Method of and apparatus for quench-tempering shaped glass

摘要

A method of quench-tempering a hot shaped glass sheet comprises supporting the sheet in a quenching station underneath a downwardly directed upper nozzle array and above an upwardly directed lower nozzle array by engagement of only a portion of the lower surface of the sheet. The portion engaged for support is interrupted by a generally uniformly distributed array of unsupported regions. An air stream is directed from the lower nozzle array up toward the lower surface of the glass sheet while an opposite air stream is directed down from the upper nozzle array toward the upper surface of the sheet. Generally all of the lower surface of the sheet is shielded except at the unsupported regions from the air stream of the lower nozzle array. A prestress field is thus formed in the sheet which corresponds to the distribution of the unsupported regions. The sheet is supported on and shielded by a plate having the same shape as the sheet but formed with holes at the unsupported regions. The sheet is transported into the station prior to quenching therein while supported on the plate and is transported out of the station after quenching therein while still supported on the plate.