Patent GB-1334973-A (GB)
Title: Manufacture of hollow glass articles
IPC: C03B35/08
Filed: 1971-12-20
Abstract: 1334973 Glass manufacture ANCHOR HOCKING CORP 20 Dec 1971 59035/71 Heading C1M [Also in Division B8] To crack-off the moil from a hollow glass article, a heated strain band is formed around the article and the article is then struck sharply in the band to initiate a fracture which extends to a moil-severing crack. An apparatus is disclosed by which annealed articles are transferred to a rotary crack-off and edge smoothing machine and thence to an edge annealing machine. Mcil-crack-off machine, Figs. 1C, 2, 13, 14, 15. As shown, on a rotary machine 7 with turret 12 having rotatable chucks 15 for carrying articles 3, the articles 3 are taken past a burner 16, while rotating, at which a strain band 140 is heated and thence to a crack-off knife 17, during which the rotation of articles 3 is stopped. The knife 17 is preferably a circular knife of tungsten carbide with a sharp edge with a taper of about 60 degrees and the knife can be rotated to vary the part of the edge used for striking. The knife 17 may strike at any position in the band 140, the initial crack (160) tending towards the centre of the band to give a crack-off line 141. The burner 16 and knife 17 are adjustably mounted on a carriage 147 positioned for radial movement on a tool support stand 148 which is adjustable for height and radial spacing adjustment. The burner 16 comprises a series of small flame directing nozzles 146 on gas manifolds 145. The knife 17 is secured on a support shaft 170 at the end of an arm 162 pivoted at 163 to the outer arm 142A of knife support arm 142, the inner arm 142B of which is mounted on a bracket 164 on carriage 147 with a fine radial adjustment mounting 165-168. The arm 142A is also adjustable on arm 142B. Rotation of knife 17, for periodic adjustment, is by worm 171 and pinion 172, with a spring pressed ball 175 to locate position against flat surfaces 176. Movement of knife 17 against the article 3 is by a short blast of air from nozzle 177 against a core 178 on arm 162 which swings the arm 162 and knife 17 to give a momentary impact against article 3, the arm being returned by spring 179. The blast of air is initiated from a shaft 181 and cam 180, driven from turret 12, which operates an air valve 182. The moil portion 3A is then blown from the lower part 3C by an air nozzle 185; the part 3C continuing to edge smoothing burners 19, 20. Edge smoothing, Figs. 2, 24.-A pre-heat burner 19 comprises a series of nozzles 186 and burner 20 comprises sets of nozzles 190, each set of nozzles being mounted similarly to burner 16 on a support stand 148. The burners 20 have individual nozzles 191 of each set 190 each mounted on a manifold 192 with gas supply line 193. Each manifold 192 is mounted on a support bracket 194 pivoted at 195 on a base member 196 secured to a carriage 147 on stand 148, so that the flame 201 can be directed at any desired angle, rotation being controlled from a coupling screw 197 and handle 198 with a pointer 199 on bracket 194 indicating position against a calibrated sector 200. A downward angle for flames 201 is particularly useful for thin walled articles 3C such as tumblers. Annealinq and cooling, Figs. 1A, 29.-The edges of the articles 3C are then annealed, the articles being supported in individual chucks 23 of an endless chain 22 which carry the articles between annealing burners 24, which may be in ribbon form, to room temperature coolers 25, forced cooling zone 26 and then to final cooling on conveyer 28, The chain conveyer 22 comprises the spaced chucks 23 each mounted on a support spindle 202 on a link member 204 pivotally interconnected by spaced links 205, the chain 22 being supported on a frame (206) by means of rollers 207, 208 which engage tracks (209) (210) and 211. Each spindle 202 is rotated by sprockets 213 engaging rack members (214) along the path of chain 22. A supporting pad 216 in chuck 23 is mounted on a spindle 215 raised at feed wheel 21 and take off table 27 by a lift cam (217). Conveying, transfer and general apparatus, Figs. 1A, 2, 3, 5, 7.-Rows 2 of glass articles 3 on a lehr conveyer 1 are transferred to a takeoff conveyer 4 by a downwardly inclined vibrating plate 5, the conveyer 4 being advanced intermittently under the control of a photo-cell 8 and light source 9 coupled to a time delay circuit to the drive for conveyer 4, the photoelectric system being operated by the articles 3 and the delay allowing time for the row to arrive on conveyer 4. The articles 3 then pass to a feed conveyer 6 (Fig. 3), which closely aligns the articles 3 by means of a series of star wheels 14 which also support the articles 3 on the continuously operating conveyer belt 32 with the aid of adjustable side rails 33 and top rail (35). The star wheels 14 are rotatably mounted on adjustable support arms 38 so that their crossed arms 39 overlap to support the articles 3. The articles 3 then pass into spaced pockets 42 in a feed screw 10 (Fig. 5) on to a conveyer 43 with a resiliently mounted guide rail 45. The now spaced apart articles 3 are now fed on to a transfer wheel 11 having a series of radially directed arms 46 and curved support rail 48 which directs the articles into cup-like chucks 15 on the turret 12. The arms 46 are pivotally mounted on wheel hub 49 and held by springs 50 to press up to locating pins 51. A drive means (Fig. 7) is disclosed for the conveyer 43 and screw 10 and the same chain system 70 is utilized to operate, through shaft 75 (Figs. 2 and 7) a pusher arm 76 which presses the articles 3 into the chucks 15 on turret 12. The arm 76, with article engaging pad 122, is mounted on a sleeve 123 attached to carriage 124 mounted for horizontal movement by a cam roller 127 and the arm 76 is lowered during the forward horizontal movement and raised during return movement by spaced cam rails 128 engaging cam roller 129. A spring 131 allows upward movement of arm 76 if the article 3 is oversize or cannot be seated correctly and this operates a microswitch 132 to activate a reject solenoid 133 operating a pusher arm 134 to reject the article 3. From the turret 12, the finished articles are passed to chain 22 and to conveyer 28 by transfer wheels 21, 27 similar to wheel 11 and the cooled articles are collected on an inspection table 29. A construction of chuck 15 is disclosed, the vacuum system of which is disconnected when an article 3 is rejected and/or removed. Each chuck is rotated while passing burners 16, 19 and 20 by a chain 84 engaging a sprocket (83) thereon, the chain 84 passing over idler sprockets adjacent the crack-off knife 17 (Fig. 2) and at the feed and take-off tables 11 and 21.