Moncrieff’s Monish Bottle-making Machines (1947)

The John Moncrieff company had been making hand-blown bottles at the Tayside works since the 19th Century. In the aftermath of world war one, demand for glassware was growing fast and worldwide efforts were made to automate as much as possible. A French bottle making machine was making it harder for the company to compete so they set out to design and produce a bottle making machine themselves. They hired an American, a Mr MacNish, who developed the designs for the “Monish machines”, which were named from MONcrieff and MacNISH - another example of Moncrieff's naming methodology that later gave us ‘Monart’. The machines were first brought to the market in 1928; they were the first fully automatic blowing machines built in the United Kingdom.

The Monish machines were built ‘in-house’ by Moncrieff’s engineering department where most of the parts were made; only parts that could not be made in their machine shop were bought-in. The machines were sold worldwide and Moncrieff’s set up a special company, Monish Glass Machine Company, to handle their marketing and support. The very last spare parts were sold in the mid 1960’s to a South American company (actuator spool valves, for the ‘Minor’ machine).

The Monish machines were soon displaced by the I.S. type of machine which had a much higher output. Today, the I.S. machine is the most common type of machine used all over the world for container production today: albeit they have greatly improved control systems and a single section can produce in excess of 200 containers per minute. Compare that with the numbers shown in the Monish literature below.

Monish leaflets

To reduce space and allow readability, I have extracted the pictures and retyped all the text, spelling errors corrected. Layout is as close to the original pages as HTML can do.

“MONISH” MACHINES

The illustration shows a few of the very wide range of Bottles,
Jars and other articles which can be produced on these machines.

For the open Market, multiple units of small Machines are more economical
than single large units. “MONISH” Machines, equipped with Special Heads for
Wide Mouth Ware and Special Gearing for Internal Screws, will produce a
greater variety of Bottles and Jars than can be made by any other Machine.

MONISH GLASS MACHINE COMPANY

St. Catherines’s Road, Perth, Scotland.

“MONISH” SINGLE UNIT ONE MOULD MACHINE.
MACHINE À UN MOULE DE UNITÉ SIMPLE “MONISH.”
MAQUINA DE UNO MOLDE DE UNIDAD SENCILLA, “MONISH.”
“MONISH” EINFORMMASCHINE VON EINFACHEM EINHEIT.

The glass for this Machine is sucked from a special Paddle Type Forehearth, which can be easily attached to any modern furnace.

Le verre pour cette machine est aspiré d'un avant-creuset de type espéciale d’Aube, lequel on peut attacher facilement à tous les fours modernes.

El vidrio para esta maquina esta aspirado de una ante-fornalla de tipo especial de Paleta la cual se puede ajustar facilmente a todos los hornos modernos.

Das Glas für diese Maschine ist aus einem Vorherd von speziallem Schnaufelmodell gesaugt, das man leicht auf einem modernem Ofen anschliessen kann.

“Monish” One-Mould Suction Machine

This machine has two tables — parison mould table and blow mould table.

The parison mould table travels through an angle of 90 degrees from the forehearth to the blow mould table, which is positioned outside the circle of travel of the parison mould.

The parison is transferred to the blow mould by a forward movement of the plunger bracket. After the bottle is blown in the blow mould, the neck ring is opened and the plunger bracket returns to its original position before being moved to the gathering position for another gather.

Whilst the parison mould is travelling from the forehearth to the transfer position, a cover moves over and covers the opening in the forehearth at the covering position, thereby keeping the glass hot for the next gather during the time the parison is being transferred and the bottle blown in the blow mould.

The machine and forehearth are driven by compressed air, approximating 30 cubic feet per minute at 30lbs. pressure, the machine being controlled by an electric timer.

It can be supplied with a Right or Left Hand drive to suit furnace conditions.

The moulds used on this machine are similar to those for the Major machine, and are therefore interchangeable from one machine to the other, without adaptation.

The bottle from this machine is lifted off mechanically, and can be placed on a travelling belt, or dropped down a chute, whichever is preferred.

The following items are supplied free with each machine: —

Paddle Type Forehearth and Mechanism.

Combination Electric Driven Timer, with ¼ B.H.P. — D.C. Motor.

One 2-stage 20 inch Type 8 High Pressure Fan for air cooling of the moulds.

The necessary extra equipment required for this machine, to be supplied by the purchaser at his expense, is as follows:—

One 7 B.H.P. Motor and Starter for driving the Fan for air cooling of the moulds.

One Compressor to give 30 cubic feet of free air per minute at 30 lbs. pressure.

One Vacuum Pump to give 15 cubic feet at 27/28 inches.

One 7 B.H.P. Motor and Starter for the Compressor.

One 3 B.H.P. Motor and Starter for the Vacuum Pump.

One Air Gauge.

One Vacuum Gauge.

Also Containers for Air and Vacuum, and

All necessary Pipe Lines from the Plant to the Machine.

PRICE AND FURTHER PARTICULARS ON APPLICATION.

“MONISH” MAJOR AND MINOR THREE-MOULD MACHINE.
“MONISH” MACHINE MAJOR ET MINOR A TROIS MOULES.
“MONISH” MAQUINA MAYOR Y MENOR PARA TRES MOLDES.
“MONISH” MAJOR UND MINOR MASCHINE FUR DREI FORMEN.

“MONISH” MAJOR MACHINE.

The glass for these Machines is sucked from a special Paddle Type Forehearth, which can be easily attached to any modern furnace.

Le verre pour ces machines est aspiré d'un avant-creuset de type espéciale d’Aube, lequel on peut attacher facilement à tous les fours modernes.

El vidrio para esta maquinas est aspirado de una ante-fornalla de tipo especial de Paleta la cual se puede ajustar facilmente a todos los hornos modernos.

Das Glas für diese Maschinen ist aus einem Vorherd von speziallem Schnaufelmodell gesaugt, das man leicht auf einem modernem Ofen anschliessen kann.

“Monish”

MAJOR Three-Mould Suction Machine.

This is a special machine for making narrow-mouth, and internal screw bottles. This machine has been in operation for quite a number of years without interruption, in the leading British Glass Works, and has given throughout absolute satisfaction. This machine is adapted to manufacture at the same time three different articles, even although they vary slightly in height, weight, and also in shape.

Each parison mould sucks the exact amount of glass required, ensuring exact capacity.

All movements of the machine are derived from cams. There is therefore simplicity in control, and very little adjustment neccessary.

The following items are supplied free with each machine:—

Paddle Type Forehearth and Mechanism.

One 1½ B.H.P. D.C. Motor and Starter for driving the Machine.

One ½ B.H.P. D.C. Motor and Starter for driving the Forehearth Mechanism.

One 30 inch Type 8 High Pressure Fan for air cooling of the moulds.

The necessary extra equipment required for this machine, to be supplied by the purchaser at his expense, is as follows:—

One 10 B.H.P. Motor and Starter for driving the Fan for air cooling of the moulds.

One Compressor to give 22 cubic feet of free air per minute at 20 lbs. pressure.

One Vacuum Pump to give 22 cubic feet at 27/28 inches.

One 4 B.H.P. Motor and Starter for the Compressor.

One 3 B.H.P. Motor and Starter for the Vacuum Pump.

One Air Gauge.

One Vacuum Gauge.

Also Containers for Air and Vacuum, and

All necessary Pipe Lines from the Plant to the Machine.

“Monish”

MINOR Three-Mould Suction Machine.

This machine has been constructed in accordance with the same principles as the MAJOR Machine, but all measurements are reduced in proportion for the manufacture of Small Articles ranging from ½ oz. up to 5 oz. capacity. This machine has also proved its efficiency in every respect for a number of years at leading British Glass Works. Three different articles can be produced at the same time, even although they vary slightly in height, weight, and also in shape.

Other details given for the Major machine are applicable for the Minor machine.

The following items are supplied free with each machine:—

Paddle Type Forehearth and Mechanism.

One 1 B.H.P. D.C. Motor and Starter for driving the Machine.

One ½ B.H.P. D.C. Motor and Starter for driving the Forehearth Mechanism.

One 2-stage 20 inch Type 8 High Pressure Fan for air cooling of the moulds.

The necessary extra equipment required for this machine, to be supplied by the purchaser at his expense, is as follows:—

One 7 B.H.P. Motor and Starter for driving the Fan for air cooling of the moulds.

One Compressor to give 22 cubic feet of free air per minute at 20 lbs. pressure.

One Vacuum Pump to give 22 cubic feet at 27/28 inches.

One 4 B.H.P. Motor and Starter for the Compressor.

One 3 B.H.P. Motor and Starter for the Vacuum Pump.

One Air Gauge.

One Vacuum Gauge.

Also Containers for Air and Vacuum, and

All necessary Pipe Lines from the Plant to the Machine.

PRICE AND FURTHER PARTICULARS ON APPLICATION.

“MONISH” MINOR MACHINE AT FURNACE.

“MONISH” MACHINES.

TECHNICAL DATA.

FURTHER PARTICULARS ON APPLICATION.

Frank Andrews, 2002

With special thanks to Colin Mayor (former Director, of John Moncrieff Ltd)
for supply of material and information.

Edited by Mary Houston-Lambert

Research notes:

1. In 1899, the first patent was issued for a glass blowing machine for the automatic production of glass bottles. Earlier glass bottles had all been hand blown. Four years later, the new bottle blowing machine was in operation. It was first operated by the inventor, Michael J. Owens, an employee of Libby Glass Company. Within a few years, glass bottle production increased from 1,500 bottles a day to 57,000 bottles a day.
2. The jars were hand blown into a mould (Ball developed the glass blowing machine in 1898, greatly reducing the cost of the jar down to four to eight cents per jar). At first the zinc lid was not lined, but people complained that the contents had a metallic taste. It was in 1869 that the inside of the lid was lined with a glass or porcelain insert.
3. Bakewell, T. and J.P. Glass-blowing machine Feb. 8, 1834
4. Fleischman, S.L. Glass-blowing machine Sept. 16, 1873 142,845
5. Laird, J. Glass-blowing machine Dec. 14, 1832 ---------