Automatic glass blowing apparatus and method
AssigneeChesebrough-Pond's Inc.
InventorsRay E. Davis, Jr., Richard J. Becker, Robert G. Foster, Michael J. Westkamper
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An automatic process controller and method for automatically controlling in real time the formation of an object having boundaries which change with time. A TV camera provides a video image of the object. An interface circuit detects first and second boundaries of the object by analyzing the analog video signal and generates first and second digital numbers corresponding to the first and second boundaries. A programmable digital processor determines the maximum difference between the first and second digital numbers, compares that difference with a target object size and produces a control signal based on the comparison for controlling the continued formation of the object.
Claims9
Apparatus for automatically, iteratively controlling in real time the growth of a blister in a heated, hollow glass rod in response to a controlled supply of air comprising:
- (a) a TV camera for producing video images of said blister both when said supply of air is turned off and when growth of said blister has ceased;
- (b) interface means connected to said camera for detecting the leading and trailing edges of said blister by analyzing said video images and for generating sets of digital numbers corresponding to said leading and trailing edges both when said air supply is turned off and when said growth of said blister has ceased;
- (c) programmable digital processor means connected to said interface means for analyzing said sets of digital numbers to determine the size of said blister, both when said air supply is turned off and when the growth of said blister has ceased, for computing the coast associated with the formation of said blister, for comparing the size of said blister when growth has ceased and said coast with a target blister size, and for producing a control signal based upon the result of said comparison;
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- (d) control means connected to said processor means for controlling the air supplied to said blister in accordance with said control signal to iteratively control in real time the growth of said blister.
A real time method for automatically, iteratively controlling the growth of a blister in a heated, hollow glass rod in response to a controlled supply of air comprising the steps of:
- (a) forming video images of said blister both when said supply of air is turned off and when growth of said blister has ceased;
- (b) detecting the leading and trailing edges of said blister by analyzing said video images both when said air supply is turned off and when said growth of said blister has ceased;
- (c) generating sets of digital numbers corresponding to said leading and trailing edges;
- (d) determining the size of said blister both when said air supply is turned off and when the growth of said blister has ceased;
- (e) computing the coast associated with the growth of said blister;
- (f) comparing the size of said blister when growth has ceased and said coast with a target blister size;
- (g) iteratively controlling the formation of said blister based upon the result of said comparison.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.