Delivery apparatus for newly formed glass sheet strip

Apparatus (20) for delivering a newly formed floating glass sheet from a molten metal bath container (22) includes a topside support device (45) located adjacent the delivery end of the bath container and having a downwardly facing surface (80) with a first set of openings (82) through which a vacuum is drawn and a second set of openings (84) through which pressurized gas is supplied to support the glass sheet strip upon delivery from the molten metal bath (24). The bath container (22) with which the apparatus is disclosed as being used has a linear induction motor (24) that permits horizontal delivery without bath overflowing. The apparatus (20) also includes a gas support (34) and a drive roll (42) that cooperate with each other. The gas support (34) supports the horizontally delivered glass sheet strip by upwardly directed pressurized gas delivered between lateral edge portions (38) of the strip at a location immediately adjacent the bath container (22). The drive roll (42) is located downstream from the molten metal bath (24) and has spaced drive portions (44) that rotatively drive the lateral edge portions (38) of the glass sheet strip without the drive roll engaging the strip between the spaced drive portions. Gas support (34) preferably includes a first manifold (46) that supplies an upwardly directed inert gas and also preferably includes a second manifold (50) that supplies products of combustion from a gas burner for recirculating flow.