Vacuum Valve for an I.S. Machine
AssigneeEmhart Glass S.A.
InventorF. Alan Fenton
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vacuum valve for use with a blow mold in an I.S. machine. When the blow molds close around a parison, vacuum is applied to the wall of the blow mold. At some time following the application of the vacuum, final blow will occur blowing the parison into a bottle. This vacuum will be applied until the parison has been blown into a bottle. During the period during which vacuum is applied but final blow has not started, vacuum is reduced by operating a needle valve in the vacuum line.
Claims14
A vacuum control mechanism for control of vacuum in an I.S. machine, the I.S. machine including a blow station including a blow mold mechanism including a blow mold bottom plate defining a vacuum inlet port, and blowhead mechanism operable to apply final blow to a parison disposed within the blow mold mechanism to blow the parison into a bottle, the vacuum control mechanism coupled to a vacuum source and in fluid communication with the vacuum inlet port, the vacuum valve comprising:
- a vacuum control mechanism housing defining an inlet port and an outlet port;
- an on-off valve disposed in the housing and in fluid communication with the vacuum source and the inlet port, with the on-off valve operatively coupled to a first vacuum control valve;
- and
- a bipartite control valve disposed in the housing and in fluid communication with the on-off valve and the outlet port, with the bipartite control valve operatively coupled to a second vacuum control valve,
- wherein selective positions of the bipartite control valve and the on-off valve provide variable vacuum control in the I.S. machine.
A vacuum control mechanism for control of vacuum in an I.S. machine, the I.S. machine including a blow station including a blow mold mechanism including a blow mold bottom plate defining a vacuum inlet port, and blowhead mechanism operable to apply final blow to a parison disposed within the blow mold mechanism to blow the parison into a bottle, the vacuum control mechanism coupled to a vacuum source and in fluid communication with the vacuum inlet port, the vacuum control mechanism comprising:
- an on-off valve in fluid communication with the vacuum source, the the on-off valve operatively coupled to a first vacuum control valve;
- and
- a needle valve disposed in the housing and in fluid communication with the on-off valve, the needle valve operatively coupled to a second vacuum control valve,
- wherein selective positions of the needle valve and the on-off valve provide variable vacuum control in the I.S. machine.
A method of providing variable vacuum to an I.S. machine, the method of comprising the steps of:
- providing a vacuum source;
- providing an on-off valve coupled to the vacuum source;
- providing a bipartite control valve in operative communication with the on-off valve and the I.S. machine;
- configuring the bipartite control valve in a partially closed configuration when the on-off valve is in an open configuration and the I.S. machine is not being operated to apply final blow to the parison;
- and
- configuring the bipartite control valve in an open configuration when the on-off valve is in an open configuration and the I.S. machine is being operated to apply final blow to a parison.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.