Owens-brockway Glass Container Inc.

Owens-illinois, Inc.

Owens-illinois Glass Container Inc.

Owens-illinois Plastic Products Inc.

Frank J DiFrank

D Wayne Leidy

Richard H Garnes

Ronald P Warnecke

William B Rugh

Robert L Mulgrave

Garrett L Scott

Russell W Heckman

Thomas R Kirkman

Paul W Graham

Larry N Shue

Robert J Burmeister

Marvin L Barkhau

John M Slifco

Andrew B Menzie

Mark R Tipping

Fred L Wallington

Thomas D Syperski

Ralph J Locke

Harry N Mills

Francis R Morrison

A multiple orifice glass feed system for use with a glass forehearth including a plurality of closely spaced plungers, each of which is individually supported independently of each other. Each plunger includes a servo controlled linear actuator and an arm extending between each plunger and its respective servo-motor. Each servo-motor has an axis parallel to the axis of the plungers. An air spring is associated with each plunger for balancing the weight of each plunger and its respective arm. The center lines of the plungers lie generally in a plane. The arms have the major portions thereof generally parallel and closely spaced. A feedback system is provided to monitor the position of each individual needle independently of the other at all times and make corrections to the actual position of the needle if desired.

Multiple orifice glass feed system

A takeout arm assembly () for an I.S. glass container forming machine, the arm assembly having a housing () that is oscillatible about the central axis of a first shaft (). The housing has a first gear () that is coaxial with the first shaft and oscillatible with the housing, and with respect to the first shaft, the housing further having a second gear () that is positioned within and is rotatable with respect to the housing. The second gear is spaced from the first gear with the axes of the first and second gears being parallel to one another. A rack () having teeth in engagement with teeth on the first gear and the second gear is caused to move rectilinearly by oscillating motion of a reversible a.c. servo motor () that serves to drive the first gear, to thereby transmit turning motion from the first gear to the second gear. The rack is resiliently biased into engagement with the first gear and the second gear by spaced, spring-mounted rollers () that rollingly engage the rack on a side opposed to the tooth side of the rack and in alignment with the first gear and the second gear, respectively.

Method of and apparatus for transferring articles from a first position to a second position

Vertically aligned first () and second () combined blowhead and takeout mechanisms are provided to sequentially blow glass parisons (P) into containers (C) in a mold set () and to transfer blown containers to a deadplate () of a glass containing forming machine (). Each of the combined mechanisms is pivotally suspended about an axis A from a carrier arm () that is pivotally attached to an end of an oscillating arm (), an opposed end of which is pivoted about an axis (B). The axis (B) of each combined blowhead and takeout mechanism is periodically raised and lowered to permit the other combined blowhead and takeout mechanism to oscillate therebeneath, to thereby permit overlapping cycles between the blowhead and takeout mechanisms. Each blowhead and takeout mechanism is provided with a chuck or tong assembly () to engage or release each container by its finish (F). Each tong assembly has a plurality of tong elements () that are simultaneously moved radially in or out by oscillation of a cam () that has a non-circular slot () in which a pin () carried by each tong element rides.

Method for blowing and removing glass containers

Apparatus for blowing and removing glass containers

Sweepout apparatus ( ) for sweeping an aligned array of glass containers (C) from a deadplate ( ) of a I.S. glass container forming machine to a conveyor ( ) that runs transversely to the array of containers on the deadplate and serves to transfer the containers for further processing. The apparatus comprises a swivel portion ( or ) that is oscillatable in an arc of approximately 90&deg; and a head ( ) that is carried by the swivel portion and is reciprocable relative thereto, the head carrying an elongated bar ( ) with a spaced plurality of pocket-defining fingers ( ) that extend from the bar. The sweepout further comprises independently operatable first and second coaxial reversible electrical motors ( ), an output shaft ( ) of the second electric motor ( ) passing through an annular output shaft ( ) of the first electric motor ( ). Reversible motion imparted to the annular output shaft of the first electric motor causes oscillating motion of the swivel portion of the sweepout apparatus. Reversible motion imparted to the output shaft of the second electric motor axial through a planetary gear ( ) imparts reciprocating motion to the elongated bar relative to other structure of the sweepout portion. The output shafts ( ) are rotatable independently of one another.

Method of and apparatus for transferring articles from a fixed position to a moving conveyor

A glass container forming machine section ( ) in which the mold carrying arms ( ) that are pivoted on shafts ( ), respectively, about a common axis (A) are caused to counteroscillate between open positions in which the mold halves ( ) that are respectively carried by the arms ( ) are separated, and closed positions in which the mold halves are joined to define molding cavities therebetween. The opening and closing motions of the mold carrying arms are powered by a single reversible electrical servo motor ( ), which drives a drive gear ( ). The drive gear ( ) directly drives a first driven gear ( ) and an intermediate driven gear ( ) which, in turn, directly drives a second driven gear ( ). Turning motion of the driven gears ( ) is imparted to stub shafts ( ), respectively, which carry coaxial drive gears ( ), respectively. The drive gears ( ) drive sector gears ( ), respectively, that are disengagably secured to the shafts ( ), respectively. The servo motor ( ) has dual windings; a first, higher speed/lower torque winding for operating the motion of the mold carrying arms during a first portion of their closing movements and during their opening movements, and a second, lower speed/higher torque winding for operating the motion of the mold carrying arms during a second portion of their closing movements.

Apparatus for forming glass containers

An individual section glassware forming machine that includes at least one blow mold for forming articles of glassware, a sweepout station for transferring glassware to a machine conveyor, and a take-out mechanism for transferring glassware from the blow mold to the sweepout station. The take-out mechanism comprises first and second electromagnetic stators mounted in fixed position above the blow mold and the sweepout station. A first electromagnetic armature is mounted for linear motion along a horizontal axis adjacent to the first stator. A second electromagnetic armature is mounted to the first armature for linear motion along a vertical axis adjacent to the second stator. Take-out tongs are carried by the second armature for engaging and transferring glassware from the blow mold to the sweepout station. The second stator in the preferred embodiment of the invention is disposed in a vertical plane, and has a first dimension corresponding to the motion of the first armature along the first axis and a second dimension perpendicular to the first dimension corresponding to motion of the second armature along the second axis.

Two-axis motion machine

Two-axis motion of take-out tongs in an individual section glassware forming machine

A feeder tube assembly for a feeder bowl of a glass melting furnace forehearth. The feeder tube assembly has an horizontally extending elongate support arm, and a feeder tube that is carried by the support arm at a location near an end of the support arm. The feeder tube is rotatable about its longitudinal central axis with respect to the support arm, and the support arm carries drive elements for rotating the feeder tube about its longitudinal central axis. The support arm is supported on a vertically extending servo motor actuated linear actuator, and the elevation of the support arm is adjustable by actuation of the linear actuator, a releasable brake being provided to prevent rotation of the servo motor when it is desired to prevent a change in elevation of the support arm. The position of the support arm relative to the linear actuator is independently adjustable both longitudinally of the support arm and transversely of the support arm, and the support arm is rotatable with respect to the linear actuator when it is desired to replace a feeder tube carried thereby or the feeder bowl directly below it.

Forehearth feeder tube lift system

A plunger assembly (,) for a glass container forming machine of the I.S. type, the plunger assembly having a plunger (,) that is open it one end and is non-threadably secured at its open end to a free end of an annular cylinder rod (,) that operates to reciprocate the plunger relative to a blank mold of the forming machine. A perforated cooling air inlet tube (,) is positioned within the plunger, and the free end of the air inlet tube is held against a free end of an annular extension (,) of the cylinder rod, an opposed end of which is threadably received in the cylinder rod, by a split locking ring (,) an inwardly facing recess (,) of which traps a radially outwardly extending flange (,) of the plunger to axially position the plunger relative to the split ring. The split ring abuts an endless ring (,) and is axially positioned thereagainst by a flange (,) of the split ring that is received in a recess (,) of the extension. Cooling air flows into the cooling air inlet tube through the cylinder rod and the extension and exit from the plunger through apertures (,) in the split ring, an annular cavity (,) in the endless ring, openings (,) in the endless ring, openings (,) in the sleeve, an annulus (,) between the cylinder rod and the sleeve and an annulus (,) at the base of the sleeve.

Glass container forming machine plunger assembly

A multiple orifice glass feed system for use with a glass forehearth including a plurality of closely spaced plungers, each of which is individually supported independently of the other. Each plunger includes a servo controlled linear actuator and an arm extending between each plunger and its respective servo-motor. Each servo-motor has an axis parallel to the axis of the plungers. An air spring is associated with each plunger for balancing the weight of each plunger and its respective arm. The center lines of the plungers lie generally in a plane. The arms have the major portions thereof generally parallel and closely spaced. A feedback system is provided to monitor the position of each individual needle independently of the other at all times and make corrections to the actual position of the needle if desired.

Multiple orifice glass feed system having a heat shield

A feeder tube assembly for a feeder bowl of a glass melting furnace forehearth. The feeder tube assembly has an horizontally extending elongate support arm, and a feeder tube that is carried by the support arm at a location near an end of the support arm. The feeder tube is held in place by a clamping ring that engages a flange of the feeder tube at an end of the feeder tube. The clamping ring is releasably held in engagement with the flange of the feeder tube by a plurality of latch mechanisms that are circumferentially spaced apart. Each latch mechanism has a lever with a rounded cam surface and a handle that extends away from the cam surface and is pivotally attached to a support member. The support member, in turn is pivotally attached to a fixed member, and pivoting of the pivoted support member relative to the fixed member is effective to swing the lever out of interfering relationship with the clamping ring to facilitate removal of the clamping ring.

Forehearth feeder tube clamp down system

A lehr loader (20) for transferring a line of freshly formed glass containers (C) on a cross-conveyor (XC) transversely of the cross-conveyor into an annealing lehr (L). The lehr loader has a superimposed stack of three carriages (48, 76, 94), the lowermost carriage (48) being supported on a frame (22) and being movable longitudinally in a horizontal plane with respect to the frame toward and away from the lehr. The intermediate carriage (76) is supported on the lowermost carriage (48) and is movable longitudinally with the lowermost carriage and is movable laterally in a horizontal plane with respect to the lowermost carriage. The uppermost carriage (94) is supported on the intermediate carriage (76) and is movable horizontally with the intermediate carriage and vertically with respect to the intermediate carriage. An enclosed linear actuator (50) in the form of an enclosed ball screw mechanism with a housing (56) is attached to the frame, and a reversible, co-axial a.c. servo motor (52) is provided to cause reciprocation of the lowermost carriage. An enclosed linear actuator (78) in the form of an enclosed ball screw mechanism with a housing (82) attached to the lowermost carriage (76) and a co-axial reversible, a.c. servo motor (80) is provided to cause reciprocation of the intermediate carriage. An enclosed linear actuator (96) in the form of an enclosed ball screw mechanism with a housing (102) attached to the intermediate carriage (76) and a reversible, a.c. servo motor (98) is provided to cause reciprocation of the uppermost carriage (94).

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Toledo, OH, United States of America

Frank J DiFrank