The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-02-07
A New Industry.

A new industry has just been establish
ed in this cit Y, and in keeping with lis MS
tory The Age Of Sted is the ilrstto makeah
noupcement OF the fact We rcler to the
manufacture of rough plate glass al the
works of the Mississippi Glass Company III
ST. Louis
Rough plate glass embracing, as 1t prop
erly does rolled cathedral plate ana iiDord
or iiuted plate, Is an article which Is nse0
very largely by the building trades, ana me
greater part OF which Is imported. Inc
rough plate factory at hcpoN, Mass, win
possibly one exception in New Jersey hu'
hitherto been the only one OF the Kind III
the T. :. The polished plate works here
and those at other points produce consider
able quantities Of thick rough plate glass
for the market, the local works about 100,
900 feet yearly. But the manufacture ana
sale Of such gla,, by the polished plate
makers is simply an inCidon: OF their bu,l.
ness. the rough plates which are not quite
Good enough TO polish are reserved Tor sale
The total production Of plate glass IN the
L. :. in the census year was ,J2G, Oh ~. IT,,
of which l0i2 900 were polished and the
rest sold as rough plate. In the same year
the imports OF plate glass, rough, iiutcd or
rolled, were as follows Above lONl1 inch
es and not above 1924 II 900 ~, H.; above
l6x24 and not above 2iA3O, nearly 1000 H.;
above 94xGO inches, rj7,sOS Il These iig.
ures afford a pretty clear idea OF the di,pa.
rity between the demand and the supply Of
rough plate glass; It will De noticed that
the imports are nearly twicca' !arg'' - ;he
home market of the article.
The first starting Of the rough Vla!e de.
N;.-...,,,,,t AaYl :
was last week Thursday. The presence Of
six skilled English wor!nen, brought over
specially for the work from jas Hartley 5
Wear Glass Works, Sunderland Durham,
insured \ successful starting. These work.
men consist Of two ladders, Il weeelman, q
pller, a kiln assistant and "a puller out and
through their experience and skill the al.
ditional hands were soon broke into The
work. Only five or six plates were spoiled
before the work Of turning off for the m
healing oven was entered upon.
In the first place the furnace l. d pot
gas consumer. Next there are six anneul.
lug ovens; and finally there are two casting
tables These tables and the process Of
Of casting may BE- described ~ follows:
The table Il made OF one piece Of cast
iron, heavy and thick, and In width and
length exceeding the Dimensions Of the lar.
res. sheet OF glass This /, mounted on Il
carriage near the annealing ovens, A hea
wy cast iron roller, fully AZ wide ~ the "a.
Bile, Is arranged 10 roll the length Of the
latter il Necessary aud It's course and mo
tlon are controlled by nspur wheel working
in cog rack on eithe, side Of the table,
'rhe height from the table At which the
roller runs, and consequently the thickness
Of the glass, Is regulated hy narrow strip
Of meta! placed along the edge OF the Ia
bic, while the width undetermined by ~ha!
is known as the "gun," or guide, two plates
Of cas-. metal bClted together adjustable 70
the breadth desired, and moving with the
roller and before It AL being ready for
casting the two Ladders dip up each lad!e,
full OF the mohen metal, and rush 70 one Of
the tables, where they pour ii IN the space
enclosed OK covered by the gun. and Just in
front of the roller. The roller is then NOV
ed forward, tiat;enlng the glass and rolling
II 70 a uniform thickness while the gun
prevents il from spreading 20 greater
width than il desired. Az soon rs the plate
has solidifed l. is hauled OFT on bogie
and wheeled to the anuealing furnace
Theze are six Of these furnaces, one for
each days work, and the plates are set up
in them. When furnace is iiled the fires
are allowed to gTHiuaNy die out, ana in five
days afset the plates are put in they ae
Withdrawn.
The company are NJ present making both
the plain rough and ribbed rough plate
glass. The capacity Of the works is e'tims
ted at l,5000I0 square feet per snnuu.-'
4se Of n.~t, 81. L,qis.