Computer control for glassware forming machine

Abstract

A control system for operation of the individual sections of a glassware forming machine includes a shaft position encoder associated with the mechanical drive for the feeder, and a digital computer for programming various events in the machine cycle in accordance with certain boundary event timings. The shaft encoder output is converted to binary coded decimal (BCD) form and is fed to the digital computer through a priority program which permits routine starting and stopping of the machine and its various sections, and which also includes manual means for setting up the desired cycle of operation for the various mechanisms associated with a given section and for later transferring these settings to the other sections of the machine with operation of each section being phase delayed in accordance with a predetermined "firing order". These settings can be revised during operation of the machine as a result of the program stored in the digital computer. In addition, limits may be imposed upon the revisions which will be permitted.

I claim: 
     
       1. In a multi-section glassware forming machine, each of which sections includes at least the following mechanical means: a. means for delivering gobs of molten glass to a blank station in the machine section at a rate which can be varied,   b. a blank mold operable to and from an active position at the blank station,   c. a split neck ring mold operable between open and closed positions and cooperating with the blank mold to define a parison cavity at the blank station,   d. means for settling the gob into the neck mold at said blank station, and a plunger operable to and from an active position at the blank station,   e. secondary parison mold defining means operable to and from an active position at said blank station, and cooperating with said blank mold to define said parison cavity,   f. transfer means for moving said split neck molds and the parison formed in said cavity out of said blank station and into a blow station,   g. a split blow mold operable between open and closed positions at said blow station,   h. means for final forming the parison at said blow station,   i. take-out means for removing the final blown article from said blow station, said machine being further characterized by the improvement comprising:   j. drive means for said gob delivery means, and including a position indicator shaft so geared to said drive means as to make one revolution between delivery of succeeding gobs to said blank station associated with one of said individual machine sections,   k. .[.electromechanical transducer.]. means .Iadd.including a shaft encoder .Iaddend.driven by said position indicator shaft .[.for generating a variable electrical output voltage indicative of the angular position of the said shaft.].,   l. .[.converter.]. .Iadd.said last mentioned .Iaddend.means .[.for said transducer output voltage to generate.]. .Iadd.generating .Iaddend.a coded digital signal indicative of the instantaneous position of said shaft in binary .[.coded decimal.]. form,   m. digital computer means including accessible memory means,   n. comparator means for continuously comparing said digital shaft position signal to a preprogrammed value stored in said computer memory means in order to provide a first signal when said shaft position is equal to or greater than its programmed value and providing a second signal when said shaft position is equal to or less than its programmed value,   o. said computer memory means including means for storing a programmed value of said shaft position corresponding to a desired sequence in event timing of the operation of each of said mechanical mechanisms,   p. manually operable means by which the machine operator can select other values of shaft position for certain boundary .[.even.]. .Iadd.event .Iaddend.timings, other event timings being preprogrammed to occur at predetermined shaft displacement therefrom.[., and said manually operable means being permitted only during a succeeding cycle of operation of the machine, and only when the value so selected is within a predetermined interval also preprogrammed in said digital computer means.]..   
     
     
       2. The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said digitial computer means further includes storage means for recording values of said shaft position corresponding to the desired sequence in timing of the operation of said mechanical mechanisms for all of said machine sections whereby the timing of said sections with respect to one another can be achieved by a section off-set program stored in said digital computer (that is by a single off-set event setting for that particular section). 
     
     
       3. The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said manually operable means comprises a keyboard with at least 10 push button switches, a rotary switch having a set-up position to provide the operator with access to said computer memory whereby he can enter said preprogrammed shaft positions reflecting a desired sequence of events. 
     
     
       4. The improvement defined in claim 3 wherein said manually operable means includes switch means for selectively activating said keyboard to render it functional for so entering said preprogrammed shaft positions for all of said events at least when said rotary switch is in its set-up position. 
     
     
       5. The improvement defined in claim 4 wherein said switch means further includes facility for selecting individual sections within said machine, and also for transferring said programmed shaft positions from a selected initial set-up one of said sections to other of said individual sections. 
     
     
       6. The improvement defined in claim 4 wherein said switch means further includes facility for selectively activating said keyboard to render it functional for use in entering predetermined intervals between said certain boundary event timings at least when said rotary switch is in its set-up position. 
     
     
       7. The improvement defined in claim 3 wherein said .Iadd.manually operable means is permitted only during a succeeding cycle of operation of the machine, and only when the value so selected is within a predetermined interval also preprogrammed in said digital computer means, and wherein said .Iaddend. rotary switch also includes a jog position, and alternatively useable up and down manual switches for incrementally varying said certain boundary event timings within said preprogrammed interval values when said rotary switch is in its jog position. 
     
     
       8. The improvement defined in claim 7 wherein said manually operable means includes switch means for selectively activating said up and down switches to render these functional for incrementally varying said preprogrammed intervals between said boundary event timings. 
     
     
       9. The improvement defined in claim 3 further including a peripheral program permanent storage medium for said sequence of programmed shaft positions (event timings).[., and peripheral input means for said periphery stored sequence event timings whereby the machine operator can store data relative to a particular job and reinstate such a programmed sequence of event timings directly from such permanent storage medium.].. .Iadd.10. The improvement defined in claim 7 further including a peripheral program permanent storage medium for said sequence of programmed shaft positions (event timings), and peripheral input means for said periphery stored sequence event timings whereby the machine oerator can store data relative to a particular job and reinstate such a programmed sequence of event timings directly from such permanent storage medium. .Iaddend.