US3765856A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Glass ware assembling and lehr loading mechanism
Assignee: Bowman Inc E W
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Filing: 1972-03-28
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Granted: 1973-10-16
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Expires: 1992-03-28
Abstract
Abstract This disclosure relates to apparatus for assembling glass ware such as bottles in rows, and in spaced relation, as they are delivered from a forming machine, and for loading the bottles on the conveyor belt of a glass annealing lehr without contact with each other. Glass ware such as bottles are produced at the rate of 60 to 160 (or more) bottles per minute (depending on the number of forming sections) and the production of one or more forming machines is loaded on to the conveyor belt of a single glass annealing lehr. The bottles are not pushed or dragged on any supporting surface which would cause them to upset and contact one another resulting in damage or breakage. Abrasion is entirely avoided by engaging the finish or neck of the bottles and lifting them from one movable support to another out of contact with each other. This invention is particularly useful with modern nonabrading glass ware coating process which are applied before and after annealing and which is substantially impaired once the body of the glass ware has impacted one another by contact when upset by pusher mechanism or by the great speed of production which causes the ware to accumulate at a speed greater than the lehr loading mechanism is capable of handling. By means of the present invention the glass ware is assembled in any desired numbers and loaded on the belt of the annealing lehr at any speed necessary to avoid accumulation and contact.
Inventors
- 👤 E Bowman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 11:37
CPC Classifications
C; C03; C03B; C03B35/00; C03B35/04; C03B35/06; C03B35/12; C03B35/125; C03B35/08; C03B35/085; C03C; C03C17/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
155 words
In the method of treating glass ware from a glass forming machine to and through a glass annealing lehr, comprising the steps of depositing the newly formed ware uniformly spaced in a single row on a transfer conveyor for conveying the ware to a transfer mechanism at the charging end of a lehr conveyor which passes through said annealing lehr, said transfer conveyor traveling across the charging end of said lehr conveyor substantially at right angles thereto, simultaneously engaging and suspending a group of ware proportional to the width of said lehr conveyor from said single row of ware on said transfer conveyor and depositing said group on said lehr conveyor at the charging end thereof at the speed of movement of said lehr conveyor, and further including the step of spraying at least the sides of said ware before passing through said annealing lehr and while said ware are suspended from their conveyor support.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
155 words
In the method of treating glass ware from a glass forming machine to and through a glass annealing lehr, comprising the steps of depositing the newly formed ware uniformly spaced in a single row on a transfer conveyor for conveying the ware to a transfer mechanism at the charging end of a lehr conveyor which passes through said annealing lehr, said transfer conveyor traveling across the charging end of said lehr conveyor substantially at right angles thereto, simultaneously engaging and suspending a group of ware proportional to the width of said lehr conveyor from said single row of ware on said transfer conveyor and depositing said group on said lehr conveyor at the charging end thereof at the speed of movement of said lehr conveyor, and further including the step of spraying at least the sides of said ware before passing through said annealing lehr and while said ware are suspended from their conveyor support.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
104 words
The method of treating glass ware set forth in claim 1 wherein said transfer conveyor includes a first section on which the ware are deposited from said forming machine and a second section traveling at the same speed as and at right angles to said first section, and further including the steps of transferring said ware from said first section to said second section by suspending the ware from their conveyor support and transferring the same at the same speed to said second section, and spraying the sides and bottom of said ware while in said suspended position between said first and second sections.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of spraying glass ware as set forth in claim 1 further including the steps of lifting the ware from a conveyor surface, spraying the sides and bottom of the ware, and depositing the sprayed ware on the same conveyor.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 further including the step of spraying the sides and bottom of said ware subsequent to the passage of said ware through said annealing lehr.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
195 words
In the method of treating glass ware from a glass forming machine to and through a glass annealing lehr, comprising the steps of depositing the newly formed ware uniformly spaced in a single row on a transfer conveyor, said transfer conveyor including a first section for receiving newly formed ware from said forming machine and a second section spaced from and at right angles to said first section for conveying the ware to a transfer mechanism at the charging end of a lehr conveyor which passes through said annealing lehr, said second section traveling across the charging end of said lehr conveyor substaNtially at right angles thereto, suspending said ware from conveyor support while transferring said ware from said first to said second conveyor sections, spraying at least the sides of said ware while suspended between said first and second sections, and thereafter simultaneously engaging and suspending a group of ware proportional to the width of said lehr conveyor from said single row of ware on said second section of said transfer conveyor and depositing said group on said lehr conveyor at the charging end thereof at the speed of movement of said lehr conveyor.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
195 words
In the method of treating glass ware from a glass forming machine to and through a glass annealing lehr, comprising the steps of depositing the newly formed ware uniformly spaced in a single row on a transfer conveyor, said transfer conveyor including a first section for receiving newly formed ware from said forming machine and a second section spaced from and at right angles to said first section for conveying the ware to a transfer mechanism at the charging end of a lehr conveyor which passes through said annealing lehr, said second section traveling across the charging end of said lehr conveyor substaNtially at right angles thereto, suspending said ware from conveyor support while transferring said ware from said first to said second conveyor sections, spraying at least the sides of said ware while suspended between said first and second sections, and thereafter simultaneously engaging and suspending a group of ware proportional to the width of said lehr conveyor from said single row of ware on said second section of said transfer conveyor and depositing said group on said lehr conveyor at the charging end thereof at the speed of movement of said lehr conveyor.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
142 words
In a glass ware annealing system, the combination including a forming machine, an annealing lehr, transfer conveyor means for maintaining a continuous flow of newly formed ware in a single row from the forming machine to the annealing lehr, a lehr conveyor extending through said annealing lehr and having a charging end spaced from and at right angles to said transfer conveyor means at the inlet end of said lehr, transfer mechanism for simultaneously engaging and suspending a group of ware proportional to the width of said lehr conveyor from said single row on said transfer conveyor means and depositing the same on said lehr conveyor, said transfer mechanism moving at the same speed as said lehr conveyor, and means in advance of said lehr conveyor for spraying at least the sides of said ware prior to passing through said annealing lehr.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
142 words
In a glass ware annealing system, the combination including a forming machine, an annealing lehr, transfer conveyor means for maintaining a continuous flow of newly formed ware in a single row from the forming machine to the annealing lehr, a lehr conveyor extending through said annealing lehr and having a charging end spaced from and at right angles to said transfer conveyor means at the inlet end of said lehr, transfer mechanism for simultaneously engaging and suspending a group of ware proportional to the width of said lehr conveyor from said single row on said transfer conveyor means and depositing the same on said lehr conveyor, said transfer mechanism moving at the same speed as said lehr conveyor, and means in advance of said lehr conveyor for spraying at least the sides of said ware prior to passing through said annealing lehr.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
80 words
The glass ware annealing system of claim 6 wherein said transfer mechanism includes gripping elements for engaging and suspending the group of ware from said transfer conveyor means and releasing said ware onto said lehr conveyor, said gripping elements being mounted on sprocket chains and having jaws the engaging portions of which are substantially L-shape to engage protuberances on the ware to support the ware thereon, one of said jaws being mounted on a spring to grippingly engage the ware.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
56 words
The glass ware annealing system of claim 7 in which the glass ware are bottles and the L-shape gripping jaws engage the outer bead of the finish on the neck of the bottle and the jaws engage the neck only, leaving the sides and bottom of the bottles exposed for spraying when in their suspended position.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
44 words
The glass ware annealing system of claim 7 in which the gripping elements are bars engaging groups of bottles the number of which are determined by the spacing of the bottles in front of the lehr conveyor and the length of the gripping bars.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
106 words
The glass ware annealing system of claim 7 further including cam rollers operatively connected to said gripping elements, means for resiliently biasing said gripping elements to their open position, and a cam track between said transfer conveyor means and said lehr conveyor in the path of said cam rollers, said cam rollers first engaging said cam track for moving said gripping elements to their closed position for suspending the ware, and thereafter falling off said cam track when said ware overlies said lehr conveyor to permit said gripping elements to open under the force of said biasing means thereby releasing the ware onto said lehr conveyor.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
58 words
The glass ware annealing system of claim 10 further including means for synchronizing the speed of said transfer conveyor means, said sprocket chains carrying said gripping elements and said cam rollers, and said lehr conveyor whereby said ware can be transferred as a group at a continuous, preselected speed from said transfer conveyor means to said lehr conveyor.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
The glass ware annealing system of claim 6 wherein said spraying means is located adjacent said transfer mechanism.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
72 words
The glass ware annealing system of claim 6 wherein said transfer conveyor means includes a first section on which the ware are deposited from said forming machine and a second section traveling at the same speed as and at right angles to said first section, and transfer means between said first and second sections and traveling at the same speed for transferring said ware from said first sectiOn to said second section.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
29 words
The glass ware annealing system of claim 13 wherein said spraying means is mounted adjacent said transfer means between said first and second sections of said tranfer conveyor means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
22 words
The glass ware annealing system of claim 14 wherein said spraying means further includes additional spray heads located adjacent said transfer mechanism.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
58 words
The glass ware annealing system of claim 6 further including ware suspending means disposed above any one or both of said transfer conveyor means and said lehr conveyor for elevating said ware above said conveyor support, and spray means associated with said suspension means for spraying the sides and bottom of said ware when in said suspended position.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-10-15 | 1977-04-16 | 1977-10-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-10-15 | 1981-04-16 | 1981-10-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-10-15 | 1985-04-16 | 1985-10-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |