Patent ID: 8281619

Claim:
A method for making shaped articles, comprising: forming a stack of alternating preformed materials and forming molds, each of the preformed materials being made of glass or glass-ceramic, each of the forming molds having a shaping surface with a desired profile of a shaped article, the forming of the stack comprising placing a first adjacent set of preformed material and forming mold on top of a second adjacent set of preformed material and forming mold, the preformed material and forming mold in each adjacent set being arranged such that one of the surfaces of the preformed material is in contact with the shaping surface of the forming mold and an edge portion of the preformed material extends beyond a periphery of the forming mold; heating the stack; advancing the stack through a constriction that has an internal surface configured to fold the edge portion of the preformed material in each adjacent set into contact with the shaped surface of the forming mold in the adjacent set as the edge portion passes through the constriction, thereby forming a shaped article from the preformed material in each adjacent set; and separating the shaped article from the forming mold for each adjacent set.