Method and apparatus for bending glass sheets to compound curvatures

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR SHAPING AN ELONGATED GLASS SHEET INTO A COMPOUND CURVATURE INCLUDING A NON-UNIFORM LONGITUDINAL CURVE COMPRISING A PAIR OF SPACED, LOCALIZED, SEVERELY BENT REGIONS BENT ABOUT AXES EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID SHEET AND A NON-UNIFORM TRANSVERSE CURVE COMPRISING ONLY LOCALIZED, SEVERELY BENT BENT REGION BENT ABOUT AN AXIS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE SHEET, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A MOLD INCLUDING A CENTRAL MOLDING MEMBER COMPRISING A PAIR OF LATERALLY SPACED SIDE RAILS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE MOLD, OUTBOARD MOLDING MEMBERS PIVOTABLE RELATIVE TO SAID CENTRAL MOLDING MEMBER ABOUT AN AXIS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID MOLD INTO A SPREAD MOLD POSITION TO RECEIVE A FLAT GLASS SHEET FOR BENDING AND INTO ANOTHER MOLD POSITION IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE CENTRAL MOLDING MEMBER TO PROVIDE THEREWITH A SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS SHAPING SURFACE CONFORMING IN ELEVATION AND OUTLINE TO THE SHAPE DESIRED FOR THE BENT GLASS SHEET, MOLD SUPPORT STRUCTURE INCLUDING CROSS RAILS FOR SUPPORTING SAID MOLD FOR MOVEMENT IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS, AND A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING HEAT IMPARTING MEMBER ATTACHED TO SAID APPARATUS AND EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID MOLD IN SPACED RELATION TO THE SHAPING SURFACE AND POSITIONED ON SAID APPARATUS SO AS TO FACE A SURFACE OF AN AREA EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE GLASS WHEN SUPPORTED ON SAID MOLD.