Abstract:
An air valve manifold ( 20 ) to be used with a glass making machine includes a base ( 24 ) and a valve ( 22 ) including a valve body attached to the base ( 24 ). The valve body includes a first projection ( 42 ) on a front of the valve body and an opposing second projection ( 44 ) on an opposing rear of the valve body. A first attachment feature ( 50 ) is secured to the front of the base to retain at least a portion of the first projection ( 42 ) of the valve body. A second attachment feature ( 52 ) is secured to the base to retain at least a portion of the opposing second projection ( 44 ) of the valve body.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to a single touch interchangeable valve used in a valve block used with a glass making machine. 
         [0002]    In prior systems, a top group of valves are located on a top surface of a valve block base, and a bottom group of valves are located on a bottom surface of the valve block base. Each of the top valves are attached to the valve block base by mounting screws that are inserted in a vertical direction from the top, and each of the bottom valves are attached to the valve block base by mounting screws that are inserted in a vertical direction from the bottom. In one prior system, four mounting screws are employed to secure each valve to the valve block base. It is difficult to access the mounting screws of the bottom valves when the bottom valves need to be changed, repaired or for maintenance due to the location of the mounting screws. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    An air valve manifold includes a base and a valve including a valve body attached to the base. The valve body includes a first projection on a front of the valve body and an opposing second projection on an opposing rear of the valve body. A first attachment feature is secured to the front of the base to retain at least a portion of the first projection of the valve body. A second attachment feature is secured to the base to retain at least a portion of the opposing second projection of the valve body. 
         [0004]    In another exemplary embodiment, an air valve manifold includes a base and a valve including a valve body attached to the base. The valve body includes a first projection on a front of the valve body and an opposing second projection on an opposing rear of the valve body. A first attachment feature is secured to the front of the base to retain at least a portion of the first projection of the valve body. The first attachment feature includes a first attachment feature projection that defines a recess underneath such that the first projection of the valve body is located in the recess between the first attachment feature projection of the first attachment feature and the base. A second attachment feature is secured to the base to retain at least a portion of the opposing second projection of the valve body. The second attachment feature includes a second attachment feature projection that defines a recess underneath such that the second projection of the valve body is located in the recess between the second attachment feature projection of the second attachment feature and the base. The first projection and the second projection are located near a lower portion of the valve body. 
         [0005]    These and other features of the present invention will be best understood from the following specification and drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    The various features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the currently preferred embodiment. The drawings that accompanies the detailed description can be briefly described as follows: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of a valve block with single touch interchangeable valves; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  illustrates a front view of the valve block with the single touch interchangeable valves; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  illustrates an exploded view of the valve block with the single touch interchangeable valves; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  illustrates a cross sectional view of the valve block with the single touch interchangeable valves taken along line A-A of  FIG. 2  when a pilot is de-energized; 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  illustrates a cross sectional view of the valve block with the single touch interchangeable valves taken along line A-A of  FIG. 2  when the pilot is energized; 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  illustrates a side view of a single touch interchangeable valve; 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  illustrates a perspective view of the single touch interchangeable valve attached to a schematic base; 
           [0014]      FIG. 8  illustrates a perspective view of a clamp; 
           [0015]      FIG. 9  illustrates a perspective view of the clamp and a block attached to the schematic base; 
           [0016]      FIG. 10  illustrates a perspective view of the clamp attached to the schematic base; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 11  illustrates a flow chart of a process of making a glass bottle. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0018]      FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3  illustrate a valve block with single touch interchangeable valves  20  used to control functions in a process of forming hollow glass bottles  78 . Usually, the valve block with single touch interchangeable valves  20  includes twenty one (21) valves  22 . However, the valve block with single touch interchangeable valves  20  could include twenty six (26) valves  22 . The valve block with single touch interchangeable valves  20  includes a base  24  to which the valves  22  are mounted. Eleven valves  22  are located on a top row of the base  24 , and ten valves  22  are located on a bottom row of the base  24 . 
         [0019]    An air entry unit  27  supplies the base  24  with pressurized air, and a speed control unit  26  is also mounted to the air entry unit  27 . The speed control unit  26  controls parameters, such as the air speed and the amount of air flowing into the glass making machine by the use of a needle valve  83 . By moving a needle  29  downwardly, the airflow through a port  81  to the glass making machine will decrease. When glass bottles  78  are to be made, each valve  22  performs or contributes to a function in the process of forming the glass bottles  78 , as explained below and shown in  FIG. 11 . 
         [0020]    As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5  the valves  22  can each be normally open or normally closed. The valve  22  includes a cartridge insert  23  that is a 3/2 valve that includes 3 ports and 2 positions. The cartridge insert  23  includes a cartridge housing  31 , as shown in dashed lines.  FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate a valve  22   a  that is normally open and a valve  22   b  that is normally closed. As shown in  FIG. 4 , when a pilot  28  is de-energized, the valve  22   a  is normally open, and the valve  22   b  is normally closed. Pistons  32   a  and  32   b  of the cartridges inserts  23  of the valves  22   a  and  22   b , respectively, are located in a first position. Pressure flows through the outlet  30   a  of the valve  22   a , but does not flow through the outlet  30   b  of the valve  22   b  and is exhausted. 
         [0021]    As shown in  FIG. 5 , when a pilot  28  is energized by activating a magnet  34  of a solenoid, the valve  22   a  is closed, and the valve  22   b  is open. The pistons  32   a  and  32   b  of the valves  22   a  and  22   b , respectively, are moved and located in a second position. Pressure flows through the outlet  30   b  of the valve  22   b , but does not flow through the outlet  30   a  of the valve  22   a  and is exhausted. The magnet  34  is attached to the valves  22   a  and  22   b  by a fastener  36 . Each valve  22   a  and  22   b  further includes a hand operative manual release  38 . 
         [0022]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , the valve  22  also includes a valve body  40  including beveled projections  42  and  44  on the lower front region  46  and lower rear region  48 , respectively, of the valve body  40 . A clamp  50  and a block  52  are used to secure the valve  22  to the base  24  (as shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 7 ). The shape of the clamp  50  is substantially C-shaped to form a counter bearing. 
         [0023]    As shown in  FIG. 7 , the clamp  50  includes a projection  54  at a top of the clamp  50  defining a recess  56  underneath that is shaped to receive the beveled projection  42  of the valve body  40 . The clamp  50  also includes a projection  58  at the bottom of the clamp  50  and a hole  60  that extends generally parallel to the projection  58 . The projections  54  and  58  are separated by a stem  62  that includes the hole  60 . 
         [0024]    The block  52  includes at least one hole  64  extending in a generally vertical direction. In one example, the block  52  includes two holes  64 . The block  52  also includes a projection  66  at the top of the block  52  that defines a recess  68  underneath the projection  66  that is shaped to receive to the beveled projection  44  of the valve body  40 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 7  illustrates a perspective view of a single valve  22 . The valve  22  is secured to the base  24  by the clamp  50  and the block  52 . The base  24  includes two holes (not shown). The block  52  is positioned such that the holes  64  of the block  52  align with the holes of the base  24 . A mounting screw  70  is received in the aligned holes to secure the block  52  to the base  24 , as shown in  FIG. 9 . Once secured, the recess  68  is defined between the projection  66  of the block  52  and the base  24 . The recess  68  can receive the beveled projection  44  of the valve body  40 . For example, the valve body  40  could be slid rearwardly until the beveled projection  44  is received in the recess  68  and under the projection  66 . 
         [0026]    In one example, one of the valve body  40  and the base  24  includes a projection  72 , and the other of the valve body  40  and the base  24  includes a slot (not shown). The projection  72  is received in the slot when the valve body  40  is slid relative to the base  24  to ensure proper alignment of these components. In the example in  FIG. 9 , the base  24  includes the projection  72 , and the valve body  40  includes the slot (not shown). 
         [0027]    The clamp  50  is then used to secure the valve  22  in place. The clamp  50  is positioned such that the projection  54  is located over the beveled projection  42  of the valve body  40 . Moving the clamp  50  towards the valve body  40  will clamp the valve body  40  between the clamp  50  and the block  52 . A fastener  41  is received in the hole  60  of the clamp  50  and an aligned hole (opening) in the base  24 . An Allen key  74  is used to rotate the fastener  41  to secure the clamp  50  to the base  24  such that the beveled projection  42  of the valve body  40  is located under the projection  54  of the clamp  50 . The beveled projections  42  and  44  of the valve body  40  are received under the recesses  56  and  68 , respectively, of the clamp  50  and the block  52 , respectively, securing the valve  22  to the base  24 . The beveled projections  42  and  44  deflect the force of the clamp  50  and push the valve body  40  towards the base  24 . The pressing force and the seals provide an airtight connection. 
         [0028]    As shown in  FIG. 10 , a resilient member  76  is located between the clamp  50  and the valve body  40 . The resilient member  76 , such as a spring, is used to bias the clamp  50  away from the base  24  to assist in removal of the clamp  50  from the base  24 . 
         [0029]    If the valve  22  is to be removed, the Allen key  74  can be used to turn the fastener  41 , allowing the clamp  50  to move away from the valve  22 . This allows for easy removal of the valve  22  for maintenance, repair or replacement from the valve block with single touch interchangeable valves  20 . 
         [0030]      FIG. 11  illustrates an example of how a glass bottle  78  is made using the valve block with single touch interchangeable valves  20 . Each valve  22  performs a step in the process of forming the glass bottles  78 . Although the valve  22  associated with each step is not shown or described, it is to be understood that each of the valves  22  perform a function that contributes to the manufacture of the glass bottle  78 . 
         [0031]    A gob  80  of viscous glass is dropped through a funnel  82  into a mold  84  defining a bottle shape in step  100 . A plunger  86  creates the opening of the glass bottle  78 . In step  102 , the gob  80  is allowed to settle, and a baffle  85  blows air onto the gob  80  through the funnel  82 . In step  104 , the air is blown into the mold  84  through the opening  88 , expanding the gob  80  into a bottle shaped component  90 . The mold  84  is then transferred to another location in step  106  and reheated in step  108 . A final flow of air is blown into the opening  88  through a blow head  89  in step  110 . Finally, in step  112 , the mold  84  is then lifted, and arms  94  engage the glass bottle  78  to transfer the glass bottle  78  to another location. 
         [0032]    The foregoing description is only exemplary of the principles of the invention. Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. The preferred embodiments of this invention have been disclosed, however, so that one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described. For that reason the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.