Methods to control thermal variation during tube consumption in glass tube converting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12006244-B2
Application number	US-202117400167-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2021
Priority date	Aug 17, 2020
Publication date	Jun 11, 2024
Grant date	Jun 11, 2024

Abstract

Methods for producing articles from a glass tube include securing a working end of the glass tube in a glass tube holder of a converter having a plurality of processing stations including a heating station and a forming station. An initial length of the glass tube includes a plurality of serial segments, each of the plurality of serial segments corresponding to one article and having an article number. The methods include heating the working end of the glass tube in the heating station, adjusting an amount of heating of the glass tube in the heating station based on the article number at the working end of the glass tube, and forming a feature of the article in the forming station. Adjusting the amount of heating based on the article number reduces variation in tube temperature, article dimensions, or both, from one article number to the next article number.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for producing a plurality of articles from a glass tube, the method comprising:
securing a working end of the glass tube in a glass tube holder of a converter having a plurality of processing stations comprising at least one heating station and at least one forming station after the at least one heating station, wherein the converter moves the glass tube holder through the plurality of processing stations, wherein an initial length of the glass tube comprises a plurality of serial segments, each of the plurality of serial segments corresponding to one article and having an article number;
heating the working end of the glass tube at the at least one heating station;
increasing or decreasing an amount of heating of the glass tube based on the article number corresponding to the working end of the glass tube, wherein increasing or decreasing the amount of heating based on the article number reduces variation in tube temperature, article dimensions, or both, from one article number to the next article number;
forming at least one feature of the article at the working end of the glass tube in the at least one forming station;
separating the article from the working end of the glass tube at a separating station; and
indexing the glass tube downward in the glass tube holder to form a subsequent article.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein increasing or decreasing the amount of heating of the glass tube comprises at least one of:
increasing or decreasing a burner dwell time of the working end of the glass tube in contact with a heating element in the at least one heating station based on the article number at the working end of the glass tube;
increasing or decreasing a heating rate of the heating element in the at least one heating station based on the article number of the working end of the glass tube; or
adjusting a negative pressure produced by an exhaust system proximate to the glass tube in the at least one heating station based on the article number of the working end of the glass tube.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of processing stations comprises a plurality of heating stations and the method comprises increasing or decreasing an amount of heating of the glass tube in each of the plurality of heating stations based on the article number corresponding to the working end of the glass tube.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein increasing or decreasing the amount of heating of the working end of the glass tube comprises increasing or decreasing a burner dwell time of the glass tube in contact with a heating element in the at least one heating station based on the article number at the working end of the glass tube.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the heating element in the at least one heating station comprises a swivel burner that pivots into and out of engagement with the working end of the glass tube, and increasing or decreasing the burner dwell time comprises adjusting a timing of pivoting the swivel burner into or out of engagement with the working end of the glass tube.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein increasing or decreasing the amount of heating of the working end of the glass tube comprises increasing or decreasing a heating rate of the heating element in the at least one heating station based on the article number of the working end of the glass tube.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the heating element comprises a burner and increasing or decreasing the heating rate comprises increasing or decreasing a flow rate of one or more combustion gases supplied to the burner, wherein the combustion gases comprises fuel gas and oxygen, air, or both.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein increasing or decreasing the heating rate comprises increasing or decreasing a flow rate of all the combustion gases to the burner in proportion.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein increasing or decreasing the amount of heating of the working end of the glass tube comprises adjusting a negative pressure produced by an exhaust system proximate the at least one heating station based on the article number of the working end of the glass tube.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein adjusting the negative pressure produced by the exhaust system proximate to the at least one heating station comprises decreasing or increasing a speed of an air handler fluidly coupled to an inlet vent positioned proximate to the at least one heating station, adjusting a position of a damper disposed between the air handler and the inlet vent, adjusting a position of an inlet vent of the exhaust system relative to the glass tube in the at least one heating station, or combinations of these.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the converter comprises a plurality of glass tube holders and the method comprises:
moving each of the plurality of glass tube holders through each of the plurality of processing stations; and
increasing or decreasing the amount of heating at the working end of the glass tube based on the article number each time the plurality of glass tube holders are moved to the next processing station.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the converter comprises a plurality of glass tube holders and the method further comprises securing a new length of the glass tube in each of the plurality of glass tube holders in consecutive order starting with a first glass tube.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein, in response to a change in an article number at a working end of the first glass tube at the at least one heating station, changing an amount of heating of the working end of the first glass tube based on the article number and maintaining the amount of heating at the at least one heating station from glass tube to glass tube until the first glass tube returns to the at least one heating station and the article number at the working end of the first glass tube changes.

Assignees

• Corning Inc

Inventors

• Barnard Christelle Ruby
• Matusick Joseph Michael
• Mcnelis Kevin Patrick
• O'Malley Connor Thomas

Classifications

• C03B23/09

  Reshaping the ends, e.g. as grooves, threads or mouths · CPC title

• C03B23/045

  Tools or apparatus specially adapted for re-forming tubes or rods in general, e.g. glass lathes, chucks (C03B23/043 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y02P40/57

  Improving the yield, e-g- reduction of reject rates · CPC title

• C03B23/043 Primary

  Heating devices specially adapted for re-forming tubes or rods in general, e.g. burners · CPC title