Patent ID: 7513130
Filing Date: 2009-04-07
Classification: B44C,C03B,C03C,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A plant for making glass tesserae used in creating mosaics, the tesserae having an ornamental metal foil disposed between an upper glass layer and a lower glass layer that are fused together, the plant comprising: a plurality of work planes each including a first mold, the first mold having an upwardly protruding grid that includes a plurality of vertical cutters which intersect in a substantially orthogonal fashion with a plurality of horizontal cutters; and a plurality of work stations for forming the tesserae, the plurality of work stations including at least a loading station for loading the lower glass layer in a substantially solid state onto the first mold, a subsequent heating station for softening the lower glass layer into general conformity with a shape of the first mold and a subsequent molding station that includes a second mold to be selectively activated and in cooperation with each of the first molds to mold the upper glass layer and position the tessarae between the first and second molds, the second mold having a downwardly protruding grid that includes a plurality of vertical cutters which intersect in a substantially orthogonal fashion with a plurality of horizontal cutters, the vertical and horizontal cutters of the first and second molds defining the size and shape of each of the tessarae, wherein the plurality of work planes are moved sequentially through the plurality of work stations.