Abstract: Pressure relief blow out plugs for a container are disclosed as well as methods of using the same. One disclosed method involves providing a glass container that comprises a base and a body extending away from the base. The base includes a wall that defines a pressure relief passage. The method also involves inserting a pressure relief blow out into the pressure relief passage to seal the passage. The plug comprises a first inboard flange extending radially outwardly from the plug body, a stem, and a second inboard flange extending radially outwardly from the plug body and being spaced apart from the first inboard flange by a stem. The first inboard flange includes a first outboard sealing surface that provides an axial seal against the wall of the base of the glass container, and the second inboard flange including a circumferentially interrupted outboard facing retention portion the defines vent gaps.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a glass parison are disclosed. A glass parison forming apparatus includes a feeder spout having an orifice ring, a plunger carried in the feeder spout and including a blow conduit therethrough, and a neck ring located immediately downstream of the orifice ring, with no chutes, scoops, or other gob handling devices therebetween. A glass container produced by the disclosed method and apparatus is also described.

Abstract: A method of producing glass includes receiving unrefined molten glass in a stilling chamber of a stilling tank at a fluctuating flow rate. An intermediate pool of molten glass is held within the stilling chamber of the stilling tank and is heated therein by one or more non-submerged burners. Molten glass flows from the intermediate pool of molten glass to a transfer pool of molten glass held in a spout chamber of a feeding spout that is appended to the stilling tank. A molten glass feed can be drawn from the transfer pool of molten glass and delivered from the feeding spout at a controlled flow rate.

Abstract: Disclosed are configurations of inner and outer shells for a multi-piece closure assembly. The inner shell includes a base wall, and an outer skirt extending away from the base wall, carrying external thread segments, and including an axially outward portion, and an axially inward portion terminating in a grip petal portion having petals with radially inwardly projecting container engagement lugs and radially outwardly projecting outer shell engagement lugs. The outer shell includes a base wall, an inner skirt extending away from the base wall, and an outer skirt extending away from an outer periphery of the base wall at a location spaced radially outwardly from the inner skirt and including an internally threaded portion carrying internal thread segments and an unthreaded extension extending away from the threaded portion and on an axial side of the internally threaded portion opposite that of the base wall.

Abstract: A method of of fining low-density submerged combustion glass includes introducing unfined molten glass produced in a submerged combustion melter into a fining chamber of a fining tank and, further, introducing additive particles into the fining chamber that comprise a glass reactant material and one or more fining agents. The one or more fining agents are released into the molten glass bath upon consumption of the additive particles in the molten glass bath to chemically fine the molten glass bath and the glass reactant material includes one or more materials that integrate into the molten glass bath upon melting. Additionally, the method includes discharging fined molten glass out of the fining chamber of the fining tank. The discharged fined molten glass has a volume percentage of gas bubbles that is less than the volume percentage of gas bubbles in the unfined molten glass introduced into the fining chamber.

Abstract: A gradient fining tank and a method of operating the tank to refine foamy molten glass is disclosed. The gradient fining tank includes a floor, a roof, and two laterally-spaced sidewalls that at least partially define an interior chamber of the tank. The floor of the tank is profiled to provide the tank with an extended shallow portion that defines an inlet to the interior chamber and a deep holding portion that defines an outlet from the interior chamber. An entry section of the floor provides the extended shallow portion of the tank and a transition section and exit section of the floor provide the deep holding portion. A depth of the interior chamber at an outlet end of the deep holding portion is greater than a depth of the interior chamber at the outlet end of the extended shallow portion.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the disclosure, a glass manufacturing system includes a hot-end subsystem, including: a submerged combustion melter that melts feedstock to produce molten glass; a stiller that receives the molten glass from the submerged combustion melter and that includes a stilling tank to still the molten glass and that is configured to control outflow of the stilled molten glass to effectively decouple viscosity of the molten glass from the flow rate of the molten glass and thereby control finer molten glass levels; and a finer that is mechanically decoupled from the stiller, and that receives and fines the stilled molten glass to produce fined molten glass. Many other aspects of the system are also disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: A package includes a container with a crown closure bead and an external thread segment having a diameter greater than that of the crown closure bead, a crown closure coupled to the crown closure bead, and a multi-piece closure assembly coupled to the crown closure and the container. The closure assembly includes an inner shell, a seal liner carried by the inner shell and positioned against the crown closure, and an outer shell. The inner shell has an inner skirt having at least one internal thread segment to cooperate with the external thread segment of the container. The outer shell has an outer skirt with an internal retention bead for cooperating with an external retention bead of the inner shell to retain the shells together in an axial direction, and outer child-resistant engagement features to cooperate with inner child-resistant engagement features of the inner shell.

Abstract: A container closure. The closure comprises a pressure closure assembly and an outer release shell configured to be coupled thereto. The assembly comprises a relief valve and an inner shell having a base wall, a pressure relief slot, and an outer skirt extending away from the base wall and including first and second portions. The release shell includes a first portion having a base wall configured to overlap a portion of the inner shell base wall, and a tab corresponding to the slot of the inner shell. The first portion further includes an outer skirt extending away from the first portion base wall and configured to wrap around the first portion of the outer skirt. The release shell further includes a second portion having a base wall configured to overlap a portion of the inner shell base wall, and an outer skirt extending away from the second portion base wall.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A method of fining glass is disclosed that includes flowing a molten glass bath through a fining chamber. The molten glass bath has an undercurrent that flows beneath a skimmer that is partially submerged in the molten glass bath. One or more fining agents are introduced into the undercurrent of the molten glass bath directly beneath the skimmer from a dissolvable fining material component. In this way, the fining agent(s) may selectively target the gas bubbles drawn under the skimmer within the undercurrent of the molten glass for removal. The method may be employed to fine molten gas produced in a submerged combustion melter. A fining vessel for fining molten glass is also disclosed that includes a housing, a skimmer, and a dissolvable fining material component disposed directly beneath the skimmer.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing glass includes a furnace. A doghouse of the furnace receives and melts solid-glass forming material using one or more submerged combustion burners. An elongated tank positioned downstream of the doghouse includes a melting chamber, a refining chamber, and a thermal conditioning. The melting chamber has in inlet through which molten glass is received from the doghouse. The refining chamber is positioned downstream of the melting chamber and receives molten glass from the melting chamber. The thermal conditioning chamber is positioned downstream of the refining chamber and receives molten glass from the refining chamber. Additionally, the thermal conditioning chamber delivers molten glass to a glass forming machine.