Patent GB-694089-A (GB)
Title: Method and machine for manufacturing ampoules
Inventor: HUGHES FLOYD H
IPC: C03B23/07
Filed: 1952-02-27
Abstract: 694,089. Glass manufacture. HUGHES-MURRAY, Inc. Feb. 27, 1952, No. 5127/52. Class 56. An automatic, continuous process for producing from glass tube ampoules or vials of uniform dimensions and having a body with a constricted neck at one end thereof, comprises holding the tube vertically, heating and softening its lower end portion, moulding the softened portion to make the ampoule body, cooling the body and then heating the tube above the body to soften it, stretching the heated part to form the ampoule neck, cooling the neck and breaking off the ampoule at the neck and finally glazing the broken end. The machine shown is of the revolving turret type, the turret carrying a number of chucks each holding a glass tube and rotating step-by-step to stations at each of which a manufacturing operation is carried out. General construction.-Fig. 2 is an elevation of the machine which comprises a turret B rotating on a hollow shaft 2 which is supported vertically from a frame C. The turret carries eight chucks A which each hold a glass tube 1 the chucks being constructed, Figs. 12 and 14 (not shown) so that their grip on the tube 1 can be released by an arm which contacts and depresses a flange 12a forming part of the chuck actuating means. The turret is advanced stepby-step by a Geneva movement D driven by an element 4 carried on a shaft 5 which is driven through a worm gear 6 by a motor 9. A continuously revolving gear wheel 18 is mounted in the turret B and engages with a pinion 17 on each chuck so that the chucks rotate continuously except at the moulding station where the rotation is stopped as described below. The tubes 1 are each connected by a swivel coupling 61 to an air tube 60, the tubes 60 leading from a distributing head 62 which is supplied with air from a line 68 through the hollow shaft 2, air being admitted to the glass tube when it reaches the moulding station by a valve 69 and valve plate 64. Operation.-The different operations performed on the tube are shown in Figs. 16 and 19. At station a, a predetermined length of tube 1 is pulled downwards by jaws 26, the grip of the chuck being simultaneously released by the downward pressure of an arm 42 on the flange 12a thereof. At stations band c the bottom part of the tube is heated and softened. At station d, the chuck rides up on a cam surface 59, lifting the pinion 17 clear of the wheel 18 and so stops rotating. Simultaneously, a twopart mould 45 is clamped around the soft tube end and air is admitted to the tube, expanding the glass into contact with the mould surface, whereby the ampoule body is formed and the glass thereof cooled and hardened. The mould jaws open and, as the chuck moves from station d, its rotation recommences. At stations e and f, the tube above the body portion is heated and softened. At station g the heated tube is stretched to form the ampoule neck, the stretching mechanism H consisting of two jaws 75 carried on a rod 78 which is raised whilst the jaws are closed on the ampoule body and then lowered to stretch the neck. At station h, a jet of cold air from a nozzle 94 is directed against the neck and as the tube passes away from this station back to station a, a knife 95 scores a mark on the cooled neck portion, the ampoule body then contacting an arm 97 whereby it is broken off and falls into a chute 98 which feeds it on to a conveyer I, Fig. 19. The conveyer carries it past a gas flame 100 which glazes the broken end of the neck. The completed ampoules are discharged via a chute 107 to suitable collecting means.