Patent Description:
Soda-lime-silica glass and other types of glass are prevalent in the manufacture of glass containers. Molten glass used to make such articles can be conventionally prepared by reacting and melting a batch of glass-forming materials in a glass furnace. The batch of glass-forming materials is typically introduced into the furnace by being deposited into a pool of molten glass already in the furnace. The batch is gradually melted into the pool by continuous application of heat. After the batch has been melted, refined, and homogenized within the furnace, the resulting molten glass is typically directed to a fining channel where bubbles are liberated from the molten glass and then downstream to a forehearth where the fined molten glass is thermally conditioned by being cooled to a suitable temperature for forming the molten glass into containers. A gob feeder located at a downstream end of the forehearth can be used to measure out and form predetermined amounts of molten glass known as "gobs. " The gobs are fed from the gob feeder, down into and through "delivery" equipment, and to an "individual section" (IS) machine that forms the glass gobs into parisons and then forms the parisons into glass containers.

A conventional IS machine typically includes two to sixteen individual sections of identical construction positioned side-by-side in a row and configured to be operated out of phase with one another to provide a continuous flow of glass containers on a conveyor downstream of the IS machine. Each section includes a frame supporting a blank sub-section or side to receive or load one or more glass gobs from the delivery equipment and form one or more parisons from the glass gobs, and a blow sub-section or side to receive parisons from the blank side and form containers from the parisons. The blank side includes one or more blank molds, plungers, funnels, and baffles that form the glass gobs into the parisons, and corresponding blank mold actuators, plunger actuators, funnel actuators, baffle actuators, and other devices and components that facilitate operation of the blank molds, plungers, and baffles. The blow side includes one or more blow molds, bottom plates, and blow heads that form the parisons into the containers, and corresponding blow mold actuators, bottom plate pneumatics, and blow head actuators. Each section also includes mold cooling circuits and valves, and a parison inverter including parison neck rings carried by an invert arm to hold the parisons by their necks and invert the parisons from the blank molds to the blow molds. Each section further includes a takeout mechanism to take the containers out of the blow molds and release them onto a deadplate of each section, and a sweepout mechanism that sweeps the containers from the deadplate to the downstream conveyor. The aforementioned equipment of each section is operated according to precise timing to ensure that the IS machine as a whole provides the continuous flow of glass containers onto the downstream conveyor.

In operation, movable halves of each of the blank molds are closed around the plungers with the funnels located on top of the blank molds, gobs are delivered through the funnels into the molds, the baffles are placed on top of the funnels, and air is puffed through the baffles to settle the gobs down into the blank molds. Then, the funnels and the baffles are removed, the baffles are replaced directly on top of the blank molds, and either counterblow air is puffed through blow plungers to blow the gobs into conformity with the blank molds (blow- and-blow) or press plungers are advanced into the blank molds to press the gobs into conformity with inner surfaces of the blank molds (press-and-blow). The baffles have exhaust reliefs to allow air to escape from the blank molds during formation of the parisons. Thereafter, the baffles are removed, the molds are opened, and the parison inverters rotate to invert the parisons from a "necks-down" orientation in the blow molds to a "necks-up" orientation between upper ends of open movable halves of the blow molds of the blow side. Subsequently, the movable halves of the blow molds close around the bottom plates, the parison inverter rotates back to the blank side to a position between lower ends of the open blank molds, and the blow heads are placed on top of the closed blow molds to blow air into the parisons through their open necks to blow the parisons into conformity with inner surfaces of the blow molds to produce the containers. Finally, the blow heads are removed, the blow molds are opened, the takeout mechanism relocates the finished containers from the blow side to the deadplate and the sweepout mechanism sweeps the finished containers from the deadplate to the downstream conveyor. Notably, the finished containers are very hot and, therefore, must be of sufficient wall thickness that they do not slump when placed on the deadplate or when traveling down the conveyor as they cool.

The gob feeder typically controls temperature and quantity of molten glass of the glass gobs and a rate at which the glass gobs are fed to the IS machine indirectly via the delivery equipment. But the delivery equipment requires use of dirty lubricants and includes a complex arrangement of scoops, troughs, and deflectors of varying lengths and configurations, depending on proximity of each section of the IS machine to the gob feeder. Use of such messy and variable delivery equipment contributes to variation in temperature distribution of the glass gobs and, therefore, such temperature variation leads to undesirable non-uniform wall thicknesses of glass containers produced from the glass gobs and, thus, such non-uniformity necessitates use of container wall thicknesses that are greater than would otherwise be required.

<CIT> describes a baffle mechanism for an I. machine, wherein each section has a blank station including a mold opening and closing mechanism carrying blankmolds and a blow station including a mold opening and closing mechanism carrying blowmolds.

<CIT> describes a method of pressing and blowing a hollow article wherein a plurality of neck rings connected together in a chain-like manner which move along a continuous predetermined path at a constant speed as driven by sprocket wheels.

The present disclosure embodies a number of aspects that can be implemented separately from or in combination with each other.

A glass forming individual section machine in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure includes a machine frame having a glass gob loading axis, and a traversable blank side, including a blank mold configured to form a glass gob into a parison and having a blank mold vertical axis. The machine also includes a mold carriage movably carried on the machine frame and coupled to the traversable blank side to linearly translate the traversable blank side toward the glass gob loading axis to align the blank mold vertical axis with the glass gob loading axis and to linearly translate the traversable blank side away from the glass gob loading axis.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a method of loading a blank mold of an individual section machine, including producing a falling glass gob along a falling gob axis, moving at least one traversable blank side including at least one blank mold along an axis transverse to the falling gob axis to load the glass gob substantially along a first loading axis of the at least one blank mold, and forming the glass gob into a parison using the at least one blank mold.

In general, and in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus, system, and method are provided for loading a glass gob directly into a blank mold, preferably with no intervening delivery equipment in the form of scoops, troughs, and/or deflectors. Accordingly, the apparatus, system, and method do not necessitate delivery equipment that requires messy lubrication and that is lengthy and involves prolonged contact between glass gobs and the delivery equipment, and thereby leads to glass gob deformation and uneven cooling of the glass gobs. Therefore, the apparatus, system, and method do not require a large height difference between the glass feeder and the corresponding blank mold and the temperature distribution of each glass gob is more uniform thereby leading to more uniform wall thicknesses of glass containers produced from the glass gobs and, thus, thinner-walled lighter-weight containers can be produced. In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, an apparatus, system, and method are provided for autonomous loading of a glass gob into a blank mold. Accordingly, the apparatus, system, and method should not require operator intervention after initial system set up.

With specific reference to the drawing figures, <FIG> generally show an illustrative embodiment of a system <NUM> that includes a gob feeder <NUM> to produce one or more glass gobs G that fall along gob feeding or falling axes Z corresponding to each of the gobs G, a glass forming individual section (IS) machine <NUM> below the gob feeder <NUM> to receive or load the falling gobs G into traversable blank molds 14a and ultimately produce glass containers (not shown) from the glass gobs G via stationary blow molds 14b. Although the system <NUM> is illustrated according to a triple gob and triple mold setup, those of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the system <NUM> may be configured for a single gob and single mold setup, a dual gob and dual mold setup, or according to any suitable gob and mold quantity. The system <NUM> also may include a sensor subsystem <NUM>, and further may include a controller <NUM> to receive input signals from the sensor subsystem <NUM> and the IS machine <NUM>, process the input signals in any suitable manner, and transmit output signals to the IS machine <NUM> and/or the gob feeder <NUM> to improve loading of the glass gobs G to the IS machine <NUM>. The sensor subsystem <NUM> may include one or more falling gob sensors 16a, gob loading sensors 16b, blank mold temperature sensors 16c, and blow mold temperature sensors 16d.

Preferably, the system <NUM> includes no gob delivery equipment in the form of scoops, troughs, and/or deflectors between the gob feeder <NUM> and the IS machine <NUM> to change direction of the falling gobs G away from falling gob axes Z. However, a gob shaping funnel <NUM> may be placed between the gob feeder <NUM> and the IS machine <NUM>. Notably, a primary purpose of the gob shaping funnel <NUM> is to promote a desired shape of the glass gobs G produced by the gob feeder <NUM> and, perhaps, also to also maintain a trajectory of the falling gobs G along the falling gob axes Z and, to the contrary, not to redirect the glass gobs G away from the falling gob axes Z as is done with prior art funnels, and conventional delivery equipment in the form of scoops, troughs, and/or deflectors. A loading height between a glass line (or "metal line") of a glass melting apparatus and a top of an individual section machine bed can be reduced compared to conventional arrangements that use delivery equipment in the form of scoops, troughs, and/or deflectors. Such conventional equipment typically requires a conventional loading height of about <NUM> meters to achieve a velocity of a gob that is sufficient to fully load the gob into a blank mold. In contrast, because there is little to no surface contact on gobs G falling between the gob feeder <NUM> and blank molds 14a of the IS machine <NUM> according to the present disclosure, the gobs G can achieve velocity sufficient to fully load the gobs G into the blank molds 14a according to a reduced loading height of about <NUM> meters. As used herein, the term "about" means within plus or minus <NUM>%.

Although not separately shown, the gob feeder <NUM> may include a feeder channel to receive molten glass from an upstream forehearth and convey the molten glass downstream, a feeder bowl or chamber downstream of the feeder channel to receive the molten glass, an orifice at a downstream end of the feeder chamber to define a shape of glass gobs G produced by the feeder, a plunger including a plunger rod to push molten glass toward and out of the orifice and a plunger actuator to move the plunger rod, a heating system including one or more heaters to heat one or more of the feeder channel, chamber, and/or orifice, and a gob cutter downstream below the orifice to cut gobs from a stream of molten glass exiting the orifice. In some embodiments, the gob feeder <NUM> also may include a plunger tube and a plunger tube actuator. The gob cutter may include mechanical devices like shears, optical devices like lasers, fluid devices like water jets, or any other device suitable to cut a gob from a glass stream.

With reference now to <FIG>, the IS machine <NUM> has a glass gob receiving or loading axis Z' and includes a machine frame <NUM> including a machine platen <NUM>, a traversable blank side <NUM>, including at least one blank mold 14a configured to form a glass gob into a parison and having a blank mold vertical axis V<NUM>, and a mold carriage <NUM> movably carried on the machine frame <NUM> and coupled to the traversable blank side <NUM> to linearly translate the traversable blank side <NUM> toward the glass gob loading axis Z' to align the blank mold vertical axis V<NUM> with the glass gob loading axis Z' and to linearly translate the traversable blank side <NUM> away from the glass gob loading axis Z'. Further, the IS machine <NUM> additionally may include a second traversable blank side <NUM> including at least one second blank mold 14a configured to form a glass gob into a parison and having a second blank mold vertical axis V<NUM> and a second mold carriage <NUM> carried on the machine frame <NUM> and coupled to the second traversable blank side <NUM> to linearly translate the second traversable blank side <NUM> toward the glass gob loading axis Z' to align the second blank mold vertical axis V<NUM>, with the glass gob loading axis Z' and to linearly translate the second traversable blank side <NUM> away from the glass gob loading axis Z'. Also, the IS machine additionally may include a stationary blow side <NUM>, including at least one blow mold 14b configured to form a container from the parison produced by the blank mold(s) 14a. Moreover, the IS machine additionally may include a second stationary blow side <NUM>, including at least one second blow mold 14b configured to form a container from the parison produced by the second blank mold(s) 14a of the second traversable blank side <NUM>.

With reference to <FIG> and <FIG>, the mold carriages <NUM>, <NUM> include carriage first stages <NUM>X, <NUM>X movable along a longitudinal first axis X, and may also include at least one other stage, for example, carriage second stages <NUM>Y, <NUM>Y, movable along a lateral second axis Y transverse to the first axis X. Accordingly, the traversable blank sides <NUM>, <NUM> are movable along the longitudinal axis X from a molding position (<FIG>) on one side of the falling gob axis Z toward the falling gob axis Z to a loading position (<FIG>) wherein a loading axis Z' of the blank mold(s) 14a is axially aligned with the falling gob axis Z, and then back again to the molding position. The traversable blank sides <NUM>, <NUM> also may be movable along the second axis Y transverse to the longitudinal axis X, as will be discussed in further detail herein below. In any case, the blank sides <NUM>, <NUM> may be paused momentarily to receive or load the glass gob(s) into the blank mold(s) 14a to ensure desired accuracy and position of gob loading.

The presently illustrated arrangement includes two traversable blank sides <NUM>, <NUM> disposed on orthogonally opposite longitudinal sides of the loading axis Z'. But the presently disclosed subject matter includes any suitable quantity of blank sides disposed in any suitable arrangement with respect to the axis Z', for example, three blank sides that may be circumferentially spaced apart around the axis, for instance, <NUM> angular degrees apart, or four blank sides that may be orthogonally arranged around the axis, for instance, <NUM> angular degrees apart.

With reference to <FIG>, the machine frame <NUM> also includes a base <NUM>, the machine platen <NUM>, and adapter mounts <NUM> coupled to the base <NUM> and carrying the machine platen <NUM>. The base <NUM> may include a plurality of beams <NUM> extending longitudinally and being laterally spaced apart from one another and one or more cross-members <NUM> extending laterally between and connecting to the plurality of beams <NUM>. Of course, the base <NUM> may be of any other construction suitable for supporting a machine platen thereon with the adapter mounts <NUM> carried therebetween. Although not separately shown, the machine frame <NUM> also may include additional adapter mounts in the form of levelers axially sandwiched between the base <NUM> and the machine platen <NUM> to level the machine platen <NUM> relative to the base <NUM>. The levelers may include opposed wedges that may be driven toward and away from one another to raise and lower the machine platen <NUM> relative to the base <NUM>.

With reference to <FIG>, the illustrated adapter mounts <NUM> are in the form of platen positioners, for example, at one or more corners of the machine frame <NUM>, to position the machine platen <NUM> relative to the base (not shown) in a plurality of directions. The positioners may include bracketry <NUM> fixed to the base (not shown), and one or more set screws <NUM> threaded through the bracketry <NUM> and coupled to one or more portions of the machine platen <NUM> to push or pull the machine platen <NUM> in one or more directions. As illustrated, and as best shown in <FIG>, the machine platen <NUM> may include one or more inserts <NUM> fastened to a main portion of the platen <NUM> and having a driven projection or tang <NUM> extending outwardly from the main portion of the platen <NUM> to cooperate with the set screws <NUM>.

With reference to <FIG>, the blank side <NUM> may include a blank side frame <NUM> ultimately carried on the machine platen <NUM> and including a bottom 50a, a top 50b, and side walls 50c extending between the bottom 50a and the top 50b. The blank side <NUM> further may include a plunger apparatus <NUM> carried by the blank side frame <NUM>, a blank mold holder apparatus <NUM> movably carried by the blank side frame <NUM> and, of course, the blank mold(s) 14a, which may be carried by the blank mold holder apparatus <NUM>. The blank side <NUM> also may include a baffle apparatus <NUM> carried by the blank side frame <NUM>, an inverter apparatus <NUM> that may be carried by the blank side frame <NUM>, and a mold funnel apparatus (not shown) that may be carried by the frame <NUM>. Likewise, the second blank side (<FIG>, <NUM>) includes the same equipment as the aforementioned blank side <NUM>. Similarly, the stationary blow side <NUM> may include a blow side frame <NUM> including a bottom 60a, a top 60b, and side walls 60c extending between the bottom 60a and the top 60b. The blow side <NUM> further may include a bottom plate apparatus <NUM> (<FIG>) carried by the blow side frame <NUM>, a blow mold holder apparatus <NUM> movably carried by the blow side frame <NUM> and, of course, the blow mold(s) 14b, which may be carried by the blow mold holder apparatus <NUM>. The stationary blow side <NUM> also may include a blowhead apparatus <NUM> carried by the blow side frame <NUM>, and a takeout apparatus <NUM> carried by the blow side frame <NUM>. Although not separately shown, each section of the IS machine <NUM> also includes mold cooling circuits and valves, electrical wiring and components, and any other equipment suitable for use with an IS machine, and is associated with a sweepout mechanism that sweeps finished containers from a deadplate to a downstream conveyor.

With reference to <FIG>, the mold carriage first stage <NUM>X may be carried on first stage rails <NUM> (<FIG> and <FIG>) fixed to the machine platen <NUM> and extending along the first axis X, and the mold carriage second stage <NUM>Y may be carried on second stage rails <NUM> (<FIG>) fixed to the mold carriage first stage 26x and extending along the second axis Y transverse to the first axis X. As shown best in <FIG>, the traversable blank sides <NUM>, <NUM> are movably carried on the machine platen <NUM>, whereas the stationary blank sides <NUM>, <NUM> are fixed on the machine platen <NUM> adjacent to the traversable blank sides <NUM>, <NUM>.

With reference to <FIG> and <FIG>, the carriage first stage <NUM>X may include a first stage plate <NUM> and a first stage actuator <NUM>, which may include a first stage motor 76a and a first stage ball screw 76b carried by the machine platen <NUM> and driven by the first stage motor 76a and having a first stage drive rod 76c coupled to a first stage extension arm <NUM> coupled the first stage plate <NUM>. The carriage first stage <NUM>X may include any other actuator suitable for use in a glass manufacturing environment.

With reference to <FIG> and <FIG>, the carriage second stage <NUM>Y may include a second stage plate <NUM>, and a second stage actuator <NUM>, which may include a second stage motor 82a and a second stage ball screw 82b carried by the first stage plate <NUM> and driven by the second stage motor 82a and having a second stage drive rod 82c coupled to a second stage extension arm <NUM> coupled the second stage plate <NUM>.

As such, and with reference to <FIG>, the illustrated mold carriage <NUM> includes an XY linear stage <NUM>X, <NUM>Y that includes a lower portion movably carried on the machine frame <NUM> and an upper portion movably carried on the lower portion and fixed with respect to the traversable blank side <NUM>. More specifically, the XY linear stage <NUM>X, <NUM>Y includes the first stage plate <NUM> movable along the first axis X transverse to the blank mold vertical axis (<FIG>), and the second stage plate <NUM> movable along the second axis Y transverse to the blank mold vertical axis (<FIG>) and the first stage axis X.

With reference again to <FIG>, the sensor subsystem <NUM> may include the one or more falling gob sensors 16a to measure one or more falling gob parameters of the falling gobs G, the one more gob loading sensors 16b, which may include cameras, to measure one or more gob loading parameters of the glass gobs G as the gobs G are loaded into the blank mold(s) 14a, and/or the one or more blank or blow mold temperature sensors 16c, 16d. The sensors 16a-d may be carried by perimeter fencing of the IS machine <NUM>, by overhead building girders or framework, by stand-alone sensor frames, or by any other structure suitable for use in a glass manufacturing environment. The falling gob sensors 16a may include one or more cameras configured and aimed to capture three-dimensional images of the glass gobs G falling from the gob feeder <NUM>. The cameras may be used to measure gob weight, X and Y components of a falling gob angle, gob diameter, gob length, overall gob temperature, and horizontal and vertical components of gob temperature, gob velocity, and any other falling gob parameters suitable for use with the presently disclosed method. The gob loading sensors 16b may include one or more cameras configured and aimed to capture images of the blank mold(s) 14a and/or the glass gobs G as they are loaded into the blank mold(s) 14a. The cameras may be used to measure blank mold temperature, neck ring temperature, plunger temperature, parison temperature, gob loading position, gob arrival time, falling gob angle, gob length, and any other blank mold and/or gob loading parameters suitable for use with the presently disclosed method. The blow mold temperature sensors 16d may be used to measure blow mold temperature.

With continued reference to <FIG> and <FIG> generally, the controller <NUM> is in communication with the one or more sensors 16a-d of the sensor subsystem <NUM> to receive sensor output signals therefrom as input signals to the controller <NUM>, and in communication with the one or more actuators <NUM>, <NUM> of the mold carriage <NUM> to transmit controller output signals for use as input signals to the mold carriage <NUM> in order to move the blank side <NUM>, <NUM> responsive to the one or more falling gob parameters, the one or more gob loading parameters, or both. The controller <NUM> also may be in communication with the gob feeder <NUM> to transmit controller output signals for use as input signals to the plunger actuator, the feeder heater(s), the feeder shears actuator, or any other devices of the gob feeder <NUM>, or any other devices of a forehearth upstream of the gob feeder <NUM>. The controller <NUM> may include a single system controller, or may include multiple separate controllers in communication with one another, for instance, a gob feeder controller, a sensor controller, a mold carriage controller, and/or the like. Each controller may include memory, one or more processors coupled to the memory, and one or more interfaces coupled to the processor and that may include circuits, software, firmware, and/or any other devices to assist or enable the controller in communicating internally and/or to facilitate input and output communication with other controllers, and/or various other portions of the system <NUM>. Of course, the controller <NUM> further may include any ancillary devices, for example, clocks, internal power supplies, and/or the like. Although not separately shown, the controller <NUM> may be supplied with electricity by an external power supply, for example, an AC to DC transformer, one or more batteries, fuel cells, and/or the like. In any case, the controller <NUM> may be used to facilitate various aspects of the presently disclosed method discussed below.

A method of loading a blank mold of an individual section machine includes producing a falling glass gob along a falling gob axis, moving at least one traversable blank side including at least one blank mold along an axis transverse to the falling gob axis to load the glass gob substantially along a first loading axis of the at least one blank mold, and forming the glass gob into a parison using the at least one blank mold. The moving step may include moving first and second traversable blank sides with respect to the falling gob axis to load the glass gobs substantially along first and second loading axes of first and second blank molds of the first and second traversable blank sides. More specifically, the moving step may include actuating a mold carriage carried on a machine frame and operatively coupled to the first and second traversable blank sides to move the first and second traversable blank sides relative to the machine frame during operation of the machine. The method also may include sensing a characteristic of the falling gob and/or of the gob loading, and, responsive to the sensing step, adjusting at least one of the gob producing step or the blank side moving step. More specifically, the controller may receive and process input signals corresponding to one or more characteristics discussed above that are sensed by the sensor subsystem, and produce output signals to one or more portions of the gob feeder and/or the mold carriage to improve gob loading precision and/or accuracy.

The system may be set up initially and then run autonomously. For example, one or more humans may secure the IS machine to a factory floor, for instance, by fastening the base to a forming floor, projecting a laser or other plumb or alignment device between centerlines of the gob feeder orifices and centerlines of corresponding blank molds, adjusting the levelers and the positioners to achieve desired alignment between the corresponding centerlines, and fastening the IS machine in place. Thereafter, because the system and method may be configured for closed loop control of movement of the blank sides and also may be configured for closed loop control of the gob feeder, the system may be operated autonomously. For example, the actual gob loading position of the gobs can be measured relative to a desired gob loading position, and precision and accuracy of the actual gob loading may be evaluated and action may be taken based on such evaluation. For example, when the actual loading position drifts too far from the desired loading position, the controller can transmit one or more suitable output signals to adjust a loading position of the blank side along the X and/or Y axes and thus maintain desirable loading for every gob loaded. Likewise, when the actual loading position drifts too far from the desired loading position, the controller can transmit one or more suitable output signals to adjust various parameters of the gob feeder, for instance, gobbing rate, feeder temperature(s), and the like. Therefore, once the system is initially configured and aligned by one or more humans, thereafter, the system can self-correct to ensure desirable gob loading precision and accuracy in blank molds from mold cycle to mold cycle.

Claim 1:
A glass forming individual section machine (<NUM>), comprising:
a machine frame (<NUM>) having a glass gob loading axis (Z');
a traversable blank side (<NUM>), including a blank mold (14a) configured to form a glass gob into a parison and having a blank mold vertical axis (V<NUM>); and
a mold carriage (<NUM>) movably carried on the machine frame and coupled to the traversable blank side to linearly translate the traversable blank side toward the glass gob loading axis to align the blank mold vertical axis with the glass gob loading axis and to linearly translate the traversable blank side away from the glass gob loading axis.