GB905644A - Glass working apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

905,644. Turret machines. CORNING GLASS WORKS. May 30, 1960 [June 3, 19591, No. 19086/60. Class 39 (2). [Also in Group XXIII] A glass working apparatus, especially for flaring the ends of glass tubes, comprises a turret, mandrels carried by the turret arranged in row concentric to the turret axis and having one end free for the receipt of tubular workpieces, means for turning the turret in step-by-step fashion successively to index the mandrels at a workpiece loading station, means at such position for arranging a workpiece upon a mandrel indexed thereat, means for arranging such workpieces on the mandrels during the interval between successive movements of the turret, a normally closed chuck, means for opening and then reclosing the chuck, means operable in the meantime for placing said chuck about a workpiece occupying a mandrel at an' unloading station along such path and for withdrawing the workpiece therefrom between successive movements of the turret and means for thereafter again opening the chuck to release the workpiece therefrom. Means are provided for heating the free ends of the workpieces during part of their travel. In the form shown, the turret 16, Fig. 1, is carried by a shaft 15 which is advanced step-by-step by gearing 21, 22 driven from a motor 23. The turret consists of rims 26, 27 having aligned passages through which the mandrels 20 pass. A pulley 30 is arranged on each mandrel and rotated by a common belt 31 during part of the travel of the turrets. Tubes 41, Fig. 2, are fed to laterally-spaced supports 40 and lowered on to the mandrels by pusher arms 42, 43 carried by a chain 53. For unloading, the tubes are gripped by chucks 61, 62 on a chain 63, carried by the chucks to the lower run of the chain and there deposited on a conveyer 70. The chucks are opened at the pick-up and delivery point by levers 72, 73 operated by cams against the action of springs tending to close the chucks. The chains 53, 63 are driven through gearing from a common drive pinion 90 driven by a rack 91 operated by an air cylinder 92. During part of the travel, the tubes are heated by burners 102 and while in the softened state the ends are flared by means of a mechanism 105 comprising a shaft 108, Fig. 11, carrying a support 116 on which are mounted bell-crank levers 120, 121 supporting at one end tube flaring tools 136. The shaft 108 is moved to bring the tools into and out of operative position by a shaft 130 operated by an air cylinder 131. The apparatus is driven by a motor 23 controlled by relay R and contacts 140 on the shaft 130. As the unloading of the turret is completed, a cam 142, Fig. 13, operates relay R, stopping the motor and closing the contacts 145, 146, 147 of valves Vi, V2, V3, thereby withdrawing projections on the mandrels to release the tubes, driving the chains 53, 63 to load and unload a tube respectively and operating the flaring mechanism 105. Completion of the movement of the shaft of the flaring mechanism separates the contacts 140 to de-energize the relay whereupon the valves VI, V2, V3 are moved to their rest position by springs and the motor 23 is restarted.