The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-07-28
HOW GLASSWARE is MADE
National Museum Exhibit Shows Pro
cess Of Mixing Ingredients.

|
A new feature in the division OF
mineral technology of the United
States National Museum il an indus
trial series in glass manufacture. The
| series shows the original ingredients
with their natural sources. leads
through the different stages i'm the
process of their conversion from a
granular mixture To pure amorphous
glass, and gives a faithful representa-
tion i'm model form, both of the fur
naces and of the workers engaged in
the art OF blowing. moulding and trim
ming glassware. from the molten liquid
Of the furnace To the finished product
The exhibit is the gift of the Macbeth
Evans Glass company of Pittsburg,
and was prepared under the personal
direction of George a. Macbeth, presi-
dent of the company.
As completed. the series will start
with the ingredients entering into the
composition Of glass, quartz sand, with
alkali and alkali earth compounds, to
lower the melting point of the quartz,
together with the coloring matter,
showing these in their natural state,
both as the mineral crystal and in the
more common ore form, and also the
refined article prepared for use. The
refined samples, by their relative size.
indicate the general proportions in
which the different ingredients enter
into glass. The various stages in the
melting down and fusing of these into
molten glass are demonstrated by
series of large samples showing sue
cessive conditions, To the final one.
where the glass is ready for the work.
er.
Two standard types Of furnaces in
which TO melt glass, known respective
ly as the tank and the pot furnace, are
in current use. The series includes a
model of each type. These are about
one-siXteenth natural size, and are so
constructed as to show working details
throughout. Each is Of the gas fired
regenerativc type, fed from a Swindell
producer, also shown in it's proper re-
lationship to the furnace.
The tank furnace, as may be infer
red, derives it's name from the recep-
tacle in which the glass is held. The
furnace proper consists of two compart-
ments, rectangular vault and a dome
covered circular tank. The ingredients
are fed i'm AT one end of the former. |
which is also the combustion chamber |
Tor the fuel gas. AS the process of |
fusion proceeds under the influence OF |
he heat of the burning gas above, the
resultant molten glass keeps flowing |
oward the opposite end, where 1t |
passes into the tank compartment. The |
cylindrical wall enclosing the latter, is
supplied with "A number of openings or
PORTS through which the gatherings.
Is they are called, have access to the
glass
Outside, on the main floor of the
around the tank, fifteen
workers., modelled to scale. will show
he various operations from the first
gathering" of the fluid glass on the
nd of the blowpipe, through the vari-
JUS acts of "blow-up," mould blowing,
docking, shaping, trimming, etc, to
he finished bottle, lamp chimney, or
ther familiar article of everyday life.
In the pot furnace, as the name i'm
lies, the ingredients are put into n
irge refractory pot or crucible and left
o fuse. Subsequent operations con-
Orm with those shown i'm connection
With the tank furnace, and smaller de-
all models serve TO exemplify Incl
entail operations.
An alcove of upright cases will en-
lose the models on three sides, and
'ill afford an historical resume of the
lass industry. A selection of speci-
lents will exemplify the refinements I
{ modern attainment in the art of
lass making.