GB2231855A

GB2231855A - Pushout mechanism

Info

Publication number: GB2231855A
Application number: GB8909663A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hermann Heinrich Nebelung; Hans Borgmann
Original assignee: Emhart Industries Inc
Current assignee: Emhart Industries Inc
Priority date: 1989-04-27
Filing date: 1989-04-27
Publication date: 1990-11-28
Also published as: GB8909663D0

Abstract

A pushout mechanism for a glass container manufacturing machine comprises two coaxially arranged motors (26, 28), one arranged to cause movement of a pusher (12) about a vertical axis and the other, through a crank mechanism (16, 18), to move the pusher between extended and retracted positions. Hydraulic or electric motors can be employed. <IMAGE>

Description

PUSHOUT MECHANISM The present invention is concerned with pushout mechanisms for use in glass machines.

In a conventional glass container manufacturing machine of the I.S. type, glass containers are manufactured in a series of moulds in a plurality of sections positioned side by side in the machine, and the containers manufactured in each section are positioned on a dead plate, where they are cooled. The containers are removed from the dead plate onto a conveyor by a pushout mechanism associated with each section, and are then carried by the conveyor through a lehr, for annealing, and then to inspection and packing devices.

It is desirable that the pushout mechanism is compact in construction and reliable in operation. It is also desirable that, in the event of obstruction to the operation of the pushout mechanism, for example by a broken or fallen bottle, that the mechanism is not seriously damaged and can readily be restored to operation when the obstruction has been removed.

Many pushout mechanisms have been proposed in the past, generally pneumatic in operation. Such mechanisms normally comprise two motors, one for rotating a pusher arm of the mechanism to carry containers in an arcuate path from the dead plate of the section on to the conveyor, and the other, a longitudinally reciprocable motor, for moving the pusher arm between extended and retracted positions. Such a reciprocable motor, being rotated with the mechanism as a whole, is bulky and may be difficult to accommodate in the space available. Further, the pushout mechanism is subject to radiant heat from the adjacent container making machinery, pneumatic mechanisms require sealing rings to confine the air under pressure which are subject to serious deterioration under such heat.It is also difficult to control, without undue complexity, the movement of the longitudinally reciprocable motor so that it moves the container with appropriate acceleration and deceleration.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a pushout mechanism which is particularly compact.

It is another of the objects of the present invention to provide a pushout mechanism which is reliable in operation and provides for appropriate movement of containers.

The present invention provides a pushout mechanism for use in a glass container manufacturing machine comprising, a pusher head, first means for moving the pusher head longitudinally between an extended and a retracted position, second means sor rotating the pusher head about a vertical axis, the first and second means cooperating so that the head moves in a desired path to pick up containers from the machine and to move them in an arcuate path to deposit them on a conveyor wherein the first means comprises a first rotary motor arranged to cause longitudinal movement of the pusher head through a crank mechanism and the second means comprises a second rotary motor mounted coaxially with the first.

Preferably in a pusher mechanism according to the invention the two rotary motors are hydraulic motors, but they may be rotary electric motors. We prefer, for the reasons outlined above, not to use pneumatic motors.

Preferably also the second rotary motor comprises a hollow drive shaft and the first rotary motor comprises a drive shaft extending axially through the hollow drive shaft of the second motor. The hollow drive shaft may be connected to a housing of the mechanism through a pin engaging fluting on the shaft and arranged to slip should the pusher head be overloaded.

There now follows a description, to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, of a pushout mechanism which illustrates the invention by way of example.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows a side view, partly in section, of the illustrative pushout mechanism, Figure 2 shows a plan view of the illustrative pushout mechanism.

The illustrative pushout mechanism is for use in a glass container manufacturing machine of the I.S. type, and comprises a pusher head 2 which is arranged at a position A to engage glass containers 3 made by the machine resting on a dead plate 4 and to move to a position B to carry the containers arcuately on to a conveyor 6 by which they are removed from the machine for further processing e.g.

annealing, inspection and packaging. The pusher head retracts from the conveyor at position B and returns to a retracted position C, from which it may be extended to position A to repeat the cycle.

The pusher head 2 comprises a support plate 8 secured to a rod 10 and two container engaging arms 12, 14. The mechanism comprises first means for moving the pusher head 2 longitudinally between an extended position (A and B) and a retracted position (C). This first means comprises a crank 16 carrying a roll 18 which is engaged in a slot 20 of a cross bar 22 secured to the rod 10. The crank 16 is secured on a shaft 24 which is rotated by a hydraulic, rotary motor 26. Alternatively an electric motor may be utilized.

The illustrative mechanism also comprises second means for rotating the pusher head about a vertical axis X-X.

this second means comprises a hydraulic rotary motor 28.

The motor 28 comprises a hollow drive shaft 30 which is arranged to fit rotatably around the shaft 24. The drive shaft 30 is linked by a pin 32 to a housing 34. The pin 32 is positioned in a bore 36 in the housing 34 and is urged into engagement with fluting on the shaft 30 by a loading spring 38 acting between the pin 32 and a screw 40 in the bore 36. The housing 34 is closed by a cover plate 46 and surrounds the crank 16 and cross bar 22 of the first means, and comprises a boss 44 through which the rod 10 may slidably move. It will be understood that the hydraulic motor 28 may be replaced if desired by an electric motor.

It will thus be understood that on the supply of appropriately timed hydraulic pressure to the two motors 26 and 28 the motors cooperate so that the pusher head 2 moves in a desired path, firstly from its retracted position C to its extended position A to engage containers 3 on the dead plate and then to pick up the containers from the dead plate and move them in an arcuate path from A to B to deposit them on the conveyor 6. The first motor 26 is arranged to cause longitudinal movement of the pusher head 2 and the second motor, which is arranged to cause arcuate movement of the pusher head 2, is arranged coaxially with the first.

In the event that there is an obstruction to the arcuate movement of the pusher head 2, as may occur should a container fall over or break, the pin 32 rides over the fluting on the shaft 30 and thus damage to the pushout mechanism is avoided.

The illustrative pushout mechanism can be seen to be of particularly compact construction, and can be programmed by conventional control means to operate to push out containers in any desired manner at a timing appropriate to the manufacture of the containers. Further, the sinusoidal longitudinal movement of the pusher head 2, deriving from the operation of the crank 16 gives a desirable slow acceleration of initial longitudinal movement of a container and a slow deceleration at the end of such movement, which is highly desirable.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A pushout mechanism for use in a glass container manufacturing machine comprising, a pusher head, first means for moving the pusher head longitudinally between an extended and a retracted position, second means for rotating the pusher head about a vertical axis, the first and second means cooperating so that the head moves in a desired path to pick up containers from the machine and to move them in an arcuate path to deposit them on a conveyor wherein the first means comprises a first rotary motor arranged to cause longitudinal movement of the pusher head through a crank mechanism and the second means comprises a second rotary motor mounted coaxially with the first.

2. A pushout mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the two rotary motors are hydraulic motors.

3. A pushout mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the two rotary motors are electric motors.

4. A pushout mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the second rotary motor comprises a hollow drive shaft and the first rotary motor comprises a drive shaft extending axially through the hollow drive shaft of the second motor.

5. A pushout mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the hollow drive shaft is connected to a housing of the mechanism through a pin which is adapted to slip if the pusher head is overloaded in its arcuate path.