Abstract: A method of bending glass, in which glass (5) is heated in a bending furnace (1). Before the bending, the glass (5) is transferred from the heating point or zone onto a mould (7) located thereafter. While the glass (5) is being transferred onto the mould (7), the mould (7) moves in such a way that the horizontal velocity of at least the front edge of the mould (7) is substantially as high as the horizontal velocity of the glass (5).

Abstract: Apparatus (700) for sintering a glass base material (2) which is a base material for an optical fiber. The sintering apparatus (700) includes: a control unit which varies a condition for sintering the glass base material; and a furnace (12) which sinters the glass base material by heating the glass base material in an atmosphere of dehydration gas and inert gas. The control unit includes a drive source (3) which supplies the glass base material to the furnace at various speeds. The control unit includes a temperature control unit which controls the temperature of a heating source provided in the furnace.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for continuously producing a glassy or vitrified blast furnace slag, in which the slag is applied onto a cooling roll or onto articulately interlinked cooling plates conducted as an endless conveyor belt over deflection pulleys and wherein cooling of the slag is effected dry, wherein the liquid slag is supplied to an intermediate storage and from that intermediate storage is continuously applied onto the cooling plate belt, or cooling roll, via a distributing channel in parallel strands at temperatures of above 1350° C., whereupon the cooled slag is thrown off and comminuted or granulated dry in a crusher. The invention, furthermore, relates to an arrangement for carrying out the process.

Abstract: An individual section (IS) machine glassware forming system includes an individual section machine with a plurality of individual sections for receiving gobs of molten glass and forming the gobs into articles of glassware. A gob feeder presents gobs of molten glass, and a gob distributor feeds the gobs to the individual machine sections in sequence. Operation of the machine sections is synchronized to operation of the glass feeder by generating a feeder index signal indicative of presentation of glass gobs at the glass feeder. An electronic machine timing circuit includes facility for electronically generating a machine index signal for synchronizing operation of the machine sections with respect to each other. Separation in real time between the feeder index signal and the machine index signal during system operation is determined and stored in units of time.

Abstract: A method and equipment for adjusting the temperature of glass sheets in a tempering furnace. The tempering furnace (1) comprises rollers (3) for conveying and oscillating the glass sheets (4) during heating, and resistors (5, 6) for heating the glass sheets (4) from above and from below. The temperature of the glass sheets (4) is measured inside the tempering furnace (1) during heating and the dwell time of the glass sheets (4) in the furnace is adjusted based on the temperature measurements. This enables exact control of the final temperature of the glass from the beginning, and the temperature can be kept uniform independently of the measures taken by the operator.

Abstract: In an individual section (IS) glassware forming system that includes a plurality of operating mechanisms for performing cyclic motions, an electronic controller for controlling cyclic motion of at least one of the operating mechanisms includes an electronic memory for storing a plurality of motion profiles for the one operating mechanism, with each of the profiles including a set of motion data versus time data. Each of the profiles has a piecewise linear contour determined by a plurality of control points, with each of the control points having associated motion and time data values. The operator may selectively display one of the profiles as a table of time values for the control points, with the time values preferably being in units of IS machine degrees.

Abstract: A method for transferring mould-carrying wagons in a bending furnace for glass sheets as well as to a bending furnace for glass sheets, comprising preheating stations (1.3, 1.4, 1.5) and more than two bending stations (2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4) in succession and therebelow a number of cooling stations (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4), a first number of mould-carrying wagons (3, 4) on an upper track (1) and a second number of mould-carrying wagons (3, 4) on a lower track (2), an end wall (4) of the mould-carrying wagons defining said preheating, bending and cooling stations when the mould-carrying wagons (3, 4) are stationary. After a bending, the mould-carrying wagon (3, 4) is transferred under one or more bending stations (2.3, 2.2) to a location directly below the first bending station (2.1) or the final preheating station (1.5).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a hollow glass article comprises delivering a gob of glass to a blank mold, providing a first neck ring to a position adjacent the blank mold, forming the gob in the blank mold into a parison, moving the first neck ring to transfer the parison to a blow mold, blowing the parison in the blow mold to a hollow article, releasing the engagement of the first ring with the hollow article, moving the first neck ring away from the blow mold, removing the hollow article from the blow mold, returning the first neck ring to a position adjacent the blank mold to repeat the cycle, providing a second neck ring adjacent the blank mold while the first ring is moving toward the blow mold, delivering a second gob of glass to the blank mold while the second ring is in position adjacent the blank mold, forming the second gob into a second parison, moving the second parison to a position adjacent the blow mold while the first neck ring is being returned to a position adjacent said blank mold; an

Abstract: A closed loop control system for a hydraulically actuated glass sheet press bending platen. Flow of fluid supplied to the cylinder operating the press platen is controlled through a servo solenoid valve. A linear motion transducer associated with the platen and sends appropriate signals to a programmable motion controller. The motion controller controls a position module operatively coupled to a servo solenoid valve which regulates the flow of hydraulic fluid from a pump to the cylinder. The motion controller utilizes data from the linear motion transducer for making necessary corrections to insure that the platen cycles precisely in accordance with a predetermined program. In a second embodiment of the invention, the closed loop control system for the hydraulically operated platen is combined with a precision control of a variable speed glass sheet conveyor means for improved registry of the glass sheet being bent with the platen member.

Abstract: A control system for controlling displacement of a member in a glassware forming machine. A pneumatic piston drives the member and is controlled by a computer which defines a motion profile. The difference, at any moment, between the demanded position and the actual position is determined and an error signal is defined based on the difference signal and the momentary velocity and acceleration.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the production of colored glass includes the steps of diverting a stream of clear molten glass from at least one glass melting furnace through one or more transport channels to a color treatment chamber. Recycled cullet and color additive are added to a charging end of the treatment chamber. The treatment chamber is heated to melt the cullet and further heat the remaining feedstock to form a molten bath of colored glass which is thermally and chemically homogenized in the treatment chamber. Refractory rotary paddle wheels positioned in the transport channels regulate the flow rate and level of the molten glass and provide for selective shut off of individual glass streams.

Abstract: The problem of unevenness of bottle temperatures at the entry of slow annealing furnace due to the variation of time periods necessary for respective bottles discharged from an IS bottle manufacturing machine to reach the annealing furnace has been solved by an equalization of the time periods. For this purpose, the bottle discharging order from the IS bottle manufacturing machine is controlled and use is made of two conveyors having different running speeds and/or direction of running. As a result, a precise temperature control in the Hot-End-Coating apparatus provided upstream from the annealing furnace can be carried out owing to the equalized temperatures of bottles entering into the annealing furnace.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and furnace apparatus for bending and tempering glass sheets. A glass sheet is supported on the same outline mold throughout the entire handling process. A bending furnace (10) is designed to be sufficiently long in the traveling direction for carrying a partially bent glass sheet towards a tempering section (16) in such a manner that the glass sheet reaches its final shape during the passage occurring within the bending furnace (10). For this purpose, the glass sheet is heated in the bending furnace (10) with such a high effect that it reaches its tempering temperature before reaching its final shape. The movements and heating of glass sheets are controlled individually on the basis of the thickness and measured temperature of each glass sheet.

Abstract: Opposed shear assemblies are conjointly driven via a rack and pinion assembly by a servo motor which follows a displacement profile. When the cycle rate exceeds a selected limit the profile is scaled to reduce peak motor velocity and a shorter stroke is defined.

Abstract: A computerized system for the continuous manufactured of individual elements, notably glass containers, is disclosed. A pulse sensor which emits one pulse per cycle is connected to an asynchronous motor with a frequency variator. A CPU is programmed with a synchronism equation that orders the increase or reduction of frequency of each variator according to the pulses received by the CPU programmed with the synchronism equation.

Abstract: A cyclical machine for forming at least one glass container each machine cycle comprising a plurality of controllers for controlling regulators and/or profiled motion actuators, at least one displaceable structure, controllers controlling the operation of all the other controllers, each of the controllers including repetitive sequencer and operable in any of a plurality of states, the one controller determines the critical time when each of the states should begin, and instructs each of the other controllers to begin any of the states at the associated determined critical time.

Abstract: A machine for forming glass containers from discrete gobs of molten glass comprising a mechanism displaceable between retracted and advanced position. A pneumatic actuator having upper and lower chambers controlled by a servo pneumatic valve controller, controls the displacement of the pneumatic actuator. A position lead based upon the actual position of the mechanism is calculated and differenced with a position demand to define a position delta. A position lag is calculated based on the position delta. The pressures within the upper and lower chambers are sensed and based thereon a force representative of the force being applied to the piston is calculated and differenced with the position lag to define a force error and a lag force is calculated based on the force error. The servo pneumatic valve controller is driven with the lag force.

Abstract: The problem of unevenness of bottle temperatures at the entry of slow annealing furnace due to the variation of time periods necessary for respective bottles discharged from an IS bottle manufacturing machine to reach the annealing furnace has been solved by an equalization of said time periods. For this purpose, the bottle discharging order from the IS bottle manufacturing machine is controlled and use is made of two conveyors having different running speeds and/or direction of running. As a result, a precise temperature control in the Hot-End-Coating apparatus provided upstream from the annealing furnace can be carried out owing to the equalized temperatures of bottles entering into the annealing furnace.

Abstract: A method of collecting data to indicate certain internal conditions during the function of a glass container forming machine, and apparatus for the practice of the method including sensing devices within a plunger cycling mechanism of the machine for transmitting information from the mechanism during the operation of the machine.

Abstract: A method for drawing glass objects from glass feedstock, wherein a dimension of the glass object is measured on-line and controlled by a control structure which compensates for the deadtime between a change to the drawing speed and the measurement of the effect of that change to the measured dimension. The model which compensates for the deadtime is preferably nonlinear, and the control gains and model parameters are preferably continuously calculated during the drawing process. The invention is particularly applicable to drawing optical waveguide cane from optical waveguide preforms.

Abstract: An I.S. machine is made up of a plurality of independent individual sections for receiving gobs of molten glass and for forming the gobs into glass containers. A gob distributor delivers gobs to the sections. The controller of these sections and the gob distributor are synchronized by means for generating a once per cut signal, a divide by N circuit where N is the number of sections which are to have gobs distributed to them, means for defining N, means for applying N to the divide by N circuit, means for supplying the once per cut signal to the divide by N circuit, and means for distributing the output signal of the divide by N circuit to each of the section and gob distributor controllers.

Abstract: There is provided a plunger position detector for detecting a linear position of a plunger used for forming a parison over the entire range of moving of the plunger. Since there is correlation between the plunger position and the gob weight, the gob weight can be detected in response to an output signal of this detector and, in accordance with this detection, a gob forming operation is controlled to an optimum state so that the gob weight will become a predetermined weight. Since difference in center positions between a blank mold for forming a parison and the plunger causes variation in the state of movement of the plunger, this difference in the center positions can be detected in response to a plunger position detection signal and, in accordance with this detection, an optimum registering of the center positions can be performed.

Abstract: An article transfer mechanism for use with an I.S. glassware forming machine includes a pusher arm having fingers for engaging a number of glassware articles formed by the I.S. machine, the pusher arm being movable between a first position to engage the glassware at the dead plate and a second position at which the glassware is transferred to a take-away conveyor. A stepping motor is provided for moving the pusher arm between the first and second positions according to a velocity profile. A microcontroller and electronic circuitry associated with each section of the I.S. machine determine a new current position of the pusher arm as the arm moves according to the velocity profile.

Abstract: An H-28 machine is a glassware making machine having a plurality of glass making sections which rotate about a vertical axle. The complete process takes one revolution. Individual section mechanisms are controlled by electronically setable cams on a central timing drum and whenever two mechanisms sequentially occupy the same space in a section, machine speed is determined and the cam settings are checked to make certain that the mechanisms will not interfere.

Abstract: Plural article transfer mechanisms are operated in timed sequence by an electronic control synchronized to a main drive shaft. Each article transfer mechanism transfers articles from a dead plate to a moving conveyor. An extensible-retractable pusher arm engages, moves and releases the articles between 90.degree. positions under control of a fluid motor mounted on a turntable. Operation of the fluid motor is based on rotary alignment of a pair of turntable ports with a pair of fluid supply channels in a turntable drive body. The turntable is stepped in rotary increments between 90.degree. positions by an electric stepping motor. The angular speed profile of the pusher arm between the 90.degree. positions is governed by a programmed electronic control, including a PROM, which drives the stepping motor. An adjustable finger clip assembly is snap-fitted on the pusher arm and provided with a handle for ease of replacement.

Abstract: First and second glass sheets, which are to be combined together into a single laminated glass sheet, are heated in a heating furnace so that the temperature of the first glass sheet at the exit of the heating furnace and the temperature of the second glass sheet at the exit of the heating furnace are substantially equal to each other.

Abstract: There is provided a drawing process for producing an optical fiber which comprises drawing the optical fiber from a preform therefor under tension to form the optical fiber while heating and melting the preform, wherein an outer diameter of the optical fiber on which no coating has been provided is measured at a position at which shrinkage of the outer diameter of the optical fiber, while stretched, is not larger than 0.5% and drawing conditions are controlled based on the deviation of the measured diameter from a preselected outer diameter.

Abstract: A glass tube bending apparatus according to the present invention includes a drum for bending a heated/softened glass tube into a circular shape, a first driving device, coupled to the drum, for moving the drum straight, and a second driving device, coupled to the drum, for rotating the drum in a direction, and a control for independently controlling the rotating speed and the moving speed of the drum. According to this apparatus, the operation speeds of rotating and moving of the drum can be controlled independently. Therefore, distortion of glass tubes can be decreased, and thermal bending of tubes can be performed with high precision. Further, various sorts of glass tubes can be treated. Still further, since the first driving device and the second driving device are operated in synchronism, the precision of the thermal bending of glass tubes is enhanced.

Abstract: In an installation for bending glass panes, the glass panes are heated to bending temperature in a horizontal once-through furnace. At the end of the once-through furnace, they are taken over by an endless conveyor belt and are conveyed by this conveyor belt into the bending station, where they are bent together with the conveyor belt. The bent glass pane is conveyed of the conveyor belt into the succeeding cooling or tempering station. In order to support the bent glass pane over the largest possible area, an upper deflector roll for the conveyor belt, disposed at the exit end from the bending station, has a form corresponding to the transverse bend of the glass pane. A lower deflector roll, following the upper deflector roll, has a form complementary to the form of the upper deflector roll. In this way the relative changes in length of the conveyor belt caused by the upper deflector roll are compensated.

Abstract: For positioning a glass sheet moving on a conveyor, two substantially identical assemblies are positioned on opposite lateral sides of the conveyor. Each of the assemblies includes an arm carrying an abutment and extending in proximity to the conveyor such that a glass sheet moving on the conveyor will contact the abutment and be prevented from movement along the conveyor beyond the abutment. Contact between the glass sheet on the conveyor and an abutment will cause the abutment to move slightly, so that such contact can be detected. When the glass sheet contacts both abutments, the arms are driven for permitting passage of the glass sheet.

Abstract: In a substantially horizontal conveyor or conveying heated glass sheets, a positioning device for aligning the sheets in a direction transverse to the conveying direction. It includes thrust rods advanced by the engagement of cam followers moving with the thrust rod on cams stationary with respect to the conveyor. Draw springs return the thrust rods to their initial position. The thrust rods are mounted on crosswise carriages, which are in turn mounted on carriages movable in the conveying direction and in synchronism with the glass sheets. The thrust rods are pivotally mounted on the crosswise carriages about horizontal axes, and so their distal ends can be displaced out of the plane of the glass sheets during the return movement of the carriage.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing glass sheets includes a furnace and a bending station traversed by a conveyor for carrying the glass sheets. A plurality of heaters mounted in the furnace each heat associated areas of the glass sheets in accordance with setpoint temperature signals representing desired values of temperatures for heating associated areas of the glass sheets. One or more parameters of the glass sheets, such as thickness and color, are sensed and the setpoint signal values are changed accordingly. The parameter values are also utilized to change the spacing between the upper and lower mold members in the bending station to adjust the bending pressure applied to the glass sheets. Furthermore, the parameters are utilized to change the speed of the conveyor sections in order to vary the time that the glass sheets are in the furnace and thus the amount of heat imparted to the glass sheets.

Abstract: An improved glass tempering apparatus and method is disclosed. A glass sheet is quenched by heating the glass sheet and horizontally transferring the sheet on a roller conveyor into a quenching station having an upper and lower array of nozzles for directing coolant on opposite sides of the glass. A first array of points on the glass sheet are cooled, then the glass is horizontally jogged within the quenching station and a second array of points are cooled. Preferably, the jog distance is selected so that the first and second array of points are uniformly spaced relative to one another. An alternative embodiment of the invention cools a first array of points, horizontally jogs the glass within the quenching station and recools the same array of points with each point being cooled by a different nozzle pair so that the cooled points are uniformly sized and clearly defined with minimum irregularities resulting from roller shrouding and nozzle-to-nozzle variability.

Abstract: Plural article transfer mechanisms are operated in timed sequence by an electronic control synchronized to a main drive shaft. Each article transfer mechanism transfers articles from a dead plate to a moving conveyor. An extensible-retractable pusher arm engages, moves and releases the articles between 90.degree. positions under control of a fluid motor mounted on a turntable. Operation of the fluid motor is based on rotary alignment of a pair of turntable ports with a pair of fluid supply channels in a turntable drive body. The turntable is stepped in rotary increments between 90.degree. positions by an electric stepping motor. The angular speed profile of the pusher arm between the 90.degree. positions is governed by a programmed electronic control, including a PROM, which drives the stepping motor. An adjustable finger clip assembly is snap-fitted on the pusher arm and provided with a handle for ease of replacement.

Abstract: A process for bending a glass sheet, in particular one for motor vehicles, with curved areas having small radii of curvature. The bending device used is a bending press having a male type mold and a female type mold. The female type mold consists of at least two mold parts hinged together. After part of the glass sheet heated to bending temperature has been received by the bending press, at least one swivelling mold part of the female type mold is swivelled around the swivel axis, against the male type mold. An adjustable electric motor serves as the drive motor to move the swivelling mold parts. The angular velocity of the swivel action of the swivelling mold parts during the bending process is adjusted as a function of the temperature of the glass sheet and the desired degree of deformation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of carrying glass sheets during heating and tempering as well as to a tempering apparatus for glass sheets, in which the method is applied. During heating, glass sheets are oscillated in a furnace (2) back and forth in a manner that the traveling distance forward on at least some of the reciprocating strokes is longer than the traveling distance backwards, whereby the transportation of each load of glass sheets from the upstream end of a furnace to the downstream end of a furnace occurs by means of the combined effect of several forward-directed long strokes. Shifting of a load of glass sheets from furnace into tempering section is effected by extending the forward-directed stroke of a load of glass sheets at the downstream end of said furnace while at the same time other loads of glass sheets in the furnace reverse for a backwards-directed stroke.

Abstract: The individual needles of a glass feeder mechanism which control the volume of the streams of molten glass sheared into discrete gobs are displaceable to adjust the size of the sheared gobs. The controller for the motor, which raises or lowers a stream, receives positional data from the plunger, which forms the gob into a parison, and determines the Parison Formation Point for that parison and raises or lowers the needle to maintain that point at a desired plunger location.

Abstract: This relates to improvements in drives for shears, particularly shears for severing gobs from a glass runner. All of the drives incorporate a drive pinion for reciprocating racks which are secured to slides of the shear. The pinion is rotated first in one direction and then in the opposite direction to cause the blades of the shear to first move together and shear a gob, and then move back to the original position. Suitable reversing motors may be utilized, including an electrical servomotor or suitable hydraulic motor. On the other hand, the drive motor may be of the unidirectional type and an oscillating drive member may be incorporated in the drive system for converting the one-directional drive of the motor to an oscillating or reversing output. In addition, the drive of the pinion may be supplemented by a double-acting air motor which is connected to one of the racks.

Abstract: The displacement of the plungers in a multi-gob individual section glass forming machine is monitored so that the location of the plungers, when each mold cavity has completely filled (parison formation point), can be determined. The desired location for the parison formation point for each plunger can be selectively chosen and the occurrence of these parison formation points can be synchronized to achieve fuller control over the parison formation process.

Abstract: In glassware article forming machines such as the well known I.S. machine, sensors continuously detect the velocity of operation of each individual mechanism of the machine in order to derive a signal for each mechanism representative of the actual velocity of operation of the associated mechanism, and a control receives the signal and compares the detected actual velocity of the mechanism with a predetermined maximum optium velocity for the mechanism to provide a signal compensating for deviations from the determined maximum velocity for that mechanism, and a command signal to trigger the operation of a succeeding mechanism of a glass forming sequence, when the preceeding mechanism has reached to its point of cushioning, thereby optimizing in this way both the velocity of each individual mechanism, and, the total time of a glassware article forming cycle of the machine.

Abstract: A position controller for a glass sheet processing system having a central control system including an operator interface and a master computer, the position controller including a slave computer, a port for two-way communication of multi-character command and data signals between the master computer and the slave computer, a digital to analog converter, a variable speed drive for driving a movable component in the glass processing system, a port for communicating a signal from the slave computer through the digital to analog converter for driving the variable speed drive, and absolute position encoder associated with the movable component in the system, and a port for communicating the digital signal representative of the position of the movable component to the slave computer.

Abstract: An electronics package for automatically inhibiting operation of the shear blades of an individual section glass machine is responsive to periodic signals from an encoder disc indicative of timing increments in a machine cycle and to motion detectors adjacent to the shear blades for detecting shear operation at the desired point in the machine cycle and for inhibiting shear activation in the absence of such operation. The lockout electronics package includes a programmable counter responsive to the cycle-increment signal for generating a first shear-inhibit signal in the absence of shear operation within the programmed number of cycle increments, and a watchdog timer responsive to the cycle-increment signal for generating a second shear-inhibit signal in the absence of a cycle increment signal above a preselected frequency. A solid state relay is responsive to either of the shear-inhibit signals for removing electrical power from the shear operating mechanism.

Abstract: A travelling vacuum pickup is used to transfer heat softened glass sheets from a heating furnace to between a pair of vertically alignment pressing molds. The downstream movement of the pickup is synchronized with the downstream movement of the glass sheets to be engaged so that there is no relative downstream movement therebetween as the pickup lifts and engages the glass sheet.

Abstract: A glassware production system includes an electropneumatic individual section glass forming machine having a multiplicity of operating mechanisms for converting a gob of molten glass into a hollow glass container. A glass forehearth feeds molten gobs at controlled temperature and weight to the forming machine. Electronic controllers individually and selectively control parameters of operation of the multiplicity of machine mechanisms and the forehearth. Glassware from the forming machine is inspected for manufacturing faults and for identifying each inspected container with its associated mold of origin. The glassware inspection devices provide fault signals indicative of a plurality of differing types of faults, which are thereafter associated not only with mold or section of origin but also with fault cause.

Abstract: A method of correcting the attitude of an article being conveyed in a feed system including two second feed paths for receiving the article from a first feed path and feeding the article so that a first part and a second part, which are related to each other, of the article will reach a target position for each of the first and second parts. The attitude of the article is corrected until the target positions are reached by compensating for a relative shift beyond a predetermined distance in a feeding direction between the first part and the second part of the article on the first feed path.

Abstract: A gob distributor is disclosed wherein the displacement of the gob scoops is controlled by positioned data generated by a linear displacement transducer. The transducer has an elongated tube having a free end and a screw section at the other end of the tube. The screw section is secured into a mounting bracket aperture which is secured to the drive housing. The tube (and screw portion) passes freely through an enlarged bore in the housing and the tube passes through a movable sensing head and its free end is releasably secured by a spring clamp supported by the drive housing.

Abstract: In a pressing machine for the manufacture of glass articles, which comprises, a base; a gyratory table composed of mold supporters equidistantly laid out around the table, thereby carrying the molds from one station to the next as the table gyrates intermittently, said table comprising a number of stations, among which are stations of charging, stations for pressing and cooling articles, extracting stations and stations for the cooling of the molds, wherein such stations includes a series of mechanisms; means to drive the rotating table coupled to said table to rotate the same; and a feeder in combination with said machine which provide a gob of glass to the station of charging by each cycle of the machine, a method and an apparatus is provided to controlling the cycle of operation of the machine and the operation of the diverse mechanisms including: a sensor to determine the instant in which a gob of glass is cut from said feeder and position sensors to detecting the real position of the diverse mechanisms o

Abstract: A glass sheet heating system (10) is disclosed as including a cradled roll conveyor (48) incorporated with a furnace (12) having roll contacting seals (58) that directly engage conveyor rolls (60) to prevent heat loss from the furnace. Each roll contacting seal (58) preferably includes a pair of rigid refractory seal holders (64,66) and a pair of soft blanket seals (68,70) made of refractory fibers. Sets of cradle rolls (72) on each side of the furnace have high traction drive elements (78) and cooperate in pairs to rotatably support the conveyor rolls (60) in planarity with each othe to convey glass sheets. A drive mechanism (80) provides driving of the cradle rolls 72 with sufficient friction to overcome the friction generated between the roll contacting seals (58) and the conveyor rolls (60).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for pressing glass TV tube faceplates employing a microprocessor controlled ram and plunger operated with open loop position based speed control at relatively high rates of motion when the plunger is not in critical contact with the glass, at uniform speed as the plunger enters the glass and at closed loop pressure control after the viewing region of the cavity for the faceplate between plunger and mold has been filled out at uniform plunger pressing speed. Pressure control is employed to ramp pressure down to a pressing dwell pressure and maintain that pressure.

Abstract: The drive system comprises a motor (10) to drive a glass gob producing feeder, a motor (18) to drive a gob distributor for distributing the gobs to sections of a glass container manufacturing machine of the individual section type, and a motor (34) to drive a container-removing conveyor. The drive means supplies electrical signals to cause the motors to operate at desired speeds. The drive system comprises a source (52) of a basic frequency signal which can be varied by varying means (54) to determine the speed of the entire production line, means (58) for producing a gob distributor controlling signal by dividing the basic frequency by a factor reflecting the number of machine sections, and means (62,66) for producing a conveyor system controlling signal by multiplying the basic frequency by a factor reflecting the number and spacing of the containers.