Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Glass-ware.
Year: 1890

page_text: te of Application, 23rd Sept., 1890-Accepted, 22nd Nov. 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by EVAN JONES, Plumber and Gasfitter, and. JOHN
ABRAHAM JONES, Glassblower, both of 110, Diamond Street, Pittsburg,
Pennsylvania, United States of America.]
Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Glass-ware.
I JOHN THOMSON KING of 4 Clayton Square, Liverpool in the County of Lancaster,
Patent Agent, 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 consists in certain improvements in apparatus for the manufacture of
hollow glassware, such as bottles, by a combined operation of blowing and pressing, is
now described, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this
Specification in which
Figure 1 is a representation partly in section of the improved apparatus.
"
Figure 2 is a sectional representation of part of the apparatus, the plane of section
being at right angles to that in Fig. 1.
Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each. The frame of the machine
shown in Fig. 1, consists of a base a and bed plate 6 and legs or supports c at each
end. The bed plate and base are horizontal and parallel to each other and placed a
sufficient distance apart to give room for the removal of the former m n, downwards
from the mold. The mold & in which the glass article is to be formed is supported on
the bed-plate b over an aperture e in the bed-plate, which is circular or of the shape
of the cross-section of the article to be formed, and of the same diameter, so that the
sides of the cavity of the mold d and of the aperture e exactly coincide. On the bed
plate 6 and at one side of the mold d, is an upright post f, having brackets f', f³,
which extend over and above the mold d. The brackets f', f2, form supports and
guides for the rod g of the plunger g of the glass press, and to the post fis pivoted
at i between the brackets f, f2, the hand lever h, by which the press is operated. The
plunger rod g extends above the upper bracket 3, and is surrounded by a short
spiral springs, which keeps the plunger raised out of the mold d when not depressed
by the lever h. The plunger rod g is hollow throughout, and is attached at its upper
end to a flexible tubej which connects with a reservoir of compressed air (not shown)
and a cock or valve y serves to regulate the admission of compressed air through the
hollow plunger rod g into the mold, or rather into the glass contained in the mold.
The plunger g¹ is solid, and when pressed up against the end of the hollow plunger
rod g closes it.
A stem g² is attached to the plunger g', and extends up the hollow plunger rod g,
having a button gå at its upper end between which and the guide-ring 9 a short spiral
spring serves to counterbalance the weight of the plunger g' making, it easily
movable in the hollow rod g. The plunger g¹ passes through an annular plate 1, to
which are attached pins which pass through a flange 12 on or near the lower
extremity of the plunger rod g and a spiral spring s² interposed between the flange (2
of the plunger rod g and the annular plate 7 serves to keep the plunger g' depressed
and the lower end of the hollow rod g normally open.
Immediately below the aperture e in the bed plate and above the base a of the
machine, is the former m n, which serves in combination with the plunger g¹ to give a
preliminary cupped or hollow form to the piece of molten glass which is introduced
into the mold.
The former is shown partly in section in Figure 1, and consists principally of a
hollow cylinder m, and a cup-shaped bottom piece n, which fits into and slides within
the cylinder m. The cup-piece n is supported by an upright stem n', which stem has
at its lower extremity a ball fitting into a socket n' (as shown in the drawings) the

page_text: socket n² being pivoted to one end of a lever h¹, which is pivotally connected with the
base of the machine or to a link depending therefrom, at (which forms its fulcrum)
and at the other extremity to a treadle p, so that by depressing the treadle with his
foot, the workman raises the former m, n, until it passes through the aperture e
in the bed plate and enters the mold d to the position shown by the dotted lines in
Fig. 1. The lower end of the cylinder m has a flange which rests on spiral
springs supported by pins attached to a plate o which rests on the outer end
of a lever h², pivoted to the frame at 2. Thus by operating the lever h¹, the
cup of the former is moved independently of the cylinder m and by the
lever the cylinder m is moved independently of the cup n.
When the former m n inserted in the mold d (as shown by dotted lines in
Figure 1) the mold d has no bottom, but after the former has performed its office,
as hereinafter described, the former is lowered out of the mold to the position
shown by full lines in Figure 1, and the bottom piece 7 is inserted into the
aperture e thus furnishing a bottom to the mold d. The bottom piece q has a
stem q and a ball q³ at its lower extremity, which ball fits into the socket n²
which is pivoted to the outer extremity of the lever h', taking the place of the
ball n² of the stem n'. The stems n' of the former and g¹ of the bottom piece,
are both connected with a slide r, which is a plate covering a slott in the base a
of the machine. They are so connected by passing each through a suitable hole in
the sliding plate r, and they may be readily raised or permitted to fall by the
lever h¹, and at the same time moved lengthwise of the frame of the machine by
shifting the sliding plate r. The motion of this plate is effected by means of a lever
or other device, and the length of stroke of the plater requisite to bring the
stems n' and q¹ centrally under the mold d being regulated by stops u, u.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-The former m, n, being in the
depressed position shown in Figure 1, a lump of molten glass gathered from a
pot or furnace is dropped into the cylinder m and rests on the cup n and the
former carrying the plastic glass is immediately raised by the lever to the
position shown by the dotted lines in Figure 2 within the mold d, or if preferred,
the former may be raised to that position before the glass is deposited within it.
The plunger g' is immediately lowered by the lever h, into the mold d, and entering
the former m, n, is forced into the plastic glass which is thereby moulded into the
shape of the cavity of the former, the plunger being of smaller diameter than
the cavity of the cylinder m so as to permit the glass to pass upwards within the
cylinder and around the plunger g¹ and into the neck of the mold, where if
desired, a collar is formed in said neck.
The glass thus molded within the former is quite thick, the article thus far
formed being much smaller in height and diameter than the finished article is
designed to be.
The cylinder m of the former is then lowered, and the cup n slightly depressed,
which permits the spring s² to depress the plunger g₁ still further, thus opening
the mouth of the tubular plunger rod g.
Some compressed air is then admitted by opening the valve y which air, passing
through the tube 9 finds its exit around the top of the plunger g¹ within the glass
in the cavity of the mold, the annular plate around the plunger g¹ being kept
close down on the top of the mold by the spiral springs, thus keeping the mold
closed, and preventing the escape
of the compressed air.
The effect of the admission of the compressed air is to swell out the glass within the
mold uniformly in all directions, and to cause it to fill the cavity of the mold d, the
same as when the glass is blown in a mold by a workman through a pipe. When
the glass in the mold begins to expand by the internal pressure of the compressed air,
the former m n is rapidly withdrawn, being lowered to the position shown by full lines
in Figure 1, by means of the lever h³, and the sliding plater being then moved until
the bottom piece q comes under the aperture e of the bed-plate, it is raised into place
so as to fill the aperture e. The piece q fitting into the aperture forms the bottom of
the mold, and the introduction of the compressed air through the tubular plunger-

page_text: rod g is continued until the glass fills the entire cavity of the mold, when the air is
shut off by the valve y and the article is then ready to be removed.
The mold d is made in two or more parts as may he desired and in the usual way,
and is movable on the bed plate so that different molds may be used on the same
machine. So also the former m, n, and bottom piece q may be changed to suit
different sizes of molds and the size of the aperture e in the bed plate b may be varied
by the use of movable rings.
It will be noticed that in the use of our improved apparatus, the glass article to be
made receives a preliminary shaping by pressure in a mold smaller than that of the
finished article; that this preliminary mold (called a former in the Specification) is
then quickly removed out of the way, leaving the plunger of the mold in close con-
nection with the partially shaped glass; that a bottom is then placed in the final or
finishing mold; and that the partially formed article is then completed by blowing so
as to receive its final shape within the larger or finishing mold.
By means of the apparatus constructed and operated as described, not only are
the services of one man out of three dispensed with in operating a glass press, but
the bottles or other articles of hollow ware are made of more uniform weight and of
better finish.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The combination of a glass blow mold, a hollow press mold insertible within the
cavity of the blow-mold, and a plunger insertible within the cavity of the press mold
to form therein a hollow article within the limits of the cavity of the blow mold, said
plunger having a hollow stem for the introduction of air to expand the pressed glass
article without removal of the plunger; substantially as and for the purposes
described.
2. The combination of the blow mold d, an insertible and removable press inold,
and a plunger having a hollow stem and a movable end adapted to close the passage
through said stem; substantially as and for the purposes described.
3. The combination of the glass mold d, former m n removable mold bottom g,
slider and plunger g', with the levers hh' and h² for operating the same; substantially
as described.
4. The combination of the former m, n, capable of a vertical movement; the
hollow plunger rod g capable of connection with an air supply; the plunger g¹
capable of motion relatively to the rod so as to close it when depressed; and the
glass mold d; together with the levers for operating the moving parts; the movable
bottom and the slider for bringing either the former or the mold bottom in
the vertical line of the axis of the mold; substantially as described.
Dated the 17th day of Sandamban 1000
Per pro. J. T. KING,
J. Johnson.