Improvements in Machines for Blowing Glass.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 9th Dec., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Blowing Glass.
I, CHARLES HENRY WILLIAM RUHE, Mechanical Engineer, residing at No. 1423,
Bluff Street, City of Pittsburg, County of Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania,
United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The invention described herein relates to certain improvements in machines
for the manufacture of glass-ware, and has for its object a construction of
mechanism whereby continuously rotating mold sections may be closed around
a body of glass supported by a stationary blow-pipe and the latter simultaneously
connected to a source of fluid under pressure. In general terms, the invention
consists in the construction and combination substantially as hereinafter more
fully described and claimed.
In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, Fig. 1 is
a side elevation of my improved machine; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the
same, the plane of-section being indicated by the line II-II, Fig. 1, Fig. B is
a sectional elevation of the lower portion of the machine on an enlarged scale,
the plane of section being indicated by the line III-III, Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a
sectional view of the upper portion of the machine; Figs. 5 and 6 are plan views
of the supporting arms; Fig. 7 is a sectional plan view, the plane of section being
indicated by the line VII-VII, Fig. 3; Fig. 8 is a plan view of the mold-sup-
porting plates, and Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the coupling mechanism for con-
necting the blow-pipe to the fluid pressure supply.
In the practice of my invention the supporting base or shell is preferably
made conical in shape, and has a bearing 2 for the driving shaft 3, formed integral
there with, said bearing extending through the side of the shell. A bevelled
pinion 4 is keyed on the inner end of the shaft and intermeshes with a corre-
spondingly shaped pinion 5 on the tubular shaft. 6, which has its lower end
supported in the step bearing, formed on or secured to the base 1. The hub 8
of the turn-table is secure on the upper end of the tubular shaft and is connected
by radial arms 9 to the rim 10 of said table, which is mounted on the upper end
of the base or shell. In order to ensure the easy movement of the table, anti-
friction rollers are interposed btween it and the base. The turntable is provided
with sockets 11 for the reception of the pintle 12, which is held from movement
in the sockets by set screws or other suitable means. Plates or leaves 13, pro-
vided with sleeves 14 are loosely mounted on the pintle between the sockets and
over the open portion of the turn-table, so that the plates or leaves may turn
down into the spaces between the radial arm 9. The leaves or plates are con-
nected by arms 15, which are preferably bowed to permit of some resilience,
to a block 16, so mounted on the tubular shaft 6 as to rotate therewith, and to
be free to move vertically along it. This block is grooved for the reception of
collar 17, provided with trunnions 18 adapted to engage slots in the ends of
levers 19, which are loosely mounted on a shaft 20, secured in flanges 21 extending

page_text: from the base or shell. An arm 22 is loosely mounted at one end on the shaft 20,
while its other end engages a slot in the collar 17, so as to prevent any rotation
of the latter with the block 16. The arm 22 and the inner arms of the levers 19
are preferably secured together and properly spaced by a bolt and interposed
sleeve sections arranged around the bolt. The outer portions of the levers are
depressed to raise the block 16, and the plates or leaves 13 by means of cams 23
secured on a shaft 24, on which is keyed the worm wheel 25 intermeshing with
the worm 26 on the driving shaft 3. The levers are held in contact with the
cams by a spring 27, having one end connected to the post or standard 28 and
the opposite end to the bolt passing through the outer ends of the levers.
The mold sections 29 are detachably secured to the leaves or plates, and are
moved by them to and from closed position. In order to avoid the use of
different lengths of blow-pipe or an adjustment of the blowing head with different
sizes of molds, the latter, when short articles are to be formed are provided with
cylindrical extensions at their lower ends, the extensions being so proportioned
that the upper or matrix portion of the mold will always have the same relation
to the blow-pipe regardless of the size of the article to be formed. In other
words, the mold sections are made of the same length. The bottom of the shaping
matrix is formed by a disc 30 supported independently of the mold sections 29
by a rod 31, which extends down through a transverse hole in the pintle 12 and
through the tubular shaft 6, and bears at its lower end on the base or shell.
This construction permits by the use of rods of varying lengths, the supporting
of the dise 30 at different heights in accordance with the lengths of the matrix
in the mold sections. The disc 30 is detachably secured to the upper end of
the rod 31, so that varying sizes of dises may be employed with varying sizes of
molds.
A hollow post or standard 28 is secured to the base or shell 1, and arms 82
having their outer ends forked are secured on the post at suitable distances apart.
One or all of these arms are provided with spring actuated pins 33, which project
across the slot in the ends of the arms so as to hold the blow-pipe in position,
as shown in Fig. 5. It is preferred to so shape the inner ends of the pins so that
they may be forced out by the blow-pipe, when the latter is pushed or pulled
laterally. In order to hold the blow-pipe from rotation, the external wall of
the latter, at those points which enter the forks in the arms 32, is made angular
in cross-section, and the inner ends of the forks are similarly shaped, as shown
in Fig. 6. The blow-pipe is held in proper position vertically by a collar 34
on the pipe resting on one of the arms 32, as shown in Fig. 3.
A sleeve or hollow block 35 is movably mounted in the post or standard 28,
and is connected by a hollow arm 36 with the valve shell 37. This hollow arm is
connected by a passage 38 with a port 39 in the hollow post or standard, into which
air under pressure is forced by any suitable means. The sleeve or block 35 is
shifted to move the valve head onto the upper end of the blow-pipe and to bring
the passage 38 into line with the port 39, by the levers 19, which have their outer
ends connected to said sleeve by rods 40, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
The valve head consists of a shell 37, secured to the outer end of the arm 36,
and an inverted cup-shaped valve 41, fitting in the contracted lower portion of
the shell. The valve is normally held in the contracted portion by a spring 42
bearing at its ends against the valve and a suitable stationary abutment. When
the blow pipe is in operative position, the lowering of the block 35 will force
the valve over the tapering end of the blow-pipe and the continued movement
of the block will move the shell down over the valve sufficiently far to uncover
the lateral ports 43, thereby permitting fluid pressure to flow into the blow-pipe,
the passage 38 of the block having been brought into register with the port 39
by the movement of the block. In order to form a tight joint between the blow-
pipe and valve, the latter has a lining of rubber or other suitable material.
As the several operations of the machine, i.e., closing the mold, lowering the
valve shell onto the blow-pipe, revolving the mold, raising the valve shell or

page_text: head, and opening the mold, are performed continuously and in due sequence,
the attendant having only to place the blow-pipe with its gather of glass in forks
on the supporting arms when the mold is open, and then when the cycle of opera-
tions is completed, and the mold opening, to remove the blow-pipe and completed
article. If the attendant fails to insert a blow-pipe at the commencement of a
cycle, no injury is done, nor is any air lost as the valve 41 is not shifted except
by the end of a blow-pipe held in proper position by the arms 32.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. In a glass blowing machine, the combination of movable mold sections,
means for continuously rotating said sections, means for opening and closing the
sections during their rotation, and means for holding a blow-pipe stationary in
proper relation to the mold sections, substantially as set forth.
2. In a glass blowing machine, the combination of movable mold sections,
means for continuously rotating said sections, means for opening and closing the
mold sections, means for holding the blow-pipe stationary, and means for con-
necting the blow-pipe to a source of fluid under pressure operative simultaneously
with the closing of the mold, substantially as set forth.
3. In a glass blowing machine, the combination of pivotally mounted plates
or leaves, mold sections detachably secured to said leaves or plates, a disc adapted
to form the bottom of the mold and a removable support therefor, substantially
as set forth.
4. In a glass blowing machine, the combination of a turn-table, mold sections
pivotally mounted on the turn-table, a movable block, arms connecting the block
to the turn-table and raising and lowering the block, substantially as set forth.
5. In a glass blowing machine, the combination of movable mold sections, a
hollow post or standard provided with a port, a block movable on the post, a
valve head carried by the block, a valve adapted to be unseated by the blow-
pipe when the block is lowered, the block having a passage adapted to be connected
to the post in the standard, supports for the blow-pipe, and means for simul-
taneously rotating and opening, and closing the mold sections and shifting the
block, substantially as set forth.
CHARLES HENRY WILLIAM RUHE.
Signed in the presence of:
DARWIN S. WOLCOTT,
BAYARD H. CHRISTY.