Improvements in Apparatus for Molding Glass Pipes and Tubes.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Molding Glass Pipes and Tubes.
A communication by RODERICK G. GUPTILL, of Pendleton, in the County of
Madison and State of Indiana, United States of America.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S. M.I.M.E. of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street,
Manchester both in the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn in the
County of Middlesex Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to the construction of machines for molding glass pipes
and tubes, and more especially to that class known as hand machines, and will be
understood from the following description.
In the drawings,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved machine, the water pan at the base
being in section.
Figure 2 is a cross sectional view on the line x-x, Figure 1; the mold and its
connections being in plan.
Figure 3 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section, showing one half of
the mold removed.
Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of the lower end of the mold and the flange
forming collar which fits within the same,
Figure 5 is a detail end view of the plug which closes the open end of the
flange forming collar, and its operating lever, the plug being thrown out of place
on an angle.
Figure 6 is a sectional view through the plug on the line y-y, Figure 7,
showing the spring arms for holding it in place within the collar.
Figure 7 is a cross sectional view through the same on the line - Figure 6.
In detail, 1 represents the main frame of the machine rigidly secured to the
base plate 2, 3 being an extended arm or bracket adjustably secured to the top of
the main frame. 4 are sliding blocks or brackets adjustably secured to the main
frame by bolts, and to these the two sections of the divided mold 5 are hinged,
6 being the handles of the same, and 7 a bar for locking them together when the
mold is closed. The inside of the mold is flared out at the bottom, as shown in
Figure to partly form the flange on the pipe that is to be cast, and 8 are lugs or
hooks, one on each half of the mold, for engagement with the arms 9 formed on
the opposite sides of the hollow collar 10, which is adapted to fit up in the end of
the mold, and by which the inner part of the flange on the pipe is formed. 11 is a
plug adapted to fit within the collar 10 when it is in place, and is retained in position
by means of the projecting spring arms 12, which are pivoted within the block
at 13, as shown in Figure 7, the outer ends of the arins being so bent outside of
the plug as to form a circular opening 14 when the ends of the two arms are
together, they being held in this position by a coiled spring 15. 16 represents a
bent arm formed on the lower end of the plug 11, and having a slot in its opposite
end which is secured in the slotted end of the weighted lever 17 and retained in
place by a pin 18, the weighted lever 17 having lugs or projections 19 on either
side which rest in a double bracket 20 adjustably secured by bolts to the base 2 of
the machine, 21 being a shallow pan also resting on the base 2, and into which any
molten glass that may escape from the mold drops. 22 is a core having a tapering
or conical head, and is supported above and in a central line with the mold by the
piston or plunger 23, to which it is connected, this plunger having bearings in

page_text: adjustable slides 24 secured to the main frame 1. 25 is a vertical arm also secured
to the plunger 22, and has a conical head in a vertical line with the circular
opening 14 formed by the extensions of the spring arms 12 of the plug 11 when
in place at the bottom of the mold. The plunger 23 is secured at a suitable height
to the cross head 26, to which are also connected the two vertical operating arms
or bars 27, these normally being placed in the position shown in Figure 1 on
either side of the face of the driving pulley 28 mounted on the stationary drive
shaft 29 from which power is applied, 30 being a gear wheel also mounted on the
same shaft. 31 is a double bracket centrally slotted and working loosely on the
driving shaft 29, and carrying on each of its outer ends the friction pulley 32 and
a gear wheel 33 in line with, and adapted to contact with, the gear wheel and
pulley mounted on the driving shaft, 34 being a handle pivoted to the bracket 3 of
the main frame, and also to one end of the double bracket 31, for throwing in and
out of connection the several pulleys, and thus operating the machine.
Having mentioned the different parts of the machine, its operation will now be
described, which is as follows:-
The several parts of the mold being in place, as shown in Figure 3, a sufficient
quantity of molten glass is poured therein, and, by throwing the operating handle
or lever 34 outward in the position shown in Figure 1, the gear wheel 33 on that
end of the bracket will engage with the one on the drive shaft, and the two
pulleys 28 and 32, contacting frictionally with one of the vertical rods 27, thus
force the plunger carrying the core of the mold downward and into such mold
through the molten mass of glass therein, until the tapering head of the mold has
reached a point of contact with the plug 11 which closes the bottom of the collar 10
and the mold, by which time the tapering head on the arm 25 will have reached
and entered the opening 14 formed between the two extensions of the spring arms 12
in the closing plug far enough to separate the arms and thereby withdraw the
arms 12 within the plug, thus allowing the same by its own weight and through the
pressure of the core upon it to be forced out from the collar, and will drop down
with its lever into the position shown in the dotted lines in Figure 3, at which time
any surplus glass from the mold will be either dropped through, or will be forced
over the top of the mold into the pan 21 formed on the base 2 of the machine.
When the core has reached the downward limit of its movement, by moving the
operating lever inward, the gear wheel 33 mounted on that end of the bracket 31 will
be thrown out of engagement with the one carried on the main driving shaft, and the
frictional contact of the two pulleys will be released on the vertical rod 27, and the
downward movement of the core will cease. When the glass pipe thus formed has
eooled to a sufficient degree, the operating lever 34 is moved further inward,
moving the bracket 31 to the left, and bringing into engagement the gear wheel
pivoted in the opposite end of the bracket with the one mounted on the driving
shaft, thereby operating the friction pulley 32 and the one on the drive shaft
against the vertical rod 27 in the direction of the arrows to the left in Figure 1,
and, through this frictional contact, lifting the rod, together with the plunger, and
drawing the core of the pipe which has been cast, after which, by turning the
handles of the collar 10 out of engagement with the lugs 8 and supporting the
collar, the mold may be opened and the glass pipe or tube which has been cast
may be removed and carried away, the tube itself being supported upon the
collar 10. Upon closing the mold and inserting the collar 10 and plug.11 in their
former places, the operation of pipe casting may be repeated.
When glass pipes of different sizes are to be made on the same machine, this can
be readily done by changing the size of the core and the mold, for, the various parts
of the machine being adjustable, the changes necessary to adjust the different parts
in a correct line and position can be made, but in such case there would be provided
a knuckle joint in the plunger so as to allow for the change in the central line of
the mold without changing the position of the framework and its base.
It has beretofore been very difficult to always draw the plunger from the molded
pipe at the exact moment that the glass has cooled to the proper temperature, and

page_text: in some cases the plunger will draw up with it a portion of the pipe and leave the
remainder in the mold. To overcome this difficulty, a groove 34 is provided in the
inside of the mold just within the top, so that as the glass is poured in the mold, a
small bead will be formed around the top of the pipe, and thus prevent any part of
the molded pipe from being drawn out with the plunger.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a glass pipe casting machine, a framework, a mold adjustably supported
thereon, and a movable core connected with a plunger supported above and in line
with the mold, such core adapted to be raised and lowered by means of a friction
clutch mechanism supported above the framework, such mold centered and closed
at its lower end by a removable pivoted plug, substantially as shown and described.
2. In a glass pipe casting machine, a framework, a sectional mold supported
thereon, a removable collar adapted to fit in the lower part of such mold for
forming the bell of the pipe, a plug adapted to be retained within the collar by
spring arms, and a core supported above and in line with the mold and adapted to
be raised and lowered by suitable means, substantially as shown and described.
3. In a glass pipe casting machine, a framework, a fixed mold supported thereon,
a removable collar fitting within the mold for forming the bell of the pipe, a plug
pivotally mounted on the end of a weighted lever supported from the base of the
machine, such plug adapted to fit within the collar and to close the same and
retained therein through suitable spring arms, a core supported above and in line
with such mold, mechanism for raising and lowering the same, and means for auto-
matically releasing the plug when the core has reached the bottom of the mold,
substantially as shown and described.
4. In a glass pipe casting machine, a framework, a fixed sectional mold supported
thereon, a removable collar secured within such mold for forming the bell of the
pipe, a plug adapted to fit in such collar and retained therein by spring arms, and
a core supported above and in line with such mold and adapted to be raised and
lowered through suitable mechanism, the plug at the base of the mold adapted to
be automatically released when the core has reached the bottom of the mold,
substantially as shown and described.
5. In a glass pipe casting machine, a framework, a sectional mold supported
thereon, a removable collar adapted to fit in the lower part of the mold for forming
the bell of the pipe, a plug adapted to fit in such collar and be retained therein by
spring arms, a core connected to a plunger above and in line with the mold, a
vertical arm connected to such plunger and having a conical head adapted to
engage with the spring arms of the plug, thereby releasing the same when the core
has reached the bottom of the mold, in combination with a mechanism for raising
and lowering such core and its plunger, substantially as shown and described.
6. In a glass pipe casting machine, a framework, a fixed sectional mold supported
thereon, a removable collar fitting within the lower end of the mold for forming the
bell of the pipe, a plug adapted to fit within the collar and having spring arms for
locking the plug in place, such arms having extensions with a circular opening
formed between them, such plug pivotally supported from a weighted lever mounted
on a bracket supported from the base of the machine, a core connected to a plunger
supported above and in line with the mold, which also carries a vertical arm having
a tapering head for engaging with the spring arms of the plug when the core has
reached the bottom of the mold, whereby the plug is released, two rods connected
with a cross head formed on the top of the plunger, a friction pulley and gear
mounted on a drive shaft between such rods, a friction pulley and gear carried in a
double bracket on each side of such rods, and operated by a lever from below,
such gears adapted to engage with the one on the main shaft, such friction pulleys
and the one on the main shaft adapted to contact with the vertical rods alternately,

page_text: whereby the core and its plunger may be raised and lowered, substantially as
shown and described.
7. In a glass pipe casting machine, a framework, a sectional mold supported
thereon, a core connected with a plunger above and in line with such mold, such
plunger working in adjustable slides connected with the main frame, a cross head
secured to the top of the plunger and carrying thereon two rods, a gear wheel and
pulley mounted on a drive shaft carried above the machine and between the vertical
rods of the cross head, a gear wheel and a friction pulley carried in a double
bracket on the outside of such rods, such gear wheels in line with and adapted to
engage with the gear wheel of the drive shaft, such friction pulleys adapted to
engage alternately in connection with the pulley on the drive shaft with one of the
vertical rods, whereby the plunger and the core of the mold may be raised and
lowered alternately, substantially as shown and described.
8. In a glass pipe casting machine, a framework, a sectional mold hinged to
brackets adjustably supported thereon, a removable collar adapted to fit within the
lower end of the mold for forming the bell of the pipe, and a plug adapted to close
such collar and retained in position by spring arms, such arms centrally pivoted in
and extending outside the plug where an opening is formed between them, a core
connected with a plunger supported above and in line with the mold, a vertical
arm also connected to such plunger, and having a beveled head adapted to
engage with the extended arms of the closing plug, and releasing the same when
the core has reached the bottom of the mold, in combination with mechanism for
operating the plunger and its core, whereby the same is raised and lowered,
substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 30th day of March 1893.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.