Liquid cooling of glassware molds

Abstract

A system for cooling molds in a glassware forming machine includes a pair of mold arms mounted on a hinge post for movement toward and away from each other, and at least one mold part carried by each mold arm and adapted to cooperate with each other to form a glassware blank mold or blow mold. Each mold part includes at least one coolant passage having an inlet and an outlet disposed at one end of the mold part, and each mold arm has inlet and outlet coolant flow passages operatively coupled to the inlet and outlet of the mold part mounted on that arm. A liquid coolant source and a liquid coolant return are disposed adjacent to the hinge post. A first coolant passage extends through the hinge post between the coolant source and the inlet flow passages in the mold arms, and a second coolant passage extends through the hinge post between the outlet coolant flow passages in the mold arms and the coolant return. Thus, liquid coolant flows in a closed path from the source through the hinge post and the mold arms to the mold parts, and from the mold parts back through the mold arms and the hinge post to the return.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.