Direct loading of glass gobs into traversable blank molds

Abstract

The glass forming individual section machine (14) includes a machine frame (20) having a glass gob loading axis (Z'), a crossable blank side (24) including a blank mold (14a) configured to form a glass gob (G) into a parison and having a blank mold vertical axis (Vi), and a mold carriage (26) movably supported on the machine frame and coupled to the crossable blank side for linearly translating the crossable blank side toward the glass gob loading axis to align the blank mold vertical axis with the glass gob loading axis and for linearly translating the crossable blank side away from the glass gob loading axis. Related methods of loading blank molds of the individual section machine are also disclosed.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This patent application discloses innovations related to the manufacture of glass containers, and more specifically, to the loading of glass gobs supplied from a gob feeder into a blank mold. [Background technology]

[0002] Soda-lime-silica glass and other types of glass are prevalent in the manufacture of glass containers. The molten glass used to make such articles can be conventionally prepared by reacting and melting a batch of glass-forming materials in a glass furnace. The batch of glass-forming materials is typically introduced into the furnace by being deposited into a pool of molten glass already in the furnace. The batch is gradually melted into the pool by the continuous application of heat. After the batch is melted, fined, and homogenized in the furnace, the resulting molten glass is typically directed into a fining channel where gas bubbles are released from the molten glass, and then downstream to a forehearth where the fined molten glass is thermally conditioned by cooling to a temperature suitable for forming the molten glass into a container. A gob feeder located at the downstream end of the forehearth can be used to meter and form a predetermined amount of molten glass, known as a "gob." The gob is fed from the gob feeder and travels down a "delivery" facility to an "individual section" (IS) machine that forms the glass gob into a parison and then forms the parison into a glass container.

[0003] Conventional IS machines typically include 2-16 individual sections of identical construction arranged in a row and configured to operate out of phase with one another to provide a continuous stream of glass containers on a conveyor downstream of the IS machine. Each section includes a frame supporting a blank subsection or side that receives or loads one or more glass gobs from a delivery facility and forms one or more parisons from the glass gobs, and a blow subsection or side that receives parisons from the blank side and forms containers from the parisons. The blank side includes one or more blank dies, plungers, funnels, and baffles that form the glass gobs into parisons, along with corresponding blank die actuators, plunger actuators, funnel actuators, baffle actuators, and other devices and components that facilitate the operation of the blank dies, plungers, and baffles. The blow side includes one or more blow dies, bottom plates, and blow heads that form the parisons into containers, along with corresponding blow die actuators, bottom plate pneumatic devices, and blow head actuators. Each section also includes mold cooling circuits and valves, and a parison inverter including a parison neck ring carried by an inverter arm for holding the parisons by their necks and inverting the parisons from the blank molds to the blow molds. Each section further includes an ejection mechanism for ejecting the containers from the blow molds and releasing them onto the dead plate of each section, and a sweep mechanism for sweeping the containers from the dead plate onto the downstream conveyor. The above-mentioned equipment of each section is operated according to precise timing to ensure that the IS machine as a whole provides a continuous flow of glass containers onto the downstream conveyor.

[0004] In operation, each movable half of the blank mold is closed around the plunger with a funnel placed on top of the blank mold, a gob is delivered into the mold through the funnel, a baffle is placed on top of the funnel, and air is blown through the baffle to settle the gob into the blank mold. The funnel and baffle are then removed, the baffle is placed back directly over the blank mold, and either reverse blow air is blown through the blow plunger to blow the gob into the blank mold (blow and blow) or a press plunger is advanced into the blank mold to press the gob into the inner surface of the blank mold (press and blow). The baffle has an exhaust relief that allows air to escape from the blank mold during the formation of the parison. The baffle is then removed, the mold is opened, and the parison inverter rotates to invert the parison from a "neck down" orientation in the blow mold to a "neck up" orientation between the top ends of the open movable halves of the blow mold on the blow side. The movable half of the blow mold then closes around the bottom plate, the parison inverter rotates back onto the blank side into a position between the lower ends of the open blank molds, and the blow head is positioned over the closed blow mold to blow air into the parison through its open neck and into the inner surface of the blow mold to produce a container. Finally, the blow head is removed, the blow mold is opened, an ejection mechanism repositions the finished container from the blow side onto the dead plate, and a sweep mechanism sweeps the finished container from the dead plate onto a downstream conveyor. In particular, the finished containers are very hot and therefore must be of sufficient wall thickness to prevent them from collapsing when placed onto the dead plate or as they move down the conveyor while cooling.

[0005] The gob feeder typically controls the temperature and amount of molten glass in the glass gobs, as well as the rate at which the glass gobs are indirectly fed to the IS machine via a delivery facility. However, the delivery facility requires the use of dirty lubricants and includes a complex arrangement of scoops, troughs, and deflectors that vary in length and configuration depending on the proximity of each section of the IS machine to the gob feeder. The use of such messy and variable delivery facility contributes to variations in the temperature distribution of the glass gobs, which in turn results in undesirable non-uniform wall thicknesses of glass containers produced from the glass gobs, and such non-uniformity, in turn, necessitates the use of thicker container wall thicknesses than would otherwise be required. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present disclosure embodies several aspects that can be implemented separately or in combination with each other.

[0007] A glass forming individual section machine according to one aspect of the disclosure includes a machine frame having a glass gob loading axis, a crossable blank side including a blank mold configured to form glass gobs into parisons and having a blank mold vertical axis, The machine also includes a mold carriage movably supported on the machine frame and coupled to the crossable blank side for linearly translating the crossable blank side toward the glass gob loading axis to align the blank mold vertical axis with the glass gob loading axis and for linearly translating the crossable blank side away from the glass gob loading axis.

[0008] According to another aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a method of loading blank molds of an individual section machine, the method including: generating a falling glass gob along a falling gob axis; moving at least one crossable blank side including at least one blank mold along an axis transverse to the falling gob axis to load the glass gob substantially along a first loading axis of the at least one blank mold; and forming the glass gob into a parison using the at least one blank mold. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a glass container manufacturing system including a glass gob feeder, an individual section (IS) machine including a traversable blank side and a stationary blow side, and a sensor subsystem including one or more falling gob sensors, a gob loading sensor, and a blow mold temperature sensor according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a more detailed perspective schematic diagram of the system of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a more detailed schematic top view of the system of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a more detailed schematic perspective view of a portion of the system of FIG. 1 including a gob feeder and an IS machine with the blank side shown in the forming position. [Diagram 5] 5 illustrates a portion of the system shown in FIG. 4 with one of the traversable blank sides moved from the forming position of FIG. 4 to a gob loading position beneath the gob feeder. [Figure 6] FIG. 5 is an elevated end view of a portion of the system of FIG. [Figure 7A] 7A-7C are perspective, top, side and end views of the machine platen conditioner of the individual section machine of FIG. [Figure 7B] 7A-7C are perspective, top, side and end views of the machine platen conditioner of the individual section machine of FIG. [Figure 7C] 7A-7C are perspective, top, side and end views of the machine platen conditioner of the individual section machine of FIG. [Figure 7D] 7A-7C are perspective, top, side and end views of the machine platen conditioner of the individual section machine of FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 5 shows one crossable blank side and one stationary blow side of the system of FIG. 4. [Figure 9] FIG. 5 is an enlarged schematic view of both crossable blank sides of FIG. 4. [Figure 10] FIG. 5 is an enlarged schematic view of both stationary blow sides of FIG. 4. [Figure 11] FIG. 5 is a schematic top view of the individual section machine of FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of the individual section machine of FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 5 is a schematic end view of the individual section machine of FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 5 is a partial schematic perspective view of a first stage actuator of the individual section machine of FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 5 is a partial schematic top view of a first stage actuator of the individual section machine of FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 5 is a partial schematic perspective view of a second stage actuator of the individual section machine of FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 5 is another partial schematic perspective view of the second stage actuator of the individual section machine of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] In general, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus, system, and method are provided for loading glass gobs directly into blank molds, preferably without any intervening delivery equipment in the form of scoops, troughs, and / or deflectors. Thus, the present apparatus, system, and method do not require delivery equipment that requires cumbersome lubrication, is long, and involves prolonged contact between the glass gob and the delivery equipment, thereby resulting in deformation of the glass gob and uneven cooling of the glass gob. Thus, the present apparatus, system, and method do not require a large height difference between the glass feeder and the corresponding blank mold, and the temperature distribution of each glass gob is more uniform, thereby resulting in a more uniform wall thickness of the glass container produced from the glass gob, and therefore a thinner-walled, lighter-weight container can be produced. According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus, system, and method are provided for autonomously loading glass gobs into blank molds. Thus, the apparatus, system, and method should not require operator intervention after the initial system setup.

[0011] 1-3 generally illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a system 10 including a gob feeder 12 for producing one or more glass gobs G that fall along a gob feed or drop axis Z corresponding to each of the gobs G, and a glass forming individual section (IS) machine 14 below the gob feeder 12 for receiving or loading the falling gobs G into a traversable blank mold 14a and ultimately producing a glass container (not shown) from the glass gobs G via a stationary blow mold 14b. While the system 10 is shown according to a three gob and three mold setup, those skilled in the art will recognize that the system 10 may be configured according to a single gob and single mold setup, a two gob and two mold setup, or any suitable quantity of gobs and molds. The system 10 may also include a sensor subsystem 16, and may further include a controller 18 that receives input signals from the sensor subsystem 16 and the IS machine 14, processes the input signals in any suitable manner, and transmits output signals to the IS machine 14 and / or the gob feeder 12 to improve loading of the glass gobs G into the IS machine 14. The sensor subsystem 16 can include one or more of a falling gob sensor 16a, a gob loaded sensor 16b, a blank mold temperature sensor 16c, and a blow mold temperature sensor 16d.

[0012] Preferably, the system 10 does not include gob delivery equipment in the form of scoops, troughs, and / or deflectors between the gob feeder 12 and the IS machine 14 to redirect the falling gobs G away from the falling gob axis Z. However, a gob forming funnel 13 may be disposed between the gob feeder 12 and the IS machine 14. In particular, the main purpose of the gob forming funnel 13 is to promote the desired shape of the glass gobs G produced by the gob feeder 12, and perhaps also to maintain the trajectory of the falling gobs G along the falling gob axis Z, and not to the contrary redirect the glass gobs G away from the falling gob axis Z, as is done with prior art funnels and conventional delivery equipment in the form of scoops, troughs, and / or deflectors. The loading height between the glass line (or "metal line") of the glass melter and the top of the individual section machine bed may be reduced compared to conventional configurations using delivery equipment in the form of scoops, troughs, and / or deflectors. Such conventional equipment typically requires a conventional loading height of about 6 meters to achieve a sufficient gob velocity to fully load the gob into the blank die. In contrast, according to the present disclosure, because there is little or no surface contact on the gob G dropping between the gob feeder 12 and the blank die 14a of the IS machine 14, the gob G can achieve a sufficient velocity to fully load the gob G into the blank die 14a according to a reduced loading height of about 3 meters. As used herein, the term "about" means within plus or minus 15%.

[0013] Although not separately shown, the gob feeder 12 may include a feeder channel for receiving molten glass from an upstream forehearth and transporting the molten glass downstream, a feeder bowl or chamber downstream of the feeder channel for receiving the molten glass, an orifice at a downstream end of the feeder chamber for defining the shape of the glass gob G produced by the feeder, a plunger including a plunger rod for forcing the molten glass toward and out of the orifice and a plunger actuator for moving the plunger rod, a heating system including one or more heaters for heating one or more of the feeder channel, chamber, and / or orifice, and a gob cutter downstream below the orifice for severing a gob from the flow of molten glass exiting the orifice. In some embodiments, the gob feeder 12 may also include a plunger tube and a plunger tube actuator. The gob cutter may include a mechanical device such as a shear, an optical device such as a laser, a fluidic device such as a water jet, or any other device suitable for severing a gob from a glass flow.

[0014] Referring now to FIG. 4, the IS machine 14 includes a machine frame 20 having a glass gob receiving or loading axis Z' and including a machine platen 22, a crossable blank side 24 including at least one blank mold 14a configured to form a glass gob into a parison and having a blank mold vertical axis V1, and a mold carriage 26 movably supported on the machine frame 20 and coupled to the crossable blank side 24 for linearly translating the crossable blank side 24 toward the glass gob loading axis Z' to align the blank mold vertical axis V1 with the glass gob loading axis Z' and for linearly translating the crossable blank side 24 away from the glass gob loading axis Z'. Further, the IS machine 14 may additionally include at least one second blank mold 14a configured to form the glass gobs into parisons, a second crossable blank side 28 having a second blank mold vertical axis V2, and a second mold carriage 30 supported on the machine frame 20 and coupled to the second crossable blank side 28 for linearly translating the second crossable blank side 28 toward the glass gob loading axis Z' to align the second blank mold vertical axis V2 with the glass gob loading axis Z' and for linearly translating the second crossable blank side 28 away from the glass gob loading axis Z'. The IS machine may also further include a stationary blow side 32 including at least one blow mold 14b configured to form a container from a parison produced by the blank mold(s) 14a. Additionally, the IS machine may further include a second stationary blow side 34 including at least one second blow mold 14b configured to form a container from a parison produced by the second blank mold(s) 14a of the second crossable blank side 28.

[0015] 4 and 5, the mold carriage 26, 30 includes a carriage first stage 26 movable along a first longitudinal axis X. X , 30 X and at least one other stage, such as a carriage second stage 26, movable along a second axis Y transverse to the first axis X. Y, 30 Y The traversable blank sides 24, 28 may also include a shaping position (FIG. 4) on one side of the falling gob axis Z, toward the falling gob axis Z, to a loading position (FIG. 5) where the loading axis Z′ of the blank die(s) 14a is axially aligned with the falling gob axis Z, and then back to the shaping position again. The traversable blank sides 24, 28 may also be movable along a second axis Y transverse to the longitudinal axis X, as described in more detail herein below. In either case, the blank sides 24, 28 may be momentarily paused to receive or load glass gob(s) into the blank die(s) 14a to ensure the desired accuracy and position of gob loading.

[0016] The illustrated configuration includes two crossable blank sides 24, 26 disposed on orthogonally opposed longitudinal sides of the loading axis Z'. However, the subject matter of this disclosure includes any suitable number of blank sides disposed in any suitable arrangement relative to the axis Z', including, for example, three blank sides which may be circumferentially spaced about the axis and may be, for example, 120 degrees apart, or four blank sides which may be orthogonally disposed about the axis and may be, for example, 90 degrees apart.

[0017] 6, the machine frame 20 also includes a base 36, a machine platen 22, and an adapter mount 38 coupled to the base 36 and supporting the machine platen 22. The base 36 may include a plurality of beams 40 extending longitudinally and spaced laterally from one another, and one or more cross members 42 extending laterally between and connecting the plurality of beams 40. Of course, the base 36 may be of any other construction suitable for supporting the machine platen with the adapter mount 38 supported therebetween. Although not separately shown, the machine frame 20 may also include an additional adapter mount in the form of a leveller axially sandwiched between the base 36 and the machine platen 22 to level the machine platen 22 relative to the base 36. The leveller may include opposing wedges that can be driven toward and away from one another to raise and lower the machine platen 22 relative to the base 36.

[0018] 7A-7D, the illustrated adapter mount 38 is in the form of a platen positioner, for example, at one or more corners of the machine frame 20, to position the machine platen 22 in multiple directions relative to a base (not shown). The positioner may include a bracket 44 secured to the base (not shown) and one or more set screws 46 that thread through the bracket 44 and couple to one or more portions of the machine platen 22 to push or pull the machine platen 22 in one or more directions. As shown, and best seen in FIG. 7B, the machine platen 22 may include one or more inserts 48 secured to a main portion of the platen 22 and having driven projections or tangs 49 extending outwardly from the main portion of the platen 22 to cooperate with the set screws 46.

[0019] 8-10, the blank side 24 may include a blank side frame 50 that is ultimately supported on the machine platen 22 and includes a bottom 50a, a top 50b, and a sidewall 50c extending between the bottom 50a and the top 50b. The blank side 24 may further include a plunger device 52 carried by the blank side frame 50, a blank mold holder device 54 movably carried by the blank side frame 50, and of course the blank mold(s) 14a that may be carried by the blank mold holder device 54. The blank side 24 may also include a baffle device 56 carried by the blank side frame 50, an inversion device 58 that may be carried by the blank side frame 50, and a mold funnel device (not shown) that may be carried by the frame 50. Similarly, the second blank side (FIGS. 4, 28) includes the same equipment as the blank side 24 previously described. Similarly, the stationary blow side 32 may include a blow side frame 60 including a bottom 60a, a top 60b, and a sidewall 60c extending between the bottom 60a and the top 60b. The blow side 32 may further include a bottom plate apparatus 62 (FIG. 10) carried by the blow side frame 60, a blow mold holder apparatus 64 movably carried by the blow side frame 60, and of course the blow mold(s) 14b which may be carried by the blow mold holder apparatus 64. The stationary blow side 32 may also include a blow head apparatus 66 carried by the blow side frame 60, and an ejection apparatus 68 carried by the blow side frame 60. Although not separately shown, each section of the IS machine 14 also includes mold cooling circuits and valves, electrical wiring and components, and any other equipment suitable for use with an IS machine, and is associated with a sweep mechanism which sweeps the finished containers from the dead plate to a downstream conveyor.

[0020] Referring to FIGS. 11 to 13, the mold carriage first stage 26 X The mold carriage second stage 26 may be carried on a first stage rail 70 that is secured to the machine platen 22 and extends along a first axis X (FIGS. 11 and 13). Y 26 mold carriage first stageX 13, the crossable blank sides 24, 28 may be movably supported on the machine platen 22 while the stationary blank sides 30, 32 are fixed on the machine platen 22 adjacent the crossable blank sides 24, 28.

[0021] Referring to Figures 14 and 15, the carriage first stage 26 X The carriage first stage 26 may include a first stage plate 74 and a first stage actuator 76, which may include a first stage motor 76a and a first stage ball screw 76b having a first stage drive rod 76c coupled to a first stage extension arm 78 carried by the machine platen 22 and driven by the first stage motor 76a and coupled to the first stage plate 74. X may include any other actuator suitable for use in a glass manufacturing environment.

[0022] Referring to Figures 16 and 17, the carriage second stage 26 Y may include a second stage plate 80 and a second stage actuator 82, which may include a second stage motor 82a and a second stage ball screw 82b carried by the first stage plate 74 and driven by the second stage motor 82a and having a second stage drive rod 82c coupled to a second stage extension arm 84 coupled to the second stage plate 80.

[0023] 14-17, the illustrated mold carriage 26 includes an XY linear stage 26 including a lower portion movably supported on the machine frame 20 and an upper portion movably supported on the lower portion and fixed relative to the traversable blank side 24. X , 26 YMore specifically, the XY linear stage 26 X , 26 Y includes a first stage plate 74 movable along a first axis X that is transverse to the blank mold vertical axis (FIG. 4), and a second stage plate 80 movable along a second axis Y that is transverse to the blank mold vertical axis (FIG. 4) and the first stage axis X.

[0024] 1-3, the sensor subsystem 16 may include one or more falling gob sensors 16a for measuring one or more falling gob parameters of the falling gob G, one or more gob loading sensors 16b, which may include cameras for measuring one or more gob loading parameters of the glass gob G as the gob G is loaded into the blank mold(s) 14a, and / or one or more blank or blow mold temperature sensors 16c, 16d. The sensors 16a-d may be carried by a perimeter fence of the IS machine 14, by an overhead building girder or framework, by a freestanding sensor frame, or by any other structure suitable for use in a glass manufacturing environment. The falling gob sensor 16a may include one or more cameras configured and oriented to capture a three-dimensional image of the glass gob G falling from the gob feeder 12. The cameras may be used to measure gob weight, X and Y components of the falling gob angle, gob diameter, gob length, overall gob temperature, and horizontal and vertical components of gob temperature, gob velocity, and any other falling gob parameters suitable for use with the methods of the present disclosure. The gob loading sensor 16b may include one or more cameras configured and oriented to capture images of the blank mold(s) 14a and / or the glass gob G as it is loaded into the blank mold(s) 14a. The cameras may be used to measure blank mold temperature, neck ring temperature, plunger temperature, parison temperature, gob loading position, gob arrival time, falling gob angle, gob length, and any other blank mold and / or gob loading parameters suitable for use with the methods of the present disclosure. The blow mold temperature sensor 16d may be used to measure the blow mold temperature.

[0025] 1-3 and 14-15 generally, the controller 18 is in communication with one or more sensors 16a-16d of the sensor subsystem 16 to receive sensor output signals therefrom as input signals to the controller 18, and in communication with one or more actuators 76, 82 of the mold carriage 26 to send controller output signals for use as input signals to the mold carriage 26 to move the blank sides 24, 28 in response to one or more dropping gob parameters, one or more gob loading parameters, or both. The controller 18 may also be in communication with the gob feeder 12 to send controller output signals for use as input signals to a plunger actuator, feeder heater(s), feeder shear actuator, or any other device of the gob feeder 12, or any other device of the forehearth upstream of the gob feeder 12. The controller 18 may include a single system controller or may include multiple separate controllers in communication with each other, e.g., a gob feeder controller, a sensor controller, a mold carriage controller, etc. Each controller may include a memory, one or more processors coupled to the memory, and one or more interfaces coupled to the processors that may include circuitry, software, firmware, and / or any other devices that assist or enable the controllers to communicate internally and / or facilitate input / output communication with other controllers and / or various other portions of system 10. Of course, controller 18 may further include any auxiliary devices, such as a clock, an internal power supply, etc. Although not separately shown, controller 18 may be powered by an external power source, such as an AC-DC converter, one or more batteries, a fuel cell, etc. In either case, controller 18 may be used to facilitate various aspects of the methods of the present disclosure, described below.

[0026] A method of loading blank molds of an individual section machine includes generating a falling glass gob along a falling gob axis, moving at least one crossable blank side including at least one blank mold along an axis transverse to the falling gob axis to load the glass gob substantially along a first loading axis of the at least one blank mold, and forming the glass gob into a parison using the at least one blank mold. The moving step may include moving the first and second crossable blank sides relative to the falling gob axis to load the glass gob substantially along the first and second loading axes of the first and second blank molds of the first and second crossable blank sides. More specifically, the moving step may include actuating a mold carriage carried on a machine frame and operably coupled to the first and second crossable blank sides to move the first and second crossable blank sides relative to the machine frame during operation of the machine. The method may also include sensing a characteristic of the falling gob and / or gob loading and adjusting at least one of the gob production step or the blank side movement step in response to the sensing step. More specifically, the controller may receive and process input signals corresponding to one or more of the above-mentioned characteristics sensed by the sensor subsystem and generate output signals to one or more portions of the gob feeder and / or mold carriage to improve gob loading precision and / or accuracy.

[0027] The system may be initially set up and then operated autonomously. For example, one or more humans may secure the IS machine to the factory floor, for example, by securing the base to the forming floor, projecting a laser or other vertical or alignment device between the centerline of the gob feeder orifice and the centerline of the corresponding blank mold, adjusting the levelers and positioners to achieve the desired alignment between the corresponding centerlines, and locking the IS machine in place. The system may then be operated autonomously, as the systems and methods may be configured for closed-loop control of the movement of the blank sides and may also be configured for closed-loop control of the gob feeder. For example, the actual gob loading position of the gobs may be measured relative to the desired gob loading position, the precision and accuracy of the actual gob loading may be evaluated, and actions may be taken based on such evaluation. For example, if the actual loading position is significantly off from the desired loading position, the controller may send one or more appropriate output signals to adjust the loading position of the blank sides along the X and / or Y axes, thus maintaining the desired loading for every gob loaded. Similarly, if the actual loading position is too far from the desired loading position, the controller can send one or more appropriate output signals to adjust various parameters of the gob feeder, such as gob processing speed, feeder temperature(s), etc. Thus, once the system is initially configured and aligned by one or more humans, the system can thereafter self-correct to ensure the desired gob loading precision and accuracy in the blank mold every mold cycle.

[0028] As used herein, the terms "for example," "eg," "for instance," "like," "such as," "comprising," "having," "including," and the like, when used in conjunction with a list of one or more elements, should be construed as open-ended, meaning that the list does not exclude additional elements. Also, as used herein, the term "may" is merely a convenience to indicate optionality of, for example, the disclosed embodiments, elements, features, and the like, and should not be construed as obscuring any disclosure herein. Additionally, directional terms such as front, rear, top, bottom, upward, downward, radial, circumferential, axial, lateral, longitudinal, vertical, horizontal, transverse, and / or the like, are used by way of example and not necessarily as limiting.

[0029] Finally, the subject matter of the present application is disclosed herein in conjunction with several explicit exemplary embodiments and modifications to those embodiments, using various terms. All terms used herein are intended to be merely descriptive, not necessarily limiting, and should be interpreted and understood according to their ordinary and customary meaning in the art, unless used in a context that requires a different interpretation. Also, for convenience, each explicit exemplary embodiment and modification is incorporated herein by reference to one or more of the other explicit exemplary embodiments and modifications. Thus, it is not intended, nor possible, to describe herein all such subject matter, many other embodiments, modifications, and their equivalents that currently exist or have not yet been discovered, and thus would be readily suggested to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the present disclosure. Rather, the present disclosure is intended to encompass all such embodiments and modifications of the subject matter of the present application, and their equivalents, as falling within the broad scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A glass forming individual section machine (14), comprising: a machine frame (20) having a glass gob loading axis (Z'); a blank mold (14a) configured to form a glass gob into a parison, the blank mold having a vertical axis (V 1 a traversable blank side (24) having a a mold carriage (26) movably carried on the machine frame and coupled to the traversable blank side for linearly translating the traversable blank side toward the glass gob loading axis to align the blank mold vertical axis with the glass gob loading axis and for linearly translating the traversable blank side away from the glass gob loading axis; Equipped with glass forming individual section machines.

2. The mold carriage has a lower part (26) movably carried on the machine frame. X ) and an upper portion 26 movably carried on said lower portion and fixed relative to said crossable blank side. Y and an XY linear stage (26 X , 26 Y 10. The machine of claim 1, further comprising:

3. 3. The machine of claim 2, wherein the XY linear stage includes a first plate (74) movable along a first axis (X) transverse to the blank mold vertical axis, and a second plate (80) movable along a second axis (Y) transverse to the blank mold vertical axis and the first axis.

4. a second blank mold (14a) configured to form the glass gob into a parison, the second blank mold having a vertical axis (V 2 a second crossable blank side (28) having a a second mold carriage (30) carried on the machine frame and coupled to the second traversable blank side for linearly translating the second traversable blank side toward the glass gob loading axis to align the second blank mold vertical axis with the glass gob loading axis and for linearly translating the second traversable blank side away from the glass gob loading axis; The machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising:

5. first and second stationary blow sides (32, 34) fixed relative to the machine frame and spaced laterally from the first and second crossable blank sides; a parison inverter (58) for inverting a parison produced by the first and second crossable blank sides from the first and second crossable blank sides to the first and second stationary blow sides; The machine of claim 4 further comprising:

6. the traversable blank side a blank side frame (50) including a bottom (50a), a top (50b), and a sidewall (50c) extending between the bottom and the top; a plunger device (52) carried by said blank side frame; a blank mold holder device (54) movably carried by said blank side frame; the blank mold carried by the blank mold holder device; a baffle assembly (56) carried by said blank side frame; a turning device (58) using the blank side frame; The machine of claim 1 , comprising:

7. a stationary blow side (32) having a blow mold (14b) fixed relative to the machine frame and having a blow mold vertical axis laterally offset from the blank mold vertical axis; The machine of claim 1 further comprising:

8. an inversion device (58) having an inversion shaft (I) disposed between the blank mold and the blow mold; The machine of claim 7 further comprising:

9. The stationary blow side a blow side frame (60) including a bottom (60a), a top (60b), and a sidewall (60c) extending between the bottom and the top; a bottom plate device (62) carried by said blow side frame; a blow mold holder device (64) movably carried by said blow side frame; the blow mold carried by the blow mold holder device; a blow head device (66) carried by said blow side frame; a take-out device (68) carried by said blow side frame; 8. The machine of claim 7, comprising:

10. a second blank mold (14a) configured to form the glass gob into a parison, the second blank mold having a vertical axis (V 2 a second traversable blank side (28) disposed on a second side of the axis, the second traversable blank side (28) being movable from the second side of the axis toward the axis to align the second blank mold vertical axis with the glass gob loading axis. The machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising:

11. 11. The machine of claim 10, wherein the first and second blank molds are configured to receive glass gobs along their respective blank mold vertical axes directly from a gob feeder.

12. a controller (18) in operative communication with the mold carriage for controlling movement of the mold carriage; at least one sensor (16a-d) configured to sense the glass gob falling along the axis and generate an output signal for use as an input to the controller in controlling movement of the mold carriage; The machine of claim 11 further comprising:

13. The machine frame is A base (36); a machine platen (22); an adapter mount (38) coupled to the base and supporting the machine platen; The machine of claim 1 , comprising:

14. 14. The machine of claim 13, wherein the base includes a plurality of longitudinally extending beams (40) spaced laterally from one another, and a plurality of cross members (42) extending laterally between and connecting the plurality of beams.

15. The adapter mount: a positioner including a set screw (46) for moving the machine platen relative to the base in multiple directions; 15. The machine of claim 13 or 14, comprising:

16. The mold carriage a carriage first stage (26) fixed to the machine platen and carried on rails (70) extending along a first axis (X); X ), A carriage second stage (26) is fixed to the carriage first stage and carried on a rail (72) extending along a second axis (Y) transverse to the first axis. Y )and, 14. The machine of claim 13, comprising:

17. the carriage first stage includes a first stage plate (74), the carriage second stage includes a second stage plate (80), and the machine a second stage actuator (82) including a second stage motor (82a) and a second stage ball screw (82b) carried by the first stage plate and driven by the second stage motor, the second stage actuator (82) having a second stage drive rod (82c) coupled to a second stage extension arm (84) coupled to the second stage plate; a first stage actuator (76) including a first stage motor (76a) and a first stage ball screw (76b) carried by the machine platen and driven by the first stage motor, the first stage actuator (76) having a first stage drive rod (76c) coupled to a first stage extension arm (78) coupled to the first stage plate; 17. The machine of claim 16, further comprising:

18. 18. The machine of claim 17, wherein the carriage first stage also includes another first stage motor and another first stage ball screw carried by the machine platen and driven by the other first stage motor, the ball screw having another first stage drive rod.

19. A glass manufacturing system (10) comprising: a gob feeder (12) for generating a falling gob (G) that falls along the glass gob loading axis; 2. The machine of claim 1, wherein the traversable blank side is movable below the gob feeder so that the blank die receives the falling gobs directly from the gob feeder; A glass manufacturing system comprising:

20. 20. The glass manufacturing system of claim 19, wherein the system does not include gob delivery equipment between the gob feeder and the blank mold for redirecting the falling gobs.

21. a falling gob camera (16a) for measuring one or more falling gob parameters of said falling gob; or a gob loading camera (16b) for measuring one or more gob loading parameters of the falling gob as it is being loaded into the blank mold; a controller (18) for moving the blank mold in response to at least one of the one or more dropping gob parameters or the one or more gob loading parameters; 21. The glass manufacturing system of claim 19 or 20, further comprising at least one of:

22. 1. A method of loading blank molds for an individual section machine, comprising: generating a falling glass gob (G) along a falling gob axis (Z); At least one traversable blank side (24, 28) including at least one blank die (14a) is moved along an axis (X, Y) transverse to the falling gob axis to move the at least one blank die along a first loading axis (V). 1 loading the glass gob substantially along the forming the glass gob into a parison using the at least one blank mold; A method comprising:

23. The moving step moves the first and second blank dies (14a, 14a) of the first and second traversable blank sides along first and second loading axes (V 1 , V 2 23. The method of claim 22, further comprising moving the first and second traversable blank sides (24, 28) relative to the falling gob axis to load the glass gobs substantially along a falling gob axis.

24. 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the moving step includes actuating a mold carriage (26) carried on a machine frame (20) and operably coupled to the first and second crossable blank sides to move the first and second crossable blank sides relative to the machine frame during operation of the machine.

25. the characteristics of said falling gobs; or Gob Loading Traits sensing at least one of: In response to the sensing step, the generating step; or the moving step and adjusting at least one of The method of any one of claims 22 to 24, further comprising:

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