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US 4,840,656 AGranted
Methods and apparatus for forming glass articles
AssigneeAga AB
InventorsMichael J. Ziegler, Barry Millward, Kenneth P. Robb, Jr.
Life of this patent
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AssigneeAga AB
InventorsMichael J. Ziegler, Barry Millward, Kenneth P. Robb, Jr.
Estimating the term…
A system for forming hollow pressed glass articles utilizes a flow of cryogen that is mixed with air to provide a cooling gas that enables newly pressed articles to be removed from their molds after a thin skin of solidified glass has been formed on internal surfaces of the articles to strengthen the newly formed articles and to give them shape stability. Two flows of cryogen are used, one being a gentle, substantially continuous flow of cryogen gas from a low pressure source, the other being a controlled intermittent flow of cryogen vapor in liquid and/or gaseous form from a high pressure source. To assure a proper introduction of cryogen vapor, and to prevent debilitating accumulations of ice within and about the tube that is used to inject high pressure cryogen, the high pressure injector tube is surrounded by a low pressure cryogen flow tube, through which a flow of low pressure cryogen gas is maintained on a substantially continuous basis. By this arrangement, when the high pressure flow of cryogen is shut off between bursts of flow into mold cavities that are brought sequentially into a cooling gas injection station, the discharge end of the high pressure injector tube is kept purged of moisture laden ambient air. Because the system of the present invention hastens cooling and solidification of newly formed glass articles, the time during which the articles must be retained in their molds is significantly reduced.
In a method of making a hollow glass article by shaping a quantity of molten glass in a mold cavity, the improvement comprising the steps of:
In a method of making a glass article having a hollow interior by press form shaping of a quantity of molten glass in a mold cavity, the improvement comprising the steps of providing a flow of pressurized cryogen which has a temperature that is substantially below that of ambient air, and introducing the flow of cryogen into a hollow interior portion of the newly press formed glass article to cool the interior of the newly formed glass article and hasten solidification thereof by forming a "skin" of solidified glass on interior surface portions thereof to give the article shape stability to enable the article to be removed quickly after molding from the mold in which the article was press formed.
In a hollow glass article manufacturing machine including a mold having a cavity into which a quantity of molten glass is introduced to be conformed to a desired shape as defined by the mold cavity, and having gas inlet means for admitting a flow of cooling gas to the mold cavity interiorally with respect to the hollow glass article being formed in the cavity to directly cool interior surface portions of the molten glass therein for at least assisting in conforming a quantity of molten glass to a desired configuration defined by the mold cavity, the improvement of means for providing separate flows of cold cryogen vapor and air into the hollow glass article wherein the flows are mixed to provide a cooling gas that has a temperature that is substantially below the temperature of ambient air, and wherein the gas inlet means includes:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.