Manufacture of flat glass

Claim 1

A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING FLAT GLASS IN RIBBON FORM HAVING A PREDETERMINED THICKNESS, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF DELIVERING GLASS AT A CONTROLLED RATE TO A BATH OF MOLTEN METAL AND ADVANCING THE GLASS ALONG THE BATH UNDER THERMAL CONDITIONS WHICH ASSURE THAT A BUOYANT LAYER OF MOLTEN GLASS IS ESTABLISHED ON THE BATH, MAINTAINING THE VISCOSITY OF SAID GLASS LAYER LOW ENOUGH FOR THE GLASS TO FLOW LATERALLY UNHINDERED TO THE LIMIT OF ITS FREE FLOW UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF GRAVITY AND SURFACE TENSION, CONTINUALLY ADVANCING THE BUOYANT LAYER OF MOLTEN GLASS SO FORMED IN RIBBON FORM ALONG THE BATH, GRADUALLY COOLING SAID BUOYANT LAYER OF MOLTEN GLASS TO A TRANSITIONAL PLASTIC STATE AS IT IS ADVANCED IN WHICH STATE THE DIMENSIONS OF THE GLASS ARE NO LONGER CONTROLLED BY GRAVITY AND SURFACE TENSION, IMPOSING A TRACTIVE FORCE ON THE PLASTIC GLASS TO ATENUATE IT WHILE PERMITTING UNRESTRAINED INWARD MOVEMENT OF ITS EDGES AS IT IS THUS ATTENUATED SO THAT THE PRISTINE FLATNESS OF THE GLASS ACHIEVED IN SAID BUOYANT LAYER IS MAINTAINED, THERMALLY CONDITIONING THE GLASS AS IT IS ATTENUATED TO MAINTAIN THE GLASS IN SAID PLASTIC STATE FOR A SUFFICIENT DISTANCE DOWN THE BATH TO ENABLE THE DESIRED PROGRESSIVE DECREASE IN WIDTH AND THICKNESS OF THE RIBBON IN THE PLASTIC STAE TO BE EFFECTED AND TO STABILIZE THE RIBBON AT THE DESIRED REDUCED THICKNESS, WHILE THE PRISTINE FLATNESS OF THE GLASS IS MAINTAINED, AND COOLING THE STABILIZED RIBBON TO PERMIT IT TO BE TAKEN UNHARMED FROM THE MOLTEN BATH.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING FLAT GLASS IN RIBBON FORM HAVING A PREDETERMINED THICKNESS, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF DELIVERING GLASS AT A CONTROLLED RATE TO A BATH OF MOLTEN METAL AND ADVANCING THE GLASS ALONG THE BATH UNDER THERMAL CONDITIONS WHICH ASSURE THAT A BUOYANT LAYER OF MOLTEN GLASS IS ESTABLISHED ON THE BATH, MAINTAINING THE VISCOSITY OF SAID GLASS LAYER LOW ENOUGH FOR THE GLASS TO FLOW LATERALLY UNHINDERED TO THE LIMIT OF ITS FREE FLOW UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF GRAVITY AND SURFACE TENSION, CONTINUALLY ADVANCING THE BUOYANT LAYER OF MOLTEN GLASS SO FORMED IN RIBBON FORM ALONG THE BATH, GRADUALLY COOLING SAID BUOYANT LAYER OF MOLTEN GLASS TO A TRANSITIONAL PLASTIC STATE AS IT IS ADVANCED IN WHICH STATE THE DIMENSIONS OF THE GLASS ARE NO LONGER CONTROLLED BY GRAVITY AND SURFACE TENSION, IMPOSING A TRACTIVE FORCE ON THE PLASTIC GLASS TO ATENUATE IT WHILE PERMITTING UNRESTRAINED INWARD MOVEMENT OF ITS EDGES AS IT IS THUS ATTENUATED SO THAT THE PRISTINE FLATNESS OF THE GLASS ACHIEVED IN SAID BUOYANT LAYER IS MAINTAINED, THERMALLY CONDITIONING THE GLASS AS IT IS ATTENUATED TO MAINTAIN THE GLASS IN SAID PLASTIC STATE FOR A SUFFICIENT DISTANCE DOWN THE BATH TO ENABLE THE DESIRED PROGRESSIVE DECREASE IN WIDTH AND THICKNESS OF THE RIBBON IN THE PLASTIC STAE TO BE EFFECTED AND TO STABILIZE THE RIBBON AT THE DESIRED REDUCED THICKNESS, WHILE THE PRISTINE FLATNESS OF THE GLASS IS MAINTAINED, AND COOLING THE STABILIZED RIBBON TO PERMIT IT TO BE TAKEN UNHARMED FROM THE MOLTEN BATH.