Patent ID: 6497120
Filing Date: 2002-12-24
Classification: C03B,F16L,Y10T

Abstract:
A plunger assembly for use in a glass bottle forming machine permitting quick exchange and self-aligning of a plunger held on a plunger driving piston comprising:a plunger having a nose end, a cylindrical base end, and a contact surface perpendicular to the cylindrical axis of the cylindrical base end, said base end of said plunger defined by a cylindrical exterior surface and having an annular recess therein, the annular recess being spaced from the contact surface a distance; an adapter having a cylindrical support end and a base end, said adapter threaded to the driving piston at the base end thereof, said cylindrical support end terminating in a contact surface perpendicular to the cylindrical axis of the adapter for receiving the contact surface of the plunger, a coaxial central bore in the support end of the adapter defined by an internal cylindrical surface having a diameter enabling receipt of the base end of the plunger, said support end of the adapter having an exterior cylindrical surface, an annular groove in the exterior cylindrical surface of the adapter, a plurality of stepped radial bores extending from the central bore into the annular groove, the axes of the radial bores being spaced from the contact surface; a plurality of retaining balls, one in each radial bore; a split ring sized to fit in the annular groove in the exterior cylindrical surface of the adapter, said split ring having an internal diameter such that when the internal diameter bears upon the retaining balls, the retaining balls may be seated in the annular groove in the cylindrical base of the plunger; and an annular retaining spring for biasing the split ring and retaining balls in the annular groove in the cylindrical base of the plunger such that the plunger can be snapped into the adapter and held in place during bottle making.