Patent ID: 7814765

Claim:
A float glass process for making a flat glass substrate, said process consisting of the steps of: a) pouring a hot glass melt ( 4 ) on a molten metal bath ( 2 ) contained in a float tank, so that melted glass freely spreads out in a hot spread region (I) of the molten metal bath, said hot spread region being a section of the molten metal bath in which the melted glass freely spreads under the influence of gravity; b) placing flags ( 9 ), which do not contact a glass sheet ( 3 , 3 ′) forming from the melted glass, in the molten metal bath in the hot spread region (I) on both sides of the melted glass with a height, an orientation, and with a spacing from a side wall of the float tank, a spacing from the melted glass, and a spacing from a bottom ( 11 ) of the float tank, so that thickness variations in the glass sheet forming from the melted glass are minimized; c) engaging the glass sheet with top rollers in a region of the metal bath that is downstream from the hot spread region to further draw out the glass sheet; and d) imparting a final outlet speed to the glass sheet ( 3 , 3 ′) by accelerating the glass sheet; wherein each of the flags is a plate immersed in the molten metal bath between the side wall of the float tank and an outer edge of the glass sheet ( 3 , 3 ′) without contacting the glass sheet, said plate extends above the molten metal bath in a side region adjacent to said side wall and is oriented substantially transverse to a feed direction of the glass sheet on the molten metal bath.