GB1027903A - Method and apparatus for the manufacture of pressed glass articles - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of manufacturing pressed glass articles comprises the steps of feeding one or more glass gobs directly or indirectly into rows of moulds disposed concentrically of the axis of a rotary press table, moving pressing plungers singly or in groups into the moulds thereby to press glass articles, removing the plungers and moving the pressed glass articles past burners directed at their open ends to a transporting device which is operated in dependence of the speed of operation of the plungers and which conveys the glass articles in cups or containers through a further processing device also controlled in dependence on the plungers and removing the articles from the further processing device and conveying them to an annealing lehr. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 (not shown), two gobs of glass 2 are fed into concentric rows of moulds 4 on a rotary press machine. The moulds are then indexed to a position beneath a pair of plungers 6 which then press out the glass articles. After pressing the moulds are indexed past a burner 7, the flame of which is directed on to the inside of the rim of the article to remove any "flash." A pair of piston-operated jaw grippers 8 remove the articles from the moulds 4 and place them on a transporting device 10. This device comprises a rotary plate 25, Figs. 6 and 7, (not shown) having indentations 251 adapted to receive the articles. The plate 25 carrying the articles rotates above a fixed plate 26 having a recess 27. As the article is rotated above the recess 27, simultaneously a cup 28 of the further processing machine, e.g. a reheating machine 9, passes below the recess 27, and thus the article drops out of the indentation 251 of plate 25 into the cup 28. The transporting device 10 and the reheating machine 9 are synchronously controlled with the rotary press table through speed and rotary field transmitters under the action of a controller. The rotary table 25 can be vertically adjusted for different sizes of articles and may also have its direction of rotation reversed. The glass articles, in cups 28, are conveyed passed burners 17 in the reheating device 9 where they are fire-finished. They are then taken out of the cups 28 by a jaw-gripper device similar to 8 and placed on a conveyer 14 from which they are transferred into an ananealing lehr by pusher bars 15. In an alternative embodiment described with reference to Figs. 3 and 4 (not shown), four gobs of glass are fed at a time into four moulds arranged in pairs on two concentric rows. Quadruple plunger heads suspended in pairs from compression springs in a box frame pressout the articles. The pressed glass articles are then transferred to a conveyer belt 19, instead of the rotary transporting device 10, which has a number of deflecting plates 20 so that the articles arrive correctly in pairs at the reheating machine 9. The plungers 6 Figs. 10-12, (not shown) of the press machine are so constructed that they can be correctly aligned with the press moulds. Each plunger head 52 has a guide bush 50 which allows for a limited radial movement. Around each bush 50 is a centering collar 54 which receives a centering ring 55 and which simultaneously centres with an aligning element 56. Tension springs 51 provide a weight balance for each plunger and plunger head.