US1710428A - Method and machine for manufacturing incandescent lamps and similar articles - Google Patents

Description

April 23, 1929. K, MW, 1,710,428

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING INCANDESCENT LAMPS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES Filed Oct. 5, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor;

Karl Meg, by MW His Attorneg.

K. MEY

April 23, 1929.

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING INCANDESCENT LAMPS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES Filed Oct. 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet g e M l A WW5 H A ril 23, 1929. K, MEY 1,710,428

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING INCANDESCENT LAMPS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES Filed Oct. 5, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventor: Karl Meg, by %2 H15 Attorney.

April 23, 1929. K. MEY 1,710,428

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING INCQNDESCENT LAMPS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES Filed Oct. 5, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inve TTbOT"; Karl Meg,

His Attorney;

' UNITED STA KARL MEY, or BERLIN, GERMANY, AssIeNoN TO GENERAL ErEc'raIc COMPANY, .A

PatentedApr. 23,

T ns

PATENT. OFFICE].

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK. u

METHOD AND MACHINE ron MANUFAc'rUR G' INGANDESGENT -.ARTICLES.

Appli cation tiled October 5, 1925, Serial No.

In quantity manufacture of electric incandescent lamps, electron tubes, and similar sealed glass vessels with sealed-in inner parts,

, age. This loss was .due tome'ehanical' injury by the handling necessary to make the transfer and also to the fact that the lamps, while still hot from the sealing-in machine, or only; partly cooled oil, were in the transfer usually exposed to cold air currents. Then-there heating of the lamps when being exhausted often caused further loss by breakage. :To reduce the breakage incurred between the sealing-in machine and the exhaust machine in the course of manufacture the two machines have been put close together in a so'- called unit machine, and have also; been mounted coaxially and one above the "other," by coupling their rotary spiders. With this latter arrangement the interior parts or mounts were first sealed into the bulb on the upper spider and the lamp was then taken out by hand and placed on the lower spider where it was exhausted A transfer is as. necessary when the machines are placed one above the other as when they are placed side by side and although it is carried out more rapidly it still has all thedisadvantages and inconveniences of transferring the sealed-1n vessels I This invention has for its object the entire elimination of the disadvantages and inconveniences of transferring the sealed-in vessels. To this end the mounts, each consisting of the stem and inner parts of the lamp, are continuously and in succession sealed into the bulbs on a single carriage, advantageously a rotary spider, which serves to convey the mounts and the bulbs, to the sealing-in po s'r tion and then tocon'vey the sealedin vessels to a position where they are exhausted and also if desired filled with gas, all without being changedin position on the spider which is preferably actuated step by step. In addition to the decreased breakage and waste I thus obtained there. is a further decrease'in, thecost of manufacture, since the work of changing each lamp from the sealing-in ma-v chine tothe-exhaus't machine entirely elim inated.

head which holdsmount;

Figs. 6 and 60,585, and in Germany October 81, 1924.

chine serving to carry out this process and replacing the sealing-in machines and ex-. hau'st machines hltherto used can be so built that the lamps to be finished pass along a:

LAMPS. AND s1M1LAii- The combined sealing-in and exhaust mastraight path; it can also however be built to advantage,'as already said; so that the lamps move along a circular path. As every lamp after passing through the various sealing-in and; exhaust positions again returns to its origlnal place, one attendant can set the lamp parts tobe sealed together into the machine and remove from it the finished and exhausted lamps Inthe drawing there is shown, as one ex ampleof construction, a machine constructed 1n accordance with the inventlon and suitable for carrying'out the new process.

Figs. 1 and 2' show the. mach1ne in dia-.

grammatic illustration in vertical section and intop view;

Fig. 3 shows the exhaust tube of a Figs. 4 and 5show in elevation and plan the mechanism for actuating the devices for .a vertical section through a releasing and gripping the exhaust tubes set in the heads; k

7 show in' elevation one-of the bulb holding forks, and illustratethe raising and lowering of the bulb holding forks;

Figs. 8 and 9 show in elevation and in top "iew a rotary preheating and sealing-in burnery,

Fig..10 shows a vertical "section through a valve which responds to leaky lamps and .causesthem to be sealed off automatically be'- fore they interfere with the operation of the" vacuum pump; and

.Fig. 11 shows ona larger sc ale'the sealing I off torch and discharge fork in the sealingoff position.

The machine, preferably made with a rotatable spider or turret, and adtantageously rotated .step by step, has, inthe example shown, twenty-four working positions which are marked-11 to 24in Fig. 2. Til the 'posi* tions 1 or 2 ,vthe mounts and bulbsare put in their respective/holders; inpositiofn 3 the bulb is lowered 'into place. over the mount;-

inpositioris 4 to 10 the sealing-in of the mounts,"the drawing down of the seal, and

the bending up of the leading in wires occur; in positions 11 to 23 the exhaust and also, if desired, the filling of the lamps by gas is accomplished; and in position 24: the lamp is sealed off and lifted out of the machine. I

The machine consists, as in the usual rotary exhaust machine, of a central stationary valve-seat a and a rotatable spider having a flat rotary valve I) fitted on the seatand fixed to a rotary shaft c.whi ch extends through the. stationary valve seat.

The rotary valve has ports (Z arranged in a circle and corresponding in number to the working positions of the machine, which in each revolution of the splder successively .register with parts'in the valve seat a connected to the variouspipes leadlng into the stationary valve seat to establish connections through the valve with the atmosphere, the exhaust pumps, not shown, a compressed a1r reservoir, and also with a reservoir of inert gas for filling the lamps. At. the ports 03 of a the rotary valve 6 terminate radial tubes f -which open at their outer ends into theex- I I tube or flare k which has its outer end flared into a flange, the exhaust tube k being longer.

than and concentric with the stem tube, and projecting from it some distance, as shown in igure 3. For every exhaust head g-there is a bulb holding fork i for holding the bulb is in place over the mount. The separateholding forks z' are fixed, either to the relatively rigid tubes 7' of the heads or to a special supporting ring which-rotates with the rotary valve.

Each exhaust heady consists as shown in Fig. 3, of a tubular boss 9 into whose central cylindrical bore, somewhat enlarged at the upper end, there is set a tubular rubber stopper I having conical upper and lower ends and fitted between two pressure rings 1 Z advantageously made of metal and each ,having a conical recess which fits the adjoining end of the stopper Z. The rubber stopper l and the cooperating metal rings l and Z have coaxial central bores so as to receive the small exhaust tubelz. on the. stem 71. of the mount it. Pivotedon the upper pressure ring l 'of the rubber stopper on pivots Z are cen-' tering jaws l for centering the exhaust tube 72.? and, having inclined cheeks Z. The centering jaws are embraced by a tension ring Z? which has atapered bore eooperat'mgwith .the inclined cheecks of the centering jaws and which is slidably mounted in an outer sleeve 9 of the ,head to be under the influence of a spiral spring I set into the head'and tending to hold the ringagainst the upper end g of the sleeve 9 In the interior of the sleeve 9 two rods m are slidably mounted in grooves 180 apart on the head. The upper ends of these rods are connected by pins m with the pressure ring Z of the rubber stopper, whilst their lower ends are provided with pins m which project into two inclined slots at in a cap m which is rotatively mounted on the lower end of the boss 9 by a set screw m In the open position the'parts of the head take the position shown in Fig. 3. The'bore of the rubber stopper is then so large that the exhaust tube can be easily inserted and just as easily again removed from the rubber stopper. If however, cap m is turned in such a direction that its inclined slots m pull down the pins m and with them therods m and the pressure ring Z the rubber stopper is compressed between the stationary pressure ring Z and the movable pressure ring Z until the walls of the bore of the rubber stopper bear in their entire or almost entire length tightly against the exhaust tube k of 'the mount as a result of the conical end surfaces of the stopper cooperating with the corre spondingly conical recesses in the rings Z and Z so that not only is the exhaust tube 72. connected airtight to the tube f opening into the head 9, but at the same time the mount is held fast in its position. When the pressure ring Z is pulled down theclamping jaws 1 car-' ried by it and also the tension ring Z are simultaneously moved downward. The tension ring Z follows this downward movement however only for a part of the way, as

the spiral spring] with a progressive com-- per, tightly against the-exhaust tube and 4 center it in an exactly vertical position, so 7 that no fear need be had that the mount'may be sealed crookedly into the bulbs. This feature is very-important in the handling 'of the machine, as the attendant nolonger has the responsibility, in the continuous sealing-in and exhausting, of supervising the sealing-in and straightening out by hand any crookedlysealed-in mount while-the seal is still. soft. L

. The end of the exhaust tubestill remaining 1n the rubber stopper after sealing 0E the lamp-is released. by" the opposite rotation of the cap m, .which by its reverse rotation raises the pull rods m together with the pressure ring Z and the clamping jaws Z; The tension r ng Z is likewise moved upwardly,

- ing and releasing the exhaust tu e is advan tageously produced m two successive Working but only to its initial position,and the upward movement of the centering jaws I through thering displace the inclined cheeks of the centering jaws Z on thering and again allowsthem to assume the unclamped or open Position. i

The rotati'onof cap mt necessar for clamp positions of the spider, preferably in positions 1 and 2. In these'working positions there arearranged vertically below the heads two rotatable and vertically movable keysn in two-stationary bosses n, which have upwardly sloping but relatively displaced bayonet slots n for controlling the guide pins n on the keys. To the lower ends of the keys are fixed pinions n, which are in constant engagement with the teeth of an off set double rack a The latter is at every step of the rotation of the machine moved lionce to the left and right through a pivoted lever n actuated by a cam disc n controlled by themachine drive. The movement of the rack it rotates the pinions n andthe keys n solidly connected with them simultaneously ing in the bayonet slots n raise or lower the but'in opposite directions. The pins a slidkeys n, depending on the direction of rotation of the pinions n, and also at the same.

time raise and lower the pinions n, which are made somewhat broader than the rack n in I step otlts ,rotatlon, it remains in position for the left into the order that they may not become disengaged from the rack n? bytheraising and lowering of the keys and pinions which occurs simultaneously with their rotation. At the upper end of each key are two lugs n, which, when the keys are 1n the high position, engage correspondingly arranged lugs m of cap m and carrythem along in the direction of rotation of the keys.

As soon asthe spider has completed one to the left andon the exhaust head at working position 1 has,'by its rotation, caused an upward movement of the rods m and thereby the release of the rubber stopper Z and of the centering jaws Z, so that in this working position 1 the end of theexhaust tube k still remaining in the rubber stopper from the sealing-oft is released and can be v removed. Cap m located to the right and on'the exhaust head at working position 2 has, on the contrary, by its rotation pulled downthe rods m, and thereby automatically brought the rubber stopper 1 and the centerin 'aws 1 into the clam in osition so that the 'new mount previously inserted by the attendant has in this working position 2, its exhaust tube clamped fast simultaneously with the release of the sealed off exhaust tube in position 1. As the two heads still remain for a short time, about two sec- -onds,.in position after the rotation of their caps, the attendant can-also each time, after the release and .removalof the sealed off exhaust tube end, insert, at working position 1, a new mount into'the open rubber stopper, which then, when the head reaches the working position 2, is clamped fast automatically in the working position 2 during the release of the next following sealed off exhaust'tube end.- Whilst the heads still remain in the two working positions 1 and 2 shown, the rack moves, as shown by the arrows, into the right hand position. The pinions n and keys 9% are thereby likewise moved in the c opposite direction whereby the key lugs 11; are moved away from the lugs of the caps m which remain in position. The parts of the head. at working'position 2 and shown to the right in Fig. 4 thus are left in the closed position and remain so during the further travel of the spider until this head completes one revolution and again reaches the position shown to the left in Figure 4, that is, the working position 1, where the re lease of the sealed ofl exhaust tube end occurs simultaneously with the closing of the preceding head which is inworking position 2.

Thekeys n acting on the heads need not necessarily be placed in two adjacent working positions of the machine. The key which effects the clamping in of the newly inserted mount may, for example, be placed in working position 3 or 4;

"Each bulb holder consists ofa bulb holding fork i fixed to the upper end of a vertically movable rod 6 Each rod i is slidably mounted in a fixed guide 1' which travels with the machine and is, during the time in which the heads and the holding forks travel through the sealing-in and exhaust positions, held in its lower position by a flat stop spring i fixed to-the guide 2' to enter an upper holding notch in the rod 2' in which position the bulb is setin the holding fork, encloses the mount it. Shortly before orduring the introduction of the bulbs into the holding forks the rods 71 are automatically raised so that they introduction of the bulbs can cause .no damage to the mounts h set simultaneously or shortly beforein the rubber stopper sy 1. For this purpose there is arranged at elther working position 1 or 2 in a stationary part 0 of the machine a vertically movable lifter 0 over which the rod i of the holding fork 11 comes when it reaches that working position. Whilst the like stop spring 5" snaps into a second'lowerholding notch of rod i and thus locks it,

' together with the holding fork, in the high position. As 'soon as'this,has been accomplishcd the attendant can introduce b'ulbk,

without damaging mount it introduced into the underlying rubber stopper simultaneously or somewhat earlier or later.

In the working. position 3, in which the holding fork moves into the low position,

there is likewise supported on a stationary bracket gnwhich may also be in one )iece with the frame part 0, a vertically (lisp aceable pull rod 79 which carries at its upper end a spring controlled pawl 2 This pull rod. is also actuated once by the drive of the machine at every stoppage of the spider, and is advantageously first pulled downand then pushedup. In the downward movement the pawl 12 engaging with a notch z" of the rod 2' carries along the rod by forcing back the pawl like spring i until at the end of the downward movement the pawl like spring '5 again snaps into the upper notch of rod 11 and thereby secures the rod, together with the holding'fork, in the low position. V The bulb is set into the holding fork is thus automatically placed over the mount it. \Vhile the holding fork-still remains in'this work ing position, or as soon as a. new holding fork reaches this working position, the pull rod p moves upward, during which the pawl 72 moves out of the way and thus does not influence rod 71 In the sealing-in positions 4 to 8 the superposed bulb is sealed to the mount it clamped fast in the head 9 by the rotating preliminary heating and sealing in burners. Each burner consists of a rotatable fork g, Fig. 8, cmbracing the bulb from the top and consisting of parallel tubes having, at their lower ends, burner nozzles 9 The central feed tube placed axially of the bulb acts as tin; axle for the rotating tube fork and for this purpose it is rotatively supported in two stationary bearings and g. Between these two bearings there is mounted on each tube g a pinion 7 The pinions r of all tube forks are connected to one another by intermediate gears, 1' and are all rotated in the same direction by a driving gear 9 engaging with one of these intermediate gears. In order that the tube forks may not interfere with one another in this rotation theyare advantageously, as shown in Fig. 2, angularly displaced relative to one another. The gears 1' 1* rotated by the machine drive are always automatically stopped .when the spider is making a partial rotation to move' the holding devices with the mountsand bulbs from one position to the next, and stop in such a position that the bulbs pass unhindered through the tube forks and do not strike against one or the other tube forks. The gears are stopped by a locking gear, which acts on the vertical shaft 1'? of gear 7*. The locking gear consists of a locking wheel skeyed on shaft 1", a spring influenced locking pawl s and an actuating pawl 8 The latter carries a roller 8 which runs on a cam disc s kept in continuous rotation by the machine drive. During the stoppage of the spider this roller 8 runs on the raisedcam part of'disc 8 with the result that the actuating pawl s takes the position shown in dotted lines and the looking pawl s is also pressed into the dotted line position against the actionof spring 8 The locking wheel 8 is thereby released and during thestoppage of the machine renders possible a rotation of shaft 1" of the toothed wheels 1", r, r and of the-tube forks g together with tlie burners g As soon as the spider makes a partial rotation, the roller runs off theraised cam part, and the spring 8 comes into action and presses the pawls s s into the positions shown in full lines. the locking pawl s then prevents afurther rotation of the gears and holds the tube forks fast in a definite position \vhich allows free passage to the bulbs.

The upper ends of the rotatable burner feed tubes g open into fixedly supported stufling boxes 9 into which gas is continually fed from a common source of supply. In

used rotatably supported valves regulatingthe feed of the gas. I In order to be able to regulate the burner action, the tube forks g are advantageously arranged sothat they ca be adjusted in height. For this purpos there is screwed into the upper stationary framebox g? of every fork a sleeve g which receives the tube 9 and on the upper flange rim g of which there rests a connection g of tube with the interposition of a ball hearing 9. As soon as sleeve 9'' is turned to the left or right, there is produced either a raising or a lowering of the tube fork g. In order that the gear r placed on tube 9" may remain in position, a pin and slot connection is provided between it and the tube. The adjustment in height of the burner flames can also be produced byarranging the burner nozzles to 'be adjustable. Such adjustable burner'nozzles can also he used with tube becomes possible by adjustment of the tubeforks and a fine adjustment of the same by the movement of the. burner nozzles.

In order that, during the sealingdn process, the part of the exhaust tube located directly under thestem 71 'of the mount and the leading-in wires t depending along the exhaust tube h? may not be'damaged bythe burner flames, the outer sleeves g of every head is, shortly before the introductionpf every bulb into the first sealing-in posit on 4, raised so far that the narrower neck part 9 of the sleeve connecting with the end g 'em-' braces the exhaust tube 71. with the leading in wire -t and that the flange g of the sleeve comesto bear on the stem k of the mount.

7 The flange of the outer sleeve 9 then forms during the'sealing-in process a support for I the stem of the mount so that the/mount cannot be fused into the bulb in a slanting position. The raising of the outer sleeve 9 'is effected by means of a roller 9 arranged on the lower rim of the sleeve and which, before the head, together with the mountand bulb reaches working position 4', runs onto a stationary cam g of the machine. It is advantageous to so form the upper surface of the curved cam g that sleeve 9 is at first only partly raised and. is completely raised only shortly before coming into the second sealing-in position 5. Before the head leaves tlie last sealing-in position 8, the separation ofthe superfluous bulb neck iseifected close below-the stem h? at the sealing zone. The

a separated bulb neck k drops down and remains suspended on the outer sleeve 9 as shown "in dotted lines in Fig. 3. Shortly after the last sealing-in position 8 the roller 9 again runs off the stationary cam g", causing an automatic lowering of the outer sleeve g with a release of the protected exhaust tube. Before the head with the now sealedin mountreaches working position 9 the superfluous bulb neck is hanging to the outer sleeve is automatically destroyed by two stationary checks at forming a narrow passage through which the upper part of the head passes in its travel from working position 8 to working position 9.

. In t-heworking position 9 the two segmentlike burners a are mounted to further heat the sealing-in zone .of the bulb neck still hot from the sealing-inprocess, so that the seal formed at the stem 71. can be pulled down or somewhatstret'ched' in this working position.

This is done by a slight raising of the bulb holding fork by means of a lifter not shown, but similar to the lifter 0 at position 2 which as soon as the lamp has stopped: for a few moments in working position 9 is raised very slightly by the drive of the machine similarly to lifteno 'A's however in this slight raising of the bulb holdingfork with the sealed in bulb in it the mount'is held fast by the grip on the exhaust tube b of the compressed rubber stopper and the centering jaws, the outer edge'of thehot softened flange of the stem tube is slightly bent upwards and there by. the seal is drawn down somewhat with an equalization of the glass and removal of strains in it. p

In the next working position the outer lead wires t secured to the inner end of the stem tube andextending down along the exhaust tube are automatically raised into a horizontal position, so that later on these wires are not in the way when the exhaust "tube is closed by fusion in the sealing-off positions and are not fused off. For this purpose there are in the path of movement of the lampa lead wire bender comprising two double hooks w set to be tangential to the exhaust tube k of a mount in a head 9 and displaced relative to each other. These hooks may be mounted on stationary supports w so as to swing towardand away from. each other and thus supports 10. can, as shown, be'placed on the segment-like heating oven w-extending over the exhaust positions 11 to 23, or in any other desired manner. The exhaust tube of the lamp coming into working position 10 presses these double hooks 'w somewhat a art, whereupon the lead wires '25 depending rom the stemtube and lying alongside the exhaust tube are caught in the forward bends 'w'- of the double hooks. When the lamp moves further into the next working position 11, the lead wires 25 which are held fast in these forward bends 'w are bent up as the'wires move" out of these bends and are bent high into a horizontal position and ,kept there by the bends. In order to insure the bending up of the lead wires the hooks have rear bends w which hold any lead wires not caught by l tent in their entire passage through the machine. In the different working POSltlOIlSYll to 23, every lamp'is, in the manner known in rotatable exhaust apparatus, connected several times to a pro-vacuum pump and to several fine pumps and automatically conne ted if desired to gas filling receptacles. hould a lamp have become damaged, perhaps by a defect in the sealing-in process, it

is automatically sealed ofi in the first pump position 11 closely below. the stem 72?. This automatic sealing off of the defective lamp is controlled by'a valve 3 which is placed at .Working position 11 at the entrance to the oven and is in communication with that conduit of the stationary valve seat a which leads to the rough or pre-vacuum pump. This control valve g which is responsive toa leaky lamp conslsts, as seen 111 F1g. 10, of a closed casmg, containing two flexible diaphragms or membranes fl/ 3 mounted on opposite sides of a partition y in the casing. The two membranes form the outside walls of'two chambers 7 3 separated from each other by the partition 3 and are in communication with one another through a port in the partition controlled by a valve :1 on a stem 3 which extends through the intermediate partition 3 1 The valye y ordinarily shuts oif the chambers 3 3 from each other, so that the combustion gas or combustion mixture fed to chamber 3 by conduit 1 cannot flow into chamber 1 and from this through conduit y to a sealing ofl' burner 3 mounted in the heating oven in position to fuse the exhaust tube of a passing lamp. The lowermost chamber y of the control valve is formed by the casing and'the lower membrane fi and is connected b conduit y with the prevacuum pump, and y conduit 3 through the rotary valve (1, b of the machine, with the interior of the lamp which is in the working position 11. Theuppermost'valve chamber y isformedby the casingand theupper membrane 3 and is connected with a constant vacuum which may be one of the fine vacuum pumps, by the tube 6 I conduit 3 In thehppermost chamber there may be further provided to advanta e a spring a which by pressure on the upper-- most membrane y presses the valve disc 3 tightly to its seat. If the lamp which reaches working position 11 is perfect, the pressure in chamber y and that in chamber 11 are so nearly the same that the valvedisc 3 is kept tightly on its seat by the'action of spring 12 As soon however as a leaky lamp reaches this working position, air will leak into the lowest chamber y thereby disturbing the posi-. tion of. equilibrium of both membranes 1 ,'y

since the fine vacuum pump maintains in the uppermost chamber 3 a pressure so much lower than that in the lower chamber 3 into which the.air is leaking that the upper membrane islifted, thereby raising the valve disc y and overcoming the spring y: Connection between the two central chambers 51 'y is established by the lifting of the valve disc y, and the combustion gas thereby passes at once through the opening of the partition :1 to the sealing ofl' burner y, which then forms a blowpipe flame, which meltsoflt' 0105c to the stem tube or flare 71F- theexhaust tn 7 k of the lamp at working position 11.

This automatic sealing oif of leaky lamps is very important for the operation of the combined sealing-in and exhaust machine, as

lamps'quickly and remove them by hand. Ifa leaky lampis not automatically sealed. off,

but goes through the other pump positions of the machine, several of the lamps following the leaky lamp would not be sufficiently exhausted, as the leaky lamp permits a passage of air into the different pumps and thus dangerously decreases their Working capacity.

In order that the rubber stoppers inserted in the heads may not be damaged by the heat of the heating oven so while the lamps are on the pumps, the different outer sleves g of the heads have, cooling jackets g which are continually traversed by a cooling liquid, for example water. The cooling liquid is advan- 'tageously fed through each cooling jacket 9 as shown in Fig. 1, by a supply-or distributing tube g and a discharge conduit 9" which delivers the cooling liquid to a collecting trough 2 advantageously displaced relativeto each other by 180, which, as soon'as the delivery through a conduit fork has been'pushed forward, seal of! the exhaust tube close to the stem. The lamp resting on the delivery fork but still dependent from the bulb holding fork i canthen be conveniently lifted out by the operator and deposited in a collecting container. By

-ineans of the delivery fork 2, the'sealed-oif and detached lamp canalso be automatically lifted from the bulb holding fork i and be automatically deposited. To obtain this result it is only necessary to tip up the liftingofl'- fork in its forward position and then to so turnor swing it about after or duringthe withdrawal, that the lamp resting on the delivery fork automatically drops into a converyorduct arranged beside the delivery fork.

In order to prevent with the greatest cer tainty any damage to the leading in wires t when sealing off the lamp, the delivery fork ara-dially movable to the machine is provided with a spring'catch'whioh catches and turns up any dependent lead wire during the forward movement of the delivery fork. The catch may consist for example, as shown, of a single arm lever 2 which is ordinarily held byfa spring, 2 against a stationary stop 2' and which carries at the forward (1 a'hook shaped spring a". In the forward movement of the fork a the bend .of the spring z strikes against-the 'exhaust tube 71. and slides about the exhaust/tube by swinging, out the lever '2 Any lea d .wire which may e still depending fromfihe stem tube and lying alongside the exhaust tube is then caught by. the bend 'of the hook spring 2 and bent up horizontally in the further. forward movement of the fork a into its forward position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 1.

. ,Inthe sealing-off position 24 of the ma-w chine the lamp, after-the sealing-oft is completed, is advantageously subjected in the known manner to a test as to its good vacuum, by bringing the lead wires into connection with a source of current.

In the further rotation of the spider the head 9 still carrying the stub end. of the sealed-off exhaust tube again comes into working position 1. In this-working position tube 7 leading to the head is connected pressed air tends to blow out the stub end of the exhaust tube, but cannot do so as long as the exhaust tube end is clamped fast in the rubber stopper 1 and the centering jaws lt.

-After a few moments halt of the head in working position 1 the automatic release of the rubber'stopper and the centerin jaws Z is effected, as previously describedfby the rotatable key a and the upwardly actuated pull rod, m, and the compressed air becomes effective to force the released stub end of the exhaust tube out of the head 9. There can now be repeated the introduction of a mount and of a bulb either in working position 1 or 2 and the subsequent operation 0 in the other working positions of the machine.

Due to thelarge number of working positions and to the fact that the machine need stop for only a few seconds in each working position, a large number of lamps, six hundred and more can be continuously producedby the machine in an hour..

The number of working posltions on the machine maybe smaller or larger, accord ing to requirement, The sealing-off of the lamp can be done in two working positions instead of in one working position, and that in such manner, that in the first sealing-off position the exhaust tube is anerely fused shut, and then is entirely melted through in the second working position. The fastening of the exhaust tube in the rubber stopper: and

the mode of movement of the sealingdn burners can also be done in various wa s'. Then too the means for bending over the le ding in I wires and for the sealing-off of the lamps may 1. The method of manufacturing incandescent lamps and similar articles comprising a bulb and a mount havin anexhaust tube, which consists in holding t e mount and carrying it bodily along a predetermined path b means of said exhaust tube, placing the bu b over the mount at a. predetermined ;point of said path and thereafter maintaining substantially unchanged the relative po sition of said mount and said bulb during the remainder of the travel of said mount, sealing said mount into said bulb at another point of its path, thereafter holding said sealed vessel by said exhaust tube, exhai'lsting the'sealed vessel through said exhaust tube at still another point of its path,. and sealing off said vessel.

2. The method-of manufacturing a hermetieally sealed evacuated device comprising aglass vessel formed by sealing together two glass parts, one tubulated with an exhaust tube, and then exhausting the vessel, which consists in holding the tubulated part in predetermined position Jey said exhaust tube only, and continuing to hold the tubulated part in said position by the exhaust tube while the other part is brought intosealing in re'- lation. to it and said tubulated part is sealed into'said other part and then exhausting the sealed vessel so formed through said tubulatedbpart while it is positioned by said exhaust tu e.

3. The method of manufacturing an incandescent lamp by sealing together a bulb and a mount, one tubulated with an exhaust tube, and exhausting through the tubulated part, which consists in holding the tubulated part in position. solely by said exhaust tube throughout the sealing in and exhaustof said lamp, bringingthe untubulated part into sealing in relation to said tubulated part while it. is so held and sealing said parts together to form said lamp, and exhausting the sealed in lamp through said exhaust tube while so held.

4. The method of manufacturing incandeswhile so held by the exhaust tube, her1neticall sealing said mount into said bulb while sai mount is so held and thereby forming a sealed vessel, and connecting said exhaust conduit to an exhaust pump and exhausting the sealed vessel through said exhaust tube while still so held. j

5. In a machine of the character described, an exhaust head comprisi g a tubular boss, a tubular ,rubber stopper in. said boss for receiving an exhaust tube, and centering jaws concentric with the bore of said stopper and movable radially thereof to grip an exhaust tube and centenit in said stopper.

6. In a machine of the character described, an exhaust head comprisirtg a tubular boss, a tubular rubber stopper in said boss having conical ends, a compression ring at each end to'be movable radially of the bore of saidstop-per to center an exhaust tube in said to bring each head into working positions m of said stopper and each ring having a conical recess to coo erate with the conical end of said stopper an said rijn s being movable toward each other longitudinally of said stoper tocompress said stopper and constrict its.

. ore.

- 7 In a machine of'the character described, an exhaust head comprising a tubular rubber stopper having a conical end, a' ring having a conlcal recess engaging said end of 531d stopper, and movable toward the other end of said stopper to compress said stopper and its bore, and centering jaws pivoted on said ring QPP y 8. lln a machine of the character described, an exhaust head comprising a tubular boss, a tubular rubber stopper in saidboss, center-v ing jaws mounted in said boss tomove radially of the bore of said stopper and having cheeks inclined tothe bore hf said stopper, and a tension ring concentric wth said stopper and movable'longitudinally thereof and having inclined surfaces to engagewiththe inclined cheeks of said centering jaws to close them, and a spring tending to move said ring into position to permit said jaws to open.

9. Ina machine of the character described,

the combination of a frame, a member mounted thereon to move step by step and having an exhaust head and a valve for controlling the connection of said head to an exhaust pump, said head comprising a tubular boss, a tubular rubber stopper in said boss,- means movable longitudinally of said head for compressin said stopper to constrict its bore and a rotatable cap on the lower end of said head for actuating by its rotation said stoppercompressing means, and a rotatable key mounted insald frame to register witln sald head and to move yertically into engagement cap while said withsaid cap to rotate said member is stationary. I p

I 10. In a machine of the character described the combination of a frame, a member mounted on said frame rotatably and provided with a plurality of exhaust heads and a'valve' for controlling the connection of said heads to an exhaust pum eachhead comprising a verti-' cal tubular oss having therein a tubular rubber stopper, means for compressing said.

stopper to constrict its bore, and a rotatable cap on the bottom of each head for actuating said means to compress said stopper,-'driving means for rotatingsaid member step by step succession, and two rotatable and verticall movable keys mounted on said frame at ad jacent'workingpositions to register with the 7 caps on said exhaust heads in said positions,

and means actuated by said driving means while said member 1s stationary for simultaneously raising said keys into engagement with the caps on the heads in'registry there-,

. with, turning said keys in opposite direction to compress the stopper in onehead and to release the stopper in the adjacent head, simultaneously lowering said keys.

11. In a machine of the character de-v scribed, thecombination of a rotatable member having thereon an exhaust head and a valve for controlling the connection ofsaid head to an exhaust pump, a tubular rubber stopper in said head for holding an exhaust tube in and connecting it air-tight to said head, means for fusing off the exhaust tube in said head, and means controlled by said valve for subsequentlysupplying air under pressure to said head to blow out the fused ofl' end 'of the exhaust tube.

12. In a machine of the character described,

the combination of a movable n1ember,'a bulb ing-in Wires and engage the stem of the mount to support it. 13. In a machine of the character descrlbed, the combination of an exhaust head comprising a fixed tubular boss, a tubular rubber stop per in said boss and a water jacketed sleeve movably, telescoped on said boss to substantially enclose the upper part of said boss and its contained rubber stopper when said sleeve is lowered. Y

14. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a rotatable member having a plurality of work holders, each comprising an exhaust head and a cooperating bulb fork in alignment with said head, and a valve for automatically controlling the connection of said heads to an exhaust pump during the rotation of said member, driving means for rotating said member step by step, and means controlled by'said driving means for autoposition and subsequently at a succeeding position lowering the'bulb fork to bring the bulb into place, over the mount held in the exhaust head. 7

' 15. In a machihe of the character described,

the combination of an intermittently rotatable member having an exhaust headand a .bulb fork mounted in alignment with said head on a vertically reciprocating rod, driving mechanism for rotating said member, a reciprocating push rod mounted to align with said rod when said rotary member is-stationary, a resilient catch forh olding said lifter in either of two extreme positions, and push rod actuating means controlled by said driv- 'matically moving each bulb fork away from .lllS cooperating exhaust head at 'the loading 30 and move ting mechanism for moving said ush rod into one extreme position when sai bulb rod is in registry with it and thereby moving said bulb older away from the exhaust head,,and for positivelymoying said push rod to the other extreme of its position'in another positiori of said member-to permit said bulb hold; er to return to its initial position, and thereby place the bulb over a mount in said exhaust head.

16. In a machine of the character described, the combination of movablemember having an exhaust head fixed thereon and a-cooperating bulb fork mounted on said member to move in alignment with said head, driving mechanism for moving said member intermittently to place said head in a plurality. of working positions in succession, sealing-in burners mounted adjacent the path of each i 2 exhaust head and bulb fork in position to seal a mount in said head into a bulb held in said bulb fork, auxiliary burners mounted adjacent said sealing-in burners and at a position further along the path of said seale d-in bulb to keep plastic the joint between the stem and the bulb While the head is in said position, and means actuated by said driving mechanism to raise said bulb fork while said head IS in said position and said joint is plastic e bulb slightly away from the exhaust head and thereby stretch and work the plastic joint. v

17. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a rotatable member havmg thereon means for holding a mount and a bulb in proper relation,'burners adjacent the path of said means to seal said mount into said bulb and simultaneously melt off the surplus portion of the neck of the bulb, 40 and stationary members mounted adjacent the path of the mount 'holder'to form a passage inwhich the melted off portion of the bulb neck is broken when carried into it by the movement of said member. s

18. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a rotatable member, means on said member for holding a mount and abulb in sealing-in relation, burners mounted adjacent the path of said member to seal said mount into said bulb, and leading-in wire fingers mounted adjacent the path of movement of said member to bend back leading-in wires substantially parallelto the exhaust tube, A 19. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a rotatable me her, a mount holder and a bulb holder onsai member, sealing-in burners adjacent the path of said holders to seal the mount into a bulb, and double fingers mounted adjacent and tangentialto the path of said mount holder to oscillate into and out of operative relation to the exhaust tube, and to enterbetween the exhaust tube and leading-in wires parallel l 66 thereto, said fingers being shaped to displace said leading-in wires away from the exhaust said member, burners mounted adjacent the path of said member to seal the; mount into a bulb, a sealing off burner mounted adjacent the path of said member to seal ofi the exhaust tube in said mount holder, fork mounted adjacent the sealing ofi burner and'having a resilient stop mounted to catch and bend back any leading-in wire parallel to the exhaust tube, and means for moving said delivery fork toward'and away from the exhaust tube in said holder.

21. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a rotatable member provided with exhaust heads, and a valve for controlling connections of saidhead to the preliminary vacuum pump, and to the final vacuum pump, of a valve responsive to the variation in pressure caused by'a leaky lamp beingconnectedthrough said valve to the preliminary vacuum pump, and means actuated by said valve to automatically seal off the exhaust tube of the leaky pump.

, 22. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a rotatable member provided with exhaust heads and a valve for controlling the connection ofsaid head to a vacuum pump, of age through one of said heads comprising a leak responsive valve comprising twochamhers each containing a partition, a valye 1n said partition, a flexible membrane dividing each chamber into two parts, \the other part being connected to the vacuum pump and the inner parts connected to a gas supply, where by a variation in pressure due to a leak through one of said-exhaust heads will move said membranes and thereby open a sealing ofi' burner supplied from said inner parts and. mounted in position to seal ofi the defective exhaust tube.

a delivery means responsive to leakthe valve in said partition and permit gas to flow and 23. In a device of the character described the combination of a rotatable member having fixed thereon an exhaust head forholding a mount with a projecting exhaust tube and comprising a tubular rubber for gripping said exhaust tube to position the mount, and

also to make an'air-tight connection with said exhaust tube, a bulb holder on said member'to suspend a bulb with its neck over a mount held in said head,'sealing-in burners mounted adjacent the path traversed by said exhaust head during the first part of its travel to seal the mount in said head into the neck of a bulb in said'holder, and means responsive to movement of said member for automatically exhausting the sealed in bulb through the bore of said head after it is beyond range of said sealing in burners and while it is traversing another part of its path.

' Patent No, 1,710,428.

- 24. Iii ,a' combined sealing in and exhaust machine ;for incandescent lamps' and similar devices the combination of sealmg in burners, an exhaust'pump a tubular exhaust head for holding and making an air tight connec tion to theexhaust tube of the tubulated part of a lampga holder associated with said head to hold'the untubulated part of'the lam in sealing in relation to the tubulated par in said head, and means for carrying said head and bolder bodily into and out of range of said seal-ing in burners to seal said lamp parts together and thenconnecting said head to said exhaust pump. I

25; In .;a combined scaling in and exhaust machinefor incandescent lamps and similar devices a movable carrier, a tubular exhaust head on said carrier for holding and making an air ti ht connection to the exhaust tube of the ,tubulated part of alamp, a holder associated on said carrier with said head to hold the untubulated part of the lamp in sealing in relation tothe tubulated part in said head, seaIing in burners adjacent one part of the path of said head, exhaust means controlled by said carrier, and actuating means for moving said carrier to carry said head into and out of range of said burners during one part of its travel and then to connect it to said exhaust means during a subsequent part of its travel.

26. A combined scaling in and exhaust machine for incandescent lamps and similar devices comprising a rotatable spider, a tubular exhaust head on said spider for holding and making an air tight connection to the exhaust tube of a tubulated mount, a bulb holder associated with said head to hold a bulb in I cannncarn or connect on.

scaling in relation to a, meat held in said head, sealing-in burners mounted adjacent the path of said head, an exhaust valve rotatable with said spider and having an exhaust port, actuating means for rotating said spider to carrysaid'head into and out of range of for sealing in and exhausting a lamp having 7 a mount with a projecting exhaust tube, the combination of an intermittently rotatable member having fixed on it an exhaust head comprising a tubular elastic holder for making an air tight connection to the exhaust tube of the mount, drivin means for moving said member intermittent y to place said head in anumber of working positions in succession during its travel, a bulb holder on said member in alignment w th said exhaust head, a scaling in burner rotatable about an axls n alignment with said exhaust head when said head is in a working position near the beginning of its travel and in a plane parallel to the plane of movement of said exhaust head for directing a flame upon said bulb to seal a mount held in said exhaust head into the bulb held in said bulb fork, a valve rotatable with said member and having a port communicat-.

ing with the bore of said head, and a cooperating valve seat having an exhaust port which registers with said valve port when .said head is in another and subsequent working position.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 21st day of September, 1925.

KARL MEY.

smme'hprii 2a, 1929. a

It is hereby certified that error vappearsin the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page '9, line 92, claim 21, for the word "pump" read "lamp"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein'that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 11th m of; June, A; Yu. 1929. I

- (Seal) v M. a Moore, hot-ing Commissioner of Patentsv.

CERTIFICATE OF CQRRECTIUNV Patent No. 1,710,428. Granted April 23, 1929. to

KARL MEY.

it is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 9 Him 92, claim 21, for the word "pump" read "lamp"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record oi the casein the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 11th day of June, A. i). 1929.

M. L Moore (Seal) Aeting Commissioner of Patents.

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