Float glass process and apparatus for holding the lateral position of the edges of the molten glass ribbon

摘要

A method for holding an edge of a molten glass flow, comprising forming a molten glass flow by continuously feeding molten glass on a bath surface of molten metal contained in a vessel, holding an edge of the molten glass flow in a width direction thereof when advancing the molten glass flow to draw the molten glass flow in a glass ribbon having a target thickness, and controlling a flow of the molten metal so that a bath surface level in height of the molten metal in the vicinity of the edge of the molten glass flow is different from that of the molten metal in the vicinity of a central portion of the molten glass flow in the width direction thereof, whereby a force to spread or narrow the molten glass flow in the width direction is compensated so as to hold the edge of the molten glass flow at a predetermined position.