Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1903-03-21

DAVH@ 1T AcAh 10 4 cftbCttVH~-Id Stb
4 ries to be RemOdeled Extrem,
Cheapness Of Operating Glass Mad.
Much Cheaper and Much Better Thar
Made Undor Former Conditions
Norkmen Seeing Omnibus Prepare
tIons to Snpolant Them.
The new machine for blowing win.
dow glass, which experts now pro-
nOunce co be a success, is also said &C
be marvel Of simplicity The own
ers Of the patents, the Window Glass
| Machine Company, began experiment.
ing with this machine about seven
years age. Owing to its nature ex-
| treme care had 20 be taken in the
construction work TO prevent the de
tails becoming public, and it is to this
that is ascribed the discouraglng re-
ports regarding the machine which
came out at various times. Not I'M
| til very recently was it announced
that the machine had been perfected
and this was not until after the sum
estimated in the neighborhoed oil
500, 900 had been expended.
Three styles of machines have been
given a thorough testing. One is OPP
Grated by steam, another by hydraulic
pressure and the third by electricity,
and it is the latter machine that will
be installed in the various plants OF
the American Window Glass Gompa-
ny, as it has been found to give far
better results than either OF the other
two.
10 the furnaces used by the new
machine there VIII be no ring holes or
round furnace fronts. Instead, the
face of the tank will be straight, with
square openings like those of the
heating or pudding furnace of the
modern iron plants. A counterweight
ladle is so arranged that by the NOV
ing Of lever it drops Into the fur
nace aud takes from it the proper
amount OF molten glass, which il
conveys to what is known as the
blowing pot. This pot is about IA
feet from the furnace and is different
in construction from the pot now
used. After the glass is placed ia the
pot it goes through the process Of be-
ing refined, planned and anneale1, and
is then taken up by the electrically
operated blow pipe.
1t is the blow pipe which is the
principal part of The new machine. 1t
is suspended in structure built OF
steel tubing, arranged square and is as
high as is wanted Part of the struc-
taFe is device which works some
what on the plan of an elevator, and
it is from this that the blow pipe is
suspended and through which a cylin-
der Of glass as long as 20 feet can be
blown. BY the existing hand process
cylinders only five or six feet long can
be blown.
Through the blow pipe is sent air
from an acknowledgements pump,
and the moment the glass is gathered
on the end Of the pipe the pump be-
gins work. gradually blowing bubble
as the glass is withdrawn from the
pot. After considerable portion of
the glass is withdrawn the pipe is CIV
en- quick pull, thus forming the neck
CT the cylinder. This neck is quickly
enclosed in water jacket long enough
to be cooled, but during all this pro-
cess the glass is being drawn from the
pot and the blowing never ceases.
The water jackets harden the neck
and IL is kept cool by the rush Of air
until the cylinder has been blown to
the desired length, the elevator-llke
arrangement continuously moving to-
ward The top of the structure. But
the lower end OF the cylinder is never
withdrawn completely from the pot
and when the cylinder has attained
the proper length il is quickly sheared
thus leaving the molten glass at the
lower end drop back into the pot.
Here is where a considerable waste en-
coun oered in the present process is
overcome, as by an automatic arrange
ment in connection with the pot the
glass in it is kept up to the proper
heat and intermingles with the next
mass placed in it.
After the lower end has been shear
ed off the cylinder is placed on a
horse or block Of wood and is then
cracked off at the neck, also by an
automatic arrangement, and it is
ready to put through the existing
process of cutting and fatiening
The entire mechanism is controlled by
levers that ale connected with the
electric machinery and it estimated
that one man with the assistance of a
helper can operate three of the ma
enines
The glass made by the machines is
pronounced OF infinitely better quality
than that produced by hand blowing.
The entire cylinder is said to be Of
equal thickness in every part and glass
as thin as paper has been MADE that
it will stand unusual handling. AS
an instance, during a recent exhibit
tion of one OF the machines already
in operation a strip enc fourth Of an
inch wide was cut from sheet aft.
long This Is something never be-
fore accomplished, but in addition
the strip when picked up did not
break, but could be handled much
like a long whip. an indication Of the
elasticity impaired to glass by the
machine.
The difference in the cost OF max
ing glass with the machines and by
band blowing is amazing, and Is what
will reyelutionize the glass business.
The cost Of labor on a box OF glass
made by hand blowing is estimated at
about II cents. The cost with the
1lsa az lie rnanhinn VIII be ahnnf l &