Patent GB-744202-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to glass working machinery
IPC: C03B23/18
Filed: 1953-08-26
Abstract: 744,202. Making glass ampoules. SHAW, G. S. Aug. 19, 1954 [Aug. 26, 1953], No. 23512/53. Class 56 Ampoules, after being formed with a neck and a constriction, are moved along a path past treatment stations, and, at one of the stations, are scored in the region of the constriction and at a subsequent station, are marked with a marking material at a position related to, and preferably coincident with, the score. The marking material. is preferably fusible and the score is in the form of a notch, arc or, ring. As shown in Fig. 1, the ampoule is allowed to drop in bushes 11 carried by an intermittently rotating disc 10, and are moved thereby past a scoring- wheel 13, a marking device 14, and a burner assembly 15 which flame-polishes the ends of the ampoules. At the position 16 the ampoule is allowed to drop into one of a series of holes 19 in a disc 17 by which it is conveyed through an oven 20 to the discharge point 22. The bushes 11 have cut-away parts 23 through which the ampoule, which rests upon a stationary plate 30, is engaged by a pivoted friction member 25 to hold it stationary whilst it is being scored by the wheel 13. and whilst the marking device 14 is applied. The member 25 is pressed resiliently against the ampoule by the engagement of a leaf spring 28 with a stationary cam track 29. When the member 25 is released by the track 29, a spring 27 withdraws it from the ampoule. The ampoules are rotated in the bushes 11 during the flame-polishing by the engagement of a stationary friction rail 59 with the ampoules. The scoring- wheel 15 is mounted on an arm 38 pivoted on a bracket 49 and urged by a spring 40 towards the ampoule to a extent limited by a stop 41. The stationary plate 30 is gapped at the position 16 to allow the ampoule to fall into a funnel shaped holder with a spring-clip means which holds the ampoule upright in contact with the plate 17 until a hole 19 receives it, the bottom of the ampoule then being supported on a stationary track which is gapped at 22 to allow the ampoule to fall into a discharge shoot. If the ampoule fails to discharge itself, a plate 61 breaks it and so clears the hole 19 to prevent damage. The marking device 14 is a rotary disc, belt driven and journalled in an arm 44 pivoted at 45. The marking material, which is fusible, is contained m a bath 56 into which dips a rotary disc 53. The disc 53 applies the material to the edge of the disc 14 against which it is pressed by a spring 54, the drive of the disc 53 being by a pin.on the disc 50 engaging a pin on the disc 50. In a modification, the ampoules are heated before being scored, and the disc conveyer 17 is dispensed with. In the modification shown in plan in Fig: 7, the ampoules are conveyed in a straight path past the various stations. The ampoules are fed by a shoot 95 into notches in stationary rails 70. 71, being positioned by an abutment plate 96. The ampoules are raised from the notches and moved forward into the next notches by similarly notched rails 78 79 which are moved orbitally by cranks 86, 92. At station 97 the ampoules are scored by the wheel 118, at 98 a breaker 126 breaks off the end of the ampoule, at 99-101 the broken end is flame-polished. at 102 the neck is scored by the wheel 119, at 103, the marking material is applied by the device 142, and at 165-169 grading of the ampoules according to size is effected. The scoring wheel 118 is pivoted on the shaft 104 and is pressed down on to the ampoule by a spring. The wheel 118 is kept raised by. a cam 122 on the shaft 89 until the ampoule is in proper position. The breaker 126 comprises a member 124 reciprocable vertically by an abutment which contacts with the rail 78 and a lows the breaker to engage the neck of the ampoule. The ampoules are rotated at the flame poshing stations 99-101 by rctating discs 129 all revolving in the same direction, the ampoules resting in the nip between adjacent discs. The scoring wheel 119 is mounted to pivot on the shaft 104 and is raised by the cam 137 and lowered. when the ampoule is properly positioned by a spring. If it is desired to score an arc or ring in the neck of the ampoule, the ampoule is allowed to rotate in the notches by the action of the scoring-disc 119. If it is desired only to score a notch the ampoule is held stationary by a member 139 having a friction pad 140, the member 139 being moved vertically into and out of operation by engagement with the rail 79. The marking device comprises a member 141 depending from a bar 142 carried on a framework 144 which is vertically reciprocable by a rotary cam 150 The arm 142 is swung by another cam and a spring 158 to position the member 141 over a bath 161 of marking material, into which it is dipped and raised, and then to position it over the score mark in the ampoule neck, against which it is lowered. To restrain any tendency of the ampoule to rotate, when only a small notch in the neck is to be coated the notches in the conveyer members 70. 71. 78, 79 may be lined with friction material.- The ampoules then pass .to 'the grading stations. at which positions the rail 78 is cranked to be close to the other rails. The neck :end of the ampoule is supported on spaced points 171, the spacing increasing from station to station. When the neck end falls between a set of points 171, the ampoule is received in the appropriate shoot 165-169. After grading, the ampoules are annealed and inspected visually and also by passing a gauge rod through the ampoule necks, the rod being reciprocated mechanically in synchronism with the ampoules which are supported on a conveyer similar to 70, 71, 78, 79. Specification 762,857 [Group VI] is referred to.