Glass forming machine comprising a swabbing station and method

Abstract

The invention refers to a glass forming machine which includes a blank station for forming a parison (14) from a gob of molten glass (9) and a blow station for forming the parison (14) into a container (26) and an invert mechanism (16) which can move a neck ring (5) from the blank station to the blow station by a rotary motion and which further includes a swab robot and a control device for the swab robot, wherein the control device is set up so that the swab robot can swab and thus swab the neck ring (5) when the neck ring (5) is in an intermediate position between the blank station and the blow station. Defects in the production of bottles can thus be avoided.

Claims

1. Glass forming machine comprising: a blank station for forming a parison from a gob of molten glass, a blow station for forming the parison into a container, an invert mechanism which can move a neck ring from the blank station to the blow station by a rotary motion, the said rotary motion between the blank station and the blow station is one single rotary motion taking place within only one plane, a control device set up so that the neck ring stops its rotary motion within said one plane or reduces its speed of rotary motion within said one plane when the neck ring is in an intermediate position between the blank station and the blow station, and a swab robot, wherein the control device is set up so that the swab robot swabs the neck ring when the neck ring is in the intermediate position between the blank station and the blow station.

2. Glass forming machine according to claim 1 comprising two intermediate positions for swabbing the neck ring from a front side and from a back side.

3. Glass forming machine according to claim 2 wherein the control device is set up so that the control device stops the neck ring in at least one intermediate position or reduces the speed of the neck ring in at least one intermediate position.

4. Glass forming machine according to claim 1 wherein the control device is set up so that the control device stops the neck ring or reduces the speed of the neck ring when an arm holding the neck ring has been swiveled by 10° to 90° for swabbing the neck ring from a front side.

5. Glass forming machine according to claim 1 wherein the control device is set up so that the control device stops the neck ring or reduces the speed of the neck ring when an arm holding the neck ring has been swiveled by 90° to 170° for lubricating the neck ring from a back side.

6. Glass forming machine according to claim 1 wherein the invert mechanism includes a servo-electric drive in order to transfer the neck ring.

7. Glass forming machine according to claim 1 wherein the invert mechanism includes a gripper which can grip the neck ring.

8. Glass forming machine according to claim 1 wherein the swab robot comprises a tube for swabbing the inside of the neck ring and/or a top surface of the neck ring.

9. Glass forming machine according to claim 8 comprising a drive which can move a support bracket of the tube, tilt a support bracket of the tube and/or rotate a support bracket of the tube about its longitudinal axis.

10. Glass forming machine according to claim 1 wherein the neck ring includes two neck ring halves, a blank mold of the blank station includes two blow mold halves and/or a blow mold of the blow mold station includes two blow halves.

11. Glass forming machine according to claim 1 wherein the blank station comprises a movable plunger for forming a parison.

12. Glass forming machine according to claim 1 wherein the blow station comprises a blowing device to blow up a parison when the parison is in a blow mold.

13. Glass forming machine according to claim 1 wherein the blow station includes a suction device to assist forming the parison into a container and wherein the blow mold includes a double wall, leaving a gap between the two walls of the double wall, and wherein the inner wall of the double wall is at least in part permeable to air.

14. Glass forming machine according to claim 1 which further includes a replacement robot, wherein the control device is set up so that the replacement robot can replace the neck ring when the neck ring is in the intermediate position between the blank station and the blow station.

15. Glass forming machine according to claim 14 wherein the control device is set up so that the control device stops the neck ring when an arm holding the neck ring has been swiveled by 10° to 90° for replacing the neck ring.

16. Glass forming machine according to claim 15 wherein the replacement robot includes a moving arm and a gripper through which a neck ring can be gripped.

17. Glass forming machine according to claim 1 wherein the neck ring comprises one and only one neck ring moved back-and-forth between the blank station and the blow station by rotary motion taking place within one plane.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is illustrated with the aid of the following example, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a blank station at the beginning of the production of a parison;

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the blank station during the production of a parison;

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of the blank station at the end of the production of a parison;

(5) FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of an invert mechanism at the beginning of a transfer of the parison;

(6) FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of the invert mechanism at the end of a transfer of the parison;

(7) FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of a blow station at the beginning of the production of a glass bottle;

(8) FIG. 7 is a schematic representation of the blow station at the end of the production of the glass bottle;

(9) FIG. 8 is a schematic representation of the glass bottle;

(10) FIG. 9 is a schematic representation of the invert mechanism in a first intermediate position;

(11) FIG. 10 is a schematic representation of the invert mechanism in a second intermediate position;

(12) FIG. 11 is a schematic representation of the invert mechanism in a first intermediate position in order to replace a neck ring.

(13) The FIGS. 1 to 8 illustrate the production of a glass bottle. The FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate the swabbing of a neck ring.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(14) FIG. 1 refers to a blank station of a glass forming machine. FIG. 1 shows one blank mold 1 of the blank station. The blank mold 1 includes two blank mold halves 2 and 3. The blank mold halves 2 and 3 are in a closed position. The two blank mold halves 2 and 3 are closed up on a neck ring 5 at the lower end of the blank mold 1.

(15) There is an annular recess 6 formed by the two halves 2, 3 when the two halves 2 and 3 are in their closed position. The neck ring 5 comprises an upper annular projection 7. The upper annular projection 7 extends into the annular recess 6 when the two halves 2, 3 are in their closed position. In the closed position of the two halves 2, 3, these are then fixed by positive locking with the neck ring 5.

(16) The inner wall of the neck ring 5 can have a bulge 8. A parison can be held by this bulge 8, as shown in FIG. 3.

(17) As shown in FIG. 1, a gob of molten glass 9 can be brought into the blank mold from above by gravity.

(18) The blank station includes a plunger 10. According to FIG. 1, the plunger 10 is in an initial position. The plunger 10 reaches through the neck ring 5. The plunger 10 tapers in the direction of the mold 1. When the plunger 10 is in the initial position the plunger 10 ends close to the bottom of the mold 1 as well as above the bottom of the mold 1 as shown in FIG. 1.

(19) So that the gob of molten glass 9 can be moved into the mold 1 by gravity, the mold 1 has an upper opening 11 on the upper side.

(20) The neck ring 5 can include a flange 12 on which the mold 1 can rest. Further, the neck ring 5 can include a lower annular projection 13 in order to be able to connect the neck ring 5 positively with an arm of an invert mechanism.

(21) As soon as the gob of molten glass 9 is completely in the mold 1, the upper opening 11 of the mold 1 is closed by a baffle 33 as shown in FIG. 2. After the upper opening 11 has been closed, the plunger 10 is moved upwards, i.e. further into the mold 1. This upward movement of the plunger 10 is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. The gob of molten glass 9 thus becomes a parison 14. The parison 14 is shown in FIG. 3.

(22) Once the parison 14 has been formed, the mold is opened. The baffle 33 and the two halves 2 and 3 of the mold 1 are removed from the parison 14. The parison 14 remains on the neck ring 5. Further, the parison 14 is held by the bulge 8 of the neck ring 5. For example, the baffle 33 is pulled out of the parison 14 first. After that the two halves will be moved away.

(23) A gripper 15 of an invert mechanism 16 then grips for example the lower projection 13 of the neck ring 5 as illustrated in FIG. 4. The gripper 15 is attached to an L-shaped arm 17 of the invert mechanism 16. The L-shaped arm 17 can be rotated about one axis 18. The rotation is done by means of a motor. The motor is not shown in FIG. 4.

(24) After the gripper 15 has gripped the neck ring 5, the L-shaped arm 17 is rotated 180° around the axis 18. FIG. 5 shows this rotated state. The parison 14 is thus brought to a base 19 of a blow station 20. The parison 14 is then located above this base 19.

(25) The blow station 20 comprises a blow mold which includes two blow mold halves 21 and 22. After the parison 14 has been brought to the base 19, the two halves 21 and 22 are moved to the parison 14. Subsequently, the parison 14 is inside the blow mold 21, 22 as shown in FIG. 5.

(26) When the parison 14 is inside the blow mold 21, 22, the neck ring 5 is removed. To do this without damaging the parison 14, the neck ring 5 also includes two halves. The two halves of the neck ring 5 can therefore be removed from each other to remove the neck ring 5 from the parison 14 as illustrated in FIG. 6.

(27) The two halves 21 and 22 include a double wall. A gap 23 remains between the two walls of the double wall. The inner wall of the double wall is perforated or otherwise air-permeable. The base 19 comprises ducts 24 through which air can be sucked out of each gap 23.

(28) A blow head 25 is then placed on the two halves 21 and 22 of the blow mold. Air is then pumped through the blow head 25, inflating the parison into a bottle 26, as shown in FIG. 7. Inflating can be supported by sucking air through the ducts 24.

(29) After the bottle 26 has been inflated, the blow head as well as the two halves 21 and 22 of the blow mold are removed. The bottle 26 can then be gripped by a take out 27 and placed on a conveyor belt 28, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 8.

(30) If the neck ring 5 is to be swabbed, only the neck ring 5 is rotated from one station in the direction of the other station by the invert mechanism 16. However, it is not rotated by 180°. Instead, for example, it is initially rotated by 10-90°. Then the rotation stops. Now the tube 29 of a swab robot moves towards the ring until the tube 29 at least reaches the neck ring 5. Then a lubricant 32 such as oil is pumped through the tube 29. In this way, the inside of the neck ring 5 is sprayed with the lubricant 32. The lubricant 32 can be sprayed with the tube 29. This creates a spray mist that reaches the inside of the neck ring 5. Alternatively, the lubricant 32 can be deflected at the end of the tube 29. Such swabbing is shown in FIG. 9.

(31) Preferably the tube 29 is connected to a support bracket 30. Preferably, the tube 29 includes an angle of less than 180° with the support bracket 30. More preferably, this angle is 90°. Preferably, the support bracket 30 can be moved, tilted and/or rotated about its longitudinal axis by a drive.

(32) With little construction space and little technical effort, the open end 31 of the tube 29 can then be quickly brought to the desired position.

(33) When the neck ring 5 has been swabbed from one front side, the neck ring 5 is rotated further until the neck ring 5 can be swabbed from the other back side, as shown in FIG. 10.

(34) A corresponding control device which is not shown in the figures is set up so that the control device stops the neck ring 5 when an arm respectively a leg of the invert mechanism 16 holding the neck ring 5 has been swiveled by 10° to 90° as shown in FIG. 9. Before the swivel, the arm was at the side of the blank station.

(35) The control device is set up so that the control device stops the neck ring when the arm respectively the leg holding the neck ring 5 has been swiveled by 90° to 170°, as shown in FIG. 10. Before the swivel, the arm was at the side of the blank station.

(36) In this way, particularly suitable swabbing can be provided without having to fear damage.

(37) FIG. 11 shows a moving arm 34 of a replacement robot. At the end of the moving arm 34 there is a gripper 35. A control device which is not shown is set up so that the control device stops the rotation of the neck ring 5 when an arm respectively a leg of the invert mechanism 16 holding the neck ring 5 has been swiveled by 10° to 70° as shown in FIG. 11. Then, the gripper 35 grips the neck ring 5 and then removes neck ring 5. Then a neck new ring 5 is gripped by the gripper 35 to bring it into the position shown in FIG. 9. In this way, replacement of the neck ring 5 may take place.

(38) The foregoing invention has been described in accordance with the relevant legal standards, thus the description is exemplary rather than limiting in nature. Variations and modifications to the disclosed embodiment may become apparent to those skilled in the art and fall within the scope of the invention.