Method for manufacturing successive spherical glass articles with figurines accommodated therein, and articles obtained with the method

The method of manufacturing successive spherical glass articles, in each of which is accommodated a figurine, which method comprises the following steps of:

• (a) providing a container with a mass of molten glass, which container comprises a discharge opening which can be closed by a valve and into which a vertical tubular central mandrel extends such that a tubular flow of liquid glass can be delivered via the discharge opening;
• (b) opening the valve for delivering said flow of liquid glass while simultaneously supplying successive figurines intermittently via the mandrel such that these objects are received in a hollow space of the tubular glass flow;
• (c) causing the tubular glass flow to contract and embed the successive objects in the glass mass;
• (d) successively separating the lower part of the tubular glass flow in which a figurine is situated such that still molten glass masses are formed, in each of which a figurine is embedded;
• and
• (e) modelling these masses to a spherical form by substantially omnidirectional rolling with simultaneous cooling so that the glass solidifies.