Glass blowing methods, glass blowing apparatuses, and blown glass products
View Patent ↗Various embodiments of a glass blowing method, glass blowing apparatus, and blown glass product are described having a number of innovative features. In one embodiment, the glass blowing method includes positioning molten glass on the end of a blow pipe, positioning the molten glass in a metal framework, and inflating the molten glass with the blow pipe to expand the molten glass through openings in the metal framework. In another embodiment, the glass blowing apparatus includes a blow pipe and a metal framework structured to be coupled to a head of the blow pipe. In another embodiment, the blown glass product includes bubble chambers having an elongated shape with rounded ends positioned opposite tapered ends where the tapered ends converge at an area on one side of the blown glass product.
1 . A glass blowing method comprising:
positioning molten glass on a blow pipe;
positioning the molten glass on the blow pipe in an interior of a metal framework;
inflating the molten glass with the blow pipe to expand the molten glass through openings in the metal framework to an exterior of the metal framework;
and removing the molten glass that has passed through the exterior of the metal framework to form a blown glass product.
2 . The glass blowing method of claim 1 wherein the molten glass is a first gather of molten glass, the method comprising positioning a second gather of molten glass on the exterior of the metal framework and/or on the first gather of molten glass that has expanded through the openings in the metal framework.
3 . The glass blowing method of claim 1 wherein inflating and expanding the molten glass through the openings in the metal framework forms bubble chambers in the molten glass.
4 . The glass blowing method of claim 3 wherein removing the molten glass from the exterior of the metal framework comprises closing the bubble chambers.
5 . The glass blowing method of claim 1 wherein the molten glass is soda-lime glass.
6 . The glass blowing method of claim 1 comprising heating the molten glass removed from the exterior of the metal framework to achieve at least an approximately uniform temperature profile.
7 . The glass blowing method of claim 1 comprising annealing the molten glass for at least 20 hours to form the blown glass product.
8 . The glass blowing method of claim 1 comprising drilling a hole in the blown glass product.
9 . The glass blowing method of claim 8 comprising positioning lighting hardware in the hole in the blown glass product.
10 . The glass blowing method of claim 1 comprising removing residual glass from the metal framework and repeating the glass blowing method with another gather of molten glass.
11 . A glass blowing method comprising:
positioning molten glass on a blow pipe:
coupling the blow pipe to a metal framework, the molten glass being positioned in an interior of a metal framework;
inflating the molten glass with the blow pipe to expand the molten glass through openings in the metal framework to an exterior of the metal framework; and
removing the molten glass that has passed through the exterior of the metal framework to form a blown glass product.
12 . The glass blowing method of claim 11 wherein inflating and expanding the molten glass through the openings in the metal framework forms bubble chambers in the molten glass.
13 . The glass blowing method of claim 12 wherein removing the molten glass from the exterior of the metal framework comprises closing the bubble chambers.
14 . The glass blowing method of claim 11 comprising removing residual glass from the metal framework and repeating the glass blowing method with another gather of molten glass.
15 . The glass blowing method of claim 11 comprising positioning lighting hardware in the blown glass product.
16 . A glass blowing method comprising:
positioning a first gather of molten glass on a blow pipe;
positioning the first gather of molten glass on the blow pipe in an interior of a metal framework;
inflating the first gather of molten glass with blow pipe to expand the first gather of molten glass through openings in the metal framework;
positioning a second gather of molten glass on the first gather of molten glass that has passed through an exterior of the metal framework, the first gather of molten glass and the second gather of molten glass forming an amalgamation of molten glass on the exterior of the metal framework; and
removing the amalgamation of molten glass from the exterior of the metal framework to form a blown glass product.
17 . The glass blowing method of claim 16 wherein the first gather of molten glass is colored glass and the second gather of molten glass is clear glass.
18 . The glass blowing method of claim 16 wherein inflating and expanding the first gather of molten glass through the openings in the metal framework forms bubble chambers in the first gather of molten glass.
19 . The glass blowing method of claim 18 wherein removing the amalgamation of molten glass from the exterior of the metal framework comprises closing the bubble chambers.
20 . The glass blowing method of claim 16 comprising positioning lighting hardware in the blown glass product.