Glasstech, Inc.

Owens-illinois, Inc.

Other

James W Buckingham

Harold A McMaster

Philip J Breno

Robert E Maltby, Jr

Michael J Vild

Stephen W Amberg

A glass sheet strip annealing method utilizes a housing (18) along which a conveyor (26) including a gas support (28) supports a glass sheet strip G by pressurized gas for movement between entry and exit ends (22,24) of the housing before a conveyor drive (32) engages the strip after the surfaces thereof are cooled below the strain point. Best results are achieved when the glass sheet strip is supported only by the gas support (28) until its surfaces are placed in compression. Lower and upper manifolds (34,36) respectively support and convey the glass sheet strip within the housing (18) preferably by a recirculating gas flow supplied by gas burner (76) and associated gas jet pumps (78).

Glass sheet strip annealing method

A glass sheet strip annealing lehr (16) is disclosed as including a housing (18) along which a conveyor (26) including a gas support (28) supports a glass sheet strip G by pressurized gas for movement between entry and exit ends (22,24) of the housing before a conveyor drive (32) engages the strip after the surfaces thereof are cooled below the strain point. Best results are achieved when the glass sheet strip is supported only by the gas support (28) until its surfaces are placed in compression. Lower and upper manifolds (34,36) respectively support and convey the glass sheet strip within the housing (18) preferably by a recirculating gas flow supplied by gas burner (76) and associated gas jet pumps (78).

Glass sheet strip forming system including annealing lehr

Glass sheet annealing lehr having gas support conveyor

A universal glass sheet mold support assembly (10) is disclosed as including a mold support frame (18) mountable in the bending section (14) of a glass sheet heating furnace (12). The mold support frame (18) includes a first registration member (22) that defines in part a standardized registration system. An intermediate frame (26) having a shaping mold (16) mounted thereon forms a replaceable unit. The intermediate frame (26) includes a second registration member (28) that completes the definition of the standardized registration system. The standardized registration system and a quick disconnect linkage assembly (40) mount a variety of shaping molds (16) on the single mold support frame (18).

Universal glass sheet mold support assembly

A glass sheet gas support (20) is disclosed as having a set of elongated gas supply openings (26) for supplying pressurized gas to support a glass sheet and as also including a set of elongated gas exhaust openings (28) for exhausting the gas and constructed to including progressively increasing gas flow areas in opposite directions from ends (36) of each exhaust opening to a central portion (38) thereof in order to prevent gas pressure buildup between an upwardly facing surface (24) of the manifold and the supported glass sheet at a central location. In one embodiment, the manifold (22) defines each gas exhaust opening (28) with progressively increasing widths from its ends (36) toward the central portion (38) thereof and is preferably constructed as a cast refractory platen (42) which cooperates with a manifold member (58) that mounts gas jet pumps (60) fed products of combustion from a gas burner (62) to provide recirculating flow of gas to and from the supply exhaust openings. In another embodiment, the manifold (22' ) defines the ends (36') of each gas exhaust opening (28') with progressively increasing depths from its ends (36') toward the central portion (38') thereof and is preferably fabricated from sheet metal that defines both the gas supply and exhaust openings. Both manifold embodiments (20,22') include gas supply passages (96,96') that are inclined to provide conveyance of the supported glass sheet.

Glass sheet gas support

The invention provides an improved method and apparatus for effecting the severing of successive gobs from a continuously extruded rod-like formation of organic thermoplastic material, followed by the successive transfer of the gobs to successive molding units which are continuously movable relative to the free-fall path of the gobs. Severing means are provided which are operative upon a vertically extruded rod-like formation of hot organic thermoplastic material. A plurality of molding members, each having an open top molding cavity, are moved in timed relationship to the gob severing means along a horizontal path adjacent to the free fall path of the severed gobs. Each gob is caught by a transfer device which is movable under the free-fall path of the gobs in timed relationship to the gob severing and the movement of the molding members. The transfer device effects the lateral displacement of each gob deposited on its top surface and then a stationary deflecting device moves the gob off the surface of the transfer device and drops it into the open top molding cavity of the moving molding members. Cooling of the transfer plate and deflector provides an identical thermal history for each gob.

Thermoplastic gob feeding and transfer method and apparatus

Method and apparatus are provided for assemblying bottles or other containers into a package. The bottles for a package are arranged in a group of predetermined number, a telescoping tubular sleeve is placed around the group, and the sleeve is heat-shrunken around the grouped bottles into an integral tightly-bound package.

Growing community of inventors

Pemberville, OH, United States of America

James W Buckingham