CA1095248A - Glassware forming machine of the i. s. type for upright press and blow - Google Patents

Abstract

GLASSWARE FORMING MACHINE OF THE I. S.
TYPE FOR UPRIGHT PRESS AND BLOW PROCESS
ABSTRACT OF DISCLOSURE
The individual section of a Hartford I. S. type machine is modified to permit forming the parisons in an upright orientation, and also for transferring the upright parisons from the blank to the blow side of the section without disturbing this upright orientation. The pressing plungers at the blank station are mounted for movement toward and away from the upwardly open blank mold cavities, and each blank mold cavity is defined in part by partible neck ring molds, in part by a lower solid blank or body mold, and finally by intermediate partible mold sections which engage the upper neck ring molds and also the lower body mold. These intermediate mold sections at the blank side of the machine are mounted on the existing blank mold holder arms. The neck ring molds are provided in a structure which is pivotally supported at the free ends of the two neck ring arms, and while these arms are conventionally mounted for pivotal movement in the neck ring mechanism, means is also disclosed for restricting these neck ring structures to so support the parisons that each remains in an upright orientation during transfer from the blank to the blow side of the machine section.

Description

BACKGROUND OF TEiE INVENTION
In a conventional ~artford I. S. type of glassware machine, a plurality of independent sections are operated in timed relationship to one another, and individual gobs of molten glass are fed to the blank side of each of these sections also in timed relationship with one another. Each section has one or more upwardly open blank molds Eor receiving the gob, or groups o gobs and a baffle is adapted to move in and close the open end of the hlank mold in order to permi-t the gob to ~ be pressed or otherwise formed from below in order to form an inverted parison at the blank station. This inverted position is transferred or swung over to the blow side of the section where it assumes an upright orientation in a fin:ishing mold. .:
A blQw head descends onto the top of the finishing mold and the parison is blown to its final shape while the transfer mechanism returns with the neck ring mold in order to form another parl.son or parisons.
The parison transfer mechanism in each of the individual sections of s.uch a machine comprises two neck ring arms mounted in an axially split neck ring mechanism or hub structure, which structure includes means for rotating these arms through approximatel.y 180 degrees. The neck ring mold halves are mounted at the free ends of these arms and when the .
parison has been formed at the bl.ank station the still closed neck ring mold halves serve to clamp the newly formed parisons -therebetween as the neck ring arms move from the inverted parison position at blank station, to an upright position at the blow station. Once positioned in the finishing mold, the neck ring arms move apart slightly, by axial movement of the associated arms, to release the parison and permit the arms and the neck ring molds to return to the blank sicle of the machine.

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~he principal aim of the present invention is to ~;~
adapt a glassware forming machine section of the foregoing ~ ;
type in order to permit forming of the parison in an upright configuration, and for transfer of the parison to the blow side of the machine while maintaining this upright orientation.

SUMMARY OF I~VE~TION
A glassware forming machine having a blank mold station comprisas the following improvement:
A structure defines at least two blank mold cavities for receiving gobs of glass dropped downwardly therein~
Partible neck ring mold structure.s include neck ring molds matiny with the blank mold cavity defining structure -~
at the blank station.
Parison forming plungers are provided for insertion downwardly into said blank mold cavities.
A support means is provided for said plungers includ~
ing a vertically oriented fluid motor with a vertically movable part.
A plunger supporting arm is carried by the movable fluid motor part.
- Individual fluid motor means are associated with each plunger, each individual fluid motor means having a first part mounted in said supporting arm and a second part movable with respect to the first and connected to an associated plunger, and means for moving said plunger supporting arm horizontally between an active position wherein said plungers are located above the blank mold cavities and an inactive position to one side thereof to permit said gobs to be so dropped into the blank mold cavities.

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13RI_D~SCI~IP~ION OF Tl-lE~ DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the relevant portions of an individual glassware forming machine section with certain movable parts being shown in broken lines to illustrate alternative positions for such parts.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the glassware ~orming machine section depicted in Fig. 1, with a portion of the neck ring structure broken away.
Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken generally on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, but showiny the parison forming plungers inserted into the blank mold defining structure at the blank station t and also showing in schematic fashion the conventional timiny means used to operate the various fluidic devices or components of the typical glassware forming machine.

ETAILED DESCRIPTION
Turning now to the drawings in greater detail, Fig. 3 shows the blank side or station of a glassware forming machine of -the Hartford I. S. type wherein one or more gobs of molten glass are adapted to be delivered into the upwardly open blank mold cavities through the medium of fixed chutes 10 and 12 associated with each of the cavities in the blank mold structure. Upon loading of the gobs of glass in the blank mold structure -the plunger mechanism, .indicated generally at 14, would be positioned in its inactive position as best shown in Fig. 2 in order to permit the yobs of molten glass to be dropped into the upwardly open blank mold structureO Further, and still with reference to Fig. 2, a funnel mechanism indicated generally at 16 is adapted to be swung inwardly o~er the upwardly open blank mold cavities for guiding these gobs of glass as they are dropped downwardly from their associated chutes 10 and 12 into the blank mold structure. This blank mold structure will now be described in greater detail.

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While not necessarily so limited it is to be noted that the blank mold structure illustrated in Fig. 3 may be similar to that shown and described in my issued U. 5. Patent No. 3,765,862. That is, the blank mold structure may include a relatively wide cavity lower body mold, a relati~ely narrow neck ring mold structure, and an intermediate or transitional mold which is placed between the neck rnold and the body mold ~o that the parison can be for~ed. The transitional or inter-mediate mold is split, the two halves being mounted to the conventional blank mold holder arms provicled in a Hartford I. S. type machine. As so constructed and arranged the intermediate mold halves open after the parison has been formed to permit the parison to reheat and stretch, the body molds being dropped, or retracted downwardly slightly, so that even before transfer takes place a segment of the cycle is devoted to reheat at the blank station.
With particular reference to Fig. 3, the relatively wide cavity body mold or molds are depicted at 18 and 20, and a fluid motor in the form of an air cylinder 22 is provided for raising and lowering these solid body molds 18 and 20. The ~`
intermediate or transitional molds 24 and 26, associated with these body molds 18 and 20 respectively, are mounted to the blank mold holder arms best shown in Fig. 2 at 28 and 30. These intermecliate molds 24 and 26 are of the partible type, being mounted in pairs to the mold holder arms 28 and 30 in a conventional manner. Thus, a hinge pin 32 is provided in the ixed frame of the machine and these mold holder arms 28 and 30 are pivotally supported thereby, and aré adapted to be operated in timed relationship with other components of the machine through conventional mold holder arm moving links (not shown).

,, ~, Still with reference to the blank mold structure, the neck riny portions of the blank mold defining structure comprises split or par,tible neck ring molds segments 34 and ~.
36, which neck ring mold halves or C;egments are also provided in pairs, and are preferably mounted in a cartridge struc-ture , best illustrated in Fig. 2 at 38 and 40. Thus, ~he blank mold structure of Fig. 2 is of the double gob configuration which permits two articles to be formed at one time in each of the various individual sections of a typical glassware forming machine. Each of the blank mold cavities is defined by three cooperating elements as defined in the form of a solid blank body mold 20, an assoclated intermediate mold 26, and the neck ring mold 36. It should be noted that the intermediate molds 24 and 26 mounted to the mold holder arms 28 and 30 are adapted to clamp the neck ring mold segments in position and in assoclation with the body molds. It should perhaps be noted that when the gobs of molten glass have been fed into the upwardly open blank mold cavities, prior to the configuration depicted in Fig. 3, that the funnel 16 cooperates with the solid body mold in order to receive the gobs of molten glass which will ultimately be formed by the pressing plungers 42 and 44.
As mentloned previ.ously, these plunyers 42 and 44 are mounted to an associated supporti.ng str~cture 14 t and will occupy an inactive position such as shown in Fig. 2 when this charge loading step occurs. However, once the gobs have been so deposited in the upwardly open blank mold cavity, the funnels rnove away and means i9 provided for moving the plunger supporting arm 14 from the position shown in Fig. 2, and for causing -these plungers to descend into the posi-tions shown for them in Fig. 3, whereby the gob is formed into relatively heavy walled parisons at the blank side or station of the machine.

., , : , : . : , , In addition to the mea~s for moving the pressing plunger mechanism from and to the positions mentioned in the previous paragraph, e~ch of these pressing plungers is individually mov~lble vertically with respect to.its associated mounting structure 14. The means for so moving these plungers comprise pistons 46 and 48 to which the plungers are adjustably mounted in order to provide an added de~ree of freedom for each of the hlank struc-tures, and also, in order to provide two active positions for these plungers, one determined by the basic means for moving the plunger supporting arm 14 and a slightly lower pressing position for these pl.ungers as depicted in Fig. 3 whereby the parisons are completely formed in their associated cavities at a sli~htly later instant of time. The timing for control of the plungers~ and also for control of all of the various machine components is derived through the timing drum indicated schematically at 50 in ~iy. 3, and ai.r l.ines associated with each of the various valves in the valve block portion of the timing mechanism provide signals for operation of the various fluid devices in the glassware forming machine. The reader is referred to :~
any of the disclosures in the many patents issued on the timing features of a typical glassware formi.ng machine of this type, -and particularly to the U~. Patent No. 1,911,119 .;ssued to Ingle in 1933, for a more detai.led discussion of these control ;~.
features in a typical machine section.
The plunger supporting structure 1~l is operated from and to the position described above by two air cylinders one of which is shown at 52, which actu~tor 52 has a movable portion 54 connected to one end of a link 56, the other end of said link being connected to a crank arm 58 attached to rock shaEt 60. This shat 60 is shown to best advantage in 5~

Fig. 3, and ha~ a low~r ena which is rotatably supported in a support bearin~ 62 and the upper end of such sha~t 60 carries a flan~e 69 which is attached to and adapted to rotate a fittincJ 66. The fitting 66 provide5 a support for the lower end of a shaft 68, and thus extension and retraction of the movable portion 54 of the actuator 52 causes angular rotation of this shaft 68 in order to move the plunger mechanism between the position shown in Fig. 2 and that d~picted in Fig. 3.
In order to achieve vertical movement of the plunger ]0 suppor~ing arm 14, shaft 68 has a piston 70 provided adjacent its upper end, which piston is splined as shown at 72 in order that rotation of the ~haft 68 is also imparted to the housing portion 74 of this actuator. An air line 76, from the timing mechanism S0, provides air under pressure to the lower end of housing 74, and thereby lowe~ the housing 74 to the position shown and hence lowering the plunger supporting arm 14, to the position shown for it in Fig. 3. When the plunger supporting arm 14 is to be raised Erom its active position shown to its inactive position ~not shown) air under pressure in line 78 to the upper end of housing 74 provides the means for lifting the housing ~4 and the associated plunger supporting arm 14 and it is not~d that rotation o the shaft 68 will occur once the plungers have cleared the blank mold cavi-ties, such rotation being achieved by retraction of the actuator 52 as described previously.
An upper support shaft 80 is provided in association with the upper end o the housing 74 in order to further support the housing 74 and to bet-ter react the forces generated by the plungexs 42 and 44. Finally, the upper end of this support shaft 80 is rotatably supported in a fixed bracket 82 provided in the fixed ~xame of the machine as indicated generally at 84.

Finally, and stlll with re~erence to the means for so moving the plungers a cushioning device 30 is provided at the upper surface of the piston 70 and this cushion 90 mates Wit}l a sorresponding open.ing defined in the vertically reciprocable housing 74 in order to cushion the downward movement of the plungers 42 and 44. As noted previously individual pistons 46 . and 43 are provided in the plunger supporting arm 14 to achieve the pressing movement of the plungers 42 and 44 and to properly form the neck portion of the parisons.
Turning next to a more detailed description of the neck r.ing mold st.ructure, and also to the mechanism Eor moving the neck ring mold structure from the blank to the blow side of ~he machine section, a vertically reciprocable rack gear 100 is conventionally provided generally centrally of the machine section, and cooperates with a gear 102 located in centered relationship on a laterally extending shaft, best. shown in Fig. 2 and comprising a part of the ring mechanism or hub structure. The said shaft and hub structure rotate the neck ring arms in a conventional fashion from and to the blank sides of the glassware forming machine sectionO However, the neck ring arms depicted in the drawings differ from those utilized previously in that the outer end portions thereof are adapted to pivotally support the nec]c ring strue-tures 38 and 40, and also in that means is provided for retaini.ng these neck ring : :
struetures in à particular orientation with respect to the fixed frame of the machine, not only as the parisons are ormed ~ .:
at the blank station, but also as the neck ring structure and its assoeiated parisons are transEerred from the blank to -the blo~ side o the machine as suggested in Fig. 1.
The inner or pivoted ends of the nec]c rlng arms are conventionally mounted to gihs 106 and 108 provided for this purpose on the neck ring struct~l.re and more particularly on the , - : . ' , : ~

splihed cylinders 110 and 112 respectively which cylinders are adapted to rotate in response to rotation of tl-e gear 102, tha~
is in response -to vertical rnovemant of the rack gear 100. The rack gear 100 is driven from an actuator 114 which actuator in turn is operated th.rough a valving device associated with the timing mechanism 50 of the machine section. These neck ring arms are also movable toward and away one another generally axially with respect to the neck ring hub structure of Fig. ~.
Such means is indicated schematically in Fig. 2 and comprlses a conventional element oE the present combination, and hence need not be described in detail herein. Basically, however such means includes a pair of axially spaced annular pistons 114 provided on the shaEt 104 and splined cylinders 110 and 112 associated with said pistons and adapted to be moved axially in one d.irection in response to air pressure from the valve -timing mechanism 50 and in the opposite direction when such air pressure is cut off, and coil compression springs 116 act between the splined cylinders and axially ixed flanges 118 and 119.
This axial movement of the neck ring arms is necessary to release the parisons at the blow station, and when the parisons P t P have been so located, as suggested in ~iy. 1, and the blow or final finishing molds 126 have cl.osed at the blow side or station of the machine section, the neck ring arms move apart releasing the parison for final forming in response to conven-tionally operated blow heads iII the st.ructure indicated generally at 122 in Fig. 2. These blow heads are adapted to move angularly in a horizontal plane and then downwardly onto the tops of the finishing molds structure once the nec]c r.ing arms and neck ring molds have started their return motion to -the blank side of the machine. Air for operation of the mechanism for so moviny the blow heads as well as th~ blow air itself is provided under the _g_ .

control of the timing mechanism 50. So too thc means for moving the split blow ~old~ is air operated in a con~/entional fashion, and need not be descri.bed in detail herei.n.
Referring now more specifically to the means for transferring the neck ring mold structures 38 and 40 in an orientation which will ~eep the parisons P, P upright, not only during forming at the blank station, but also duri.ng movement to the blow side of the machine, said means prefer~bly comprises mechanical drive means associated wi-th at least one of the neck 1~ ring arms and includes an endless chain 130 entrained over the sprockets 132 and 134 carried, respectively, adjacent the pi~oted and the free ends of said one neck ring arm 128. This struc-ture is shown to advantage in FigO 2 where one of the neck ring mold structures 38 is also depicted as pivotally supported at the free end of said neck ring arm 128 by stub shaft 140. A second stub shat 142 is aligned with the first such shaft 1~0 and it pivotally suppor~.s the other neck ring structure 40. Thus, both neck ring structures are pivotally supported at the free ends of their assoc.i~ted neck ring arms by the aligned stub shafts 140 and 142 Means is preferably provided for continually allgning the neck ring mold structures 38 and 40 with respect to one another on these shafts ].40 and 142, and said means comprises a pair of tens.ion springs 150 and 152 ex-tendin~ acros~ and be~ween the neck ring struc-tu.res 38 and 40 as best shown in Fig. 2. These springs bias the neck ring structures 38 and 40 toward ali.gned positions with respect to one another especially during return movement of the neck ring Inold segments, that is when the neck ring molds are being returned from the blow to the blank side of the rnachine without any parison supported therebetween. The presence of the parisons P, P will align . ... ~ . , :

these neck rin~ Ytruct~res duriny p~rison tran~fer ~ovement, ~ut means mus-t be prov.idecl du.rirlg ret~rn movement after the parisons are deposited at the blcw station.
Still with reference to the mechanical drive means for keeplng the neck ring structure 38 horizontal and hence orienting the parisons vertically during transfer, said means further includes a fixed gear 154 carried on the shaft 104 of the neck ring hub structure. The said gear 154 is adapted to mesh with ~a gear segment 156 provided on a rock shaft 158, which rock shaft also serves to support the sprocket 132 associated with -the inner or pivoted end of the neck ring arm 128. An outer ~ear or idler gear 160 is provided at the free or outer end of the neck ring arm on the stub shaft 140, and said gear 160 meshes with a gear 162 (best shown in Fig. 2) located on the same shaft 136 which carries the outer sprocke~ 134 mentioned previously. With particular reference to Fig. 1 then, i.t wilL
be apparent that as the neck ring arm 128 moves clockwise from the solid line position at the blank side, to and through the intermediate broken line position, and thence to its hlow side position the neck ring structure 38 will be retained in a ~enerally horl~ontal configuration or orientation with the result that the parisons P, P hang downwardly con-tinuously as they move from the blank to the blow side of the machine section.
These geax and sprocket trains, Oll the pivoted and outer encls of the neck ring arm rotate opposltely with respect to one another, and in th~ ratio of one to one, in order to provide the desired "hanging" movement o the parisons P, P.
~ s the neck ring arm 128 so moves, the fixed ~ear 159 on shaft 104 causes clockwise rotation of the gear segment 156 with the result that the chain 130 rotates in such a direction a~ to cause similar clockwise rotation of sprocket 134 corres-ponding to that of its associa-ted sproclcet 132 with the result that gear 162 also rotate~ cl~ckwis~ ca-lsing ~ r 160 to rotate counter-clockwi~e and throuc~ n anyular ~isplacement equal but opposite to that of the n~ck rin~3 arm itsel. Since the gear 160 is carried by stub shaft l~0 it follows that -the neck ring structure 3~ will also rot~te with respec-t to the arm and thereby remain in its horizontal orien-tation as depicted in ~ig. l as the arm so rotates. Duplication of this mechanical mechanism associated with the left-hand neck ring arm is avoided by virtue of the fact that when the parison is carried by the nec~ ring mold segments the right-hand neck rin~ structure 40 mu~t follow its counterpart or left-hand neck ring mold structure 38. As mentioned previously, during return movemen-t of the neck ring arms the neck ring mold structures are maintained in corresponding positions as a resul-t of the alignment or tension springs 150 and 152. Thus, the path of the parisons formed at the blank station as they are transferred to the blow side of the machlne it is best illustrated in Fig. l, wherei.n these parisons are illustrated as hanging downwardly -throughou-t the path of their travel facilitating the formation of glassware articles by an upright press and blow process in a glassware forming machine section of the Hartford I. S. typc. Heretofore, the press and blow process in a typical l-iartforcl 1. S. type glassware forming rnachine section has required that the parison or blank be ormecl in an inverted orientation an(l be rotated in~o an upright orientation with respect to the Erame of the machine even as the neck ring arm transfers the parison to the blow station. In the operation oE a glassware forming machine at rela-tively high speed it has been found that this compound swinging movement o the parison caused by rotation with respect ~ i to the fixed frame of the machine during such transfer has caused undue twisting action and undue stress in the area of the neck where the parison is supported, all of which disadvantages . ~

are avoided in a modified or improved glassware forming machine section of the t~pe described herein.
This application is a division of application Serial No. 243,582, filed January 12, 1976.

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Claims (5)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a glassware forming machine having a blank mold station, the improvement comprising:
(a) a structure defining at least two blank mold cavities for receiving gobs of glass dropped downwardly therein, (b) partible neck ring mold structures including neck ring molds mating with said blank mold cavity defining struc-ture at the blank station, (c) parison forming plungers for insertion downwardly into said blank mold cavities, (d) support means for said plungers including a verti-cally oriented fluid motor with a vertically movable part, (e) a plunger supporting arm carried by said movable fluid motor part, (f) individual fluid motor means associated with each plunger, each individual fluid motor means having a first part mounted in said supporting arm and a second part movable with respect to the first and connected to an associated plunger, and (g) means for moving said plunger supporting arm hori-zontally between an active position wherein said plungers are located above the blank mold cavities and an inactive position to one side thereof to permit said gobs to be so dropped into the blank mold cavities.

2. The combination defined in claim 1, wherein said blank mold defining structure comprises one piece body molds having upwardly open cavities for receiving the glass gobs, and partible intermediate molds horizontally movable in the machine for clamping the neck ring molds to the body molds and co-operating therewith to define said blank mold cavities.

3. The combination defined in claim 2, wherein said body molds are movable vertically to separate said body molds from the parisons from said blank mold cavity defining structure.

4. The combination defined in claim 1, wherein said vertically orientated fluid motor movable part comprises a hollow cylindrical housing, a piston in said housing, a shaft for said piston, means for preventing rotational movement between said shaft and said housing, said means for moving said plunger supporting arm horizontally including a fluid motor with a movable part and means connecting said movable part and said shaft whereby said fluid motor can rotate said shaft through an angular displacement such that said plungers move between said active and inactive positions.

5. The combination defined in claim 4, wherein said machine includes a frame, and further including a second shaft extending upwardly from said housing and being sup-ported in said machine frame.