Akro Spinner Cup?

[Ric]

It seems like the temperature of the glass, how viscous it was, when it hit the cup would have a significant impact on the result, maybe "thicker" glass would have provided the "resistance" you mention. I'd also be interested to know the distance between the funnel at the bottom of the tank, where the glass exited, and the spinner cup.

[cheese]

On some marbles like the JABO jorkscrews, just hitting the smooth rollers could put a cork pattern on them, so I think it's entirely conceivable that hitting the spinner cup would definitely swirl the glass. It has a much rougher surface and grooves to make it catch the glass and twist it.

[wvrons]

One of the things that most of us including Dave M. learned during the Jabo special investor runs. We learned that by adding more distance between the furnace outlet and the shear made a lot more twist or turns of the hot glass stream before it was sheared. The hot glass twist as it falls. Earlier at the beginning or the special investor runs. The marble machine at Jabo was in place on two steel rails. Like small RR rails and the machine had steel wheels to fit on the rails.  This was for moving it in and out under the furnace. The rails were bolted into the concrete floor. But with all the wear and tare, the rails become loose and a problem. So the rails were removed. We did not notice what was happening. About a year later the concrete floor had wore down a good inch and rough where the steel wheels had been setting. We noticed that the marbles for sure had more twist or swirl to them. After a few runs it was decided to remove the wheels form the marble machine. It lowered it about another three inches. That made even more turns or swirling in the marbles. When the last furnace was rebuilt, the furnace was raised higher. Which was the most twisting or swirling of any Jabo's. But of course there is a limit on the distance from the furnace outlet to the shear due to heat lose.  I think the majority of the Jabo jorkscrews were made after the glass stream to the shear was longer. There is very little change to any marble pattern once it hits the roll groove.  If any change at all it is within the first or second roll grooves. If the hot glass glob is smaller or larger than the roll grove. Then that will change the marble pattern because it will not spin correct. It has to spin constant in all directions on its own axis. If not you can get the ying yang, chevron or cork twist, especially on one or both poles of the marble. If the hot glob is the correct size for the roll groove. The roll will not put a twist or cork to the marble. 

The marble machine just makes the hot glass glob round.

 I don't think Akro had this kind of room or space to lengthen the glass stream. I always heard and was told that the spinner cup is what twisted the hot glass into a corkscrew pattern.  If the cup did not twist the glass into more of a corkscrew pattern ? What was the need for it ? Why would it spin or turn before tilting and ejecting the marble ? If the spinner cup made the cork twist ? Why would a rod be needed to help twist or turn the glass stream going to the shear ? I always assumed it was called a spinner cup, because it would spin the hot glass glob in a corkscrew pattern. 

 The twister pattern down the middle or center of the marble happens a lot with swirl marbles. Most times it is never seen on opaque marbles. But break a few Jabo's or swirls apart. They also can twist down the center of the marbles. Sometimes that color disappears. You add some green to white and or other colors, for green swirling and it never shows up. Because it all went to the center. Many times swirl marbles have a small spot of the swirl colored glass show up in a blank area. Because it came back to the surface after being twisted through the center or near the center. The twister down the center may be the natural twist as the hot glass falls. The color other than the base may be more inside or more on the outside. Depending on the glass, how or where the color was added, etc. 

 Maybe a rod did make those certain marbles with the twister in the center ? I am not sure that Akro planned it or did it for standard production. I don't think they were experiments. If it was planned production there should be good numbers of them. 

Just my thoughts rolling around like a marble.