A drinkware product includes a vessel container and a base having upper and lower surfaces and a periphery, wherein the base includes a transparent section extending through the base from the upper surface to the lower surface and having an optical surface providing a predetermined degree of magnification when viewed through the transparent section from the upper surface of the base. The optical surface providing a predetermined degree of magnification is positioned to provide at least one focal point under the base positioned between the periphery of the base and a central location of the base when viewed through the transparent section from the upper surface of the base. The vessel container may be formed by a sidewall extending up from the base at the periphery of the base, or may be an upper portion of a stemware with a stem extending between the base and upper portion. An existing product mold may be modified by either adding material to the mold or removing material from the mold to form a modified mold surface which will impart an optical surface to the base of a stemware or other drinkware product formed with the modified mold.

A drinkware product includes a vessel container and a base having upper and lower surfaces and a periphery, wherein the base includes a transparent section extending through the base from the upper surface to the lower surface and having an optical surface providing a predetermined degree of magnification when viewed through the transparent section from the upper surface of the base. The optical surface providing a predetermined degree of magnification is positioned to provide at least one focal point under the base positioned between the periphery of the base and a central location of the base when viewed through the transparent section from the upper surface of the base. The vessel container may be formed by a sidewall extending up from the base at the periphery of the base, or may be an upper portion of a stemware with a stem extending between the base and upper portion. An existing product mold may be modified by either adding material to the mold or removing material from the mold to form a modified mold surface which will impart an optical surface to the base of a stemware or other drinkware product formed with the modified mold.

A method of fabricating a glass matrix composite includes providing a fiber preform in a cavity of a die tooling, the fiber preform circumscribing an interior region; providing a parison of glass matrix material in the interior region, the glass matrix material having a first viscosity; introducing pressurized inert gas into the parison to outwardly inflate the parison against the fiber preform; and while under pressure from the pressurized inert gas, decreasing the first viscosity of the glass matrix material to a second viscosity. The pressure and the second viscosity cause the glass matrix material to flow and infiltrate into the fiber preform to thereby form a consolidated workpiece. The consolidated workpiece is then cooled to form a glass matrix composite.

A method of fabricating a glass matrix composite includes providing a fiber preform in a cavity of a die tooling, the fiber preform circumscribing an interior region; providing a parison of glass matrix material in the interior region, the glass matrix material having a first viscosity; introducing pressurized inert gas into the parison to outwardly inflate the parison against the fiber preform; and while under pressure from the pressurized inert gas, decreasing the first viscosity of the glass matrix material to a second viscosity. The pressure and the second viscosity cause the glass matrix material to flow and infiltrate into the fiber preform to thereby form a consolidated workpiece. The consolidated workpiece is then cooled to form a glass matrix composite.

A process for producing glass bottles with shoulders includes a preform preparation step and a finishing step, in which a compressed gas is blown and the preform is rotated by 180 between the preform mold and the finishing mould. Preform preparation is achieved by introducing a glass gob into the mold through an upper aperture; inserting a blowing sleeve into the glass gob, the end of the sleeve extending beyond the shoulders of the outline of the preform of the bottle, the sleeve being closed by a plunger element slidable within its interior; opening the cavity of the sleeve to disengage the plunger element; and blowing air through the sleeve, wherein the final finishing step is achieved in an open preform mold, the volume of the cavity of the finishing mold being greater than the volume of the cavity of the preform mold by 5-20%.

A process for producing glass bottles with shoulders includes a preform preparation step and a finishing step, in which a compressed gas is blown and the preform is rotated by 180 between the preform mold and the finishing mould. Preform preparation is achieved by introducing a glass gob into the mold through an upper aperture; inserting a blowing sleeve into the glass gob, the end of the sleeve extending beyond the shoulders of the outline of the preform of the bottle, the sleeve being closed by a plunger element slidable within its interior; opening the cavity of the sleeve to disengage the plunger element; and blowing air through the sleeve, wherein the final finishing step is achieved in an open preform mold, the volume of the cavity of the finishing mold being greater than the volume of the cavity of the preform mold by 5-20%.

A mold release lubricant application equipment 4 comprises application portions 30A,30B for applying a mold release lubricant to glass bottle forming molds 10, 18, and an application control portion 31 for operating the application portions 30A,30B. Molds 10,18 are arranged independently along a predetermined arrangement direction A1. A plurality of sections 5 comprising molds 10, 18 are formed along the arrangement direction A1. The application portions 30A, 30B comprise lubricant application parts 38A, 38B for applying the mold release lubricant, a transport mechanisms 33A, 33B for moving the lubricant application parts 38A,38B among the plurality of the sections along the arrangement direction A1, and sensors 42A, 42B. The application control portion 31 detects abnormalities with the sensors 42A, 42B on a plurality of sections 5

A mold release lubricant application equipment 4 comprises application portions 30A,30B for applying a mold release lubricant to glass bottle forming molds 10, 18, and an application control portion 31 for operating the application portions 30A,30B. Molds 10,18 are arranged independently along a predetermined arrangement direction A1. A plurality of sections 5 comprising molds 10, 18 are formed along the arrangement direction A1. The application portions 30A, 30B comprise lubricant application parts 38A, 38B for applying the mold release lubricant, a transport mechanisms 33A, 33B for moving the lubricant application parts 38A,38B among the plurality of the sections along the arrangement direction A1, and sensors 42A, 42B. The application control portion 31 detects abnormalities with the sensors 42A, 42B on a plurality of sections 5

A glass container includes legible indicia having an indicia outer surface coextensive with an outer surface of an adjacent portion of the container and with no V-shaped depressions, and having an indicia inner surface that protrudes radially inwardly with respect to an inner surface of the container adjacent to the indicia inner surface.

A glass container includes legible indicia having an indicia outer surface coextensive with an outer surface of an adjacent portion of the container and with no V-shaped depressions, and having an indicia inner surface that protrudes radially inwardly with respect to an inner surface of the container adjacent to the indicia inner surface.