Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for preheating of pulverous materials in a tube heat exchanger prior to their introduction into a melting furnace, with particular application to the delivery by gravity of the vitrifiable starting materials through the heat exchanger to eliminate moisture therefrom prior to introduction of the essentially moisture-free materials into a tank furnace for glass making. The preheating serves to raise the entry-level temperature of the glass batch material and improve furnace fuel efficiency. The preheating involves recirculating at least part of the pulverous glass batch material through the open-ended tubes of the tubular heat exchanger to heat the same and remove moisture therefrom prior to initiating delivery of the glass batch material in preheated condition to the glass melting furnace. The present method is specifically directed at maintaining continuous operation of the preheater upon interruption of material flow through the preheater tubes for any reason.

Abstract: A protective coating composition is applied to the decorated and/or printed surface of a foamed plastic substrate to provide abrasion resistance, high gloss, and lubricity. Preferably, the composition is comprised of a water-based mixture of polyurethane resin and emulsified polyethylene resin, the latter being emulsified with an ionic or non-ionic emulsifier. The composition is especially useful for application over the exterior of foamed plastic surfaces which have been decorated and/or printed with printing inks prior to fabrication of the material into plastic articles.

Abstract: There is described a plug and air warp gauge which takes the form of an elongated vertically, reciprocated gauging head that is mechanically driven under the influence of a rotating cam. Coaxially within an annular head is positioned a plug which has a diameter such that it will pass through an unchoked neck of a bottle. The plug is attached to the lower end of a tube which is coaxially positioned within a larger tube. The larger tube is raised and lowered mechanically and when in its uppermost position, will support the plug-carrying tube. When the larger tube is lowered, the plug tube also is lowered. The lower end of the larger tube is in the form of an annular piston which will move downward within a cylinder that seats on the bottle finish. As the annular piston moves down, it will pressurize the inside of the bottle and the cylinder if the seal with the finish of the bottle is good.

Abstract: In the operation of a pressing plunger for forming a parison from a gob of molten glass, it is important that the plunger be moved into the gob which is retained in the parison mold, with a fairly rapid motion and also be capable of being withdrawn from the formed parison as rapidly as possible. One other consideration is that it not be pressing the glass at the final portion of its travel at a very high force. By providing a large piston for moving the plunger into and out of pressing position, it is possible to move the plunger at a relatively high velocity with high operating pressure. A small piston is provided within the larger piston and by reason of having a substantially smaller surface area, with the smaller piston being connected to the plunger, a lower force is applied to the plunger. The plunger with its piston is moved by the larger piston to the fullest extent of the large piston's travel, and the smaller piston to which the plunger is attached is free to move relative to the large piston.

Abstract: Glass surfaces are provided with abrasion-resistant and label receptive characteristics by forming a first layer of an oxide of tin or titanium thereon and then overcoating the first layer with a physical mixture of emulsified organic polymers including acrylic resin emulsion and polyethylene resin emulsion. The resins are present in the mixture in a solids ratio ranging from about 7:1 to 1:1.

Abstract: Labelled bottles are inspected by illuminating the labelled surface and generating brightness or intensity level signals for a plurality of points on the surface with a photo-sensitive diode array. Each intensity level signal is compared with a stored maximum intensity level and a stored minimum intensity level for the corresponding point. A difference signal is generated if the intensity level is greater than the maximum or less than the minimum intensity level. The difference signals are then weighted and summed to generate a figure of merit for the bottle being inspected. The figure of merit is compared with a predetermined value representing a "good" bottle in order to reject "bad" bottles. The maximum and minimum intensity levels can be generated by passing a plurality of known "good" bottles through the apparatus with labels distributed about the edges of the desired label area.

Abstract: An improved method is provided for forming surfaces for handling hot glass charges and newly-formed glass articles without detrimental marring or marking of the same. The method comprises priming a relatively-smooth metallic substrate with a silicone resin, applying a coating of a solventless curable thermosetting silicone resin binder over the primer, depositing at least one layer of a heat-resistant granular solid lubricant carbonaceous material over the binder coating and allowing the binder to wet and embed the granular material, and heat-curing the binder to permanently affix the granular carbonaceous material to the substrate to provide a lubricated durable wear-resistant surface for handling hot glass charges or gobs as well as newly-formed glass articles.

Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus for effecting the uniform pre-heating of thermoplastic parisons of the type that are introduced into a blow molding machine for fabrication into a blow molded article. The invention provides a hopper which is intermittently supplied with batches of parisons and through which the parisons move by gravity. A convection heating zone is provided in the hopper to uniformly heat each parison passing therethrough, and a temperature equalization zone is provided adjacent to the heating zone. The parisons are removed from the temperature equalization zone by a continuously moving parison conveyor which forms part of the temperature equalization zone.

Abstract: Disclosed is a scanner system which includes a light source and a photodetector. Circuitry is included for automatically adjusting the intensity of the light source so as to prevent saturation of the photodetector. Whenever the current through the photodetector exceeds a predetermined amount, a transistor switch is opened to connect a resistor in series with the light source and cause the intensity of the light source to decrease. When the output of the photodetector reduces due to decreased intensity of the light source, the transistor switch will close and thus cause the resistor to be bypassed and the intensity of the light source to return to its original level.The scanner is utilized to detect reference marks which are located on a contrasting background. Additional circuitry included to adjust the sensitivity of the system so as to be able to detect marks of varying contrast with respect to the background.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method of utilizing a shrink wrap film to shrink wrap a load or group of articles or packages having a surface portion formed of the same material as the shrink wrap film. The load or group is assembled and wrapped with the outer ply of each article or package formed of the shrink wrap film being coated with a release coating which will withstand the heat shrinking and will not fuse to any part of the load or group when subjected to film-shrinking heat when the group is overwrapped with similar film. The wrapped load is thereby heated to shrink the film or laminate about the load, and may thereafter be easily removed.

Abstract: Apparatus for inspecting glass containers to determine the presence of the defect termed "birdswing". A container under inspection is rotated and a laser is directed so as to pass through the opening defined by the finish of the container and toward the base of the container. If no birdswing is present the laser beam will pass through the bottom of the container. However, if a birdswing is present, the rotation of the container will cause the laser beam to eventually strike the birdswing, causing scattering of the laser beam. The scattered light is detected by a circumferential photocell array which is positioned below the base of the container. The location of the array is such that it will not detect any of the laser light unless it strikes a birdswing. The detection of scattered light by the photocell array causes a reject signal to be generated.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method for producing a composite container having a body label or tubular sleeve mounted thereon adapted to be shrunken onto exterior surface areas of a cylindrical container. The tubular sleeve is preformed of thin flexible thermoplastic material and may be flat-folded until ready for use when it is fully opened and conveyed in axial registry with the container inverted therebeneath. The sleeve preform of heat-shrinkable plastic material is telescopically assembled onto the inverted container while the latter is conveyed through a coincidental aligned path. The container preferably consists of a hollow glass or plastic container held invertedly by its neck portion with the tubular preform made slightly larger in diameter to surround the body and neck portions of the container. The tubular sleeve preform is held fully opened and is then transported downwardly in telescopic relation when in axial alignment with the inverted container.

Abstract: Composite article, and method of producing same, comprising a heat-resistant woven fabric substrate having a continuous heat and wear-resistant coating thereon for handling hot glass articles and the like without marring same. The heat-resistant flexible composite material is formed from a tightly woven fabric such as thermoset polyaramid fibers with a continuous imperforate coating of organic-inorganic silicone resin containing a filler of heat-resistant particulate material therein adapted to withstand extensive repeated contact with newly-formed hot glass articles. As required, the flexible composite material may be used alone or as a facing for a rigid structural member formed of metal.

Abstract: An optical concentrator and cooling system in which a photovoltaic cell array is immersed in a liquid inside an elongated tube having a curved transparent wall for incident radiation, said liquid having a refractive index suitable for concentrating the incident radiation onto the photovoltaic cell array.