Glass or plastic container manufacturing system

• US 5,609,663 A
• Filed: 09/06/1994
• Issued: 03/11/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Emhart Glass SA (Bucher Industries AG)
• Original Assignee: Emhart Glass Machinery Investments, Inc.
• Inventors: Nguyen, Can, Liska, Timothy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Czaja, Donald E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PADGETT, CALVIN F
• Application Number:
  US08/300,883
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 65/DIG. 13, 364/473, 364/476, 364/DIG. 1, 395/200.01, 395/200.11, 395/600, 425/162, 425/135, 264/40.1, 379/219
• US Class Current: 65/160
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 9/41 Electric or electronic systems in general G05B19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31127 Repeater between two networks
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31238 First network connected by repeater to second, second connected by repeater to third
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31326 Database to manage communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31373 Vou virtual operative organisational unit, extension of vmd
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 65/13 Computer control

Abstract

A system for manufacturing glass and plastic containers is disclosed which has at least two computers connected by a network or more than one network. Each computer has a local virtual network process which establishes a connection with the other node, notifies that other node when its database(s) are open or closed and establishes a connection of its own database(s) so that a node can transparently communicate with any other node on its network or on any connected network.

Claims

1. A system for manufacturing glass or plastic containers such as an I.S. machine and an associated shear mechanism comprising:

a plurality of nodes,

network means for connecting said plurality of nodes,

each of said nodes including a local virtual network process for

a) notifying all of the other local virtual network processes when a database is opened or closed in its node,

b) creating or destroying a local virtual database entry when notified that a database has been opened or closed in another of said nodes,

c) establishing a connection with any other of said nodes, and

d) maintaining communication between any database on its node and each of said local virtual database entries.

2. A system for manufacturing glass or plastic containers according to claim 1, wherein

said network means comprises a first network and a second network,

said plurality of nodes includes at least one node on said first network and at least one node on said second network, and

said one node on said first network includes repeater means.

3. A system for manufacturing glass or plastic containers according to claim 2, wherein

said network means comprises a third network,

said plurality of nodes includes at least one node on said third network, and

said one node on said second network includes repeater means.