Patent ID: 6513348
Filing Date: 2003-02-04
Classification: C03B

Abstract:
A quench station for quenching formed glass sheets comprising:a first quench section having lower and upper quench head assemblies for respectively supplying upwardly and downwardly directed quenching gas to a formed glass sheet therebetween to provide partial quenching thereof which is insufficient without further forced cooling in addition to natural convection to prevent loss of the glass temperature differential that toughens the glass upon finally cooling to ambient temperature; a second quench section having lower and upper quench head assemblies for respectively supplying upwardly and downwardly directed quenching gas to the partially quenched glass sheet upon being received therebetween to complete the quenching thereof; a shuttle that is movable in a transfer direction simultaneously with respect to a forming station where the glass sheet is formed, the first quench section and the second quench section to provide glass sheet transfer, and the shuttle having three glass positions so as to be capable of simultaneously transferring three glass sheets upon each movement in the transfer direction so the three glass sheets simultaneously move from the forming station to the first quench section, from the first quench section to the second quench section, and from the second quench section for delivery; and a control that supplies quenching gas to the lower and upper quench sections of the first and second quench sections to force the glass sheets upwardly from the shuttle against the upper quench head assemblies and permit movement of the shuttle in a direction opposite to the transfer direction in preparation for the next cycle.