Glass actuated control for the conveyor mechanism of a glass bending furnace

Claim 1

IN A SHEET GLASS BENDING FURNACE HAVING A FINAL BENDING ZONE AND A CONVEYOR FOR SEQUENTIALLY MOVING A PLURALITY OF GLASS CARRYING AND SHAPING MOLDS, ALL OF SAID MOLDS HAVING PERIPHERAL SHAPING SURFACES AND OPEN CENTERS INTO WHICH THE CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE RESPECTIVE GLASS SHEETS SAG AS THEIR EDGES MOLD INTO CONTACT WITH THE SHAPING SURFACES, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A DRIVE MECHANISM FOR SAID CONVEYOR, VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE REFERENCE MEANS MOUNTED ON EACH OF SAID MOLDS AND POSITIONABLE RELATIVE TO THE SHAPING SURFACES OF SAID MOLD FOR ESTABLISHING A STANDARD LEVEL SPACED BENEATH SAID SURFACES TO WHICH LEVEL THE CENTRAL PORTION OF A GLASS SHEET MOLDED THEREON IS TO BE SAGGED, SENSING MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID REFERENCE MEANS FOR GENERATING A SIGNAL WHEN THE CENTRAL PORTION OF A GLASS SHEET SAGS TO SUCH STANDARD LEVEL AS ESTABLISHED BY SAID REFERENCE MEANS, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID SIGNAL FOR ENERGIZING SAID CONVEYOR DRIVE MECHANISM FOR MOVING EACH OF SAID MOLDS OUT OF SAID FINAL BENDING ZONE AND THE NEXT ONE OF SAID MOLDS INTO SAID FINAL BENDING ZONE.