A mold system is provided for use in a glass container mold assembly that includes a base, a first plunger containing cylinder having a first cross-sectional area configured and sized to fit upon the base, and a male mold merger movable between a retracted and extended positioned that is configured tor insertion into a gob of molten glass to form an interior cavity in the gob to form a parison capable of be big blown into a glass container. The mold system comprises an alignment cylinder coaxially coupled to the plunger containing cylinder and having a second cross-sectional area larger than the first cross-sectional area of the plunger containing cylinder for accommodating and receiving a male mold member having a cross-sectional area too large to be accommodated by the first cross-sectional area of the plunger containing cylinder. The alignment cylinder includes an interior passageway.

A glassware-forming neck ring system includes a neck ring assembly and a carrier assembly carrying the neck ring assembly. The neck ring assembly includes a neck ring guide having a first forming aperture therethrough around a vertical axis, and a neck ring divided along a longitudinal axis into neck ring sections carried by the neck ring guide and movable toward and away from one another along the neck ring guide along a lateral axis. The carrier assembly includes a carrier having a body with a second forming aperture therethrough, longitudinally opposite ends, laterally opposite sides between the ends, and a channel extending between the sides, restricting movement of the neck ring assembly along the vertical and longitudinal axes, and permitting movement of the neck ring assembly along the lateral axis.

A neck ring holder device intended to be used at a mould for forming glass containers (30), wherein the neck ring (41) for realizing the mouth (32) of the container can be opened and consists of a plurality of circumferential sectors (44) that can be moved apart from a closed position of the neck ring (41), in which the circumferential sectors (44) are coplanar and form a substantially continuous annular element, up to an open position of the neck ring (41), in which the circumferential sectors (44) are rotated out of said coplanar configuration, moving away from each other, about axes directed perpendicular to the direction of the axis (45) of said annular element, is characterised in that the movement of the circumferential sectors (44) from the closed position to the open position.

A glassware-forming neck ring system includes a neck ring assembly and a carrier assembly carrying the neck ring assembly. The neck ring assembly includes a neck ring guide having a first forming aperture therethrough around a vertical axis, and a neck ring divided along a longitudinal axis into neck ring sections carried by the neck ring guide and movable toward and away from one another along the neck ring guide along a lateral axis. The carrier assembly includes a carrier having a body with a second forming aperture therethrough, longitudinally opposite ends, laterally opposite sides between the ends, and a channel extending between the sides, restricting movement of the neck ring assembly along the vertical and longitudinal axes, and permitting movement of the neck ring assembly along the lateral axis.

A glassware-forming neck ring system includes a neck ring assembly and a carrier assembly carrying the neck ring assembly. The neck ring assembly includes a neck ring guide having a first forming aperture therethrough around a vertical axis, and a neck ring divided along a longitudinal axis into neck ring sections carried by the neck ring guide and movable toward and away from one another along the neck ring guide along a lateral axis. The carrier assembly includes a carrier having a body with a second forming aperture therethrough, longitudinally opposite ends, laterally opposite sides between the ends, and a channel extending between the sides, restricting movement of the neck ring assembly along the vertical and longitudinal axes, and permitting movement of the neck ring assembly along the lateral axis. A process of forming glassware includes carrying the glassware by a neck ring system through an entire glassware forming process from a blank molding station to a ware handler.

A modular mold assembly comprising two mold halves wherein each mold half comprises separable and interchangeable components that allow for the production of a plurality of unique glass containers is discloses. A new method of manufacturing customized glass containers which utilizes such modular mold assembly is also disclosed.

A method of providing glass from a glass melting furnace to at least one mold, including providing an uninterrupted glass communication path from an outlet of the glass melting furnace to the at least one mold, and pressurizing the path at a location downstream of the outlet to move molten glass into the at least one mold. A related system, apparatus, and molding equipment are also disclosed.