Improvements in Glass Blowing Machines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Glass Blowing Machines.
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 glass blowing
machines and has for its object a construction of mechanism whereby the move-
ments of the mold sections and the blowing head are controlled by fluid pressure,
which in turn is controlled by an electrically controlled valve mechanism. In
general terms the invention consists in the construction and combination substan-
tially as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.
In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1
is a side elevation of my improved machine: Fig. 2 is a view partly in front eleva-
tion and partly in section of the construction shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front
elevation of a modification of the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is
a sectional elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is a sectional
detail view on an enlarged scale of the valve mechanism in the blowing head con-
trolling the flow of fluid pressure to the blow pipe, and Fig. 6 is a view similar
to Fig. 4 illustrating a further modification of the machine.
In the practice of my invention, pillow blocks 1 are secured in any suitable
manner to the bottom of a tank 2 which is preferably mounted upon wheels, not
shown, to facilitate the movement of the mechanism from place to place. One
of the pillow blocks is preferably provided with a socket for the reception of the
post or standard 3. on which are adjustably secured the forked arms 4, for sun-
porting the blow-pipe in the operation of the machine. On the upper end of the
standard 3 is mounted a sleeve 5 adapted to be moved up and down on the post or
standard by mechanism to be hereinafter described. A socket 6 is secured to or
formed integral with the sleeve 5 and within the socket is arranged a hollow plug 7
which is held in position vertically within the socket by means of the screw cap 8
fitting on the upper end of the plug and bearing on the upper end of the socket.
Within the plug is arranged the cup shaped valve 9 normally held within its seat
in the plug by spring 10 and adapted to be raised against the tension of the spring
by the end of the blow-pipe 11. sufficiently far to uncover the ports 12. extending
radially from the central opening in the valve, permitting the flow of fluid from
the hollow plug into the valve. The socket 6 is provided in its inner wall with a
groove 13, and radial passages extend from the central passage of the plug so as
to communicate at all times with the groove 13. This groove is connected by a
passage 14 to the interior of the sleeve 5. the passage being so located as in
certain positions of said sleeve, to register with a port 15 through the wall of the

page_text: reservoir formed in the upper portion of the hollow post or standard 3, said reser-
voir being connected to a suitable source of supply of fluid under pressure. A
worm wheel 16 is keyed to the tubular plug and intermeshes with a worm wheel 17
on a shaft driven by an electric motor 18, which is secured on a bracket 19 extend-
ing from the sleeve 15, so as to move with the latter.
Near the lower portion of the post or standard 3 is secured an arm or bracket 20
having attached to its outer end or formed integral therewith, a fluid pressure
cylinder 21, the flow of fluid pressure to said cylinder being controlled by an
electrically actuated valve mechanism 22 of any suitable form or construction.
The piston rod 23 has a flexible connection to one end of a lever 24, which is
mounted on a movable fulcrum consisting of a bar 25, which is pivotally mounted
on a suitable bearing secured to the bottom of the tank 2. The opposite end of
the lever 24 is connected to trunnions on the sides of a sleeve 26 movably mounted
upon the post or standard 3. This sleeve is connected by rods 27 to the sleeve 5
and is provided near its lower end with ears 28 between which the arms 29 are
loosely pivoted, said arms being preferably bowed or so constructed as to have a
certain amount of resiliency. The opposite ends of these arms 29 are connected
to pins projecting laterally from rocker arms 30 and 31. The arm 30 is keyed on
or otherwise secured to a sleeve 32 mounted in one of the pillow blocks 1 and
the arm 31 is keyed to a shaft 33 passing loosely through the sleeve 32 and having
its opposite end mounted in the other pillow block. As shown in Fig. 2 the
arms 30 and 31 are so secured to the respective shaft and sleeve as to project in
opposite directions. Leaves or plates 35 35" provided with sleeves 36 are secured
on the sleeve and shaft 32 and 33 respectively, in such manner that when the arms
are raised by the operation of the piston in the fluid pressure cylinder, these leaves
or plates 35 35" will be moved apart so as to separate the mold sections 36 36".
The bottom of the matrix of these mold sections is formed by a plate or disc 37
detachably secured to a swinging arm 38 loosely mounted on the shaft between
the sleeves on the plates or leaves. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 this arm extends
below its pivotal support and is so weighted as to bring the bottom of the mold
into proper position while permitting it to be shifted so as to accommodate itself to
the mold sections when being closed.
F
In the construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the lower portion of the post or
standard 3 is utilized as a fluid pressure cylinder and within this cylinder 21" is
located the piston. The flow. of fluid pressure to and from the lower end of this
cylinder is regulated by electrically controlled valve mechanism 22", as in the
construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The piston rod 23 is connected to a rod 23
extending up within the post or standard. A cross head 39 is secured to this rod
and the ends thereof project through slots in the post or standard.. To the outer
ends of this cross head are attached the rods 29 which have their lower ends
connected to the arms 30 and 31 for shifting the mold sections. A cross head 40 is
secured to the upper end of the rod 23, and has its ends which project through slots
in the post or standard, connected to the movable sleeve 5.
It will be observed that the several parts of the machine are so constructed and
arranged that the weight of the. sleeve 5, and the parts carried. thereby, is utilized
for the purpose of closing the mold sections and lowering the blowing head into
engagement with the upper end of the blow pipe. In order to open the mold
sections and to raise the sleeve 5 with the blowing head, fluid pressure is admitted
into the cylinder by the operation of a switch in the circuit of the electro-magnet
of the electrically actuated valve mechanism. The downward movement, of the
sleeve 5-is controlled by the escape of fluid pressure from the cylinder. While this
construction is preferred, as the parts of the mold are closed and yieldingly held in
their closed position by gravity, and are not liable to injury, it will be readily
understood that the closing movements of the mold sections, and the downward
movement of the sleeve 5 can be effected positively by the admission of fluid pres-
sure to the cylinders above the piston, such admission being controlled by the
electrically actuated valve mechanism, shown in Fig. 6, and consisting of a second

page_text: electrically controlled valve mechanism 22 connected to the upper end of the
cylinder 21 and to a suitable source of fluid under pressure.
In order to effect the rotation of the blow pipe and the article within the mold,
during the blowing operation, jaws 42 project radially through holes in the lower
end of the plug 7, into the interior thereof, and are yieldingly held in operative
position by an elastic band 43. These jaws which have their inner ends beveled
or inclined are adapted to engage notches 44 formed in outer wall of the blow
pipe, as shown in Fig. 5, and thereby lock the blow pipe to the plug. The bottom
walls of the notches are so inclined that a slight vertical pull will release the blow
pipe forcing the jaws outwardly.
In order to facilitate the cracking off of the completed article from the blow pipe,
a rotary disc 45 is mounted on the mold in such position that as the glass is
rotated and expanded it will be forced out against the edge of the disc which will
cut a groove in the blow-over of such depth that a slight blow on the blow-pipe
will detach the article from the blow-over.
By the employment of a reservoir of a capacity equal to or greater than that of
the article to be formed, between the air compresser and the mold, a more uniform
pressure can be maintained in the mold, such stored pressure compensating for
reduction of pressure due to the expansion of the article in the mold.
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 machine for blowing glass, the combination of pivotally mounted mold
sections, a vertically movable blow head, a fluid pressure cylinder and piston and
connections from the piston to the mold sections and the blow head, substantially
as set forth.
2. In a machine for blowing glass, the combination of pivotally mounted mold
sections, a blow head adapted to engage the blow-pipe, means for rotating the
blow head, and a fluid pressure cylinder and piston and connections from the
piston to the blow head and mold sections, substantially as set forth.
3. In a machine for blowing glass, the combination of pivotally mounted mold
sections, a blow head adapted to engage the blow-pipe, means for imparting a
constant rotation to the blow head and pipe, a fluid pressure cylinder and piston,
an electrically controlled valve mechanism controlling the flow of fluid pressure
to the cylinder and connections from the piston to the blow head and mold sections,
substantially as set forth.
4. In a glass blowing machine, the combination of pivotally mounted mold
sections, a movable blow head adapted to engage the blow-pipe, the mold sections
being adapted to be closed and the blow head to be moved down into engagement
with the blow pipe by gravity, and a fluid pressure cylinder having its piston con-
nected to the mold sections and blow head and adapted to open the mold sections
and raise the blow head, substantially as set forth.
5. In a glass blowing machine, the combination of a mold, a rotatable cutter
mounted on the mold, a blow-pipe and means for rotating the blow-pipe, sub-
stantially as set forth.
6. The combination of two pivotally mounted mold sections, a pivotally mounted
support weighted so as to stand in normal or operative position, and a disc adapted
to form the bottom of the mold detachably mounted on the pivotal supports, sub-
stantially as set forth.
7. In a machine for blowing glass, the combination of a mold, a blow pipe, a
reservoir or storage chamber connected to a fluid compresser, and a valve
mechanism adapted to be operated by the blow pipe controlling the flow of fluid
pressure from said reservoir, substantially as set forth.
8. In a machine for blowing glass, the combination of a mold, a hollow post
or standard adapted to form a storage reservoir or chamber for fluid under pressure,

page_text: a valve mechanism carried by the post or standard and a blow pipe adapted to
operate the valve mechanism, substantially as set forth.
9. In a machine for blowing glass, the combination of a mold, a hollow post or
standard adapted to form a storage reservoir or chamber, for fluid under pressure,
a movable blow head mounted on the post or standard and adapted to control the
flow of fluid pressure from the reservoir, and a blow pipe, substantially as set forth.
Pittsburg, Pa.. U.S.A... August 21st 1899.
Signed in the presence of:
DARWIN S. WOLCATT,
BAYARD H. CHRISTY.
CHARLES HENRY WILLIAM RUHE.