Vacuum valve for an I.S. machine
AssigneeEmhart Glass S.A.
InventorF. Alan Fenton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims11
A method of providing variable vacuum to an I.S. machine including a vacuum inlet, 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 vacuum inlet of 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 a 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.
A vacuum control mechanism for providing variable vacuum in an I.S. machine including a vacuum inlet selectively operable to apply final blow to a parison, the vacuum control mechanism being coupled to a vacuum source, the vacuum control mechanism comprising:
- an on-off valve configurable in an open configuration and a closed configuration coupled to the vacuum source;
- a bipartite control valve in operative communication with the on-off valve and the vacuum inlet of the I.S. machine;
- wherein the control is configured to arrange the bipartite control valve in a partially closed configuration when the on-off valve is in the open configuration and the I.S. machine is not being operated to apply final blow to a parison;
- and
- wherein the control is configured to arrange the bipartite control valve in an open configuration when the on-off valve is in the open configuration and the I.S. machine is being operated to apply final blow to a parison.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.