Abstract: A method of manufacturing high-quality preforms from glass melt, manufacturing glass elements, such as lenses, by press molding these preforms and, manufacturing optical elements by reheating and press molding these glass gobs. In the method glass gobs are continuously separated from a glass melt flow continuously flowing out of a nozzle and the separated glass gobs are formed with glass forming members that are intermittently or continuously moving. A support member is made to approach the front end of the nozzle, the front end of the glass melt flow is received by the support member, and the support member is dropped more rapidly than the rate of flow of the glass melt flow to separate a glass gob from the glass melt flow. The separated glass gob is transferred from the support member to a stopped or moving glass forming member to mold a glass article.

Abstract: As a precursor to forming a glass sheet, a soot layer is formed on a deposition surface using a roll-to-roll glass soot deposition process. A soot layer-separating device is configured to bring a stream of gas into contact with at least a portion of a free surface of the soot layer. The impinging gas stream affects local thermal expansion stresses at the soot layer/deposition surface interface, which separates the soot layer from the deposition surface.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and device for non-contact molding of fused glass or glass ceramic gobs by means of gas levitation, comprising the following method steps: a pre-form is generated, the pre-form is brought close to a molding tool, which may be connected to a compressed gas source on the open-pored region thereof facing the pre-form in order to generate a gas cushion between the molding tool and the pre-form and the molding tool is directly heated at least during a part of the molding phase.

Abstract: A glass gob distributor for delivering gobs of molten glass to sections of a glassware forming machine, in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, includes at least one electric motor, a ball screw coupled to the electric motor and a carriage slidable on a carriage shaft and coupled to the ball screw. At least one gear rack is coupled to the carriage and at least one scoop is coupled to the gear rack for rotation around a scoop axis as a function of linear motion of the gear rack and the carriage. A pair of slides are slidably disposed on opposite sides of the carriage and are disconnected from the carriage. A pair of fluid cylinders are disposed adjacent to the slides. The fluid cylinders are responsive to an absence of power at the electric motor for pushing the centering slides toward each other to abut and slidably position the carriage on the carriage shaft, the gear rack and the at least one scoop at a home position.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for manufacturing a molded glass object. In the method, glass melt is made to flow from the front end portion of a nozzle; a prescribed weight of the glass melt flowing out is received by a glass melt receiving portion provided on a forming mold moved beneath the nozzle, wherein multiple forming molds are sequentially moved beneath the nozzle; the glass melt gob received is moved from the glass melt receiving portion to a hollow provided on the forming mold; and in the hollow, a molded glass object is formed while blowing gas upward through a gas outlet provided in the bottom of the hollow. The method is characterized in that the front end of the nozzle is constantly positioned outside the space vertically above the gas outlet. Methods of manufacturing press molded articles of glass and optical glass elements are described.

Abstract: The process according to the invention reduces the effort required to shape a glass piece. In this process a liquid glass piece is provided on a structured supporting surface of an electrically conducting base. A voltage is applied across the liquid glass piece by connecting a voltage source between a contact position on the liquid glass piece and the electrically conducting base. The apparatus for performing the process has an electrically conducting base on which the liquid glass piece is supported and a device for applying a voltage between a contact position on the liquid glass piece and the electrically conducting base.

Abstract: A molding die for molding an optical element, comprises a die base body formed by sharping an amorphous alloy having a super-cooled liquid phase, and a die face formed by applying a die face forming procees onto a part of the die base body and used to form an optical surface of the optical element or a dimensional reference surface.

Abstract: An apparatus for delivering a spray of cooling liquid to opposed shear blades of an apparatus for shearing a stream of molten glass into gobs, the apparatus having liquid outlets (24, 26) that lead to spray nozzles. A liquid is intermittently delivered at a low pressure to the liquid outlets (24, 26) from separate liquid inlets (20, 22, respectively), each of the outlets (24, 26) having a solenoid valve (28, 30, respectively), in a line leading thereto. The nozzles that receive liquid from the outlets (24, 26) are periodically purged of accumulated coagulated coolant or other debris by pumping coolant therethrough at a substantially higher pressure.

Abstract: A method of floating glass gobs by means of a gas flow. A method of manufacturing glass gobs by floating a molten glass gob and simultaneously cooling it. A method of manufacturing glass spheres by floating a softened glass gob and simultaneously rendering it spherical. These methods employ a device having a depression for floating and holding a glass gob or the like, with a gas flow being supplied along all or part of the inner surface of the depression from the opening side of the depression toward the bottom. A manufacturing method comprising the steps of adjusting a glass gob to a temperature suited to press molding while floating said glass gob by means of a gas flow injected along part or all of the depression-shaped forming surface of a lower mold from the opening side of the lower mold toward the bottom of the lower mold; and a step of press forming the glass gob.

Abstract: Suction feeders of this type are used in the processing of glass and have a heatable feed line (1) consisting of noble metal. Said feed line is embedded in a heat-insulated manner in a housing (4a) with a refractory material (3a). Said housing has a connecting flange (5) for connection to a molten glass supply device and an exit flange (6) for operational engagement with a suction ball (7) which removes the gob from the feed line (1). According to the invention, the material (3a, 4a) surrounding the feed line (1) is configured in such a way in terms of the construction and/or substance that a negative pressure can be produced on the outer periphery of the feed line (1), so that the mechanical compression of the feed line (1) is minimised and air bubbles are not drawn up.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of and device for manufacturing a molded glass object. In the method, glass melt is made to flow from the front end portion of a nozzle; a prescribed weight of the glass melt flowing out is received by a glass melt receiving portion provided on a forming mold moved beneath the nozzle, wherein multiple forming molds are sequentially moved beneath the nozzle; the glass melt gob received is moved from the glass melt receiving portion to a hollow provided on said forming mold; and in the hollow, a molded glass object is formed while blowing gas upward through a gas outlet provided in the bottom of the hollow. The method is characterized in that the front end of said nozzle is constantly positioned outside the space vertically above said gas outlet. Methods of manufacturing press molded articles of glass and optical glass elements are described. In these method, a molded glass object manufactured by the above method is heated, softened, and press molded or precision press molded.

Abstract: A glassware forming machine system includes an individual section glassware forming machine having a plurality of sections, each with at least one blank mold, and a gob distributor for distributing molten glass gobs to the blank molds of each machine section in sequence. The molten glass gobs are delivered to the blank molds of each section through deflectors on which the glass gobs slide to each blank mold. At least one liquid coolant passage is integral with each deflector, and the several coolant passages for the entire machine are connected in parallel between source and return liquid coolant manifolds. Variable flow control valves are individually connected between each liquid coolant passage and the return manifold for controlling flow of liquid coolant through the passages and thereby balance temperatures among the parallel gob deflectors.

Abstract: A method for supplying a glass molding material by dropping it from a higher level onto a molding surface of a lower mold of a mold constituted of an upper mold and the lower mold, in which a guide means is used for dropping the glass molding material and is disposed at a position such that the glass molding material drops onto the molding surface of the lower mold, and the guide means used for this method are disclosed. Moreover, a method for supplying a glass molding material to a molding surface of a lower mold of a mold constituted of an upper mold and the lower mold, in which after the glass molding material is supplied to the molding surface of the lower mold the position of the glass molding material is corrected so that the vertical center of the glass molding material substantially coincides with the center point of the molding surface of the lower mold, and a position correcting means used for this method are disclosed.

Abstract: A glassware forming machine system includes an individual section glassware forming machine having a plurality of sections, each with at least one blank mold, and a gob distributor for distributing molten glass gobs to the blank molds of each machine section in sequence. The molten glass gobs are delivered to the blank molds of each section through deflectors on which the glass gobs slide to each blank mold. At least one liquid coolant passage is integral with each deflector, and the several coolant passages for the entire machine are connected in parallel between source and return liquid coolant manifolds. Variable flow control valves are individually connected between each liquid coolant passage and the return manifold for controlling flow of liquid coolant through the passages and thereby balance temperatures among the parallel gob deflectors.

Abstract: A mold having a pivoting slide. The mold is made of two shells. An element is rotationally mounted on one of the shells with a part of the element coinciding with the internal cavity of the mold. The element is closed by the second shell which has bearing surface which acts on the element. The mold may be used for glassware products.

Abstract: A deflector assembly for conveying gobs of molten glass to a glass forming machine, the deflector assembly having a longitudinally extending deflector formed from a suitable metallic material by casting with a cross-sectional configuration of a downwardly facing U. The deflector has a cooling passage formed internally of the metallic material and extending therethrough, the cooling passage being formed along the centerline of the deflector and adjacent to a bight of the U. The deflector assembly further comprises a thin-walled tube inserted into the cooling passage of the deflector, the thin-walled tube extending through the deflector, and a coolant is circulated through the thin-walled tube to thereby cool the deflector.

Abstract: A gob delivery apparatus in which gobs of molten glass are conducted from a gob feeder through a gob delivery system into a mold of an I.S. glassware forming machine. The gob delivery system includes a scoop, a substantially flat slide member and a deflector. The scoop catches the gobs and directs them downwardly at an angle. The slide member is supported fixedly on the machine and includes a downwardly angled upper slide surface for the gobs. An upper end of the deflector receives the gobs directly from a lower end of the slide member.

Abstract: A process for determining a weight of free-falling molten glass gobs has the steps of providing an electromagnetic alternating field, passing a glass gob through the electromagnetic alternating field in a free fall, measuring resultant eddy current losses of the electromagnetic alternating field caused by the glass gob during passage through the electromagnetic alternating field, and determining a weight of the glass gob via the detected resultant eddy current losses.

Abstract: A gob of molten glass from a gob delivery system is introduced into a blank mold of a glass container forming machine of the individual section type by way loading funnel immediately upstream of an opening into the blank mold. The loading funnel has an upper annular gathering portion in the shape of an inverted frustum of a cone and a cylindrical lower shaping and orienting section. The internal diameter of the shaping and orienting section is somewhat less than the outer diameter of a gob passing therethrough, to thereby contact the gob in a substantially circumferential pattern, and the shaping and orienting section has a length that is sufficient to precisely align the longitudinal central axis of the gob with a longitudinal central axis of the blank mold, to thereby eliminate or substantially eliminate the need to swab the interior of the blank mold with a mold dopant composition.

Abstract: A gob distributor for distributing gobs of molten glass from an orifice of a glass melter feeder bowl to a plurality of delivery chutes, each of which leads to a section of a glass forming machine of the individual section type, said gob distributor including an a.c. servo motor with a vertical output shaft, a gob scoop having an inlet end positioned beneath the orifice and an outlet end positioned in alignment with one or the other of the delivery chutes, and a driven member to which the gob scoop is attached for oscillating movement of the gob scoop in an indexing manner. The driven member includes a shaft that is parallel to and spaced from the output shaft, and an endless positive drive, in the form of an endless cogged timing belt or a pair of double-ended metal chain sections joined end-to-end by adjustable length connectors, is provided to transmit torque from the output shaft of the motor and the shaft of the driven member.

Abstract: A gob distributor has an outlet from which issues a gob that is fed via a channel arrangement to a mold having an upwardly open inlet mouth. The channel arrangement has a central trough having an inlet adjacent and aligned with the distributor outlet and an outlet. This central trough extends downward from its inlet to its outlet. A deflecting trough has a generally straight upstream portion with an upper inlet aligned with the central-trough outlet and a downwardly directed lower outlet centered on a generally vertical axis and an upright downstream portion having a funnel-shaped and downwardly tapering passage also centered on the generally vertical axis and having an upper upstream end aligned with the upstream-portion outlet and a lower downstream end aligned with the mold mouth. An adjuster is connected to a hanger for displacing the downstream portion relative to the upstream portion to align the downstream-portion downstream end exactly with the mold mouth.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for controlling the delivery of multiple gobs to the blank molds of a glass forming machine having multiple cavities or sections, wherein multiple gobs are delivered from a glass feeder to plural scoops that are oscillated to deliver the gobs in multiples to aligned troughs and funnels in a timed sequence. An infrared gob sensor at each exit detects passage of a gob, and a computer controls application of air under pressure to control the velocity of delivery of each gob to the scoops in order to influence gob exit timing at the deflectors that are positioned adjacent the mold cavities.

Abstract: A method of accurately circumferentially orienting the output shaft of each of a plurality of oscillating gob distribution device units (S) with respect to one another and with respect to a support device (T) used to support a plurality of gob chutes. A fixture (10) having a slot (22) extending therethrough is secured to the output shaft of each of the drive units and in a fixed circular position relative thereto. The positions of the output shafts are adjusted to bring the slots into alignment with one another by inserting the shank portion (42) of a zeroing bar (40) into the slots of the fixtures, and the position of the support device is circumferentially adjusted to bring a recess therein into a predetermined circular orientation with respect to a step end portion (46) of the zeroing bar.

Abstract: A gob distributor for distributing gobs of molten glass from an orifice of a glass melter feeder bowl to a plurality of delivery chutes, each of which leads to a section of a glass forming machine of the individual section type, said gob distributor including an a.c. servo motor with a vertical output shaft, a gob scoop having an inlet end positioned beneath the orifice and an outlet end positioned in alignment with one or the other of the delivery chutes, and a driven member to which the gob scoop is attached for oscillating movement of the gob scoop in an indexing manner. The driven member includes a shaft that is parallel to and spaced from the output shaft, and an endless positive drive, in the form of an endless cogged timing belt or a pair of double-ended metal chain sections joined end-to-end by adjustable length connectors, is provided to transmit torque from the output shaft of the motor and the shaft of the driven member.

Abstract: A method of pressing flowing-down molten glass from the opposite sides thereof by a pair of shaping mold members to thereby manufacture a glass optical part having surfaces corresponding to the shaping surfaces of the mold members is characterized in that a groove forming ring is provided around the shaping surface of at least one of the shaping mold members, a groove is formed in the molten glass by the groove forming ring during the press and the flowing-down molten glass is cut above that portion thereof which is being pressed, thereby obtaining a glass molded article having an ear protruding outwardly of the groove relative to an optical part body portion.

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: A gob distributing apparatus having a gob feeder, a scoop for selectively connecting the feeder to desired immovable chutes of a bottle making machine, and an actuator of the scoop. The scoop has rollers which are provided on the scoop and a rotatable spiral cam which is engaged by the rollers, so that the rotation of the cam causes the scoop to rotate in order to selectively connect the chutes and the feeder.

Abstract: A gob delivery system for molten glass charges or gobs from a multiple orifice feeder to a plurality of parison molds in which the transmit times of the gobs are held to a minimum. The gob scoops, which initially deflect the gobs into straight troughs, are formed with a spiral curve to impart less of a curve to the charge. The deflectors which receive the gobs or charges from the troughs are also formed as spiral curves so that the gobs will be presented to vertical guide tubes with a minimum of angular distortion to give more consistent loading.

Abstract: A feeder chute for glass molding machines has a cross section defined by an even number, preferably four of equal length sides. Each side may be either plane or curved convexly inwardly in a horizontal plane.

Abstract: The invention provides an improved method and apparatus for effecting the severing of successive gobs from a continuously extruded rod-like formation of organic thermoplastic material, followed by the successive transfer of the gobs to successive molding units which are continuously movable relative to the free-fall path of the gobs. Severing means are provided which are operative upon a vertically extruded rod-like formation of hot organic thermoplastic material. A plurality of molding members, each having an open top molding cavity, are moved in timed relationship to the gob severing means along a horizontal path adjacent to the free fall path of the severed gobs. Each gob is caught by a transfer device which is movable under the free-fall path of the gobs in timed relationship to the gob severing and the movement of the molding members.

Abstract: Apparatus for and a method of preforming into an elongate mold charge a gob of molten glass issuing from the outlet orifice of a forehearth and delivering such elongate charge to the forming cavity of a forming mold with the virgin or untouched surface of the charge facing downwardly in such cavity thereby providing to the mold cavity a mold charge having one or a lower surface of high optical quality. A mothering or serving cup receives said gob from said outlet orifice and is horizontally moved to spread or preform the gob into the elongate mold charge with the upper surface thereof being untouched, and the cup is then inverted to deliver the charge to a mold cavity with said upper surface of the gob facing downwardly.