Stirrer (1) for stirring molten glass (16), whereby the stirrer (1) comprisesa shaft (2) having a tip (4) and having a central longitudinal axis (L), andone or more inner stirrer blades (5,6) which are attached to the shaft (2), andone or more outer stirrer blades (7,8) which are attached to the shaft (2), whereby the inner stirrer blades (5,6) are attached closer to the shaft (2) than the outer stirrer blades (7,8), whereby, when considering the stirrer in a cylindrical coordinate system (11), both the one or more inner stirrer blades (5,6) as well as the one or more outer stirrer blades (7,8) are disposed at an angle (?, ?) to the central longitudinal axis (L), whereby said angle (?, ?) is between 0? and 90? not including these values, and are disposed having a least a blade section with a normal vector (N, P, Q, R), on the side directed towards the tip (4), with an angular component (N.sub.A, P.sub.A, Q.sub.A, R.sub.A).

Stirrer (1) for stirring molten glass (16), whereby the stirrer (1) comprisesa shaft (2) having a tip (4) and having a central longitudinal axis (L), andone or more inner stirrer blades (5,6) which are attached to the shaft (2), andone or more outer stirrer blades (7,8) which are attached to the shaft (2), whereby the inner stirrer blades (5,6) are attached closer to the shaft (2) than the outer stirrer blades (7,8), whereby, when considering the stirrer in a cylindrical coordinate system (11), both the one or more inner stirrer blades (5,6) as well as the one or more outer stirrer blades (7,8) are disposed at an angle (?, ?) to the central longitudinal axis (L), whereby said angle (?, ?) is between 0? and 90? not including these values, and are disposed having a least a blade section with a normal vector (N, P, Q, R), on the side directed towards the tip (4), with an angular component (N.sub.A, P.sub.A, Q.sub.A, R.sub.A).

A glass container forming apparatus for forming a glass parison is disclosed. The glass container forming apparatus includes a feeder spout having a heated orifice ring, a plunger carried in the feeder spout and having a blow conduit therethrough, and die rollers immediately downstream of the heated orifice ring, with no chutes, scoops, or other gob handling devices therebetween. A glass container forming system that includes a glass feeder and a glass container forming apparatus is also disclosed.

A glass container forming apparatus for forming a glass parison is disclosed. The glass container forming apparatus includes a feeder spout having a heated orifice ring, a plunger carried in the feeder spout and having a blow conduit therethrough, and die rollers immediately downstream of the heated orifice ring, with no chutes, scoops, or other gob handling devices therebetween. A glass container forming system that includes a glass feeder and a glass container forming apparatus is also disclosed.

A molten material furnace system having a liquid cooled flow control mechanism and method are disclosed. In particular, the flow control mechanism can include a needle including: a longitudinal axis; an outer conduit including an outer base end, an outer body, and an outer free end; an inner conduit including an inner base end, an inner body radially spaced from the outer body, an inner free end, and a central inlet passage extending between the inlet and the inner free end. Also disclosed is a needle control assembly to position the flow control needle relative to a stilling tank outlet orifice to control flow of molten material through the outlet orifice.

A molten material furnace system having a liquid cooled flow control mechanism and method are disclosed. In particular, the flow control mechanism can include a needle including: a longitudinal axis; an outer conduit including an outer base end, an outer body, and an outer free end; an inner conduit including an inner base end, an inner body radially spaced from the outer body, an inner free end, and a central inlet passage extending between the inlet and the inner free end. Also disclosed is a needle control assembly to position the flow control needle relative to a stilling tank outlet orifice to control flow of molten material through the outlet orifice.

A gob forming device for forming a gob that is fed into a mold for molding a glass product after adjusting the gob to an optimum weight and shape, the gob forming device comprising: one or two cameras 71,72 configured to capture one or more images of a gob in the falling path of the gob, the gob being obtained by cutting molten glass extruded from a circular orifice 11 of a gob feeder 1; an image processor 70 configured to perform image processing to measure the weight of the gob and feature values of the gob based on the one or more 2-D images of the gob captured by the one or two cameras, the feature values defining the shape of the gob, the weight and the feature values being measured by approximating the shape of the gob's cross section in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction as a circle or ellipse and; drive mechanisms 40, 50, and 64 to 66 configured to individually drive respective adjustment mechanisms to adjust the gob to achieve a desired weight and shape; a storage device configured to store, as reference data, a standard weight of the gob and an optimum value of each of the feature values of the gob; and a control device 8 configured to drive the drive mechanisms 40, 50, and 64 to 66 so that the drive mechanisms operate to ensure that the difference between the weight of the gob measured by the image processor 70 and the corresponding reference data stored in the storage device is an acceptable value and the differences between the feature values of the gob measured by the image processor 70 and the corresponding reference data stored in the storage device are acceptable values.

A gob forming device for forming a gob that is fed into a mold for molding a glass product after adjusting the gob to an optimum weight and shape, the gob forming device comprising: one or two cameras 71,72 configured to capture one or more images of a gob in the falling path of the gob, the gob being obtained by cutting molten glass extruded from a circular orifice 11 of a gob feeder 1; an image processor 70 configured to perform image processing to measure the weight of the gob and feature values of the gob based on the one or more 2-D images of the gob captured by the one or two cameras, the feature values defining the shape of the gob, the weight and the feature values being measured by approximating the shape of the gob's cross section in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction as a circle or ellipse and; drive mechanisms 40, 50, and 64 to 66 configured to individually drive respective adjustment mechanisms to adjust the gob to achieve a desired weight and shape; a storage device configured to store, as reference data, a standard weight of the gob and an optimum value of each of the feature values of the gob; and a control device 8 configured to drive the drive mechanisms 40, 50, and 64 to 66 so that the drive mechanisms operate to ensure that the difference between the weight of the gob measured by the image processor 70 and the corresponding reference data stored in the storage device is an acceptable value and the differences between the feature values of the gob measured by the image processor 70 and the corresponding reference data stored in the storage device are acceptable values.

Forehearth tank assembly for a glass distribution channel. The assembly includes a single liner, two plungers and more and a single flow washer that has first and second orifices. The plungers are arranged, at least in part, in the liner. More than three grooves are created on the inner surface of the liner. Each has, in an inner part of the liner that is intended to be in contact with molten glass, a lower portion extending over more than 10% of the length of the lower part and having a length, measured following the groove, of greater than 0.1 times the length of the lower part. The length of the lower part is measured along the axis of the liner.