Improvements relating to the manufacture of hollow articles

Hollow glass articles closed at one end are manufactured by cohesively engaging the underside of viscous glass overlying an apertured support surface with a drawing head which is then moved downwards drawing the glass with it to form the closed-ended article beneath the aperture, after which the drawing head is detached and the article trimmed from the unwanted glass when the article is cool. Viscous glass 3 either as a sheet or ribbon, or as a circular disc, overlies an aperture 2 in a support 1. A drawing head 5 is moved into contact with the underside of the glass in the aperture and is then drawn downwardly to form a hollow article 6 closed at one end. The adhesion of the head 5 may be aided by the use of suction, or by chromium plating, to which glass does not stick when cool. A blowing head 9 may be used to assist in the control of the article thickness. Forced cooling 8 may also be used to help control the wall thickness. When finally drawn and cool the article is severed from the unwanted glass, as at 7, and the head 5 removed. The sheet 2 may overlie a plurality of apertures to enable more than one article to be formed simultaneously.