Traversable and Pivotable Platform System
A platform system including a guide establishing a platform translation axis and having upper and lower surfaces, a carriage translatably coupled to the guide along the platform translation axis and engaged with the upper and lower surfaces of the guide, a platform coupled to the carriage and including at least a portion that is pivotable in a direction transverse to the platform translation axis, and a stepway movably coupled to at least one of the carriage or the platform.
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The present disclosure is directed to platforms and production machines and, more particularly, to traversable platforms and to glassware forming machines.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSUREThe science of glass container manufacture is currently served by the so-called individual section (IS) machine, which includes several manufacturing sections, each having multiple operating mechanisms for converting gobs of molten glass into hollow glass articles and transferring the articles through successive stages of the machine section. In general, an IS machine may include a source of glass, a mechanism for generating streams of molten glass, a shear mechanism for cutting the molten glass into individual gobs, and a gob distributor for distributing the individual gobs among the individual machine sections. Each machine section may include several blank molds in which glass gobs are initially blown or pressed into blanks, several blow molds in which the blanks are blown into containers, and several invert arms for transferring the blanks from the blank molds to the blow molds. Also, each machine section may include a take-out mechanism for removing the molded containers onto a deadplate, and a sweepout mechanism for transferring the containers from the deadplate onto a conveyor that receives containers from all of the sections and conveys the containers downstream to a loader for transfer to an annealing lehr. Further, each section may include operating mechanisms to close mold halves, move baffles and plungers, control cooling wind, and the like. U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,544 includes a background discussion of the art of both “blow and blow” and “press and blow” glassware forming processes, and discusses an electropneumatic individual section machine adapted for use in either process.
A general object of the present disclosure, in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, is to provide a platform that is traversable, for instance, along a machine to enable worker access to out-of-reach portions of the machine, for example, upper portions of a glassware forming machine, and that is pivotable, for instance, away from the machine to avoid interference with portion of the machine when repositioning the platform along the machine.
The present disclosure embodies a number of aspects that can be implemented separately from or in combination with each other.
A platform system in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure includes a guide establishing a platform translation axis and having upper and lower surfaces, a carriage translatably coupled to the guide along the platform translation axis and engaged with the upper and lower surfaces of the guide, a platform coupled to the carriage and including at least a portion that is pivotable in a direction transverse to the platform translation axis, and a stepway movably coupled to at least one of the carriage or the platform.
In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, there is provided an individual section glassware forming machine that includes a linear conveyor for receiving and transporting articles of glassware, and a plurality of individual glassware forming sections disposed adjacent to each other along one side of the conveyor and operable to form articles of glassware from molten glass gobs and transfer such articles of glassware onto the linear conveyor. The machine also includes a platform system disposed on a side of the conveyor opposite the sections, and including a track disposed in a fixed position spaced above a floor, adjacent and parallel to the linear conveyor on a side of the conveyor opposite the sections, and establishing a platform translation axis and having upper and lower surfaces. The platform system also includes a platform moveable along the track and including a portion translatably coupled to the track along the platform translation axis and engaged with the upper and lower surfaces of the track, and also including at least a portion that is pivotable in a direction transverse to a longitudinal direction along which the track extends.
The disclosure, together with additional objects, features, advantages and aspects thereof, will be best understood from the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings, in which:
The machine 10 may be similar to that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,544, except for features of the present disclosure, which will be described in detail below. U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,544 is assigned to the assignee hereof and is incorporated herein by reference. In general, the machine 10 may include a linear conveyor 12 for receiving and transporting articles of glassware G, a plurality of individual glassware forming sections 14 disposed adjacent to each other along one side of the conveyor 12 and operable to form the articles of glassware G from molten glass gobs (not shown) and transfer such articles of glassware G onto the linear conveyor 12. The machine 10 also may include various vertical elements 16, which may include conduit, supports, or the like.
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The platform 106 may be pivotably coupled to the carriage 104 about the platform pivot axis P, which may be substantially, but not necessarily perfectly, parallel to the platform translation axis. As used herein, substantially parallel includes within ten angular degrees. Accordingly, the platform 106 may be pivotable with respect to the carriage 104 between the horizontal position of the platform 106 over the carriage 104, for example, as shown in
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The platform system 200 is substantially similar to the system 100 illustrated in
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As used herein, directional words such as top, bottom, upper, upward, downward, lower, radial, circumferential, lateral, longitudinal, transverse, vertical, horizontal, and the like are employed by way of description and not necessarily limitation.
There thus has been disclosed a platform system for a machine, that fully satisfies all of the objects and aims previously set forth. The disclosure has been presented in conjunction with several illustrative embodiments, and additional modifications and variations have been discussed. Other modifications and variations readily will suggest themselves to persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the foregoing discussion. The disclosure is intended to embrace all such modifications and variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A platform system that includes:
- a guide establishing a platform translation axis and having upper and lower surfaces;
- a carriage translatably coupled to the guide along the platform translation axis and engaged with the upper and lower surfaces of the guide;
- a platform coupled to the carriage and including at least a portion that is pivotable in a direction transverse to the platform translation axis; and
- a stepway movably coupled to at least one of the carriage or the platform.
2. The system set forth in claim 1 wherein the platform is pivotably coupled to the carriage between a horizontal position of the platform over the carriage and an angled position of the platform angularly displaced away from the carriage and the horizontal position.
3. The system set forth in claim 1 wherein the stepway is foldable toward a portion of the platform.
4. The system set forth in claim 1 wherein the stepway is pivotably coupled to at least one of the carriage or the platform to pivot with respect thereto about a stepway pivot axis between a first position extending below the stepway pivot axis and a second position extending above the stepway pivot axis when the platform is in the horizontal position.
5. The system set forth in claim 4 wherein the stepway pivot axis and the platform pivot axis are coaxial and substantially parallel with the platform translation axis.
6. The system set forth in claim 1 wherein the platform includes a base portion including a first support portion coupled to the carriage about the platform pivot axis, a bridge portion extending from the base portion, and an extension portion extending from the bridge portion.
7. The system set forth in claim 6 wherein the bridge portion and the extension portion are cantilevered from the base portion.
8. The system set forth in claim 7 wherein the pivotable portion includes the extension portion pivotably coupled to the bridge portion.
9. The system set forth in claim 6 wherein the bridge portion includes an intermediate step, a first riser extending upwardly from the base step to the intermediate step, and a second riser extending downwardly from the intermediate step to the extension portion.
10. The system set forth in claim 9, wherein the pivotable portion includes the second riser pivotably coupled to the intermediate step.
11. The system set forth in claim 10, wherein the pivotable portion also includes the extension portion pivotably coupled to the second riser.
12. The system set forth in claim 1 wherein the platform includes a first support portion pivotably coupled to the carriage about the platform pivot axis on a first or outboard side of the guide and a second support portion releasably engageable with a portion of the machine on a second or inboard side of the guide.
13. The system set forth in claim 1 wherein the carriage is movably clamped to the rail such that the carriage is traversable along, but is not pivotable about, the platform translation axis.
14. The system set forth in claim 13 wherein the carriage includes a body and rollers carried by the body to engage the guide.
15. The system set forth in claim 14 wherein the guide includes a rail that is diamond-shaped in transverse cross-section and includes inboard and outboard upper surfaces and inboard and outboard lower surfaces, and wherein the rollers include inboard and outboard upper rollers to engage the upper surfaces of the rail and inboard and outboard lower rollers to engage the lower surfaces of the rail.
16. The system set forth in claim 13 that includes a platform lock carried by the carriage and engageable with the guide to lock the carriage with respect to the guide.
17. The system set forth in claim 1 that includes a restraint coupled to the carriage and the platform to limit angular travel of the platform relative to the carriage.
18. A glassware forming machine that includes the system of claim 1, and a machine frame to which the guide is coupled.
19. The machine set forth in claim 18, which includes a linear conveyor for receiving and transporting articles of glassware, and a plurality of individual glassware forming sections disposed adjacent to each other along one side of the conveyor, wherein the platform system is disposed on a side of the conveyor opposite of the sections.
20. An individual section glassware forming machine that includes:
- a linear conveyor for receiving and transporting articles of glassware,
- a plurality of individual glassware forming sections disposed adjacent to each other along one side of said conveyor,
- the sections being operable to form articles of glassware from molten glass gobs and transfer such articles of glassware onto said linear conveyor, and
- a platform system disposed on a side of said conveyor opposite said sections, said platform system including: a track disposed in a fixed position spaced above a floor, adjacent and parallel to said linear conveyor on a side of said conveyor opposite said sections, and establishing a platform translation axis and having upper and lower surfaces, and a platform moveable along said track and including a portion translatably coupled to the track along the platform translation axis and engaged with the upper and lower surfaces of the track, and also including at least a portion that is pivotable in a direction transverse to a longitudinal direction along which said track extends.
21. The machine set forth in claim 20 wherein said platform is contoured overlying said conveyor to permit passage of articles of glassware on said conveyor beneath said platform.
22. The machine set forth in claim 20 wherein said platform includes a stepway coupled to said platform for movement between a lowered position for mounting said platform and a raised position for moving said platform along said track.
23. The machine set forth in claim 22 wherein said platform includes a hanger for selectively engaging said stepway and holding said stepway in said raised position.
24. The machine set forth in claim 20 including a brake between said platform and said track for locking said platform in fixed position with respect to said track.
25. The machine set forth in claim 20 wherein the platform system includes a carriage translatable along the track and the platform is pivotably coupled to the carriage between a horizontal position of the platform over the carriage and an angled position of the platform angularly displaced away from the carriage and the horizontal position.
26. The machine set forth in claim 20 wherein the platform system includes a carriage translatable along the track and the platform includes a base portion including a first support portion coupled to the carriage, a bridge portion extending from the base portion, and an extension portion extending from the bridge portion, wherein the bridge portion and the extension portion are cantilevered from the base portion, and wherein the pivotable portion includes the extension portion pivotably coupled to the bridge portion.
27. The machine set forth in claim 26 wherein the bridge portion includes an intermediate step, a first riser extending upwardly from the base step to the intermediate step, and a second riser extending downwardly from the intermediate step to the extension portion, wherein the pivotable portion also includes the second riser pivotably coupled to the intermediate step.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 3, 2013
Publication Date: Jul 3, 2014
Applicant: Owens-Brockway Glass Container Inc. (Perrysburg, OH)
Inventor: Owens-Brockway Glass Container Inc.
Application Number: 13/733,623
International Classification: E04G 3/28 (20060101);