Abstract: A pusher mechanism for pushing bottles formed in an I.S. machine from a dead plate to a conveyor. The pusher mechanism includes a pusher finger assembly which is supported by a housing and is movable about an axis of support and about the parallel axis of rotation of the housing. A pair of servo motors effect the desired rotation of the two axes through cam profiles each of which has at least one Bezier curve segment with a parameter of one curve linked to a parameter of the other curve.

Abstract: A control for a glass forming machine is disclosed which receives as an input the event angles used to control the machines operation. These event angles, which define the time in a cycle when each event is turned on and off, are unwrapped to represent times in the glass forming process which takes more than two machine cycles to complete. A computerized model of the unwrapped cycle is defined and a control analyzes the computerized model as a constrained optimization problem to define an optimized schedule of event times and defines a plurality of intermediate event time schedules in an incremental application.

Abstract: An I. S. Machine includes a blow station having a blow mold which closes to support a parison with the supported parison undergoing reheat and then being blown into a bottle. When reheat takes place air at low pressure is supplied to the blow tube to pressurize the interior of the parison to prevent the formation of a birdswing in a blown bottle. Air at a second pressure is supplied to the blow tube for blowing the parison into a bottle following reheat.

Abstract: A pusher mechanism for pushing bottles formed in an I. S. machine from a dead plate to a conveyor. The pusher mechanism includes a pusher finger assembly which is supported by a housing and is movable about an axis of support and about the parallel axis of rotation of the housing. A pair of servo motors effect the desired rotation of the two axes through cam profiles each of which has at least one Bezier curve segment with a parameter of one curve linked to a parameter of the other curve.

Abstract: An I. S. Machine is provided wherein the blow molds are closed to a slightly cracked location whereby applied cooling air can not leak into and pressurize the blow mold thereby damaging the parison during reheat. When reheat is completed, the blow molds are fully closed and the parison is transformed into a bottle by applying compressed air and/or vacuum.

Abstract: An I.S. machine wherein a parison is blown into a bottle in a blow mold. The parison is initially suspended from the neck ring mechanism and the blow molds are displaced to close around the parison below the finish. The neck ring mechanism is displaced away from the mold and a blow head is located on top of the mold to provide final blow. A heat sensor senses when the parison, during reheat has reached the bottom of the mold and supplies a signal to a controller which starts final blow based on the time when this signal was supplied.

Abstract: A machine cycle unwrapper for use with a glass forming machine which is controlled by a programmable sequencer which defines a 360° machine cycle having a set cycle time. The cycle unwrapper converts the “on” and “off” angles around the wrapped 360° programmable sequencer to “on” and “off” times along an unwrapped bottle forming process which takes more then two machine cycles to complete.

Abstract: A glass forming machine has a set machine cycle time. Each of the mechanisms, etc., is cycled during the time of one machine cycle. A computerized model of a mathematical representation of a network constraint diagram of the unwrapped bottle forming process which takes more than two machine cycles to complete is defined to facilitate the analysis and control of the machine cycle.

Abstract: A control for defining data for setting the times for controlled events in a glass forming machine which is controlled by a programmable sequencer which defines the time of a machine cycle. The control includes a computerized model of a mathematical representation of a network constraint diagram of the unwrapped bottle forming process and a computer for analyzing the computerized model as a constrained optimization problem for determining, with the following data inputs: 1. the motion durations, 2. the submotion durations, 3. the machine cycle time, 4. the event time in an unwrapped bottle forming process for each displacement to begin and for each valve to be turned “on” and “off”, and 5. thermal forming process duration “N”. define the fastest machine cycle time for a feasible schedule and the event time in the unwrapped bottle forming process for each displacement to begin and for each valve to be turned “on” and “off”.

Abstract: A control for defining data for setting the times for controlled events in a glass forming machine which is controlled by a programmable sequencer which defines the time of a machine cycle. A computerized model of a mathematical representation of a network constraint diagram of the unwrapped bottle forming process is provided with computer analysis for analyzing the computerized model as a constrained optimization problem for determining, with inputs including the following: 1. the motion durations of each of the mechanisms from the retracted position to the advanced position and from the advanced position to the retracted position, 2. the submotion durations, 3. the machine cycle time, and 4. the time in an unwrapped bottle forming process for each displacement to begin and for each valve to be turned “on” and “off”, and 5. the target time for an optimized machine cycle, the machine cycle time and the event times for an optimized process.

Abstract: A control for defining optimized data for setting the times for controlled events in a glass forming machine which is controlled by a programmable sequencer which defines the time of a machine cycle. The control includes a computerized model of a mathematical representation of a network constraint diagram of the unwrapped bottle forming process which takes more than two machine cycles to complete and a computer for analyzing the computerized model as a constrained optimization problem for determining, with the following data inputs: 1. the motion durations, 2. the submotion durations, 3, the machine cycle time, 4. the time in an unwrapped schedule for each event, and 5. the duration of each thermal forming process, whether an optimized process can be defined, and for identifying any active constraint that is restricting further improvement.

Abstract: A control for a glass forming machine. Each machine mechanism, etc., is turned “on” and “off” at selected angles around a wrapped 360° machine cycle. The control unwraps the “on” and “off” angles around the wrapped 360° machine cycle to “on” and “off” times along an unwrapped bottle forming process which takes more than two machine cycles to complete and the unwrapped schedule is analyzed to determine whether an optimized schedule is possible and once a schedule is optimized, the analysis is done again with all the optimized values locked except one or more of the motion durations which are targeted at their maximum duration. This second optimization defines the motion durations at their longest possible setting so that the associated motor(s) can be concomitantly slowed down to minimize wear.

Abstract: A control for use with a glass forming machine which is controlled by a programmable sequencer which defines a machine cycle having a set cycle time. A computerized model of a mathematical representation of a network constraint diagram of the unwrapped bottle forming process is provided for determining whether, with the following inputs: the time in an unwrapped bottle forming process for each displacement to occur; the machine cycle time; the motion durations of each of the mechanisms from the retracted position to the advanced position and from the advanced position to the retracted position and the collision zones between interfering paths, a collision will result between the gob, the parison, the bottle or any mechanism.

Abstract: A control for defining data for setting the times for controlled events in a glass forming machine which is controlled by a programmable sequencer which defines the time of a machine cycle. The control includes a computerized model of a mathematical representation of a network constraint diagram of the unwrapped bottle forming process which takes more than two machine cycles to complete and a computer for analyzing the computerized model as a constrained optimization problem for determining, with the following data inputs: 1. the motion durations, 2. the submotion durations, 3, the machine cycle time, 4. the event time for each displacement to begin and for each valve to be turned “on” and “off”, and 5. the thermal forming process durations, whether there is a feasible optimized schedule and the machine cycle time and the event time for each displacement to begin and for each valve to be turned “on” and “off”.

Abstract: A control for use with a glass forming machine which is controlled by a programmable sequencer which defines a machine cycle having a set time. A computerized model of a mathematical representation of a network constraint diagram of the unwrapped bottle forming process which takes more than two machine cycles to complete is provided for determining, with the following inputs: 1. the time in an unwrapped bottle forming process for each displacement to begin; 2. the machine cycle time; and 3. the motion durations of each of the mechanisms, the duration of each of the thermal forming processes.

Abstract: A system provides for the automatic generation of information portfolios for a selected entity. A corporate data warehouse may include information about particular customers in various data tables. This information may be advantageous to sales representatives for presenting to customers and identifying those accounts for a customer which may benefit from additional services or equipment. The system described herein performs a periodic automatic search of the corporate data warehouse and extracts selected information for a particular customer and combines this information into a single portfolio which is organized in a predetermined format. This portfolio may be stored on a local network server with which a system user may establish a connection in order to download said portfolio. This portfolio may be organized in such a fashion that thousands of different entities for a particular organization may be identified and the information is easily accessed and viewed.

Abstract: An I.S. machine wherein a parison is blown into a bottle in a blow mold. The parison is initially suspended from the neck ring mechanism and the blow molds are displaced to close around the parison below the finish. The neck ring mechanism is displaced away from the mold and a blow head is located on top of the mold to provide final blow. A heat sensor senses when the parison, during reheat has reached the bottom of the mold and supplies a signal to a controller which starts final blow based on the time when this signal was supplied.

Abstract: A control for use with a glass forming machine which is controlled by a programmable sequencer which defines a machine cycle having a set cycle time. A computerized model of a mathematical representation of a network constraint diagram of the unwrapped bottle forming process is provided for determining whether, with the following inputs: the time in an unwrapped bottle forming process for each displacement to occur; the machine cycle time; the motion durations of each of the mechanisms from the retracted position to the advanced position and from the advanced position to the retracted position and the collision zones between interfering paths, a collision will result between the gob, the parison, the bottle or any mechanism.

Abstract: A glass forming machine has a set machine cycle time. Each of the mechanisms, etc., is cycled during the time of one machine cycle. A computerized model of a mathematical representation of a network constraint diagram of the unwrapped bottle forming process which takes more than two machine cycles to complete is defined to facilitate the analysis and control of the machine cycle.

Abstract: A control for use with a glass forming machine which is controlled by a programmable sequencer which defines a machine cycle having a set time.