Glass breaking and separating apparatus and method

摘要

The invention enables the scoring and breaking out of a pair of glass blanks from a single sheet of glass in a rapid and efficient manner. Apparatus is provided which carries out a method including the steps of applying first and second score line patterns to a single piece of glass, which patterns define, at least in part, the outlines of glass blanks to be subsequently broken out from the piece of glass. Following this operation, forces are applied to the piece of glass in such a way as to sever the glass along a portion of one of the score lines and to split the piece of glass into two parts each having a respective one of the patterns thereon. The glass parts are then separated a selected distance away from one another and thereafter breakout forces are applied to the glass parts to sever such parts along their respective score line patterns.