Programmable control system for glassware forming machines

• US 4,641,269 A
• Filed: 07/09/1986
• Issued: 02/03/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Emhart Glass SA (Bucher Industries AG)
• Original Assignee: Emhart Industries, Inc. (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Scott, Paul F., Japenga, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jerry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lastova, John R.
• Application Number:
  US06/883,460
• Time in Patent Office: 209 Days
• Field of Search: 364/200, 364/900, 364/131, 364/133, 364/136, 364/138, 364/139, 364/143, 364/144, 364/146, 364/473, 364/476, 65/158, 65/160-164, 178/22.08
• US Class Current: 700/158
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 9/41 Electric or electronic systems in general G05B19/00

Abstract

A control system for the control of a multisection glassware forming machine in a manner which enables totally independent operation of any section regardless of the status of remaining sections. The control program for each section is stored in unalterable, read-only memory within a local computer associated respectively with each section. Each local computer is provided with at least two communication ports. A local terminal may be selectively connected to any local computer via one of the communication ports to enter and display timing setting data. A machine terminal or machine supervisory computer may be selectively connected to any local computer through the other one of the ports. A bidirectional communications interface enables data transfer between the selected local computers and selected data input/output devices.

Claims

1. In a glassware forming machine of the "individual section" type including a plurality of sections operable in phased relationship within a cycle of operation of the machine, each of said sections having a complete set of functional components for receiving gobs of molten glass and forming glassware articles in response to control signals which actuate and deactuate said functional components, said glassware forming machine providing a machine synchronizing signal at a predetermined point of each cycle of operation,

a control system for enabling the simultaneous and independent operation of said plurality of sections, comprising:

a plurality of local computer means, each respectively associated with one of said sections, for producing the component actuating and deactuating signals in coordination with the machine synchronizing signal, and for identifying said component actuating and deactuating signals with said functional components, each of said local computer means comprising;

unalterable program storage means for storing a section control program to control the operation of said local computer means without regular ongoing communication with any supervisory controller;

non-volatile memory means for storing selected timing data indicative of actuation an deactuation times of said functional components within each cycle of operation, and for storing machine data which together with said timing data specify the parameters of said control program; and

controller means for receiving said machine synchronizing signal and said timing data and machine data and for processing these in accordance with said control program to produce said component actuating and deactuating signals;

a plurality of interface means, each interposed respectively between one of said local computer means and its associated section for actuating and deactuating the functional components of said section in response to said component actuating and deactuating signals;

local terminal means for user display, entry, and modification of selected timing and machine data, wherein said local terminal means is capable of handling all parameters of said section control program; and

bidirectional communication means for connecting said local terminal means to a selected one of said local computer means.

2. A glassware forming machine in accordance with claim 1 wherein said terminal means further comprises:

display means for presenting to an operator pursuant to said predetermined control program at least one of a plurality of predetermined programmed requests for instruction or data input for prompting said operator to input an appropriate instruction or data at a predetermined point in said predetermined control program;

keyboard means for entering into said local computer means instructions or data in response to said requests.

3. A glassware forming machine in accordance with claim 2 wherein said keyboard means comprises:

a group of various data keys for entering numerical data;

a group of various timing keys for entering predetermined changes to the timing data displayed on said display means;

a group of various menu keys for enabling the operator to access selected portions of said control program.

4. A control system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising means for transferring selected timing setting data from one of said local computer means to another of said local computer means.

5. A control system for controlling the actuation and deactuation timing of a plurality of functional components of individual sections of a glassware forming machine, said glassware forming machine including a plurality of said sections each independently operable in phased relationship within a cycle of operation of said machine to receive gobs of molten glass and form one or more glassware article per section, said glassware forming machine providing a machine synchronizing signal at a predetermined point within said cycle of operation, said system comprising:

(a) a plurality of local computers, each respectively associated with one of said sections, for generating component actuating and deactuating signals and for identifying said signals with said functional components, each of said local computers comprising

unalterable program storage means for storing a section control program to control the operation of said local computer means;

non-volatile memory means for storing selected timing data indicative of actuation and deactuation times of said functional components within each cycle of operation, and for storing machine data which together with said timing data specify the parameters of said control program; and

controller means for receiving said machine synchronizing signal and said timing data and machine data and for processing these in accordance with said control program to produce component actuating and deactuating signals;

(b) global terminal means for permitting user display, entry, and modification and data within the non-volatile memory means of a selected local computer;

(c) machine supervisory computer means for connecting said global terminal means to a user-selected one of said local computers via a bidirectional communications link, wherein the section control program does not provide regular ongoing communications with said machine supervisory computer means;

(d) local terminal means for user display, entry, and modification of selected timing and machine data, wherein said local terminal means is capable handling all parameters of said section control program; and

(e) a plurality of interface means each interposed respectively between one of said local computer means and its associated section for actuating and deactuating the functional components of said section in response to said component actuating and deactuating signals.

6. A control system in accordance with claim 5 further comprising:

first storage means for storing first predetermined control data for controlling the operation of said machine supervisory computer;

means for loading said first predetermined control data into said machine supervisory computer.

7. A control system in accordance with claim 5 further comprising:

access code means for enabling access to selected data only upon entry of a predetermined identifying code, each identifying code being associated with predetermined portions of said selected data.

8. A control system in accordance with claim 7 wherein said access code means includes progressively increasingly restrictive levels of access to said selected data.

9. A control system in accordance with claim 5, further comprising local terminal means capable of displaying, entering, and altering selected data within the nonvolatile memory means of a given local computer.

10. A control system in accordance with claim 9 wherein said local terminal means further comprises:

display means for presenting to an operator pursuant to said predetermined control program at least one of a plurality of predetermined programmed requests for instruction or data input for prompting said operator to input an appropriate instruction or data at a predetermined point in said predetermined control program; and

keyboard means for entering into said local computer means instructions or data in response to said requests.

11. A control system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said keyboard means comprises:

a group of various data keys for entering numerical data;

a group of various timing keys for entering predetermined changes to the timing data displayed on said display means; and

a group of various menu keys for enabling the operator access selected portions of said control program.

12. In a glassware forming machine of the "individual section" type including a plurality of sections operable in phased relationship within a cycle of operation of the machine, each of said sections having a complete set of functional components for receiving gobs of molten glass and forming glassware articles in response to control signals which actuate and deactuate said functional components, said glassware forming machine providing a machine synchronizing signal at a predetermined point of each cycle of operation,

a control system for enabling the simultaneous and independent operation of said plurality of sections, comprising:

a plurality of local computer means, each respectively associated with one of said sections, for producing the component actuating and deactuating signal in coordination with the machine synchronizing signal, and for identifying said component actuating and deactuating signals with said functional components, each of said local computer means comprising

unalterable program storage means for storing a section control program to control the operation of said local computer means without regular ongoing communications with any supervisory controller;

non-volatile memory means for storing selected timing data indicative of actuation and deactuation times of said functional components within each cycle of operation, and for storing machine data which together with said timing data specify the parameters of said control program; and

controller means for receiving said machine synchronizing signal and said timing data and machine data and for processing these in accordance with said control program to produce said component actuating and deactuating signals;

a plurality of interface means, each interposed respectively between one of said local computer means and its associated section for actuating and deactuating the functional components of said section in response to said component actuating and deactuating signals;

local terminal means for displaying predetermined portions of said control program, and for user display entry, and modification of selected timing and machine data, said local terminal means being capable of handling all parameters of said control program;

bidirectional communications means for connecting said local terminal means to a selected for one of aid local computer means;

and further comprising means for controlling the actuation and deactuation of a plurality of components associated with machine functions common to all said sections, comprising a machine computer, machine terminal means, and machine interface means respectively analogous to one of said local computers, local terminals, and local interface means.

13. A control system in accordance with claim 12 wherein the hardware component of said machine computer means is identical to the hardware component of at least one of said local computer means.

14. A control system in accordance with claim 12 wherein said second non-volatile storage means for storing said second predetermined control program is an unalterable storage means.

15. A control system in accordance with claim 12 wherein said local terminal means further comprises:

display means for presenting to an operator pursuant to said predetermined control program at least one of a plurality of predetermined programmed requests for instruction or data input for prompting said operator to input an appropriate instruction or data at a predetermined point in said predetermined control program; and

keyboard means for entering into said local computer means instructions or data in response to said requests.

16. A control system in accordance with claim 15 wherein said keyboard means comprises:

a group of various data keys for entering numerical data;

a group of various timing keys for entering predetermined changes to the timing data displayed on said display means; and

a group of various menu keys for enabling the operator to access selected portions of said control program.

17. A control system in accordance with claim 12 further comprising means for transferring selected timing setting data from one of said local computer means to another of said local computer means.