Process and device for bending glass sheets

摘要

A glass sheets is loaded flat on the end of a conveyor going through a tunnel furnace; comes out again through the other end of the conveyor after having reached its bending temperature; is conveyed by a first transfer device to a bending unit which includes at least one upper bending form; is vacuum-gripped by the upper bending form; is raised along with the upper bending form; is bent to the desired shape by the bending unit; and then is directed by a second transfer device to a cooling station for heat tempering. The transfer from the furnace to the bending unit is obtained by reversible movement, parallel to the general direction of movement of the glass sheet, from the front end of a flexible conveyor belt the rear end of which is under the transport plane of the glass sheet. The initial position of the front end of the flexible sheet is located between the downstream end of the conveyor and the bending unit.