG SAID PREDETERMINED PATH AND PAST SAID SEALING MEANS, MEANS MOVING SAID SEALING FIXTURE BACK AND FORTH ALONG SAID SECOND PATH IN ALTERNATE SEQUENCE TO THE MOVEMENTS OF SAID CONVEYOR MEANS WHEREBY IN SPACE SEQUENCES THE SEALING MEANS ENGAGE MARGINAL EDGE PROTIONS OF SAID SHEETS AROUND THE ENTIRE PERIPHERY THEREOF TO FORM A CONTINUOUS EDGE WALL.

Claim 3

IN A METHOD OF PRODUCING AN ALL-GLASS MULTIPLE SHEET GLAZING UNIT, THE STEPS OF, SUPPORTING A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR GLASS SHEETS ARRANGED IN SPACED, PARALLEL, FACETO-FACE RELATIONSHIP IN A VERTICAL POSITION FOR MOVEMENT ALONG A PREDETERMINED HORIZONTAL PATH, PREHEATING SAID SHEETS TO A TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE STRAIN POINT OF GLASS DURING SAID MOVEMENT, INTERRUPTING THE MOVEMENT OF THE SHEETS ALONG SAID PATH, MOVING A SEALING FIXTURE VERTICALLY UPWARDLY ALONG THE LEADING EDGE PORTIONS OF THE SHEET THEREBY TO PROGRESSIVELY FUSE SAID EDGE PORTIONS TOGETHER, DISCONTINUING THE VERTICAL MOVEMENT OF SAID SEALING FIXTURE WHEN THE LATTER IS ADJACENT THE UPPERMOST EDGE PORTIONS OF THE SHEETS, MOVING SAID SHEETS ALONG SAID HORIZONTAL PATH BENEATH SAID SEALING FIXTURE TO FUSE THE UPPER EDGE PORTIONS OF THE SHEETS TO ONE ANOTHER, DISCONTINUING THE MOVEMENT OF SAID SHEETS WITH SAID SEALING FIXTURE ADJACENT THE TRAILING EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID SHEETS, MOVING SAID SEALING FIXTURE VERTICALLY DOWNWARDLY ALONG THE TRAILING EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID SHEETS THEREBY TO FUSE SAID TRAILING EDGE PORTIONS TOGETHER, DISCONTINUING THE DOWNWARDLY MOVEMENT OF SAID SEALING FIXTURE WHEN THE LATTER IS ADJACENT THE LOWERMOST EDGE PORTIONS OF THE SHEETS AND THEN MOVING SAID SHEETS BACKWARDLY ALONG SAID HORIZONTAL PATH OVER SAID SEALING FIXTURE TO FUSE THE LOWERMOST HORIZONTAL EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID SHEETS TOGETHER.

Claim 4

IN A METHOD OF PRODUCING AN ALL-GLASS MULTIPLE SHEET GLAZING UNIT, THE STEPS OF, SUPPORTING A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR GLASS SHEETS ARRANGED IN SPACED, PARALLEL, FACETO-FACE RELATIONSHIP IN A VERTICAL POSITION FOR MOVEMENT ALONG A PREDETERMINED HORIZONTAL PATH, PREHEATING SAID SHEETS TO A TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE STRAIN POINT OF GLASS DURING SAID MOVEMENT, INTERRUPTING THE MOVEMENT OF THE SHEETS ALONG SAID PATH, MOVING A SEALING FIXTURE VERTICALLY UPWARDLY ALONG THE LEADING EDGE PORTIONS OF THE SHEET THEREBY TO PROGRESSIVELY FUSE SAID EDGE PORTIONS TOGETHER, DISCONTINUING THE VERTICAL MOVEMENT OF SAID SEALING FIXTURE WHEN THE LATTER IS ADJACENT THE UPPERMOST EDGE PORTIONS OF THE SHEETS, MOVING SAID SHEETS ALONG SAID HORIZONTAL PATH BENEATH SAID SEALING FIXTURE TO FUSE THE UPPER EDGE PORTIONS OF THE SHEETS TO ONE ANOTHER, DISCONTINUING THE MOVEMENT OF SAID SHEETS WITH SAID SEALING FIXTURE ADJACENT THE TRAILING EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID SHEETS, MOVING SAID SEALING FIXTURE VERTICALLY DOWNWARDLY ALONG THE TRAILING EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID SHEETS THEREBY TO FUSE SAID TRAILING EDGE PORTIONS TOGETHER, DISCONTINUING THE DOWNWARDLY MOVEMENT OF SAID SEALING FIXTURE WHEN THE LATTER IS ADJACENT THE LOWERMOST EDGE PORTIONS OF THE SHEETS AND THEN MOVING SAID SHEETS BACKWARDLY ALONG SAID HORIZONTAL PATH OVER SAID SEALING FIXTURE TO FUSE THE LOWERMOST HORIZONTAL EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID SHEETS TOGETHER.