Abstract:
A valve hamper assembly for a glassware machine having a camming surface and a movable follower surface engaging the camming surface. A movable valve is operatively connected to the follower surface. A movement device is operatively connected to the follower surface for moving the follower surface along the camming surface to cause movement of the valve.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a valve hamper assembly. More specifically, the invention is directed to a valve hamper assembly for positioning a valve of a glassware machine. 
     In the past, a valve has been adjusted using shims. The shimming process is difficult and time consuming because the shims have to be placed in exact positions in order to accurately position the valve in relation to the glassware forming mold. If the valve is inaccurately positioned, the bottom of the glassware being formed by the valve is defective. Accordingly, there is a need for valve hamper assembly that eliminates the problems associated with shims. 
     The present invention satisfies the above-identified need. The present invention is directed to a valve hamper assembly that includes a movable valve operatively connected to a follower surface that slidingly engages a fixed camming surface to provide relatively easy, quick and accurate positioning of the valve in relation to the mold. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a valve hamper assembly having a camming surface and a movable follower surface engaging the camming surface. A movable valve is operatively connected to the follower surface. A movement device, such as a handle, is operatively connected to the follower surface for moving the follower surface along the camming surface to cause corresponding movement of the valve. 
     The primary object of the present invention is to provide a valve hamper assembly that easily, quickly and accurately positions a valve of a glassware machine. 
     Other objects and advantages of the present invention shall become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a review of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a glassware machine including a valve hamper assembly according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the glassware machine shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a view taken along line  3 — 3  of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a detailed front elevational view of the valve hamper assembly according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a detailed cross-sectional view taken through the center of the glassware machine and the valve hamper assembly; 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the portion of the drawing shown in FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 is a detailed side elevational view of the fixed disk and the movable disk of the valve hamper assembly; and 
     FIG. 8 is a detailed front elevational view of the valve hamper assembly showing the movement of the handle of the assembly. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The preferred embodiments and best mode of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference being made to the drawings. In the drawings, the valve hamper assembly of the present invention is indicated generally by the reference number “10”. 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-4, the assembly  10  can be used with a glassware machine  12  having a frame  14 . A press head assembly  16  is movably mounted on the frame  14 . The press head assembly  16  is includes a plunger  18 . The glassware machine  12  includes a glassware forming mold  20  that is mounted on a mold support frame  22  that is in turn mounted on the frame  14 . The valve hamper assembly  10  of the present invention is mounted on the mold frame  22  under the mold  20 . 
     A plurality of glassware machines  12  is usually mounted on a rotating carousel (not shown). In a typical embodiment, twenty-four glassware machines  12  are mounted on the carousel. 
     Referring to FIGS. 4-8, the assembly  10  includes a housing  30  having a top  32  and a bottom  34 . The housing  30  includes a generally cylindrical exterior surface  36  and a generally cylindrical interior surface  38  extending between the top  32  and the bottom  34 . The top  32  of the housing  30  is fixedly attached to the mold frame  22  by bolts  40 . The assembly  10  includes a base plate  42  having a top surface  44  and a bottom surface  46 . The base plate  42  is fixedly attached to the bottom  34  of the housing  30  by at least one bolt  48 . The base plate  42  includes a reciprocating valve stem retaining peg  50  having a first end  52  and a second end  54 . A knob  56  is positioned on the second end  54  of the retaining peg  50 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 5 and 7, the assembly  10  includes a generally cylindrical fixed disk  60  that is adapted and sized for positioning adjacent to the interior surface  38  of the housing  30 . The fixed disk  60  includes a top portion  62  and a bottom portion  64 . As shown in FIG. 5, the fixed disk  60  is fixedly mounted on the base plate  42  by at least one bolt  66 . 
     Still referring to FIGS. 5 and 7, the assembly  10  includes a generally cylindrical movable disk  70  that is adapted and sized to be positioned adjacent to the interior surface of the housing  30 . The movable disk  70  includes an upper portion  72  and a lower portion  74 . The lower portion  74  of the movable disk  70  is positioned adjacent to the top portion  62  of the fixed disk  60 . 
     Referring to FIG. 7, the top portion  62  of the fixed disk  60  includes a camming surface  80  having a predetermined slope S. The lower portion  74  of the movable disk  70  includes a follower surface  82  having a predetermined configuration C corresponding to the predetermined slope S of the camming surface  80 . The follower surface  82  slidingly engages the camming surface  80 . In a preferred embodiment, the camming surface  80  has a generally cylindrical predetermined slope S. Accordingly, as the movable disk  70  is rotated, the follower surface  82  engages and travels along the camming surface  80  to cause the movable disk  70  to rise in the direction indicated by the arrow  84  in FIG.  7 . Rotation of the movable disk  70  in the opposite direction causes the movable disk  70  to fall in the direction indicated by the arrow  86  in FIG.  7 . 
     Referring to FIG. 5, the assembly  10  includes a movable glassware valve  90  having a first end  92  and a second end  94 . The valve  90  is maintained in the housing  30  by a generally cylindrical valve sleeve  96  that is adapted and sized to be positioned adjacent to the interior surface  36  of the housing  30 . The first end  92  of the valve  90  includes a shoulder  98  that is positioned adjacent to the upper surface  72  of the movable disk  70 . Accordingly, movement of the movable disk  70  in the directions indicated by the arrows  84  and  86  in FIG. 7 causes corresponding movement of the valve  90 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 4-6 and  8 , the first end  92  of the valve  90  includes a valve stem  100 . The valve stem  100  is received by a first opening  102  defined by the movable disk  70 , a second opening  104  defined by the fixed disk  60  and a third opening  106  defined by the base plate  42 . The valve stem  100  acts as an axis of rotation for the movable disk  70 . As shown in FIG. 5, the valve stem  100  defines a longitudinally extending peg recess  108  that is adapted and sized to receive the first end  52  of the retaining peg  50 . When the retaining peg  50  is inserted in the peg recess  108 , as shown in FIG. 5, the valve stem  100  is maintained in the assembly  10 . When the retaining peg  50  is withdrawn from the peg recess  108 , the valve stem  100  and thereby the valve  90  can be removed from the assembly  10 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the second end  94  of the valve  90  is adapted and sized to form a predetermined shape in a glassware item (not shown) being formed in the mold  20 . As best shown in FIG. 6, the second end  94  of the valve  90  forms the bottom of the glassware item. 
     Referring to FIGS. 4,  5  and  8 , the assembly  10  includes a handle  110  having a stem  112 . The stem  112  includes a knob end  114  and an attachment end  116 . The knob end  114  includes a ball knob  118 . The attachment end  116  is fixedly attached to the movable disk  70 . As shown in FIG. 8, the housing  30  defines a slot  120 . The handle  110  can move within the slot  120  in a first direction indicated by the arrow  122  and an opposite second direction indicated by the arrow  124 . Due to the connection of the handle  110  to the movable disk  70 , movement of the handle  110  in the directions indicated by the arrows  122  and  124  causes corresponding rotatable movement of the movable disk  70 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 4 and 8, the assembly  10  includes an index gate  130  pivotally mounted on the exterior surface  36  of the housing  30  by bolts  132 . The index gate  130  includes first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh indexing grooves  134 ,  136 , 138 ,  140 ,  142 ,  144  and  146 , respectively. The stem  112  of the handle  110  is adapted and sized to be received by the indexing grooves  134 - 146 . As it will be appreciated, the number of indexing grooves can vary depending on the application. When the stem  112  of the handle  110  is positioned in one of the indexing grooves  134 - 146 , the handle  110  is maintained in the position defined by the respective groove. 
     Referring to FIGS. 4-8, the use and operation of the valve hamper assembly  10  of the present invention will now be described. When it is desired to position the second end  94  of the valve  90  with respect to the mold  20 , the index gate  130  is pivoted upwardly as shown in FIG.  8 . This allows for the movement of the handle  110  in the directions indicated by the arrows  122  and  124  in FIG.  8 . This causes corresponding rotatable movement of the movable disk  70 . The movement of the rotatable disk  70  causes the follower surface  82  of the movable disk  70  to slidingly engage and travel along the camming surface  80  of the fixed disk  60 . This causes movement of the movable disk  70  in the directions indicated by the arrows  84  and  86  in FIG.  7 . This causes corresponding vertical movement of the valve  90  due to the operative connection of the valve  90  with the movable disk  70 . Once the valve has been positioned with respect to the mold  20 , the index gate  30  is lowered as shown in FIG. 4 so that the stem  112  of the handle  110  is received by one of the indexing grooves  134 - 146 . The positioning of the stem  112  in one of the indexing grooves  134 - 146  maintains the stem  112 , the movable disk  70  and the valve  90  in position. 
     In a preferred embodiment, for example, the predetermined slope S of the camming surface  80  of the fixed disk  60  allows for the incremental movement of the movable disk  70  and thereby the valve  90  in the directions indicated by the arrows  84  and  86  in increments of 0.004 inch (0.1016 millimeter). The increments can be indexed by the position of the stem  112  of the handle  110  in the indexing grooves  134 - 146 . For example, when the stem  112  is positioned in the fourth indexing groove  140 , the movable disk  70  and the valve  90  are in “neutral” positions. If the handle  110  is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow  122  in FIG. 8 so that the stem  112  is positioned in the fifth indexing groove  142 , the movable disk  70  and thereby the valve  90  are raised by 0.004 inch (0.1016 millimeter) in the direction indicated by the arrow  84  in FIG.  7 . If the handle  110  is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow  124  in FIG. 8 so that the stem  112  is positioned in the third indexing groove  138 , the movable disk  70  and thereby the valve  90  will fall by 0.004 inch (0.1016 millimeter) in the direction indicated by the arrow  86  in FIG.  7 . This allows the second end  94  of the valve  90  to be easily, quickly and accurately positioned with respect to the mold  120 . 
     The above detailed description of the present invention is given for explanatory purposes. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the whole of the foregoing description is to be construed in an illustrative and not a limitative sense, the scope of the invention being defined solely by the appended claims.