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F Richard Simpkins

Michael J Ziegler

An apparatus for blow molding glass articles uses a mixture of cryogenic fluid and ambient air as a blowing fluid. The apparatus includes gas inlet means positioned to direct a flow of blowing fluid into the center of a blow mold, insulated manifold means to mix ambient air and a cryogenic fluid as the blowing fluid, means to feed the mixture into the gas inlet means, means to pressurize the ambient air, conduit means for directing ambient air into the insulated manifold, and injector means for introducing cryogenic vapor into the conduit means.

Apparatus for blow molding glass articles

Methods for forming glass articles such as bottles and the like utilize pressurized flows of a cold blowing gas that is delivered from an insulated manifold into mold cavitites which are being used to mold glass articles. The cold blowing gas is a mixture of compressed cryogen vapor and ambient air that has been dehumidified, with the injection of the cryogen vapor into the ambient air being performed in stages, and utilizing a technique of cyclically operating and defrosting a plurality of cryogen injectors to assure a proper introduction of cryogen vapor and to prevent debilitating accumulations of ice about the cryogen inlets. The use of cryogen vapor in the blowing gas hastens cooling and solidification of newly formed glass articles so that the time during which the articles must be retained in their molds is significantly reduced. Reductions in mold retention times enable the apparatus to be operated at increased speeds, whereby its productivity is significantly increased. Productivity increases of 15 percent and often more can be achieved at relatively low expense. The use of cold cryogen vapor introduction into mold cavitites is applicable to a variety of glass molding techniques including press molding and blow molding.

Methods for forming glass articles

Methods and apparatus for forming glass articles such as bottles and the like utilize flows of pressurized cold cryogen vapor that are introduced into mold cavities which are being used to mold glass articles. The cold cryogen vapor hastens cooling and solidification of the articles so that the time during which the articles must be retained in their molds is significantly reduced. Reductions in mold retention times enable the apparatus to be operated at increased speeds, whereby its productivity is significantly increased. Productivity increases of 15 percent and often more can be achieved at relatively low expense. The use of cold cryogen vapor introduction into mold cavities is applicable to a variety of glass molding techniques including molding and blow molding. Cold cryogen vapor introduction can be used in staged molding procedures, for example in operations where a hollow blank or parison of glass is first press-formed in a roughing mold, and is then blow-molded in a finishing mold to assume its final form; in such a staged procedure, cold cryogen vapor introduction may be used in either or both of the roughing and finishing stages to expedite solidification and to permit increased productivity. In preferred practice the cold cryogen vapor is nitrogen gas that is released from a container of liquid nitrogen. Cold cryogen vapor may be mixed with flows of cooling and/or blowing gases for delivery with these gases into mold cavities. In preferred practice, cold cryogen vapor is delivered into the mold cavities without being mixed with other flows of cooling and/or blowing gases.

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Newbury, OH, United States of America

F Richard Simpkins