AN APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TEMPERING GLASS SHEETS

摘要

A manufacturing line for tempering glass sheets includes a furnace, an oven, a bending station, and a chilling section positioned in order along a generally horizontally extending conveyor for the glass sheets. The oven extends between the furnace and the bending station to maintain the glass sheets at a predetermined temperature. The oven has sidewalls formed of a plurality of brushes and is selectively extensible along the path of travel of the glass sheets. The oven includes controlled heating devices. The chilling section includes a plurality of tubes positioned above and below the path of travel of the glass sheets and connected to a source of air under pressure. The tubes are arranged in rows generally perpendicular to the path of travel and columns generally parallel to the path of travel in order to cause the glass sheets to meet predetermined fragmentation specifications.