Patrix mechanism of a glass-molding machine

Abstract

The pressing plunger mechanism (1) has at least one pressing plunger (72) which in normal operation can be moved axially in a reciprocating manner together with a pressing plunger receiver (71) between an inoperative position and a pressing position. A piston rod (60; 61) of a piston (58; 59) is fastened to each pressing plunger receiver (71), which piston can be displaced in a cylinder (56; 57) of a pressing plunger holder (45; 46). A piston surface (74) facing away from the pressing plunger (72) is acted upon by a compressed fluid (83). The pressing plunger holder (45; 46) can be moved axially in a reciprocating manner by a first drive (9) and is connected in a non-rotatable manner to a threaded spindle (17). A nut (21) which can be rotationally driven by the first drive (9) is engaged with the threaded spindle (17) and is coupled (19) to a driven shaft (15) of an angular gear (14). An input shaft (13) of the angular gear (14) can be rotationally driven by an electric servo motor (10) of the first drive (9).

Description

The invention relates to a pressing plunger mechanism in accordance with the preamble of claim 1.

In the case of a known pressing plunger mechanism of this type (DE 30 40 762 C2 of the applicant) the pressing plunger holders are driven by a crank gear (column 6, lines 22 and 23). This construction is expensive and takes up a large amount of space in the glassware forming machine.

It is the object of the invention to simplify and to render more precise the linear drive of the pressing plungers while taking up a small amount of space.

This object is achieved by the features of claim 1. Compressed air in particular is considered as the compressed fluid acting upon the pistons. In this way the pressing plunger can be constantly pretensioned in the direction of its pressing position. An elastic pad is thus provided for the pressing position of the pressing plunger and prevents mechanical destruction of the pressing plunger and/or of its drive in the pressing position. By means of the threaded spindle any desired axial position of the pressing plunger can be approached very precisely and rapidly. These positions are, for example, the inoperative position, the pressing position and a loading position therebetween, which are all known per se. The construction height of the pressing plunger mechanism can be desirably reduced by the angular gear.

The features of claim 2 serve for controlled movement of the pressing plunger.

In accordance with claim 3 a reliable rotary drive for the nut is obtained with a low construction height.

The features of claim 4 serve to simplify the structure and construction.

In accordance with claim 5 undesired opening of the coupling rings can be prevented in a simple manner.

By the features of claim 6 the axial position of the pressing plunger can be determined extremely precisely and by simple means. The maximum penetration depth of the pressing plunger into the glass gob in the pre-mould is of particular interest. The size of the mass of the glass gob can be determined therefrom. The positional signals can be used to regulate the gob mass.

By the features of claim 7 the piston rod can be secured against rotation.

The features of claim 8 serve to simplify the construction.

In accordance with claim 9 a basic axial adjustment of the pressing plunger can be carried out for adaptation to the glass vessels to be produced on the glassware forming machine.

The second drive in accordance with claim 10 serves this purpose using a particularly robust construction.

The same is true of the features of claim 11.

In accordance with claim 12 the basic axial adjustment of the pressing plungers achieved by the second drive can be fixed in a simple and effective manner.

The features of claim 13 are particularly advantageous in structural terms.

By means of the features of claim 14 extremely stable and precise longitudinal guidance is provided both for the traverse and also for the first housing.

In accordance with claim 15 a supply of cooling air to the pressing plungers and a supply of compressed fluid to the pistons and cylinders of the pressing plunger holders is ensured in an extremely operationally reliable and constructionally simple manner. These flowable media can be supplied in any manner to the supply pipes through the machine bed. The further conveyance of these media from the end of the telescopic pipes takes place respectively in a suitable manner via a duct system.

In accordance with claim 16 the supply and telescopic pipes are protected in a particular manner against mechanical damage and against tipping with respect to each other.

These and further features and advantages of the invention are explained in more detail hereinunder with the aid of the exemplified embodiment illustrated in the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows an longitudinal cross-sectional view through a pressing plunger mechanism at line I-I in FIG. 2,

FIG. 2 shows the cross-sectional view at line II-II in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 shows the cross-sectional view at line III-III in FIG. 2 on an enlarged scale,

FIG. 4 shows the upper region of FIG. 1 on an enlarged scale,

FIG. 5 shows essentially the view at line V-V in FIG. 4,

FIG. 6 shows the cross-sectional view at line VI-VI in FIG. 5 and

FIG. 7 shows the cross-sectional view at line VII-VII in FIG. 2 on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 1 shows a pressing plunger mechanism 1 of a glassware forming machine 2, this can be, for example, a section of an I.S. glassware forming machine. The glassware forming machine 2 operates in the illustrated exemplified embodiment in so-called double gob operation, wherein in each case two glass vessels are produced at the same time.

The pressing plunger mechanism 1 is inserted with a sealing gap 3 into an orifice 4 in an upper plate 5 of the glassware forming machine 2. In accordance with FIG. 2 the pressing plunger mechanism 1 is screwed at the bottom to a head plate 6 of a machine bed 7.

In accordance with FIG. 1 the pressing plunger mechanism 1 has a first housing 8 which supports a first drive 9. The first drive 9 has an electric servo motor 10 with a horizontal longitudinal axis 11, which is connected to an input shaft 13 of an angular gear 14 via a play-free elastic coupling 12.

A driven shaft 15 of the angular gear 14 has a space 18 receiving a free end 16 of a coaxial threaded spindle 17 with radial clearance all around. The driven shaft 15 is connected in a non-rotatable manner to a cup-shaped intermediate piece 19, the end of this intermediate piece which is uppermost in FIG. 1 being screwed to an outer flange 20 of a nut 21. The nut 21 which can be rotationally driven by the first drive 9 is engaged with the threaded spindle 17.

As shown more precisely by FIG. 4 an upper end 22 of the threaded spindle 17 is connected in a non-rotatable manner to a traverse 24 by means of a clamping set 23.

The traverse 24 is guided by means of guide bushings 25 and 26 in a non-rotatable but displaceable manner on mutually parallel guide rods 27 and 28. The first housing 8 is also guided in a non-rotatable and displaceable manner via such guide bushings 29 and 30 on the guide rods 27, 28.

The first housing 8 is surrounded at a spaced disposition by a second housing 31, the base 32 of which is fastened in accordance with FIG. 2 to the head plate 6. The second housing 31 extends upwards into the aperture 4.

The first housing 8 has, at the bottom, a projection 34 provided with an outer thread 33. The projection 34 is provided with an aperture 35 which is aligned with the space 18, into which aperture the free end 16 of the threaded spindle 17 can pass. The projection 34 extends through the base 32 and with its outer thread 33 engages with an inner thread 36 of a toothed ring 37. The toothed ring 37 is held in the base 32 in an axially fixed but rotatable manner. The toothed ring 37 meshes with a toothed wheel 38 which is attached to a driven shaft 40 of a second drive 39. The second drive 39 has a worm gear 41, the input shaft 42 of which can be manually rotated in a reciprocating manner via a connection linkage which is not shown and is known per se. Rotation of this type means that the first housing 8 undergoes, a basic height adjustment with respect to the second housing 31, this height adjustment being determined by the type of glass vessel to be respectively produced by the glassware forming machine 2.

The projection 34 passes into a protective cap 43 which is fastened to the underside of the base 32. Laterally next to the protective cap 43 a connection block 44 for the supply of cooling air and of a compressed fluid is also fastened to the underside of the base 32, as will be explained hereinunder.

From the traverse 24 extend pressing plunger holders 45 and 46 upwards into a respective support cylinder 47 and 48. Each support cylinder 47, 48 is screwed at the bottom to a head plate 49 of the first housing 8 and at the top to outlet bores 50 for used cooling air. A cover apron 51 covering the upper portion with the outlet bores 50 serves on the one hand as a sound damper for the expelled waste air and on the other hand prevents the accumulation of dirt. The support cylinders 47, 48 are surrounded by a spectacle-like clamping device 52 which, as shown in detail in FIGS. 5 and 6, is screwed via a horizontal flange 53 to a head plate 54 of the second housing 31. When a central clamping screw 55 of the clamping device 52 is released, the support cylinders 47, 48 together with their contents, the first housing 8 and the first drive 9 are adjusted in height by the second drive 39 until the basic height adjustment required for the respective glass vessel is achieved. Then the clamping screw 55 is tightened and thus fixes the basic height adjustment. In accordance with FIG. 2 the second housing 31 is supported firmly against the machine on the head plate 6 and does not change position in terms of height.

Each pressing plunger holder 45, 46 has a cylinder 56 and 57 in which a piston 58 and 59 can be displaced in a sealed manner. From the piston 58, 59 a piston rod 60 and 61 extends out of the cylinder 56, 57 on both sides. A lower end 62 and 63 of the piston rods 60, 61 is constantly located below the traverse 24 and at that location supports a horizontally extending collar 64 and 65. Each collar 64, 65 engages, by means of an axially parallel orifice 66, around an axially parallel pin 67 and 68 of the pressing plunger holder 45, 46. In this way the piston rods 60, 61 are prevented from rotating about their longitudinal axis 69, 70.

At the top, each piston rod supports a pressing plunger receiver 71 with which a pressing plunger 72 which is coaxial to the piston rod 60, 61 can be coupled by means of a longitudinally divided split ring 73. As shown in FIG. 1 the closed split ring 73 is supported in the radial direction by the associated support cylinder 47, 48. This is also true for all axial operating and inoperative positions of the pressing plunger 72, wherein in FIG. 1 the uppermost end operating position of the pressing plunger 72 is shown. This uppermost end operating position is rarely if ever reached by the pressing plunger 72 during operation. For this purpose a piston surface 74 facing away from the pressing plunger 72 is constantly acted upon by a compressed fluid, preferably compressed air at 0.8 to 2.5 bar.

In each working cycle the first drive 9 ensures that the traverse 24 and with it the pressing plunger holders 45, 46 always adopt a lower inoperative position, a middle loading position and an upper pressing position. If now a glass gob of excessively large mass is located in the closed pre-mould (not shown), the pressing plunger 72 cannot reach its uppermost end operating position shown in FIG. 1. The piston, e.g. 58, is then displaced with its piston rod 60 against the pressure of the compressed fluid relative to the cylinder 56. In this way an effective pressing force limitation is achieved which prevents damage to the pressing plunger mechanism 1. If, on the other hand, a glass gob of excessively small mass enters the pre-mould, the pressing plunger 72 moves into its uppermost end operating position shown in FIG. 1.

If the pressing plunger 72 has to be changed, the pressing plunger holder 45, 46 can be moved upwards by the first drive 9 beyond the uppermost end operating position shown in FIG. 1 until the split ring 73 protrudes upwards out of its support cylinder 47, 48. In this axial mounting position the split ring 73 can be opened and the pressing plunger 72 can be changed. The split ring 73 is then closed and moved down into its support cylinder 47, 48.

These two states of excessively large or small glass masses of the glass gob are determined by displacement pick-ups 75 in accordance with FIG. 2. The displacement pick-ups 75 are fastened to the first housing 8 in parallel with the associated piston rod 60, 61. An actuating element 76 for the displacement pick-up 75 is screwed to the respective collar 64, 65. In this way by means of the displacement pick-up 75 electrical signals corresponding to the axial position of the associated pressing plunger 72 can be input into an evaluation circuit 77. Thus in a manner which is known per se the mass of the glass gobs can be regulated by the evaluation circuit 77.

FIG. 2 also shows that the flange 53 of the clamping device 52 is fastened on the one hand in each case by means of a screw 78 to the upper end of the guide rods 27, 28 and on the other hand with screws 79 to the head plate 54.

In accordance with FIG. 3 supply pipes 80 and 81 formed as one piece with each other are fastened in parallel with the longitudinal axis 69 (FIG. 1) to the base 32 of the second housing 31. The supply pipe 80 is supplied with cooling air for the pressing plunger 72 through the connection block 44 in the direction of an arrow 82.

In a corresponding manner a compressed fluid, in particular compressed air, is supplied to the supply pipe 81 through the connection block 44 in the direction of an arrow 83, in order to act upon the piston surface 74 (FIG. 1). A telescopic pipe 84 and 85 fastened to the traverse 24 passes into each supply pipe 80, 81 in a sealed manner. The upper end of the telescopic pipe 84 issues into a duct system which extends from the traverse 24 through the hollow piston rod 60, 61 into the pressing plunger 72. The upper end of the telescopic pipe 85 issues into a further duct system which leads through the traverse 24 into the cylinder 56, 57.

FIG. 4 shows the upper region of FIG. 1 on a larger scale for clarification.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show details of the formation of the head plate 54 and of the clamping device 52.

FIG. 7 clarifies details of the angular gear 14. The input shaft 13 drives a first bevel wheel 86 which meshes with a second bevel wheel 87 on the driven shaft 15. The intermediate piece 19 is connected in a non-rotatable manner to the upper end of the driven shaft 15 via a feather key 88 and is fixed in the axial direction on the driven shaft 15 by means of a nut 89.

Claims

1. Pressing plunger mechanism (1) of a glassware forming machine (2), having at least one pressing plunger (72) which in normal operation can be moved axially in a reciprocating manner together with a pressing plunger receiver (71) between an inoperative position and a pressing position, wherein a piston rod (60; 61) of a piston (58; 59) is fastened to each pressing plunger receiver (71), wherein each piston (58; 59) can be displaced in a cylinder (56; 57) of a pressing plunger holder (45; 46), wherein a piston surface (74) facing away from the pressing plunger (72) is acted upon by a compressed fluid (83), and wherein the pressing plunger holder (45; 46) can be moved axially in a reciprocating manner by a first drive (9), characterized in that the pressing plunger holder (45; 46) is connected in a non-rotatable manner to a threaded spindle (17), that a nut (21) which can be rotationally driven by the first drive (9) is engaged with the threaded spindle (17), that the nut (21) is coupled (see 19) to a driven shaft (15) of an angular gear (14), and that an input shaft (13) of the angular gear (14) can be rotationally driven by an electric servo motor (10) of the first drive (9).

2. Pressing plunger mechanism as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a play-free elastic coupling (12) is connected in between the electric servo motor (10) and the input shaft (13) of the angular gear (14).

3. Pressing plunger mechanism as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the driven shaft (15) of the angular gear (14) is disposed coaxially with the threaded spindle (17), and that the driven shaft (15) has a concentric space (18) which receives a free end (16) of the threaded spindle (17) with radial clearance all around.

4. Pressing plunger mechanism as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that when the pressing plunger mechanism (1) has a plurality of pressing plungers (72) all pressing plunger holders (45, 46) are fastened to a common traverse (24), and that the traverse (24) is connected in a non-rotatable manner to the threaded spindle (17).

5. Pressing plunger mechanism as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that each pressing plunger (72) and its pressing plunger receiver (71) can be coupled to each other by a longitudinally divided split ring (73), that the closed split ring (73) is supported in the radial direction by a support cylinder (47; 48), that each support cylinder (47; 48) is fastened to a first housing (8), and that the angular gear (14) and the electric servo motor (10) of the first drive (9) are also fastened to the first housing (8).

6. Pressing plunger mechanism as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that a displacement pick-up (75) is also fastened to the first housing (8) in parallel with the piston rod (60; 61), that an actuating element (76) for the displacement pick-up (75) is fastened to the piston rod (60; 61), and that by means of the displacement pick-up (75) electrical signals corresponding to the axial position of the associated pressing plunger (72) can be input into an evaluation circuit (77).

7. Pressing plunger mechanism as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a radially extending collar (64; 65) is fastened to each piston rod (60; 61), and that the collar (64; 65) engages, by means of an axially parallel orifice (66), around an axially parallel pin (67) of the pressing plunger holder (45; 46).

8. Pressing plunger mechanism as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the actuating element (76) for the displacement pick-up (75) is fastened to the collar (64; 65).

9. Pressing plunger mechanism as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that the first housing (8) can be adjusted by a second drive (39), which is supported firmly on the machine, in parallel with a longitudinal axis (69) of the at least one pressing plunger (72).

10. Pressing plunger mechanism as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that, on its end facing away from the at least one pressing plunger (72), the first housing (8) has a projection (34) provided with an outer thread (33), that an inner thread (36) of an axially fixed toothed ring (37) of the second drive (39) is engaged with the outer thread (33), and that a toothed wheel (38) of the second drive (39) meshes with the toothed ring (37).

11. Pressing plunger mechanism as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the toothed wheel (38) can be rotationally driven in a reciprocating manner by a worm gear (41).

12. Pressing plunger mechanism as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the second drive (39) is mounted on a second housing (31) which is fixed on the machine, that the second housing (31) extends as far as the at least one support cylinder (47; 48), and that each axial position of the first housing (8), which is adjusted by the second drive (39), can be fixed by a clamping device (52) which is fastened to the second housing (31) and cooperates with the at least one support cylinder (47; 48).

13. Pressing plunger mechanism as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the first housing (8) is disposed inside the second housing (31).

14. Pressing plunger mechanism as claimed in claim 12 or 13, characterized in that two guide rods (27, 28), which are disposed at a lateral spaced disposition from each other, are fastened to the second housing (31) in parallel with the longitudinal axis (69) of the at least one pressing plunger (72), that the traverse (24) can be displaced by means of guide bushings (25, 26) on the guide rods (27, 28), and that the first housing (8) can be displaced by means of guide bushings (29, 30) on the guide rods (27, 28).

15. Pressing plunger mechanism as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that in parallel with the longitudinal axis (69) of the at least one pressing plunger (72) at least one supply pipe (80; 81) for pressing plunger cooling air (82) and for the compressed fluid (83) is fastened to a region of the second housing (31) facing away from the at least one pressing plunger (72), and that a telescopic pipe (84; 85), which is fastened to the traverse (24), passes into each supply pipe (80; 81) in a sealed manner.

16. Pressing plunger mechanism as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the at least one supply pipe (80; 81) and the at least one telescopic pipe (84; 85) are disposed between the guide rods (27; 28).