Methods and systems for controlling vertical glass distribution are provided. A traversing pyrometer periodically measures a parison actual temperature after the parisons exit a blank mold. The thermal camera takes a thermal image of each glass container after the glass container exits the blow mold. A vertical glass signature extraction module extracts a vertical glass distribution signature. A parison temperature estimator determines a parison estimated temperature for each vertical glass distribution signature obtained based on the vertical glass distribution signature, a most recently measured parison actual temperature and a parison stretch time. A parison temperature summer compares the parison estimated temperature to a parison set point temperature to determine a parison temperature error. A parison temperature control controls a blank mold contact time based on the parison temperature error.

A machine is for the manufacture of a hollow glass article that includes at least one thin side wall. The machine includes at least one molten glass parison distributor, a blank mold including a cavity designed to successively receive at least one parison of molten glass, and components that form a blank of the article in the blank mold, transfer the blank into a cavity of the finishing mold, and form the article in the finishing mold. The cavity of the finishing mold includes at least one side part provided with a concave cavity to form, on the side wall of the article, a convex bulge directed towards the exterior of the article. The machine further includes a component that removes the bulge to give the side wall of the article a substantially constant thickness.

A method for controlling a process of cooling a number of glass molds with a cooling medium in a process of producing glass bodies, wherein a production section of the section machine is respectively assigned at least one of the glass molds, and, for cooling the number of glass molds, the cooling medium is supplied on a jointly shared basis, wherein the supplying of the shared cooling medium for the number of glass molds is jointly controlled and the shared cooling medium is assigned a number of absolute cooling medium parameters and the absolute cooling medium parameters are determined as cooling medium parameters that are shared by the number of glass molds. It is provided that the cooling medium is assigned as absolute cooling medium parameters that can be set jointly for the number of glass molds at least one cooling capability, in particular a cooling output, and a cooling pressure, which are set, in particular are subjected to closed-loop and/or open-loop control, wherein, on the basis of a desired cooling capability, in particular desired cooling output, of the cooling medium, a cooling capability variable is determined by means of a primary actuating device, and the cooling capability variable is prescribed to a secondary actuating device, and, depending on the prescribed cooling capability variable, a cooling pressure variable is prescribed by means of the secondary actuating device on the basis of the cooling pressure of the cooling medium in such a way that a cooling capability, in particular a cooling output, of the cooling medium is made to approximate to the desired cooling capability, in particular a cooling output, of the cooling medium.

The present invention relates to a particle filter (F) for a glass forming machine operating according to a blow-and-blow process or according to a press-and-blow process, said particle filter (F) is adapted for placing in at least an air channel (14a) serving pressurized air for counter blow (5) of a parison (P) in a blank mold (2) forming station of said glass forming machine, and/or an air channel (14b, 20) serving pressurized air for final blow (11) and/or for finish cooling (21) of a glass container (12) made of said parison (P) in a finish mold (8) station of said glass forming machine, said particle filter (F) comprising a surface filter as a main filter media (MF) and said particle filter (F), if placed in at least said air channel (14a) serving pressurized air for counter blow (5) of said parison (P) in said blank mold (2) forming station of said glass forming machine, and/or said air channel (14b, 20) serving pressurized air for final blow (11) and/or for finish cooling (21) of said glass container made of said parison (P) in said finish mold (8) station of said glass forming machine, avoiding passage of particles above a certain size from a dirty side of said main filter media (MF) to a clean side of said main filter media (MF) and thus, also avoiding final passage of said particles above said certain size into said parison (P) or said glass container (12) blown by said glass forming machine and a plunger unit (PU), a blow head (BH), a blow head support and a glass forming machine adapted for a particle filter (F) according to the present invention.

The present invention relates to a particle filter (F) for a glass forming machine operating according to a blow-and-blow process or according to a press-and-blow process, said particle filter (F) is adapted for placing in at least an air channel (14a) serving pressurized air for counter blow (5) of a parison (P) in a blank mold (2) forming station of said glass forming machine, and/or an air channel (14b, 20) serving pressurized air for final blow (11) and/or for finish cooling (21) of a glass container (12) made of said parison (P) in a finish mold (8) station of said glass forming machine, said particle filter (F) comprising a surface filter as a main filter media (MF) and said particle filter (F), if placed in at least said air channel (14a) serving pressurized air for counter blow (5) of said parison (P) in said blank mold (2) forming station of said glass forming machine, and/or said air channel (14b, 20) serving pressurized air for final blow (11) and/or for finish cooling (21) of said glass container made of said parison (P) in said finish mold (8) station of said glass forming machine, avoiding passage of particles above a certain size from a dirty side of said main filter media (MF) to a clean side of said main filter media (MF) and thus, also avoiding final passage of said particles above said certain size into said parison (P) or said glass container (12) blown by said glass forming machine and a plunger unit (PU), a blow head (BH), a blow head support and a glass forming machine adapted for a particle filter (F) according to the present invention.

The present invention relates to mold cooling method and system for a glass container forming machine that includes at least one mold holder including mold halves that are movable between a closed mold position for forming the glass article and an open mold position for releasing said article, each of the mold halves having axial passages for cooling each of the mold halves. A support structure having a fixed upper support section and a movable support section. Means for providing a cooling flow are coupled in coincidence with a series of openings in the movable support section. A cooling flow distributor located above the movable support section, the cooling flow distributor having a lower section in coincidence with each of the openings of the movable support section for the passage of the cooling flow and, a upper section in coincidence with each of the axial passages of each of the halves of each mold, the cooling flow distributor being movable between the closed mold position and the open mold position.

A closing mechanism for the mold halves of an I.S. machine, including two yoke-like mold holders mounted on parallel guides and movable between a closed position and an open position by means of a drive. A spindle transmission is provided laterally to at least one guide, the spindle transmission including a threaded spindle that is connected to the drive via a transmission and is in engagement with two threaded sleeves, each of which is connected to one of the two mold holders via two threaded sections running in opposite directions. By means of the drive, a servomotor, the opening and closing movement of the mold holders is carried out. Two pneumatically actuated piston-cylinder units are provided in order to apply the clamping force required between the mold holders or the mold halves in the closed position.

The invention relates to a method of fabricating a glass container, the method comprising a forming step of forming molten glass in order to obtain a semi-finished container (4) comprising a shell (5) presenting inside and outside faces (7, 8), a cooling step during which said semi-finished container is in a transient state in which the glass forming said outside face is sufficiently viscous for it not to deform under the effect of gravity, while the glass forming said inside face is sufficiently fluid to allow said inside face to deform under the effect of gravity, said method including a shaping operation while the semi-finished container is in said transient state, in which operation the semi-finished container is maintained for a predetermined time in a position that is inclined relative to its upright vertical position in order to modify the shape of said inside face under the effect of gravity.

A method of fabricating glass containers, and a corresponding fabrication installation.

For the monitoring of the application of a vacuum to the finished moulds (1, 2) of a glass moulding machine, in particular of an I.S. machine, an arrangement is proposed which is composed of a vacuum sensor (13, 14), which vacuum sensor is arranged in a vacuum line (5, 6) which charges the finished mould (1, 2) and which vacuum sensor is designed for pressure measurement and detects a pressure value, which pressure value is transmitted by way of a microcontroller (15, 16) of an I.S. machine controller (22) by way of which, in a manner dependent on the measured value, a hollow glass article can be identified as being defective and rejected. The arrangement permits automated monitoring of the vacuum operation and a lessening of the burden on operating personnel, and serves for the automated assurance of product quality.

A method of forming a glass container includes providing a glass parison having a tubular wall that includes an inside surface, which defines an interior parison cavity open at one axial end of the tubular wall, and an outside surface. The tubular wall includes an expandable blow portion that has a forming viscosity between 10.sup.7.5 Pa.Math.s and 10.sup.5.5 Pa.Math.s and is also in an isoviscous state. The glass parison is blow molded into a glass container by introducing a compressed gas into the interior parison cavity to thereby cause the expandable blow portion of the tubular wall to expand outwardly into a portion of a wall that defines the glass container.