Patent ID: 8132428

Claim:
A method for forming glass sheets comprising: conveying a glass sheet on a horizontal conveyor along a direction of conveyance within a furnace heating chamber for heating to a forming temperature; positioning a vacuum transfer platen within the furnace heating chamber with a downwardly facing surface of the vacuum transfer platen above the heated glass sheet on the conveyor and applying a differential gas pressure to the glass sheet so it is received and supported in contact with the downwardly facing surface of the vacuum transfer platen; moving the vacuum transfer platen horizontally with the heated glass sheet supported in contact with its downwardly facing surface from the furnace to a forming station between a lower mold of the ring type and an upper mold having a full surface forming face at which a vacuum can be drawn; delivering the heated glass sheet from the vacuum transfer platen onto the lower mold and moving the vacuum transfer platen from the forming station back to the furnace; moving the upper mold downwardly to cooperate with the lower mold in press forming the heated glass sheet, drawing a vacuum at the forming face of the upper mold to support the formed glass sheet, and moving the upper mold upwardly with the formed glass sheet supported thereby; supporting a delivery mold for horizontal movement at an elevation above the elevation of the vacuum transfer platen and below the elevation of the upwardly moved upper mold; moving the delivery mold horizontally to the forming station below the upper mold and depositing the formed glass sheet onto the delivery mold, and then moving the delivery mold horizontally from the forming station with the formed glass sheet thereon for delivery; and the movement of the vacuum transfer platen and the delivery mold locating the vacuum transfer platen and the delivery mold at least partially in the forming station at the same time in respective underlapping and overlapping relationships to decrease glass sheet forming cycle time.