Patent GB-192508-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to automatic glass working machines
IPC: C03B23/09
Filed: 1921-11-08
Abstract: 192,508. British Thomson-Houston Co., Ltd., (General Electric Co.). Nov. 8, 1921. Forming electric-lamp bulbs and the like.-An automatic machine for making short lengths of flanged tubing, or flares, for incandescent lamps from uncut lengths of glass tubing comprises a carrier fitted with means for holding the lengths of tubing and intermittently rotated to bring the lower ends of the tubing in sequence to stations where each tube is flanged, then gauged in its holder, and then the flanged end cut off to form the flare. The carrier comprises a frame which is carried on a vertical shaft and carries chucks in which the lengths of tubing are held. At the station H, Fig. 3, the bottom of the tube is heated and flanged. On advancing to the station M the chuck is opened and the tube lowered on to a gauge. The tube is cut at the station E, the flare being discharged into a shoot FC. In passing the stations B, C, D the zone of cut-off is gradually heated. At the station L the flanged tube is cooled. The machine is driven from a main shaft 26 fitted with a safety connection comprising a soft metal bar which is sheared on excessive strain, the chucks for holding the tubes being mounted on arms on a tubular shaft 37 driven through a geneva stop; the chucks are rotated by a gear 38, Fig. 6. The flanging of the tube is effected by a pencil K11, Fig. 23, mounted on a stirrup pivoted on standards K13 and operated by uprights K23 on a cap K24 carried on an elevating tube K25, the rising movement of which causes the pencil to pass through the successive positions for forming the flange. The tube K25 is raised by means of a cam K42 on a counter shaft 53. Means are provided for adjusting the flanging mechanism vertically and the tube K25 is rotated by a belt-driven pulley K28. Means for removing sections of tubing broken during the flanging operations consist of a stripping bar K45 carried by a rod inside the tube K25 and held in its elevated position after the pencil has descended. The lower end of the tube is gauged at the station M, Fig. 3. The tube is gripped in chucks comprising wedges A15, Fig. 6, - engaging a ring A17, the wedges being attached to a member A13 on the elevation of which the tube is released. The member A13 is engaged by a grooved collar A20 engaged in turn by a pivoted arm A26 which is lifted by a rod N10 operated from a cam on the shaft 53. The tube is then supported on a gauging tube P10 which is lowered by cam mechanism. On withdrawing the rod N10 the tubes are again gripped in their chucks and brought to the cutting-off station. The cutting-off mechanism is similar to that described in Specification 192,844, [Class 31 (i), Cutting and severing machines &c.], and comprises internal and external cutters and separate chucks for holding and rotating the flare which is being cut from the tubing. These chucks comprise a member FA10, Fig. 22, carried in a ball race and supporting vertical pivoted arms FA17, FA25 provided with flare-engaging fingers FA18, FA26 and having interengaging arms FA19, FA22. These arms are lifted to open the chuck, against spring pressure, by means of a rod FA29 provided with a roller FA30 riding on a ring-shaped arm FA31 mounted on a rod FA32 which is raised by a cam-operated lever. The chuck is rotated through a friction clutch by a gear FA14 and is stopped with the engaging arms open to permit the discharge of the completed flare, and the admission of the next, by a camoperated detent engaging a projection on the member FA10. The cutting-mechanism comprises a small rotating cutter FB10, Fig. 19, inside the tube and a large cutter FB11 outside. The small cutter is raised inside the tube as the latter is engaged by the arms FA19, FA22, and when level with the outside cutter the two are brought together. The small cutter is mounted on a vertical shaft FB12 mounted in a bracket F37 and is raised by a cam-operated member FB30. The shaft FB12 is rotated on the lifting of the cutter by the engagement of a pin FB23 on the lower end of the shaft with one of two pins FB22 on a constantly rotating gear F35. The large cutteris carried on a vertical shaft driven by a gear F45. The cutters are mounted in pivotallysupported brackets which can be moved towards each other by a cam-operated wedge. The completed flares are discharged by a blast into a constantly vibrating shoot.