Cooling tube nozzle for a post-manufacture glass container thermal strengthening station

摘要

An apparatus for manufacturing strengthened glass containers, and more particularly the construction and operation of a cooling tube nozzle in an apparatus for thermally strengthening glass containers in a glass container manufacturing line at a location intermediate the hot end and the cold end. Glass containers formed at an I. S. machine are conveyed through a special tempering Lehr that heats them uniformly to a high temperature that is short of temperatures at which they may become deformed. Subsequently, the glass containers are rapidly thermally strengthened in a cooling station in which the outer and inner surfaces including all areas of the glass containers are simultaneously cooled to a temperature below the Strain Point of the glass used in the glass containers, with the cooling tube nozzles being used to cool the inner surfaces of the glass containers.

主权项

1. An apparatus for thermally strengthening glass containers after they are formed in an I.S. machine, comprising:
a tempering Lehr that reheats the glass containers to increase their temperature to a temperature that is sufficiently high to obtain adequate compressive stresses in the glass containers but not so high that the glass containers may become deformed; and a cooling station that simultaneously cools the outer and inner surfaces of glass containers in the cooling station rapidly so that all of the stresses in the glass container are locked in, the cooling station comprising:
a cooling shroud that directs cooling air onto the outer sides of a glass container located in the cooling station;a bottom cooler that directs cooling air upwardly onto the bottom of the glass container located in the cooling station; anda cooling tube for insertion into the interior of the glass container located in the cooling station; wherein the cooling station further comprises: a tube nozzle located at the distal end of the cooling tube for delivering cooling air into the interior of the glass container located in the cooling station, the tube nozzle being arranged and configured to direct cooling air onto the inside surfaces of the glass container located in the cooling station when the cooling tube and the tube nozzle are inserted into the glass container located in the cooling station to set up air flow patterns in the glass container located in the cooling station to rapidly cool substantially all of the interior surfaces of the glass container located in the cooling station; wherein the tube nozzle includes a central bore configured to direct cooling air at the bottom of the glass container, a plurality of outer cooling bores located radially outwardly from the central aperture extending generally parallel with the central bore, and a redirection segment configured to redirect cooling air from the outer cooling bores radially outwardly toward the inner sides of the glass container located in the cooling station, the tube nozzle including a first cylindrical portion inserted into an interior of the cooling tube having an interior diameter, the tube nozzle including an annular flange extending radially outwardly adjacent the first cylindrical portion, the annular flange abutting an end of the cooling tube, the air redirection segment extending from the annular flange opposite the first cylindrical portion; wherein the central bore extends longitudinally through the first cylindrical portion, the annular flange, and the air redirection segment; and wherein the plurality of outer cooling bores extend longitudinally through the first cylindrical portion and the annular flange.