Push out device for a glassware forming machine

A push out device for a glass container making machine has a series of pusher fingers mounted on a pusher head arranged for the conventional extended and retracted movement and rotation about a vertical axis. The pusher fingers are mounted in a support plate of the pusher head so that the spacing between a base of the pusher head and the support plate may readily be adjusted.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a push out device for a glassware forming 
machine. 
Push out devices conventionally comprise container engaging fingers which 
are mounted on a pusher head. A piston and cylinder device operates to 
move the head between an operative, extended position and a retracted 
position, and rotary means is provided for rotating the piston and 
cylinder device about a vertical axis. In the operation of the pusher 
device, the pusher head begins in a retracted position facing a dead plate 
of the glassware forming machine. The piston and cylinder then operates to 
extend between newly formed containers deposited on the dead plate, the 
rotary means then operates to rotate the piston and cylinder device 
through about 90.degree. to carry the container off the dead plate onto a 
conveyor of the machine, the pusher head is then moved by the piston and 
cylinder device into its retracted position, disengaging from the 
containers and the piston and cylinder device is then rotated to bring the 
pusher head in its position facing the dead plate. 
It is desirable, on a change of size of container being manufactured by the 
forming machine, to be able to adjust the extended position of the pusher 
fingers on the pusher head appropriately to the container being deposited 
on the dead plate. This adjustment is desirably carried out rapidly, and 
on occasion without stopping operation of the machine. 
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,559,537 a push out device is shown in which the pusher 
fingers are each mounted on a slotted bracket and are secured in position 
by a bolt. Thus to adjust the extended position of the pusher fingers it 
is necessary to undo the bolt relating to each pusher finger, adjust its 
position and retighten the bolt--necessarily a time consuming and awkward 
operation. 
It is an object of the present invention to provide a push out device in 
which the extended position of the pusher fingers can readily be adjusted. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A push out device for use in a glassware forming machine to remove moulded 
containers from a dead plate of the machine to a conveyor comprising a 
piston and cylinder device comprising a piston rod a pusher head mounted 
on the piston rod for movement between an operative, extended, position 
and a retracted position, means for rotating the piston and cylinder 
device about a vertical axis between an orientation in which the pusher 
head faces the dead plate conveyor, the pusher head comprising, a support 
plate, one or more container engaging fingers mounted on the support 
plate, a base secured to the piston rod of the piston and cylinder device, 
supporting rods extending through the base and parallel to the piston rod 
and secured to the support plate, securing means mounted on the base and 
movable between a position in which it engages the supporting rods to lock 
said rods relative to the base and a position in which said rods are not 
so locked and the spacing between the base and the supporting plate may be 
adjusted. 
There now follows a description, to be read with reference to the 
accompanying drawings, of a push out device which has been selected for 
description to illustrate the invention by way of example.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
FIGS. 1 and 2 show a push out device which is adapted for use with a 
glassware forming machine to remove moulded glass containers from a dead 
plate of the machine (not shown) onto which newly formed containers are 
deposited to a conveyor by which the containers are carried away for 
further treatment, for example inspection and packing. 
The push out device comprises three container engaging fingers 2, which is 
appropriate for use with a triple gob forming machine, but may of course 
comprise 1, 2 or 4 such fingers as appropriate. The fingers 2 are mounted 
on a support plate 4 of a pusher head 6. The pusher head 6 is mounted on a 
piston rod 8 of a piston and cylinder device 10 which operates to move the 
head 6 between an operative extended position (shown in FIG. 1) and a 
retracted position (shown in FIG. 2). The device also comprises rotary 
means (not shown) for rotating the piston and cylinder device about an 
axis A (FIG. 1). In the operation of the pusher device, the pusher head 
begins in a retracted position facing the dead plate. The piston and 
cylinder then operates to extend the pusher head 6 so that the fingers 2 
move between containers C on the dead plate, the rotary means operates to 
rotate the piston and cylinder device through about 90.degree. into an 
orientation in which the pusher head 6 faces the conveyor, the pusher head 
is then moved by the piston and cylinder device into its retracted 
position to remove the fingers 2 from between the containers C and is then 
rotated back into a orientation facing the dead plate. 
The support plate 4 is mounted on two supporting rods 12, 14 which extend 
through a base 16 of the pusher head 6. The rods 12 and 14 each comprises 
a series cf equally spaced circumferential recesses 18, which recesses 18 
are spaced along the length of the rods between the support plate 4 and a 
head 20 of each rod (only one of which is shown). The rods 12,14 extend 
into cylindrical supporting sleeves 22, 24 which are secured by screws 26 
to the base 16. The sleeves 22, 24 are mounted for axial sliding movement 
in bearings 28, 28 secured in bores 30,32 in a housing 34 of the piston 
and cylinder device 10. A spring 36 in the sleeve 22 urges the supporting 
rod 12 outwards--a similar spring (not shown) acts on the rod 14 in the 
sleeve 24. 
The base 16 is secured to the piston rod 8 by a screw 38. Secured to the 
base 16 is a cover plate 39, a slideway 40 being formed between the cover 
plate 39 and the base 16. Mounted in the slideway 40 is a securing device 
which is in the form of a plate 42. The plate is provided with three 
apertures, an aperture 44 surrounding the supporting rod 12, an aperture 
46 surrounding the supporting rod 14 and an aperture 48 surrounding the 
head of the screw 38. In FIG. 2 the plate 42 is shown in position in which 
it engages the supporting rods 12,14 to secure them in position with 
respect to the base 16, the edge of the aperture 44 being engaged in one 
of the recesses 18 on the rod 12, and that of the aperture 46 in one of 
the recesses 18 on the rod 14. It will be understood that the thickness of 
the plate 42 is chosen so that it can readily be firmly engaged in the 
recesses 18. 
Secured to the plate 42 is a small handle 50. 
When an operator wishes to adjust the distance between the support plate 4 
and the base 16, he operates the handle 50 to slide the plate 42 in the 
slideway 40 to disengage the plate 42 from the recesses 18, moves the 
support plate 4 into the desired spacing from the base 6, and then 
re-engages the plate 42 in the recesses 18 to lock the support plate 4 in 
the desired position. If desired a latch may be fitted to prevent 
inadvertent movement of the plate 42. 
It will be realized that if it is desired to provide a different array of 
container engaging fingers 2, differing either in number or in spacing, 
the operator may, when he has disengaged the plate 42 from the recesses 
18, remove the assembly of the fingers 2, the support plate 4, and the 
supporting rods 12 and 14 from the push out device and replace it with a 
similar assembly having the desired array of container engaging fingers.