Improvements in Manufacture of Glassware..
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Aug., 1898-Accepted, 15th-Oct., 1898
"1
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
i
Improvements in Manufacture of Glassware..
I, DANIEL CAMPBELL RIPLEY, Manufacturer, residing at No. 63, Hazelwood
Avenue, in the City of Pittsburg, County of Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania,
and 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 the manu-
facture of articles of glassware such as lantern globes, jars, vaseline bottles, etc.,
and the invention has for its object a construction and arrangement of
mechanism whereby a blank can be pressed to shape in one mold and then trans-
ferred in a vertical direction to another mold where the blank is blown to the
desired shape. 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, Figure 1
is a sectional elevation of my improved pressing and blowing apparatus; Fig. 2
is a sectional plan view, the plane of section being indicated by the line II-II,
Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional detail view, the plane of section being indicated by
the line III-III, Fig. 2; Fig. 3* is a sectional elevation illustrating a modified
construction of the blow mold and covering cap; Fig. 4 is a view similar to
Fig. 1 illustrating certain modifications; Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view, the
plane of section being indicated by the line V-V, Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a detail
view of the mold ring, and Fig. 7 is a view illustrating a modification in the
construction of the blank guide.
In the practice of my invention, the operating mechanism is preferably carried
on a stand 1 provided with wheels 2, to permit of the machine being easily
shifted from place to place. A central post or standard 3 is secured in suitable
sockets 4 formed in or secured to the stand 1, as shown in Fig. 1. A fluid
pressure cylinder 5, provided with valve mechanism adapted to be operated by
the hand lever 6 is adjustably secured to the central post or standard 3. To
the piston rod of the cylinder 5 is secured a plunger 7, and around this plunger is
placed the mold-closing ring 8, movably supported by the frame 9, attached to
the piston rod in the usual manner. A shoulder or bracket 10 is adjustably
secured to the central post or standard 3, below the cylinder and plunger. This
bracket or shoulder provided with a radial slot and in said slot is placed the
mold-ring 11. The body portion of this ring projects below the shelf or bracket
and is supported in position by flanges resting upon the bracket along the edges
of the slot. The slotted shelf or bracket is made of such a length as to permit

page_text: of the shifting of the mold-ring from a position immediately below the plunger 7
to such a distance outside of the plunger as to allow of the placing of a mass of
glass in the mold. A second bracket provided with arms 12 and 13 is secured
to the central post or standard below the bracket or shelf 10. The arm 12 serves
as a support for the press-mold 14, which is of the usual or any suitable con-
struction. The two brackets are arranged such a distance apart that the arm 12
will support the mold 14 in such relation to the mold-ring 11 that the mold
can be closed around the mold-ring while the latter is supported in the slotted
bracket 10.
In using the apparatus thus far described, the mold 14 is moved out along the
bracket 12, to such a position as to permit the operator depositing glass therein
through the mold-ring. The mold is then moved back into line with the
plunger 7, which is forced down to shape the blank in the mold. After the
plunger has been withdrawn the mold and ring are moved out until the axis of
the mold-matrix is in line with the axis of a mold 15 supported upon a rotating
bed 16, below the arm 12. As soon as the mold 14 has reached this position it
is opened so as to permit the blank a, formed by the pressing operation, to drop
through an opening in the arm 12 and into the blow-mold 15. In order that the
blank may drop truly into the mold 15, it may be held from lateral or vertical
movement (if found to be necessary) until the mold 14 has been opened suffi-
ciently far to permit of the passage of the blank without striking against any
part of the mold. In order in such case to support the blank during the opening
of the mold 14, any suitable form of catch adapted to grasp the portion of the
blank within the mold ring may be employed, such, for example, as that shown
in Figs. 1 and 3, and consisting of pins 17 arranged in openings in the mold-
ring 11, below the bracket 10, and held by springs 18 so that their inner ends
will project a short distance inside of the inner surface of the mold-ring, thereby
permitting of the glass of the blank being pressed around these projecting ends.
These pins can be withdrawn to release the blank after the opening, of the mold
in any desired manner, but in order to render the operation of the parts as nearly
automatic as possible, it is preferred that the pins should be moved outwardly
to release the blanks by the mold sections as they are moved outwardly from
around the blank. This purpose or result can be attained by forming fingers on
the ends of the pin, said fingers projecting into the path of movement of the
mold sections while being opened. The opening of the mold and the with-
drawal of the pins 17 in the manner stated will permit the blank to drop into the
blow mold 15. The rapidity of movement of the blank a will be checked as it
enters the blow-mold by the air contained therein forming a cushion and allowing
the blank to settle slowly into position. This will prevent the blank from being
distorted or injured by impact with the walls of the blow-mold cavity. The
bed 16 is rotatably mounted on the stand 1, and around the central post or
standard 3 so that as soon as a blank has been dropped into the blow-mold the
latter can be shifted by rotating the table under a blowing mechanism carried
by the arm 13. As shown in Fig. 1, this blowing apparatus or mechanism con-
sists of a concave or flanged plate 19, arranged in an opening in the arm 13, so
as to be capable of movement in order to seat its flanges against a packing
ring 20, preferably formed of asbestos and arranged in an undercut groove in the
upper end of the blow-mold. The plate 19 is provided with an opening whose
edges are suitably shaped to form a seat for the valve 21, having a stem 22 ex-
tending upwardly through a sleeve 23, formed on the cap 24, closing the upper
end of the air chamber 25, formed on the top of the plate 19. The sleeve 23
passes up through a guide socket 26, formed of an arm secured to the central
post or standard 3 and the stem 22 passes up through the sleeve 23. The
plate 19 is held in its raised position by a spring 27, interposed between the
upper side of the guide socket 26 and a shoulder 28 secured to the valve stem.
This spring 27 holds the valve 21 in its seat and also supports the plate 19 in
its raised position. In order to hold the valve closed while the plate 19 is being

page_text: arm
moved down against the blow-mold, a spring 29 is interposed between the upper
end of the sleeve 23 and the shoulder 28. The plate 19 is moved down and the
valve 21 opened by means of a lever 30, having one end pivoted to an
formed on the guide socket 26, and bearing upon the shoulder 28. It will be
readily understood that as said lever is moved down and as the sleeve 23 and
plate 19 are free to move, the first movement of the lever will compress the
on to the blow-mold. As soon
spring 27, and force the plate 19
as this plate is seated, the continued movement of the lever 30 will also
compress the spring 29 and move the valve 21 from its seat. A longitudinal
opening is formed through the stem 23, which is connected to a pipe 31, leading
to any suitable source of fluid pressure, and a lateral opening in the stem per-
mits the escape of fluid into the pressure chamber 25, whence it will escape into
the mold as soon as the valve is unseated.
As soon as a blank is deposited in the blow-mold, in the manner above
described, the press-mold 14 is closed, a quantity of glass placed therein, and the
mold slipped under the plunger, whereby the glass is compressed or shaped by
the descent of the plunger. The mold 14 is then moved out and opened in the
manner described, to permit the new blank to drop into another blow-mold
which has been brought into position under the opening in the arm 12, by the
movement of the table, which carried the first blow-mold under the blowing
mechanism. It will be understood that the pressing of a new blank will be
effected during the blowing of the first blank.
The devices above described, by which to secure the accurate movement of the
blank from one mold to the other, are not to be considered as essential, but
merely as convenient accessories to be employed when on account of the peculiar
conditions of the glass or peculiar shapes to be made, or for other reasons, the
use of such devices may be advantageous. Ordinarily, and especially in the
manufacture of plain articles of glassware such as fruit jars, jelly glasses, veseline
bottles, and even regular threaded articles, such accessory devices may usually be
omitted, so that on a quick opening movement of the press-mold, the blank will
drop vertically and in a practically straight line under the influence of gravity
directly from the cavity of the press-mold into the cavity of the blow-mold,
being sufficiently cushioned in its fall by the air already in the blow-mold, and
partially restrained as regards its escape as the blank comes to its lowest posi-
tion. This cushioning effect will ordinarily be sufficient to prevent the hot plastic
blank from being distorted or otherwise injured by impact with the walls of
the blow-mold cavity; and such manner of working the invention is expressly
included herein.
In the construction illustrated in Fig. 1, it will be observed that the blow-mold
is made of such a length relative to the height of the article to be formed, that
the upper end or neck of the article will project beyond the mold. A chamber c
is formed around this projecting end by the plate 19 having a cavity on its under
side, which extends over and around the upper end of the blank. This chamber c
around the upper end or neck of the blank in the blow-mold, can be obtained by
making the blow-mold of a length equal to or greater than that of the article to
be formed, and then enlarging the mold cavity above the shoulder which sup-
ports the blank prior to the blowing operation, as shown in Fig. 3. With such
a construction of blow-mold the under side of the plate 19 may be made flat or
only slightly concave. The effect of this chamber, the manner of forming which
is immaterial, is to make provision for the presence of air under pressure
uniformly on the outside and inside of the upper open end of the blank, and con-
sequently if such upper open end be threaded or receives in the press-mold pecu-
liar shape, or even if it be left perfectly cylindrical, such finished shape will be
retained, or in other words, the air pressure inside and outside being the same,
such upper open end will retain without material change or distortion, the finished
shape and size which
Hence,
given to it in the press-mold.
the chambers formed by the under side of the plate 19 and the upper end of the
were

page_text: mold, by which this result is secured, is one of the important features of my
invention:
ניי
970
But as it may be desirable in some cases to make special provision by which
to preserve the pressed shape of the threaded or other specially shaped upper end
portion of the blank, I provide therefor a guiding device (to be used when neces-
sary) for keeping the blank and mold ring in proper alignment while moving from
the press-mold to the blow-mold. This guiding device consists of a rod 32,
arranged in suitable guide arms 33, attached to any suitable support as the press-
ing cylinder when the latter is used to actuate the plunger. These arms are of
such a length that the axis of the rod 32 will be in line with the axes of the
blow-mold when in position under the opening in the arm 12. This guide rod 32
can be detachably connected in any suitable manner to the mold-ring 11". A
convenient means for detachably connecting the rod 32 to the mold-ring consists
of prongs or fingers 34 formed on or secured to the lower end of the rod 32,
and provided with inwardly projecting lugs 35. When the rod is moved down
these lugs will pass through notches 36 formed in the periphery of the mold-ring,
and by a
slight rotation of the rod will pass under shoulders adjacent to the
notches and formed by recessing the periphery of the ring. In using this
guiding device, the blank is pressed in the mold 14 as herein before described,
and the mold is then moved out over the opening in the arm 12. The guide rod
is then connected to the mold-ring and the mold opened, so as to permit of the
lowering of the blank and mold-ring into the blow-mold. As soon as the blank
has been lowered into position in the blow-mold, the rod 32 is rotated axially
to release the lugs 35 from engagement with the mold-ring and the rod raised
until its lower end will be a sufficient distance above the press-mold to permit of
the placing of additional quantities of glass therein. The guide rod 32 can be
held in its raised position by any suitable means, as for example by a spring 37,
secured to one of the arms 33 and bearing at its free end against the guide rod.
The means employed for holding the guide rod in its raised position can be so
constructed or adjusted that the additional weight of a blank and mold-ring will
overcome the resistance of such holding means and permit the. blank and mold-
ring to drop into the blow-mold as soon as the press-mold is opened. After the
blank has been placed in position in the blow-mold, the table 16 is rotated so as
to bring the mold under the blowing apparatus, when the operations hereinbefore
described are repeated.
As shown in Fig. 7, the guide rod 32 may be provided with spring fingers 38,
adapted to pass into the blank and bear against the inner surface thereof with
sufficient force to support and guide the blank or blank and mold-ring while
moving down into the blow-mold.
It is a matter of some importance that the cavities in the press and blow-molds
should be so constructed, as illustrated in Fig. 1, that the upper portion of the
blank formed in the press-mold will practically close the upper end of the blow-
mold, so as to prevent the air used in blowing from entering between the blank
and the walls of the shaping cavity in the blow-mold. It is also advantageous
that the blow-mold should be provided above the shaping cavity with a suitable
means, such as a shoulder, adapted to engage the blank when dropped into the
blow-mold, and support the blank clear of the shaping walls of the cavity, until
expanded by fluid pressure applied to the interior of the blank.
It will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, that many changes
and modifications can be made in the apparatus as shown and described and the
invention is not therefore limited to such specific construction.
It is characteristic of my improvement that the opening of the press-mold in
which the blank is formed permits of the quick and automatic movement of the
blank without the necessary use of any guiding devices into the blow mold,
which can then be quickly shifted under the blowing apparatus and the blank
expanded to final shape.

page_text: 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
1. In an apparatus for the manufacture of glassware, the combination of a
pressing mechanism, a press or blank mold, a press-mold support, a blow-mold
stationary beneath the press-mold at the time of and during the movement of the
blank from the press-mold and a mechanism for blowing the blank, substantially
as set forth.
2. In an apparatus for the manufacture of glassware, the combination of a
pressing, mechanism, a blowing mechanism, a press-mold, a press-mold support,
a blow-mold, and means for shifting the blow-mold to and from alignment with
the press-mold to operative position under the blowing mechanism, substantially
as set forth.
3. In an apparatus for manufacturing glassware, the combination of pressing
mechanism, a press or blank mold, a press-mold support, a blow-mold, a movable
blow-mold support arranged below the press-mold support, a mechanism for
blowing the blank, and means for guiding the blank in its movement from the
pressing to the blow-mold, substantially as set forth.
4. In an apparatus for blowing glassware, the combination of a press-mold, a
blow-mold, and means for supporting said molds in such relation to each other
as to permit of the vertical dropping movement of the blank from the press to
the blow-mold, substantially as set forth.
5. In an apparatus for the manufacture of glassware, the combination of press-
ing mechanism, a press or blank mold having a removable ring, a radially slotted
mold-ring support, a press-mold support, a blow-mold, a movable blow-mold sup-
port, said supports being arranged in such relation to each other as to permit of
the passage of the blank by a vertical movement from the press to the blow-
mold, substantially as set forth.
6. In an apparatus for the manufacture of glass-ware, the combination of a
sectional mold, a mold-ring, a support for the mold ring, and means for holding
the article in the mold-ring during the opening of the mold and adapted to be
shifted to release the article by the mold sections while being opened, substan-
tially as set forth.
7. The combination of a blow-mold having a shaping cavity and provided at a
point above the shaping cavity with means for supporting the blank as against
too great vertical movement, and a cap or plate provided with a connection to a
suitable source of air under pressure, the cap being constructed to form a tight
joint with the upper end of the blow-mold, substantially as set forth.
8. The combination of a blow-mold having a shaping cavity and provided at a
point above the shaping cavity with a shoulder adapted to support the blank as
against too great vertical movement, and a cap or plate provided wih a connec-
tion to a suitable source of air under pressure, the cap being constructed to form
a tight joint with the upper end of the blow-mold, substantially as set forth.
9. In an apparatus for manufacturing glassware, the combination of a pressing
mechanism, a press or blank mold movable into and out of line with the pressing
mechanism, a blow-mold, a blow-mold support movable in a horizontal plane!
below the plane of movement of the press-mold, and mechanism for blowing the
blank, substantially as set forth.
10. The combination of a press-mold provided with a blank shaping cavity,
and a blow-mold provided with a shaping cavity, the upper portions of the
cavities in said molds being suitably proportioned so that the blank formed in
the press-mold will close the upper portions of the cavity in the blow-mold, sub-
stantially as set forth.
11. The method of transferring plastic pressed glass blanks from the press-
mold in which they are pressed, into a blow-mold preliminary to blowing, by
dropping the blank bodily under the influence of gravity, through the open

page_text: bottom of the press-mold into the open top of the blow-mold, and cushioning, its
fall by the air partially confined in the blow-mold by the blank as it falls, sub-
stantially as described.
12. The method, of manufacturing articles of glassware, which consists in
pressing a blank, transferring the blank bodily and while in a plastic condition,
by the action of gravity from the press-mold to the blow-mold and expanding
the blank to the finished shape by blowing, substantially as set forth.
1000
Witnesses:-
DARWIN S. WOLCOTT.
F. E. GAITHUR,
DANIEL CAMPBELL RIPLEY.