Method and apparatus for press bending glass sheets having rabbeted edges

Claim 1

A method of shaping a glass sheet having rabbeted edges, comprising: heating said glass sheet to a heat-softened condition suitable for bending, positioning the heat-softened glass sheet between opposed pairs of press bending members having shaping surfaces which face the glass sheet and are of complementary convex and concave curvature corresponding to the desired curvature for the glass sheets, moving said shaping surfaces together to apply bending fordes to the heat-softened glass sheet, wherein the initial bending force applied to the rabbeted marginal edge portions of the glass sheet is thourgh a compressible filler strip on the concave shaping surface aligned with the rabbeted marginal edge portions of the glass sheet, so that edge portions of the glass sheet initially compress the filler strip and thereby substantially avoid over-bending the rabbeted marginal edge portions of the glass sheet, continuing bringing the shaping surfaces together until brought ot bear against substantially all of the non-rabbeted portions of the glass sheet and said filler strip fills a substantial portion of the rabbet in the glass sheet, separating the shaping surfaces, an conveying the bent glass sheet from between the shaping surfaces.

Claim 2

A method of shaping a glass sheet having rabbeted edges, comprising: heating said glass sheet to a heat-softened condition suitable for bending, positioning the heat-softened glass sheet between opposed pairs of press bending members having shaping surfaces which face the glass sheet and are of complementary convex and concave curvature corresponding to the desired curvature for the glass sheets, moving said shaping surfaces together to apply bending fordes to the heat-softened glass sheet, wherein the initial bending force applied to the rabbeted marginal edge portions of the glass sheet is thourgh a compressible filler strip on the concave shaping surface aligned with the rabbeted marginal edge portions of the glass sheet, so that edge portions of the glass sheet initially compress the filler strip and thereby substantially avoid over-bending the rabbeted marginal edge portions of the glass sheet, continuing bringing the shaping surfaces together until brought ot bear against substantially all of the non-rabbeted portions of the glass sheet and said filler strip fills a substantial portion of the rabbet in the glass sheet, separating the shaping surfaces, an conveying the bent glass sheet from between the shaping surfaces.

Claim 3

An apparatus for press bending heat-softened glass sheets having rabbeted edges, comprising: a pair of opposed glass-facing shaping surfaces of complementary convex and concave curvatues corresponding to the desired curvature for the glass sheets, said shaping surfaces having sufficient rigidity to resist deformation during pressurized engagement with a heat-softened glass sheet, a compressible filler strip affixed to the concave shaping surface in a configuration adapted to fall into alignment with the rabbeted marginal edge portions of the glass sheets, said filler strip having sufficient compressibility to be slightly compressed by initial bending force exerted through edge portions of the glass sheets and having sufficient firmness to support the rabbeted marginal edge portions of the glass sheets in the final stage of bending, and means for moving said shaping surfaces into a glass engaging position and a retracted position.

Claim 4

An apparatus for press bending heat-softened glass sheets having rabbeted edges, comprising: a pair of opposed glass-facing shaping surfaces of complementary convex and concave curvatues corresponding to the desired curvature for the glass sheets, said shaping surfaces having sufficient rigidity to resist deformation during pressurized engagement with a heat-softened glass sheet, a compressible filler strip affixed to the concave shaping surface in a configuration adapted to fall into alignment with the rabbeted marginal edge portions of the glass sheets, said filler strip having sufficient compressibility to be slightly compressed by initial bending force exerted through edge portions of the glass sheets and having sufficient firmness to support the rabbeted marginal edge portions of the glass sheets in the final stage of bending, and means for moving said shaping surfaces into a glass engaging position and a retracted position.