Post-manufacture glass container thermal strengthening station

摘要

An apparatus for manufacturing strengthened glass containers, and more particularly 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.

主权项

1. An apparatus for thermally strengthening glass containers after they are formed in an I.S. machine, comprising:
a special 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 a glass container having a first longitudinal axis, the glass container located 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 configured to surround the glass container located in the cooling station, the cooling shroud including a sidewall extending around a second longitudinal axis and extending from an open first end to a second end, the cooling shroud having a first plurality of apertures and a second plurality of apertures located therein configured to direct cooling air onto the outer sides of the glass container, the first plurality of apertures configured to direct air generally perpendicular to the first longitudinal axis of the glass container located therein, the second plurality of apertures configured to direct air at an acute angle to the first longitudinal axis in a direction angularly toward the second end of the sidewall;a cooling tube for insertion into the interior of the glass container located in the cooling station, the cooling tube having a tube nozzle at the distal end thereof that delivers cooling air into the interior of the glass container; anda bottom cooling element that directs cooling air upwardly onto the bottom of the glass container located in the cooling station;wherein the cooling shroud and the bottom cooling element are configured to move between a first position in which they are located below the glass container and a second position in which the glass container is located entirely within the cooling shroud and above the bottom cooling element;wherein the cooling shroud, the cooling tube and the tube nozzle, and the bottom cooling element simultaneously cool the outer and inner surfaces of the glass container located in the cooling station rapidly so that all of the stresses in the glass container are locked in.