Patent ID: 11884572
Assignee: HEVA SCHWEIZ AG
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC C | IPC C

Claim 0:
1. An apparatus for bending glass sheets, the apparatus comprising:
a first mould trolley that includes a female mould in which the glass sheet is placed, a second mould trolley for removing a first male mould, and a third mould trolley for carrying a second male mould that is intended to replace the first male mould;
at least one conveyor to transport the first mould trolley, the second mould trolley and the third mould trolley;
a loading station for loading the glass sheet into the first mould trolley, the loading station being located along the at least one conveyor at a first location;
at least one preheating compartment for heating the glass sheet to be bent, wherein the at least one preheating compartment is disposed along the at least one conveyor at a second location,
a press bending station located along the at least one conveyor at a third location, wherein the first, second and third locations are different and spaced apart from one another and the second location is between the first location and the third location, the press bending station comprising the first male mould to bend the glass sheet by pressing the glass sheet by means of the first male mould, the glass sheet brought to the press bending station by the first mould trolley and through the at least one preheating compartment heating the glass sheet prior to delivery to the press bending station;
wherein the at least one conveyor is configured such that the first mould trolley, the second mould trolley and the third mould trolley must pass through the at least one preheating compartment before entering the press bending station, wherein the at least one conveyor transports the second mould trolley, which is empty, to the press bending station for removing the first male mould from the press bending station; and
at least one control unit to control the functions of the apparatus, the at least one control unit being configured to control the replacing of the first male mould being used at the press bending station with the second male mould to be used next at least so that the at least one control unit is configured to control the running of the second mould trolley to the press bending station in order to receive the first male mould to be removed from use on said second mould trolley, and to control the running of said second mould trolley from the press bending station to carry the first male mould removed from use away from the press bending station, and that the at least one control unit is configured to control the running of the third mould trolley through the at least one preheating compartment to the press bending station in order to carry the second male mould to be brought into use to the press bending station;

wherein the at least one conveyor is constructed such that the first mould trolley, the second mould trolley and the third mould trolley are transported away from the press bending station to a fourth location that is remote from the third location, whereby the third location is between the second location and the fourth location.