Material application apparatus and methods

Abstract

Apparatus for spraying glass bottle mold bodies, such as blanks and rings in a molding machine, includes nozzles and spray guns mounted on a plate such that the nozzles are positioned to spray the mold bodies with a material such as a lubricant during normal operation of the machine and without shutting the machine down. The apparatus can be installed on an existing machine without changing the molding machine. Rings may be sprayed while in motion during normal machine operation. A nozzle is provided along with check valves to produce a tight conical spray pattern.

1 . Apparatus for applying a material to a glass mold, comprising:
 a mold body that opens and closes during a glass molding operation, and   a material application gun and nozzle assembly with a nozzle aimed to project a material application pattern of material onto an internal surface of the mold body.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said nozzle sprays said internal surface from a location that is to a side and below said surface. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the mold body comprises one or both of: a pair of blank halves that form a glass bottle shape during a pierce and blow glass molding process; and a pair of ring halves that form a threaded opening of a glass bottle during a pierce and blow glass molding process. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the mold body comprises two blank halves that when joined together form a glass bottle mold, and two ring halves that when joined together form a threaded opening for the glass bottle. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  comprising at least two blank nozzles that each direct material onto a respective blank half, and two ring nozzles that each direct material onto a respective ring half. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the mold body comprises one or more parts that are sprayed by said material application gun and nozzle assembly while said parts are moving from one position to another position. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said material application gun and nozzle assembly is installable on a preexisting glass mold machine to replace manual application of material on said internal surface. 
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  comprising a plurality of nozzles with a first set of one or more nozzles spraying a mold body surface that is stationary during a spraying operation and a second set of one or more nozzles spraying mold body surface that is moving as it is being sprayed. 
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  comprising a first material application gun that supplies material under pressure to said first set of one or more nozzles and a second material application gun that supplies material under pressure to said second set of one or more nozzles. 
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  comprising a third material application gun that supplies material under pressure to a third nozzle that forms part of said second set of one or more nozzles. 
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said material application gun and nozzle assembly comprises:
 a frame having a first end and at least one leg extending from said first end,   a material application gun supported at said first end of said frame,   a first nozzle supported by said leg at a first distance from said gun,   a second nozzle supported by said leg at a second distance from said gun,   said gun operating to spray material through said first and second nozzles.   
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein said first and second nozzles produce respective first and second spray patterns in different directions with respect to each other. 
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 11  comprising a second material application gun and a third nozzle supported by said leg at a third distance from said second material application gun. 
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein said third nozzle produces a third spray pattern in a different direction with respect to said first and second nozzles. 
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein said frame comprises a second leg extending from said first end and generally parallel to said first leg with a space therebetween so that said frame has a generally U-shape configuration in plan view. 
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 15  comprising two or more nozzles supported respectively on each of said first and second legs with at least two nozzles supplied material from two different material application guns supported at said first end of said frame. 
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said material application gun and nozzle assembly comprises a spray gun, a first nozzle and a first check valve disposed in a material flow path from said spray gun outlet to said nozzle. 
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 17  wherein said check valve operates to maintain a minimum pressure in a material flow path between said spray gun and said check valve. 
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 18  wherein said check valve is disposed closer to said nozzle than said check valve is disposed to said spray gun. 
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 18  wherein said check valve has a cracking pressure of at least 450 psi. 
   
   
       21 . The apparatus of  claim 20  wherein said spray gun outputs material at a pressure of at least 500 psi. 
   
   
       22 . The apparatus of  claim 17  comprising first and second spray guns and at least two nozzles, said spray guns being in fluid communication with a manifold that has two separate material inlets, two separate material flow paths and at least two material outlets. 
   
   
       23 . The apparatus of  claim 17  comprising at least two nozzles that are in fluid communication with a common flow path of a manifold that is downstream said check valve. 
   
   
       24 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said material application gun and nozzle assembly produces at least one conical spray pattern. 
   
   
       25 . The apparatus of  claim 24  wherein said conical spray pattern extends from said nozzle to said internal surface across a distance of about five inches to about eighteen inches or more. 
   
   
       26 . The apparatus of  claim 24  wherein said conical spray pattern has a width of about one to about three inches for water sprayed at 500 psi to a target at ten inches from a nozzle and a flow rate of about 0.03 to about 0.20 gallons per minute 
   
   
       27 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said material jets from said nozzle for a duration of less than about 70 msec. 
   
   
       28 . A method for applying material to an internal surface of a glass bottle mold, comprising the steps of:
 pressurizing the material, and producing a spray of the material directed at said surface.   
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28  comprising the step of producing said spray by forcing said pressurized material through a nozzle associated with a spray gun. 
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29  wherein said nozzle is aimed to direct a spray pattern towards an interior surface of a blank used to mold a glass bottle. 
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 29  wherein said nozzle is aimed to direct a spray pattern towards an interior surface of a threaded ring used to mold a glass bottle. 
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the ring is sprayed while it is moving between a first position and a second position. 
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the material is a lubricant that is applied periodically to said internal surface, said spray being produced to apply material to said internal surface without interrupting a molding machine normal molding operations. 
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 28  wherein said spray is produced when pressurized material is forced through a nozzle from a spray gun that is electrically actuated. 
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 28  wherein said internal surface is one or both of an internal surface of a blank and an internal surface of a ring, said blank and ring forming a mold for a glass bottle. 
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 28  wherein said spray is produced through an orifice positioned to a side and below said surface. 
   
   
       36 . Apparatus for applying a material to a glass mold, comprising:
 a glass mold body that opens and closes, and   a nozzle orifice aimed to project a spray pattern of material onto an internal surface of the mold body.