US2297335A - Ampoule and method of making it - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 29, 1942. H. WHEA TON, "JR 2,297,335

' I AMPOULE AND METHOD OF MAKING IT Filed April 21, 1959 s Sheets-She et 1 V I I 71 IIIIIIIIII/IIIIJ P 1942- F; H. WHEATON, JR 2,297,335

AMPOULE AN D METHOD OF MAKING IT Filed April 21, 1-939 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Spt. 29, 1942- F. H. WHEATON, JR: 2,297,335 I V AMPOULE AND METHOD MAKING IT Filed April 21, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Sept. 29, 1942 UNITED s AT Es PATENT oFFICa AMPOULE AND METHOD F MAKING r'r Frank HQWhea'ton, Jr;', Mlllville, N. J., jassi gnor to" T. C. Wheaton Co.

ration of New Jersey Millvllle, N, J., acorpog I Application April 21, 19 39 Serial No. 269,095 I c1a1ms. (01. 4 9-84 A further purpose, is to cheapen' the. manu-.

factureoi large ampoules. 1

, A further purpose is to draw' the-top of: hot bottle stock into a stem to form an ampoule, performing the operation while the bottle stock is. still hot from blowing and adding heat as g may be desired or needed to maintain the part drawnat a suitable, temperaturesor to heat it to a desirable higher-temperature than that to which itmay have cooled, orto vary the point [at which the drawingtakes place by distribution of the drawing over the length of the shoulder and/or neck. Y I

,A further purpose is to provide some stock I and to stretch the necks and permissibly the shoulders of the bottles into tapered stems at the ends of which the ampoules 'are ultimately to be flfied and by the breaking of which the ampoules are made-available for withdrawal of content.

A further purpose is to permit ampoules of large capacity to be made shorter andoi larger A further-purpose is to thicken the stem of an ampoule at a constriction for breaking uses. 7

A further purpose is to form double-stemmed ampoules by forming necksoneclosed-'at both ends of a blown bottle .and drawing *out both necks. y "1 1 A further'purpose is to facilitate manufacture of ampoules of irregular shape.

- -A further-purposeisto-form the-outer edges v of the shoulders of ampoules and/or thev shoulders with a glass thickness comparable" with that ofv corresponding bottles, permissibly equal to or greater than theglass of the ampoule bodies.

.A further purpose is to provide for marking,

and decoration, as well, as strengthening of a particular parts of ampoules by initially blowing these partswithin molds, permitting names,figures, and'othe r decoration as vwellas strengthening thicknesses'to beapplied during the'blowing operationjas in the case of bottles.

The invention relates to the. methods involved. As at present generally constructed, ampoules are made from glass tubing by stretching the tubing to produce tapered stems with or without tool-formed spear heads. Thestems may be formed at bothends or at one end only. In the diameter than at present permissible, since the drawing or stretching will take place from the neck diameter and not from the body diameter;

The ampoule thus has a larger base, lower center of gravity and shorter stem, all combining with I the betterbase to produce a more stable as well as a stronger ampoule.

A further purpose is to permit the same choice in ampoules of composition, quality and character of glass and variety in the shapeand distribution of the thickness of the glass, particlatter event the tubing is closed to form a bottom at the other'end of each; Whetherfeor netthe ends of thereduced stems are to be'constricted to form, spear heads] makes no. diil'erence, from the standpoint of the invention.

As the size of the ampoules increases the commercial desirability of manufacturing from tubing is afiected by increase in the cost of the tubing; which increase is" out of all proportion to the increase in the size of the tube used.

ularly shoulders and neckswhich are to be stretched into stems-that islnowexercised in the production of bottles. I

A further purpose is to thicken the, walls of ampoul-e stems and shorten them as compared with the existing art by reducing the initial diameters of the walls from which they are drawn as compared with the diameters of the b dies of the ampoules. v

A further purpose is to controlthe ultimate thickness of the walls of the reduced ends of ampoules by control of the thicknesses'of the bottle necksfrom which the ampoules are constructed.

Formanufacture of smallampoules glass tubing forms an excellent'base or stockfboth because of its regularity, which is important in ampoules of very small diameter, and because o'fthe cheapness of small tubing. However, even inthis case the formation oil fiat bottomsirom the tubing is apt to introduce considerable irregularity in the bottoms of the ampoules;

It is apparent that the stretching or drawing out of a tube reduces its thickness and that if the operation be a purely lengthening operation thisjreduction in thickness begins at the point where the -'full dia'meter of the tube is first reduced. Consequently the thickness of the stem will be reduced as compared with the thickness of the tube wall.

In addition to the thinning where the tube is reduced from full tube diameter the necessity for drawing the tube always involves extra gas ically referred to as bottles,- ;to.forrn taperedstems terminating in points, theampoulesithus produced being made up in part of the blown bottle stock" and inpart of stretched stems The invention oiiers the greatest benefitin ampoules of medium and large sizes. It offers advantages also in strength and adaptability to varied needs and desiresin use.

The blown bottle stock" may be of existing.- bottle types, whether hand-blown or machine blown, selected as appropriate for the drawing or stretching operation in order ultimately to produce the ampoules of the invention, in which case the method of manufacture need not go back of the selection and use of existingtypes of bottles for the stock. On the :other hand the stock may be blown-bottles of special size, thickness, distribution of glass, size or thickness a V V In the practice of'the'broader invention I of neck or shoulder, compositio'nfor other characteristic suited to the construction ofthe {ampoules, in which case the method of manufac-i ture of such ampoules may start with the blow- .ing ofthe bottles.

matapwlut of increasing the diamete'r of' the'body for a given capacityof ampoule 'while maintaining anypredetermined size'of "neckan'd I hence convenient length'of stem permits short- I ening both the body-and the shame! the ampoule -ah'd broadening its base." It will'ithus changefrorn'an am poule that mustbe laid on its side or supported'ina receptacle to a shorter one of -larger'diameter which rests 'upon the bottom as does a: bottle and which is stable against upsetting, .7

' ause I start with blown stock I ain able to' take advantage of all means available in requirein the case of a tube.- 2

. I have preferred to illustrate thefinveintion by afew simple forms and with -but- -two1machinesbywhich the methods-can.becarried out.

Figure 1 is' a' longitudinal section and partial elevation of. a bottle which has just beenblown in a'm old, and before finishing the neck.

Figure 2 is an'elevation, of the same bottle after themeck flange has beenformed'showin'g also structureby. which'it can be hand stretched. Figure 3 is an elevationaof the bottle pr Figure 2 after the neck and part of the shoulden'have been stretched. 1 r r Figured is an elevation offlthe 'structurefof' Figure 3 after-Pit; has'ib'eentooled to form, a "spear Figure i n' elevation of an ampouleloi' the v I general ype of Figure4 showing a fuller stem.

' Figure; 6 is an elevationpartly sectionedshowing a bottle having" thickened .shoulders and neck.

Figure '7 is an ele'vation' 'to slightly enlarged scale, partly sectioned, of a bottle having a'neck of hour-glass type.

Figure 8 is an elevation, partly sectioned, showing the neck as converging.

Figure 9 is-an elevation partly sectioned o! a bottle of special shape having necks at both 5 ends, one of themclosed.

Figure lis a front elevation partly sectioned of abottle intended fora special form of stopp'ered seal.

Figures 11 and 1-2 are an end elevation and a lo side elevation partly sectioned, respectively, of

a machine for stretching the necks and shoul- 1 ders ofbot'tlesto form ampoules.

Figure 13 .isflfa fragmentary section on line l3-l'3 of Figure 12. 15" Figure 14 is a side elevation, partly sectioned, showing otherr'nechanism for the same purpose. In the drawings similar numerals indicate like parts. The contour, particularly the longitudinal cross-section of the shoulder and drawn reduced end (stem) of an 'ampoule affords opportunity for wide variation-due to the' diiferent thiclmesses of the glass and different neck diameters and shoulders.

.softenthe'necks'and permissibly also the shoulders of thebottles to a'point where they can .,be drawn. "Injorder ;to conserve heat as much as possible Itake the 'bottles directly after they have-been blown, i.'e.,--assoon as th'e'bottles have solidified and can be handled.

Where-it is' desired that thick spear heads shall befformed-and the stems are to'be thickened' atthe spear heads'i'pr'ovide extra glass for this thick'ening either by initial thickening of the necks'or shoulders from which these parts of the stems are formed, or I soften a larger area in order from it to provide the additional thickness before tooling.

40 The character of the stems produced will dependupon many factors including the diameters of the necks and shoulders before stretching, the thicknesses and kinds of glass and the lengths ofthe-sections made plastic and stretched. 4' "The lengths, diameters and strengths of the stems are capable of control by manipulating the factors above, using larger neck diameters i urev 4, to much-fuller and thicker stems,

of'which oneis seen-in Figure 5 p 3 15 used 'as'stockt; It is within aJmold l6, just having been separatedirom a"punty"-;'rod. Its 3 neck'has not-beeniflnished; Figure 2 thebottle comprises outehbody iwalls n; bot- ;;1tom}'il', shoulder- J8, heck?il 'and iieck flange 2|. v not convenience in'referencethejshoulder and: neck aremagenta"w-togemrgas comprising the top ofthe and as'hereinafternioreclearly pointedfiout' the operations""describd may be performed :upon the shoulder or the neck, or

- portions of either or both of them/additional "heat being applied as needed either toZ -take the place of heat being dissipated or to controlthe 'place during anypart ofthe drawing operation by controlling the relative plasticity of this part .7 asco'mpared'with the rest-of the top of the'body.

It will be'obvious thatfthe stretchingof the neck. and permissibly--also 'the'stretching-of a portion of the shoulder canjbe'effected'by hand after the glass shall have been softened over the area to be stretched. For the purpose of or areas madewplastic, for example, for large I and long'stemsthanfor smalland short stems. 59 The stems may range from capillary forms, such In Figure i is shown an existing typeof bottle point atwhichdrawing wholly or, chiefly takes handling the "hot bottle iFigureid f Iishow a holder Hand, a handistretching tool- 23. plThe H selective application of heat is rindicatedfl-byxgas nozzle 24 An air l'alast',cooiing, means to con-' Y triol stretching, at individual PQiQ tS aHd t/OR cool the stem is shownvat 25.

Itis not-necessary ofcoursethatthia neck flanges of the bottlesintended,to-.-beystretched" I asecured theriouterzflarezoi" the n'eck having to' be glass'i asinthecaseof.bottlesw gissiiown The shoulder andneck ma-y be givenv extra thicknessilas ai;435511121131; The indication of content ,-and; decoration-can ;be blown: in the Inn-Figure- 7 amshoureglass neck @38 :with :3. -:very small opening. 7 If the. outer part only, x39; .be softened va'plong fine stem will be =overome byjfs'tretchin'gabefore @{the diameter of theistem interior begins-mo become; smallerlxthan rthatiof'gthe'initialzthroatglm TIapering injthe neck and from theinner part .of the" shoulder; at use that the contour biendsnicelywiththe outer (larger) portion- :28=;of the shoulder.

suitable means such as a gas flame .orlwby 13 6-.

tating discz30. Bothof these are commonin the 'art.

The form left by the cutting,cornprises avcoma v pleted ampoule unless it -be-desiredeto':malkdspcial provisionfor breakingin which ca'se th'e stem is. tooledfat 3| (Figured) to formya spearhead form which is stillregarded=as-a-stem.;

The" stem is then cut at some such.point;as-i29";by any to gpermit blowing. Each of these necks lepro- .ividedtwithtaanecki'flange2 I; anrl 'thetwo-ends can 1 be :h-stretched coincidentally it or separately after v -sottening; xm he'imannerindicatedbherein;' 1 '1 .I'v

ropposite :direction; a satil I Eigure:;8)1 increases ;.the'=contractionand-shortens the stem;

Where ;-st'erns1 are to be -provided; at both ends thei xampoule (Figure 59) my 'invention I is ap- The-:ampoule is-supplied tor'thettradeawitlr-itsi I end 32 open. Subsequently this .e'ndfis sealedin" any appropriate'manner.

In Figureb a very 'much'"larger.jandifuller stern is shown, the 'ampoulei ofzthefigurg havingstem 26' and tooled (spearhead) 'breaking contrac'tion 31'. The forms of- Figures 4 andgfi aref noti'zintended to'shoW-"limits; 'butraremerelyJillustra- J? tions .torgiveii some idea? thata varietyyof product isfavailable, 'i'o'nwhich mylinve'ntion ist suited andtor which itofl'ersconsiderable.advantage].-' j w The; thickness of tubing usediand present-in the existing, methods oftm anufacture of the larger cient to 1 stand :drawing sizes of ampoules is; I v out into stems, butvthe cost of larger tubingwisa the cost of producing them 'f'rom bottles.

csothatith st Iiiriinaryheat- Whatever the of the tubing 'to form the'end's offthe'tubing-into A stems require a considerable amount-oftimeqon (if account of the extent ofreductionxnecessary,

but there is a corresponding additionalheat costto soften the Iargerdiameterarid'toimaintainthe end of the tubingsoft during"theoperationsv-of drawing out and tooling.

With the presentinven'tiorr the drawing or L stretching operation can begin with anydianieter desired, as this'mearis merely-themanufacture of the bottle with a neckof thefdiarrieteri"neede Where thickness of stemPwalls is' 'an b'jectitl neckcan be made -corresporuzlingl'y-i thic Whether the neck alone-befintended m be;

drawn out or the neck and shoulder beiintended both to be stretched, is;a-matter inlargeineasure' vof choice ofthe manufacturer to secure-: just the contour desiredandito controlrthe length; andjdie ameter of the stem;

I recognize that thec'ontour jof -the section drawn may be controlled not only by selection f of the area heated; or additionally;.heated to control the parts flfrom 'which .thestem is drawn,

the cooling nozzle at 25. e i t v Figure 6 is inserted for thepurpose soflteachi 75 Jm ay- J be revolveqf;alternatively aswdsiljedgithe 7 B a ebbtfle as b otated or ithejfifinie the bottle stock .vmay be reinforced in any way ides ir edzas'byrringsxor bands? andi35'. I

structure has been shown for both types of operation.

In Figures 11; 12 and 13 mechanism is shown which is intended to rotate the bottle and the' neck flange independently and at the same rate. Th frame 48 rests upon a suitable base and supports a. bearing 49 by bracket 50 and also sup-- ports'bearing The'bearing 49 carries a shaft 52 and a bevel gear .59. Gear '59 is rotated by a mating: bevel gear 54 upon shaft 55 which rests inbearing 5i.

.The shaft 55.carries a pulley 56, keyed to the .shaft and driven by a suitable belt. It also carries a sliding clutch member: 51 splined to the shaft, and cooperating witha clutch member 58 v which freely rotates upon the shaft when the clutch is disconnected. Clutch 5!! is rigid with pulley 59 whose crossed belt ill in turn drives a pulley 6| upon-a shaft 82.. The slidingclutch is thrown by a lever. .63 pivoted at 64 and yoked at 65 to engage pins upon clutch member 51., t v I I The shaft 52 is mounted from the'base 66 in -.bearings 81 and GI and carries a bevel gear 69 v;mesl iing,with a bevel gear 10 upon a shaft H.

Theshaft II has bearing .in the base-and drives a .plate 12 upon which is mounted'a suitable ,chuck 13 holding successively bottles 14.

The bottles are inserted in the chuck by hand They are capable of, being fitting within recesses .in the straddling lever, so

slopes 9| upon. the lower ends of the clutch members 15 andTlL the weight of the parts drawing them together about the neck of the bottle after they have slipped over the neck flange. I

Heating of the. rk'or neck and shoulder of the bottle is 'eifectedfiig gas supply nozzle 92 and areas which stretch-too much, relatively to other areas can be controlled by moderate cooling through the use than blast nozzle 93.

The operation of the device is as follows: A hot bottle is placed in chuck I3 and the frame is lowered by means of lever 9| until the under tapered surfaces of lower clutch ends 15 and 16 separate engagement with the neck flange and close again below it. The bottle, which retains as much heat as practicable from the blowing operation is then heated by blast from supply 92 along the area which is intended to be stretched it. is plastic, the parts meantime being rotated'by gears 53, 54 and 69, ID. The connections are such that the chuck and clutch members rotate at-the same speed. 1

When the bottleneck is sufllciently softened for the drawing operation the lever 8| is lifted and the neck is drawn. During or after the drawing operation. the flame through gas pipe 92-is reduced or. ;,cut off; and air is applied .through pipe 99 irit' be desired to chill portions "of the area'whichis being drawn so as to slow the drawing operation at these portions on each,

or, after the operation, to cool the glass as quickly as may be safe so that the ampoule may be re- ;moved. At the upper limit of lifting of the frame by lever 9I the lower wedge end 90 of shaft 52 separates the lever ends 15 and I6. I

In the construction of Figure 14 the frame '94 mounts'guides "and 96 in which hollow shaft .97 is movable vertically between'limits set by a thatlifting and lowering of the lever,acting.

e sleeve 89 surrounds the frame and, in vertical position, lies between collars 85 and 86 which are fastened to and rotate with the frame 89. Lifting and lowering end 81 of the lever ll therefore lifts and lowers the frame "and with it the jaws I5 and I6.

The construction is such that'the shaft-rotates and in rotation carries the frame with it,-but the frame, though carried rotarily by the shaft,

' can move up and down upon the shaft.

The two collars are rigid with the frame and hence both rotate and lift with it.

Between the two collars lies the nonrot'atable sleeve, surrounding the frame and, by engagethrou'gh these trunnions, lifts and lowers the non-rotatable sleeve ll.

collar 98 secured to the shaft at the top and thewalls of a slot 99, which walls slide over pin I90.

Thepin I00 holds in place an interior rod lfll at whose lower end is located a clutch-releasing tapered nose 90. This nose operates upon the same kind of a clutch and in the same manner at the upper end ofthe hollow shaft movement ment with the collars, lifting the frame and lowering it or permitting it to lower.

The sleeve is lifted and lowered by lever 8| through the trunnions on the sleeve.

' The rotatable frame 80 lifts and lowers upon the shaft 52 at the same time that the shaft and frame are controlled to rotate together by pin 88, which'passes through the shaft and rides in slots 89 in opposite sides of the frame.

Becausethe'shaft 52 is lifted and lowered by the lever 8i, the movement of the frame and of ofthe grooves, trig: may additionally s ,i I me against the other. The vtwo grooves toget the frame-carried clutch lever members permits release of these lever members at the upper end of the stroke of the"fr'ame.; the release being effected by engagement of the upper arms 18 and IS-of the clutch members with the tapered lower end 90 of the shaft 52. Engagement with the neck flange in the lowered position of the parts is effected by gravity by forming guiding as in the case of Figures 11, 12, and 13. Clutch members I02 and I03 are pivoted at I94 and present upper ends I05 and I96 for release of the. clutch when at the upper ends of their movement they engage nose 90.

The shaft is lifted and lowered by lever [01 pivoted at I08 and connected with the hollow shaft at I09.

The disc H0 is,. supportedabout the shaft by a bracket l l I, It doe'shot rotate. A circular groove H2 in the low ace of the non-rotatable i seals between the edges the faces of the two discs groove inv the 'lowe disc- H0. -A gasket thus form a continuous gas supply for revolting gas pipes lil terminating in nozzles ilj f'connecting with groove H5 in the lower rotating disc, The arrangement is effective to heat the section of the bottle which is to be made plastic; The area heated and made plastic may be varied, as by bending the pipes Ill or by variatior ifin the height of the bottle. In the form of 11, 12 and 13, of course, the height of thelfiameand its angle of im- 'sumes.

and stretching both said reheated end and reduring the stretching operation,

The disc IN carries an upwardlyiextended sleeve H9 which surrounds the hollow shaft and has bearing against it near opposite ends, in whatever vertical position the hollow pipe as- The sleeve is supported by the disc H through a bearing comprising cones I20 and I'll located upon the disc and upon the sleeve respectively, and balls between. The height is adjusted by the position of threaded cone l'2l and is locked by threading a nut upon the sleeve. No separate nut is shown as a pulley I23 serves this purpose.

The pulleyl23 is located at the upper endof the sleeve. It is driven by belt I24. The height of the bottle may be adjusted by the use of different heights of chucks or holders 13 as is true also in the form of Figures 11, 12 and 13, simplifying the construction. This is preferred for the reason that it is then not necessary to use any of the common means of adjustment by raising the height of the table.

In view of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evi-- dent to others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claim all such in so far as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention what I pingement can be varied by hand before or/and' heated neck to form elongated ampoule stems,

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In the art of manufacture of glass ampoules,

the method which comprises molding a body in the shape of a bottle having a bottom and an open neck from a mass of molten glass by a blowing operation and within a'rnold, reheating the neck and stretching said reheated neck to form an elongated ampoule stem open at its end.

2. In the art of manufacture of glass ampoules,

the method'which comprises molding a body in the shape of a bottle having a bottom, a shoulder and an open neck from a mass of molten glass by a blowing operation and within a mold, re-

and aneck from a mass of molten glass by a blowing operation, the neck being of greater thickness than that of the remainder of the body, reheating the neck and stretching the reheated neck to form an elongated ampoule stem open at its end. v

4. In the art of manufacture of glass ampoules, the method which comprises molding a body in the shape of a bottle having a bottom and an open neck from a mass f molten glass by a blowing operation and within a mold, reheating and stretching the neck and determining the length of the stem and the strength of the stem of the completed ampoule by the diameter of the neck.

5. In the art of manufacture of glass ampoules, the method which comprises molding a body of glass having a central portion, one closed end and an open neck at the other end, from a mass of molten glass, said closed end and open neck being smaller in cross section than said central portion, by a blowing operation and within a' position of the stopper seat and stretching the mold, reheating both the closed end and the neck one open at'itsend;

.6. Inthe. art of manufacture of glass ampoules, the method which comprisesjmolding a bodyv in the shape of a bottle havinga bottom and an open neck from fa mass of imolten glass by a blowing operation and within a mold allowing the bottle to cool, preheating the bottle, additio'rially heating the neck and stretching said additionally heated neck to form an elongated ampoule stem open at its end.

7. In the art of manufacture of glass ampoules, the method which comprises molding a body in the shape of a bottle having a bottom and an open neck from a mass of molten glass by a blowing operation, allowing the shape blown to solidify and, before it cools appreciably, adding heat to the neck and stretching said reheated neck to form an elongated ampoule stem open' ing a stoppered closure and a tube of. larger di-. ameter extending beyond the stopper which com-' prises molding a body in the shape of a bottle having a bottom and a neck internally flared from a diameter suitable for the stopper to a diameter larger than the largest diameter of the stopper to form a stopper seat by a blowing operation from a mass of molten glass, reheating the portion only of the flared neck lying beyond the reheated portion of the flared end of the neck progressively to contract said portion of the neck into approximately a cylindrical shape.

10. The method of forming a glass ampoule having a stoppered closure and a tube of larger diameter extending beyond the stopper which comprises molding a body in the shape of a bottle having a bottom and a neck internally flared from a diameter suitable for the stopper to a diameter larger than the largest diameter of the stopper to form a stopper seat, by a blowing operation from a mass of molten glass, tooling the part of the neck intended to receive the stopper to form a stopperseat, reheating the portion only of the flared neck lying beyond the position of the stopper seat and stretching the reheated portion of the flared end of the neckprogressive- 1 ly to contract said portion of. the neck into approximately a cylindrical shape. a

11. A glass ampoule comprising a body, bottom and top molded from molten glass by a blowing 13. An ampoule having a body of uniform diameter, a bottom, a shoulder free from stretching at the junction with the body and a neck, all molded from molten glass by a blowing operation andwithin a mold, the neck being stretched subsequently to form a drawn stem.

:the 'Stopper. v

'15. 'A' glass -ampou1e having a body, bottom,

V tegral withthen'eokand largerm dialmeter than shoulder and-neck adapted to receive: stopper. -mo1ded from molten glass by a. blowing opera.-

tionan'd within a-mold, a. stopper for the neck and a drawn tube continuous with 'the neck, largerthmthe stopper and extending about and beyond the stopper.

m 1:. WHEATON. J14.

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