METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY MANUFACTURING GOBLETS, VASES AND GLASS CONTAINERS IN GENERAL

Abstract: The invention relates to the sector of methods for automatically manufacturing goblets, vases and glass containers in general and envisages the use of two steps: a blowing or moulding step for formation of a bowl (4) provided with a base-piece (5) located in a zone for fixing a foot (2) to the bowl, and the other step involving pressing or injection of a gob in a mould so as to form a foot (2), if necessary using glass having a different colour, incorporating the base-piece (5) inside a stem (3) of the foot (2).

Description: 1 METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY MANUFACTURING GOBLETS. VASES AND GLASS CONTAINERS IN GENERAL TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND ART The present invention relates to a method for manufactuπng goblets, vases and glass containers m general The invention can be classified in the sector relating to methods for manufactuπng goblets, vases and glass containers in general and, in particular, with reference to goblets, to a type of method which uses two techmques: that of blowing or moulding a gob of glass, by means of which the bowl terminating at the bottom in a base-piece is made, and that of moulding with a press which, in addition to shaping the foot, allows the base-piece at the end of the bowl to be enclosed within the foot itself. The use of glass in two different colours for the bowl and the foot ensures that the central part of the goblet, namely the stem part where the base-piece of the bowl is incorporated inside the foot, has a third colour, creating a suggestive aesthetic effect The method may be used equally well for manufactuπng vases and glass containers m general having the same special feature. The known art refers to a method for manufactuπng vases and other glass containers, with a bowl m one colour (for example transparent) and foot in a different colour, which involves using differently coloured pastes processed with different techniques The bowl is made by means of blowing or mouldmg a gob of molten glass, with suitable dimensions, which is inserted into a mould having the same shape as the bowl itself The foot, which may be of a different colour, m turn has in its upper part a stem which is connected at the top to the bowl and at the bottom to a disk which forms one piece with the stem. Both parts, namely stem and disk, are made by means of a gob of molten glass which is pressed inside a mould in the form of an open shell. The shell, in which the two cavities have the shape of the disk and the bottom stem, is kept closed above the overturned bowl until the two parts are joined together. This method has the drawback that the two parts, bowl and foot, which are differently coloured are quite separate and do not allow one to see a superimposed effect of the colours of the two parts, which moreover is very suggestive. Furthermore, the bowl is more delicate since it has a critical point at the joint between bowl and foot. With the known art, in the case where it is required to form a goblet with three different colours for the bowl, the stem and the disk, it is required to perform two separate pressing steps, namely a first step involving pressing of a gob onto the bowl in order to form the stem and, subsequently, another step involving pressing of a gob onto the stem in order to form the disk; this results in high manufacturing costs. DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION. An object of the following invention is that of eliminating the abovementioned drawbacks and in particular providing a method for manufacturing a goblet which is characterized by three different colours obtained using glass gobs in two colours, without having to perform three different mouldings for each colour, with higher costs and longer production times. A further object is that of making the joint between the stem and the bowl stronger. Said objects are fully achieved by the subject of the present invention which is characterized by the contents of the claims indicated below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS. These and other characteristic features will emerge more clearly from the following description of a preferred embodiment illustrated, purely by way of a non-limiting example of embodiment, in the accompanying plates of drawings, in which: - Figure 1 shows a front view of the foot; - Figure 2 shows a front view of the bowl; - Figure 3 shows a front view of the goblet. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION. With reference to the Figures, the method envisages manufacturing a goblet 1 comprising a bowl 4 and a foot 2; the latter is composed of a stem 3 which forms one piece with a disk 6 supporting the foot so as to keep it in equilibrium in a vertical position. The method consists in manufacturing the bowl 4 using a gob of molten glass, in a precisely determined quantity, which is hot-blown in a mould having a shape such that the bowl 4 terminates at the bottom in a base-piece 5 which is located in the zone for fixing the foot. Then the bowl is overturned inside a mould so as to form the foot 2 which is made by means of the injection or pressure moulding technique using a press with a shell-shaped mould. During said step, the glass, in addition to forming the disk 6, lines the base-piece 5. If a gob with a colour different from that of the bowl is used for formation of the foot, a new chromatic effect is produced by the combination of two colours. In order to obtain said effect, it is obviously necessary to use, for formation of the foot, a glass with a colour other than a transparent colour. This method ensures that the structure of the bowl 1 is more resistant to knocks and that, moreover, by using, as mentioned, different colours for the bowl 4 and the foot 2, it is possible to obtain a third colour in the central part of the stem 7 merely owing to the effect of superimposing the two differently coloured types of glass without having to perform three different mouldings. For example a blue-coloured foot 2 and a yellow-coloured bowl 4 produce a green colour in the central part. According to a possible variation of the method described above, the bowl may also be made by means of moulding or injection provided that it has a base-piece 5. According to the variation of embodiment shown, the base-piece 5 may have longitudinal or horizontal grooves or faceted surfaces which in any case create further differently coloured chromatic effects due to the reflections and refractions of the light rays when passing through these surfaces. A further variation of embodiment described may be characterized by a base-piece 5 with a shape different from a cylindrical shape; for example, with a square or hexagonal or any polygonal cross-section, or it may also have a spherical shape. Even in the case where the bowl and foot are made with the same colour, the stem assumes a particular aesthetic effect due to lining of the base-piece which, as mentioned above, may have shapes and cross-sections different from that shown: it could be shaped, for example, in the manner of flower or the like. In the description, specific reference has been made to the manufacture of a goblet, but it is obvious that the method described may also be applied to the manufacture of a vase or a container in general provided that it has a foot with a stem made of transparent or coloured glass.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Method for automatically manufacturing goblets, vases and glass containers in general, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: - blowing or moulding a bowl (4) provided with a base-piece (5) located in the zone for fixing of a foot (2); - moulding by means of pressing or injection of a transparent gob of glass so as to form the foot (2), enclosing the bottom part of the bowl (4) consisting of the base-piece (5) within a stem (3) of the foot (2). 2. Method for manufacturing goblets, vases and glass containers in general according to Claim 1, characterized in that the base-piece (5) has longitudinal or horizontal grooves or faceted surfaces of any shape for the purpose of creating a chromatic effect with multiple colouring due to the superimposing or intersection of light rays of different colours. 3. Method for manufacturing goblets, vases and glass containers in general according to Claim 1, characterized by the formation of a base-piece with a horizontal, square, hexagonal or any kind of polygonal cross-section. 4. Method according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the base-piece has a spherical shape. 5. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that bowl and foot are made of transparent glass having the same colour. 6. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that bowl and foot are made of transparent glass having different colours.

Inventors: DI GIUSEPPANTONIO VINCENZO, DI GIUSEPPANTONIO, VINCENZO
Applicants: BORMIOLI ROCCO & FIGLIO SPA, BORMIOLI ROCCO & FIGLIO S.P.A.
Application year: 1999
Main classification: C03B9
IPC codes: C03B9