Apparatus for simultaneously supporting, cooling and shaping glass sheet and the like

Claim 1

Apparatus for simultaneously cooling, shaping and supporting glass sheets and the like comprising: at least one heat transfer bed positioned beneath said sheets; each heat transfer bed comprising at least one open center peripheral type manifold for conveying a gas flow from a source to elongated bar members and capable of supporting said elongated bar members, and a plurality of elongated bar members positioned in substantially parallel spaced array, extending substantially transverse to the direction of travel of the sheets and fastened to at least one said manifold to receive a gas flow; each bar member having at least one cavity therein for conveying said gas flow from said manifold and having a plurality of orifices spaced apart along its length capable of discharging said gas flow from said cavity and against lower surfaces of said sheets to substantially uniformly support said sheets; each said bar member functioning as a narrow plenum for said plurality of orifices and being spaced for each adjacent bar member forming a clear passage from each adjacent bar member forming a clear passage for free fall of broken glass particles out of the apparatus between said bar members and through the open center of the manifold; and driving means for transporting said sheets over said heat transfer bed.