Patent GB-1338448-A (GB)
Title: Manufacture of glass containers
IPC: C03B9/12
Filed: 1971-04-19
Abstract: 1338448 Manufacture of glass containers OWENS-ILLINOIS Inc 19 April 1971 [1 April 1970] 25818/71 Heading C1M [Also in Divisions B2 and B8]  The manufacture of hollow glassware is effected in an integrated, continuous succession by forming a plurality of hollow glass bodies in upright position at spaced points along the length of a moving ribbon of formable material and including an upper moile portion connected to the ribbon, severing the bodies from the ribbon by separating the moile portion therefrom and concurrently grasping the bodies by their moile portion in holders on a transfer machine, moving the grasped bodies successively at their spaced intervals away from the ribbon and to a neck finishing conveyer where the bodies are grasped below the moile portions and along which they are moved in succession concurrently with creating a finish on the neck portion to produce finished glassware during which, the grasped bodies are inverted and moved through a moile severing zone, the bodies being rotated while flame-severed and rotated while passing through flame heating of the rim the whole, operation being in spaced apart succession in an integrated continuously moving line. Several further treatments may be effected including annealing the neck, transferring to a further path, during which transfer the ware is sprayed, and securing a plastic cup to the round base of the glassware, the glass articles then passing to stacking and packing conveyers, all processes being continuous. The glassware is thus continuously cooled and the residual heat of the ware is utilized in securing the plastic cup which has an inner line of adhesive. Forming.-As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 molten glass 11 from a furnace 10 passes through a feeder 12 to rollers 13, 14, of which roller 14 has pockets, to form a ribbon 15, with paddies 16, which is deposited on a horizontal chain conveyer 17 with orifices 18 spaced a distance X to correspond with paddies 16. The glass of paddies 16 sags downwardly, the chain 17 passes under X-spaced blow heads 19 on a blow head turret 21, the blow heads 19 being extended so that a tip 23 extends into each paddy 16 and puffs the glass to form parison P which is then enclosed in a split mould 24 mounted at X-space on a turret 25. The mould 24 is rotated about its axis which further air is blown through tip 23 to form a seamless glass body B, the mould having, e.g. of a porous cork-graphite-resin lining treated with water a teach cycle. The mould halves separate to leave the body B suspended from the ribbon 15 by its moile M. After passing an inspection device 17a, which causes rejection of defective ware, the chain 17 passes under a pressurizer machine 26 with heads 27 at X-spacing, each head 27 having a nozzle 28 which is lowered into the neck of the ware B and air is blown therethrough while the ware B and moile M is cracked off from ribbon 15, as by a disc 29, rotated on shaft 30, to lift the ribbon 15, the discarded ribbon being received in collet shoot 20. The blow head nozzle 28 has upwardly arranged orifices so that any loose glass from the crack-off is blown out of the moile, leaving the glass body B free therefrom. Transfer to burn-off machine.-Just prior to crack-off of bodies B and moile M from ribbon 15, a conveyer 32, with one leg of its rectilinear path below the conveyer chain 17 and with X-spaced heads 33, receives the bodies on U-shaped tongs 34, the tongs engaging the moile M. The ware passes a further inspection device 35 receiving energy in wave form from a transmitter 36, defective ware being discarded from the tongs 34. A series of spray nozzles 37 may straddle one leg of the conveyer 32, for spraying a surface coating on to the hot bodies while the glass is in the range of 900-1350F. The next leg of conveyer 32 overlaps conveyer 38 of the burn-off machine 39. Burn-off machine (Figs. 1, 2, 2A and 6).- Conveyer 38 includes a series of chucks 40 at X-spacing, each having a seat 41 and pivoted fingers 42 upstanding and open on the upper run of conveyer, the body B being lowered by tongs 34 between the fingers 42 to sit on seat 41, the fingers 42 then being closed on the body by dogs 213 in cam slots 214, and the tongs 34 withdrawn. The ware then passes between opposed banks of burners 182, 183 to lessen the cooling rate of the necks thereof. The ware is then inverted at the end turn of conveyer 38 and the chucks 40 are then rotated while carrying the ware between elongated stationary gas burner-banks 43. Heat from flames 216 is therefore applied to an annular line and is sufficient to sever the moile M from ware B and form a fire polished bead R. The ware B and rim R is then inspected at 52 and rejected ware dropped into shoot 53, dogs 213 being raised to open the fingers 42. The bottom run of conveyer 38 overlaps one run of a horizontal conveyer 46 of a heat-treat machine 44 with X-spaced ring holders 45 into which the inverted ware B is dropped from the fingers 42. Treatinq machine (Figs. 1, 2A and 11).-The holders 45 are formed by a ring 219 which supports the ware B at spaced points, the ring 219 being rotatable in a bearing 220 in spaced horizontal plates 221 by a ring gear 222 on ring 219 meshing with stationary teeth (223) on the frame of the machine 44. The rotating wave B passes either one burner section 51 or between a pair of burners 50 with flames directed at the rim R to heat the rim above the strain point of the glass. The ware may then pass through a surface treating section, similar to the spray nozzles 37, or pass dried to between one or more pairs of coolers 55 which direct a stream of quenching air through slots 232 which lower the neck temperature to below 900 F. The ware is then transferred by a second transfer machine 56 having a rectangular-path conveyer 57 with X-spaced vacuum chuck assemblies 58 each comprising a passageway 234, a valve stem 239 and passage 240 leading to a chamber 235 which has a rubber seal 238 and shaped seat 237 to engage the bulbous end of ware B, movement upwardly by ware B of valve 239 connecting the chamber 235 with passageway 234 via side slots 241. Chucks 58 are lowered in the run over conveyer 47 and raised when engaged over ware B, the ware then passing an inspection device 61 and rejected if necessary. The chucks 58 are rotated and the ware B, which is at about 350 F., is coated by spray nozzles 62 with a polymer composition over the side walls. The polymer used may be a polyethylene dispersion or a polyvinyl alcohol-polyvinyl acetate mixture. The ware B is then released on the next run, over the conveyer 66 of an assembly machine 65, to holders 64 at X-spacing. Assembly machine (Figs. 1, 2A, 11 and 12).- Ware B suspended in chucks 58 is lowered into the holders 64 and vacuum in the chucks 58 released, leaving the ware positioned by spaced ribs 248 and ledge 249 which engages the rim R. Each holder 64 is mounted for vertical movement in a sleeve 247 by a pin 250 sliding in slots 251. The sleeves 247 form part of frames 243 of conveyer 66 which are supported for accurate positioning by guide rails 245, 246, which engage chain 242, and padded rails 184. Plastic base fitments F are fed by gravity along a delivery conveyer 69, the inverted fitment F adjacent springs 256 being engaged and moved forward by the ware B and pressed into the wave by a cam plate 70. Each fitment F has vents 71 to exhaust the air and is provided with a band (89) of hot melt adhesive adjacent the rim, which is activated by the residual heat of the ware B, which is about 200 F., to give a bond after cooling. The ware B and fitment F passes under a bank of heaters 73 on a conveyer chain 74 to seal up the vents 71, and over a channel 258 through the orifices 263 of which, forced, chilled air is supplied and between side channels (280 and 281) through which chilled air is supplied, to cool the completed ware 76. Completed ware 76 is then turned over at the end of conveyer 66 and guided by channels 264 on to a downwardly sloping conveyer 77 from which they may be stacked at 78, 79, 80.  Drive system.-Besides having all conveyer units with the same spacing, X, a drive system is disclosed which gives positive speed and position synchronization, which allows a production rate of up to 1000 articles a minute. Corresponding to the centre line position of each container along the chain conveyer of each machine, a small metal flag (176) is mounted to move with the chain and a fixed sensor, adjacent the path of each chain and responsive to the flag, produces a pulse in a comparator control circuit, so that for each pair of machines, two signals are generated and they are used in comparison to give an error signal which is used for correction to the drive of the chains concerned. The orifice plate chain 17 and the paddies 16 act as pace setters through to the final conveyer 66.