Method and apparatus for conveying and heating glass on a fluid support bed

Claim 2

IN APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING A GLASS SHEET UPON A GAS SUPPORT, A POROUS BED PROVIDING A PATH ALONG WHICH THE GLASS SHEET MAY MOVE, SAID BED HAVING A PLURALITY OF SMALL PORES WHICH PROVIDE A PLURALITY OF PATHS THROUGH THE POROUS BED, MEANS TO SUPPLY HOT GAS TO THE UNDER SIDE OF SAID BED UNDER A PRESSURE SUFFICIENT TO FORCE THE HOTT GAS THROUGH THE POROUS BED AND TO PROVIDE A GAS SUPPORT FOR GLASS SHEET DISPOSED OVER THE BED, MEANS TO HEAT THE GAS SO SUPPLIED, AND PASSAGEWAYS LARGE WITH RESPECT TO THE PORES EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BED AND COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE AREA IMMEDIATELY ABOVE THE BED AND AN EXHAUST AREA, SAID PASSAGEWAYS BEING DISPOSED IN CENTRAL AREAS OF THE PATH, SAID PASSAGEWAYS BEING ENCLOSED BY THE POROUS BED AND SPACED FROM OTHER SUCH PASSAGEWAYS BOTH IN THE DIRECTION OF THE PATH AND IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSELY OF THE PATH.

Claim 3

IN A METHOD OF CONVEYING HOT GLASS AT A DEFORMATION TEMPERATURE UPON A GAS SUPPORT, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES HEATING A GAS TO A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN SAID GLASS AT ITS DEFORMATION TEMPERATURE, FLOWING SAID HEATED GAS THROUGH THE PORES OF A POROUS BED TO THE UPPER SURFACE THEREOF, DEFINING A PATH OF MOVEMENT FOR THE GLASS, DISPOSING GLASS ON SAID PATH, FEEDING THE GAS THROUGH THE POROUS BED UNDER PRESSURE SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT THE GLASS DISPOSED OVER THE PATH, SAID GLASS BEING AT A GLASS DEFORMATION TEMPERATURE, AND EXHAUSTING THE GAS DOWNWARDLY FROM THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE BED AND BENEATH THE GLASS SHEET THROUGH A PLURALITY OF SPACED, CENTRALLY LOCATED ZONES WHICH ARE ENCLOSED BY THE BED AND WHICH ARE SPACED FROM OTHER SUCH ZONES BOTH IN THE DIRECTION OF THE PATH AND IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSELY THEREOF, AND MOVING THE GLASS OVER THE PATH.

Claim 4

IN A METHOD OF CONVEYING HOT GLASS AT A DEFORMATION TEMPERATURE UPON A GAS SUPPORT, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES HEATING A GAS TO A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN SAID GLASS AT ITS DEFORMATION TEMPERATURE, FLOWING SAID HEATED GAS THROUGH THE PORES OF A POROUS BED TO THE UPPER SURFACE THEREOF, DEFINING A PATH OF MOVEMENT FOR THE GLASS, DISPOSING GLASS ON SAID PATH, FEEDING THE GAS THROUGH THE POROUS BED UNDER PRESSURE SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT THE GLASS DISPOSED OVER THE PATH, SAID GLASS BEING AT A GLASS DEFORMATION TEMPERATURE, AND EXHAUSTING THE GAS DOWNWARDLY FROM THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE BED AND BENEATH THE GLASS SHEET THROUGH A PLURALITY OF SPACED, CENTRALLY LOCATED ZONES WHICH ARE ENCLOSED BY THE BED AND WHICH ARE SPACED FROM OTHER SUCH ZONES BOTH IN THE DIRECTION OF THE PATH AND IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSELY THEREOF, AND MOVING THE GLASS OVER THE PATH.