Method and apparatus for bending glass sheets

摘要

The invention is directed to the press bending of individual heated glass sheets to be subsequently laminated in pairs to a plastic interlayer. The sheets are individually press bent between a female ring-type shaping rail and a continuous male mold surface having complemental shaping surfaces. In order to provide different pressure patterns for bending the two sheets of each pair, the male mold member comprises outer shaping rails supported in spaced relation upon a base plate. A separate flexible shaping member or pad is disposed in the space between the outer shaping rails to define the continuous shaping surface and is mounted in spaced relation upon a support plate. The support plate is affixed to the base plate by means of eccentrically mounted rotatable shafts. Articulating means is provided for cycling the shafts between alternate rotary positions to vary the position of the flexible pad member relative to the outer shaping rails and thereby to apply a different pressure pattern for bending each of the sheets of a pair.