Blank forming apparatus for glass ribbon forming machine

Claim 1

IN AN AUTOMATIC MACHINE FOR FORMING GLASS BULBS AND LIKE HOLLOW ARTICLES FROM A MOVING RIBBON OF VISCOUS GLASS COMPRISING CONVEYOR MEANS FOR MOVING THE RIBBON ALONG A PATH AND FORMED WITH A SERIES OF APERTURES UNDERLYING THE RIBBON AND BLOWING MEANS FOR DEVELOPING PORTIONS OF THE MOVING RIBBON INTO HOLLOW BLANKS PROJECTING THROUGH SAID APERTURES, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES MEANS FOR POSITIONING SUBSTANTIALLY ANNULAR FLUID PRESSURE MANIFOLD MEANS AROUND EACH DEVELOPING BLANK ADJACENT SAID CONVEYOR MEANS, MOVING SAID POSITIONED MANIFOLD MEANS ALONG SAID PATH AND THEN REMOVING SAID MANIFOLD MEANS FROM ASSOCIATION WITH SAID BLANKS, SAID MANIFOLD MEANS BEING ARRANGED TO DISCHARGE A SUBSTNATIAL ANNULAR STREAM OF FLUID UNDER PRESSURE FOR FORMING A NECK ON EACH DEVELOPING BLANK MOVING ALONG SAID PATH.