Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-05-15
INVENTIONS IN GLASS
FREAKS OF VlTREoUs INGENUITY IN
THE PATENT OFFICE.
Glass Houses To Live I'm, Glass Clothing to
Wear and n Glass Coffin to Rest In at
Last-strange and Uncommon Devices
That Are Not Yet Publicly Known.

Wear and Glass Coffin to Rest In al
Lsst-strange and Uncommon Device.
That Are Not Yet Publicly Known.
There Is an inventor who Is known al
the patent Office i'm Washington as the
glass man. His name is & W. Mclean of
New Bern. \. c., and during the last
few years he has obtained patents for a
surprising number Of devices I'm glass.
Among these is glass collin, which is
guaranteed proof against decay and rats.
so long as no deliberate attempt is made
10 smash IL II ought 10 last forever An
other contrivance is staircase made
wholly of glass steps, landings and newell
post being all of that material Yet an
other Is n glass barrel. But perhaps the
most remarkable invention Of the glass
man is IA billiard table of glass.
The day may yet arrive when people will
live in glass houses. a patent has been So
cured Ivy another inventor for glass bricks
Of peculiar pattern. The material Of
which they are composed being first rate
noncOnductor, these bricks will keep the
cold out Of a dwelling built of them, while
admitting the light. Ii is claimed they
will exclude noise being hollow. Further
more, the inmates of "a glass house need
not be afraid of being under too close OBJ.
servation by nci2hbors. inasmuch a. IL is
not requisite that the bricks shall be trans
parent. They may he of Opaque ground
glass or of any color that may b. suitable
for decorative effect
Thus before many years have passed IL
may be considered the height of luxury to
occupy dwelling of glass. Glass bricks,
of course are expensive. People who live
in glass houses will be able to afford TO
wear clothes of glass. That sounds like
nonsense but the fact is that beautiful
and most delicate fabrics are made out OF
spun glass. Nearly 20 years ago there was
shown at the Centennial exposition in
Philadelphia bonnet composed entirely
OF glass. 1t was "A love of bonnet The
1owers on ii were glass. and so were the
ribbons, which looked like the finest sa,in.
The patentce Of this process describes it az
suitable for the manufacture OF neckties.
shawls, table covers. etc
In fabrics of this kind very fine DUAL.
ity Of glass is used. Ii is spun in threads
OF exceeding delicacy, and of these several
colOrs may be produced at the same time.
They are woven in loom Of ordinary pat.
tern. Anybody may observe that a thin
sheet of glass is somewhat elastic. The
threads employed i'm weaving are Of such
fncnesS rs 10 be perfectly pliable and not
at all brittle With gown of glass would
naturally 90 pair Of glass slippers
a Pittsburg man named Smith has in.
vented process for making glass slippers
In molds They would not do very well
for dancing. There is no reason why
glass gown should not I've woven Of rides.
cent glass, so that the wearer would look
ike an animated rainbow on ballroom
iloor-one dazzling simmer Of ever chang.
ing hues. Until recently the manufacture
OF iridescCnt glass was set down in the list
of the lost arts. But in 1878 it was rediscov.
cred, and now il is common commercial
article. 1t Is made by exposing the melted
glass 70 the Vapors OF salts of sodium At
the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New
York city, are exhibited great numbers OF
bottles, plates and other articles of glass
which were made and used long before
Christ was born They were dug up in
cyprus and elsewhere. Many of them
have a beautiful iridescence, but il Is
che result of decay. Glass will rot like
anything else and decay has split the
of this ancient glass into lamine,
or flakes, which interrupt the light so as
to produce brilliant ied green, purple and
rdinDON CtIOFS.
The window blinds Of the glass house of
the future will be of glass, of course. That
Is another patent and the inventor sug-
gests that such blinds may be made of
colors are desired Baby in the
nursery perhaps will play with glass build.
Ing blocks and at a suitable age he will re.
Gave IA Christmas gift of pair of roller
skates with glass rollers. Both of these
Han. ls.x~. II
enough to go fishing, he will not dig
worms in the garden, but vii! be provided
With artificial bait in the shape On hol-
ow minnOw of glass, coated on the inside
partly with "A solution of gold or silver and
partly with II luminous paint.
Glass bedsteads may be proof against
lightning and bugs but it is hardly to he /
that glass houses should be free
rom mice. The inmates could hardly do
letter than to employ glass traps for the
capture of such vermin. The great adj
'antage of the glass mousetrap, according .
o the statement of the inventor. is that
If ope mouse enter the trap he may DO .
cen by Others who chance to go that way,
md they will be inclined to join the one
inside, especially when they observe that /
re Is ribbling a choice morscl." Up to
late the glass mousctrap has not made 10.
elf popular, notwithstanding the impor-
ant arguments in its favor and of most OF
he either devices described it is unfortu.
lateky true that they have not proved prof.
tahle 20 the persons who contriyed them.
THIS remark however by no means APP
lies To the glass lemon squeezer, which is
ready "a familiar household utensil. The
Inventor Of it is said To have sold his rights
OR $40, 900. One of the most remarkable
INVENTIONS In glass, by the way, was that
# Venetian named JoquIn, in 1866 He
,oticed that the scales of fish called the
leak gave "a milky hue to the water, and
hat glass bead3 dipped into such water
ooked like pearls when dried. Suisse
luentiy the idea was conceived OF making
follow beads of glass and lining them with
he peculiar substance from the scales OF
he fish, and it is in this way that the so
alled Roman pearls are now manufac-
ur !. il Is to this substance that the
.idescencs Of the scales of many species Of
lshys is due Washington Cor. Philadel.
,hia Times.
|
To Increase Res Begonias.
II you wish TO raise number OF new