Patent ID: 8230699
Filing Date: 2012-07-31
Classification: C03B

Abstract:
1. A method for manufacturing glass sheets using an apparatus that includes a trough for receiving molten glass that has sides attached to a wedged shaped sheet forming block that has downwardly sloping sides converging at a bottom of the wedge, wherein the apparatus further includes an inflow end edge director that cooperates with a first end of the wedged shape sheet forming block and a far end edge director that cooperates with a second end of the wedge shape sheet forming block, wherein method includes the steps of: (I) flowing molten glass over the sides of the trough and down the downwardly sloping sides of the wedged shaped sheet forming block; and then (II) drawing the molten glass off the bottom of the wedge to form a glass sheet; and (III) at least prior to step (II), contacting edges of the molten glass with the inflow end edge director and the far end edge director to control a width of the glass sheet being drawn off the bottom of the wedge; and (IV) adjusting a distance between the inflow end edge director and the far end edge director relative to a moving surface of the forming block as the forming block changes shape due to thermal creep, such that the width of a glass sheet is changed.