Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
  • C03B—MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES
  • C03B9/00—Blowing glass; Production of hollow glass articles
  • C03B9/30—Details of blowing glass; Use of materials for the moulds
  • C03B9/40—Gearing or controlling mechanisms specially adapted for glass-blowing machines
  • C03B9/41—Electric or electronic systems
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
  • B65G29/00—Rotary conveyors, e.g. rotating discs, arms, star-wheels or cones
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
  • C03B—MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES
  • C03B11/00—Pressing molten glass or performed glass reheated to equivalent low viscosity without blowing
  • C03B11/16—Gearing or controlling mechanisms specially adapted for glass presses
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
  • H02K—DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES
  • H02K7/00—Arrangements for handling mechanical energy structurally associated with dynamo-electric machines, e.g. structural association with mechanical driving motors or auxiliary dynamo-electric machines
  • H02K7/14—Structural association with mechanical loads, e.g. with hand-held machine tools or fans
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
  • Y02P40/00—Technologies relating to the processing of minerals
  • Y02P40/50—Glass production, e.g. reusing waste heat during processing or shaping
  • Y02P40/57—Improving the yield, e-g- reduction of reject rates

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a glass forming apparatus, provided with an improved carousel mechanism, and to a method for control thereof.
• the apparatus for forming or processing glass parts commonly comprises a carousel mechanism, by means of which the moulds or the mandrels for the parts to be processed are transported, along a circular path, at various workstations where the tools co-operating with the carousel and suitable for performing the various steps for production of the article (moulding, pressing, centrifuging, grinding, chamfering, finishing, etc.) are located.
• the carousel mechanism consists of a rotating platform performing a continuous movement or discontinuous movement, also called an "indexed" movement, namely one which is divided up into a plurality of separate displacements .
• the carousel mechanism is currently operated by means of a motor, a mechanical reduction drive, an indexing mechanism and various other secondary accessories.
• this type of apparatus operates with a continuous cycle - i.e. is never stopped, except for maintenance - since start-up and stoppage are always critical phases when working with glass in the molten or plastic state: it must therefore be robust and reliable.
• the function of transmission and indexing has always been assigned to purely mechanical systems which use toothed wheels (for example a pinion/toothed-wheel pair) and/or other kinematic mechanisms which have an established solidity and reliability.
• the indexing mechanism for example, in many applications is embodied by a Maltese-cross kinematic mechanism.
• the problems relating to the positioning precision are partially overcome using dividing mechanisms of the Maltese cross type.
• the positioning precision is often adversely affected.
• the Maltese cross mechanism is affected, to a particularly significant degree, by the problems associated with the limited operational flexibility.
• These electric motors which are usually of the synchronous type, are composed of an annular stator, on which a plurality of coil windings which are designed to produce a magnetic field with several movable poles- are formed, and a corresponding annular rotor, which is provided with a series of permanent magnets facing the surface of the stator and located at a short distance from the latter, so as to establish an air gap.
• These motors have an extremely simple constructional design, are modular and may manage to exert very high torques at any speed of rotation, are easily controllable and allow an excellent positioning precision to be obtained.
• Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section view of an embodiment of the invention.
• Fig. 2 is a view, similar to that of Fig. 1, of another embodiment of the invention.
• a glass forming apparatus comprises a base 1, a carousel 2 mounted rotatably on the base 1, a series of working tools (not shown) such as mandrels, moulds or the like, mounted on a plate of the carousel 2, and other glass processing devices
• the carousel 2 is composed of a carousel body 2a mounted, by means of bearings 3a and 3b, on a support column 4 fixed to the base 1.
• bearings 3a and 3b are mounted, by means of bearings 3a and 3b, on a support column 4 fixed to the base 1.
• at least one of the two bearings, for example the bottom bearing 3b, is of the inclined type so that a thrust-bearing function is also exerted.
• a rotor 5 is fixed to the bottom part of the carousel body 2a and has, on its perimetral surface, a plurality of permanent magnets 5a. Coaxial with this rotor 5 and integral with the base 1, there is a stator 6 of an electric "direct drive” motor provided with coil windings of an electric circuit which are able to form a magnetic field with alternating and movable magnetic poles.
• the coil windings may be of the modular type.
• the rotor 5 and the stator 6 are arranged, facing, at a small distance from each other.
• the interstice which is established between them forms the air gap 7 of the electric motor.
• the rotor 5 and the stator 6 may have, for example, opposite cylindrical surfaces (as in the embodiment according to Fig. 1) or flat parallel surfaces, with a radial arrangement of the permanent magnets (as in the embodiment according to Fig. 2).
• the stator 6 and the rotor 5 are enclosed inside a housing 8 which is integral with the base 1 and sealingly closed.
• the housing 8 may be hermetically closed by means of suitable seals or may be pressurized so as to ensure that a minimum amount of fluid (for example air) escapes externally via sliding seals. Or else the housing may contain a suitable fluid at a controlled pressure. This prevents the waste material, produced by the working environment, from contaminating the motor, adversely affecting operation thereof.
• the accessibility from the bottom of the carousel 2 is ensured so as to facilitate the assembly of certain working tools between the base and the carousel itself, for example in the region of the moulds. Moreover, it is necessary to ensure the possibility of performing the operations for maintenance of these processing tools.
• a large thrust bearing i.e. a so-called fifth wheel
• a so-called fifth wheel for directly supporting the carousel body 2a on the base, as would be most advantageous in order to obtain an optimum distribution of the load on the bearings and therefore an acceptable stability.
• the bearings 3a and 3b have small dimensions and are arranged on the column 4 at a distance which is as large as possible, preferably at a distance which is greater than 25% of the radius R of the carousel body 2a.
• a safety spacing device (not shown) is envisaged, said device intervening supporting the rotor if necessary. This is particularly desirable in order to prevent the possibility of an excessive reduction in the air gap 7 during operation of the carousel, which would result in sudden magnetic "sticking" of the stator and rotor, causing a sudden and dangerous stoppage of the apparatus.
• the adjustment and control of the magnetic field in the stator 6 - and consequently the speed of rotation and angular position of the carousel 2 - may be achieved by means of a control device acting on the current energizing the coil windings, for example in accordance with a signal supplied by a position sensor 9 (such as an encoder) located in the vicinity of the rotor.
• a position sensor 9 such as an encoder
• the parameters necessary for adjustment and control of the magnetic field, which are set so as to optimize the speed profile in accordance with the process requirements, are acquired, stored and processed by the control device, for example, as a matrix.
• the control device may be provided with calculation algorithms which are especially devised to satisfy the requirements of the processing operations described above.
• the same coil windings in the event of a sudden drop in voltage, may be short-circuited so as to make use of the residual electrical energy flowing in the windings, in order to brake the rotor.
• This residual energy being a function of the power used in that moment (and therefore being also proportional to the speed of the carousel) , performs a braking action which undoubtedly provides an advantageous aid for any other external devices, in order to achieve a good passive safety level, even though it cannot have the same efficiency as a braking action obtained by means of a current ramp suitably produced in the windings with an active control device.
• the rotor and the stator may also be constructed in several sections so as to provide motors of different sizes, which may be arranged above one another or coaxial, so as to be able to provide the necessary driving torque in any condition, for each specific application, without wasting energy.
• teachings of the invention also include the provision of a similar carousel in which several direct- drive motors are mounted above one another coaxially or arranged concentrically.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
• Materials Engineering (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Power Engineering (AREA)
• Manufacture Of Motors, Generators (AREA)
• Immobilizing And Processing Of Enzymes And Microorganisms (AREA)
• Re-Forming, After-Treatment, Cutting And Transporting Of Glass Products (AREA)
• Manufacture, Treatment Of Glass Fibers (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=11381330

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (10)

Citations (5)

• 1998
  • 1998-12-23 IT IT1998MI002806A patent/IT1304700B1/it active
• 1999
  • 1999-12-22 WO PCT/IB1999/002046 patent/WO2000039037A1/en active Application Filing
  • 1999-12-22 AU AU16749/00A patent/AU1674900A/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (6)

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