CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
FARTHING, of the Town and Borough of Kingston-upon-Hull, and in the
County of the same Town, Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Her Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Eighth day of October, in the tenth year cof-Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto the
said William Farthing, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege, and
authority, that I, the said William Farthing, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, and such others as I, the said William Farthing, my executors,
administrators or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein éxpressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales; and, the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS;" in which said Letters Patent
is contained a proviso obliging me, the said William Farthing, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal,. particularly to describe and ascertain
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's. High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Farthing, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had to
the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon
(that is to say):-
My Improvements in the Manufacture of Glass consist,―
Firstly, in the application or use of artificial or mechanical means for the
purpose of blowing, distending, or inflating glass, in order to produce glass
shades, cylinders, or other forms or shapes (into which glass is required to be
blown, distended, or inflated) of larger size and substance than can be
performed by the lungs of the workman, as well as to avoid the prostration
of strength to the glass-blower by the exertion required to blow heavy
pieces.
Secondly, my improvements consist in flattening cylinder or sheet glass on
the floor of the kiln, so as to avoid the injury done to cylinder glass in the
flattening process by the dust and small particles of hard substances which
arise from the fuel used in heating the kiln, and settle upon the floor of the
kiln, or the "lager," or the glass. A modification of this part of the Invention
consists in a peculiar method of flattening cylinder or sheet glass in a state
of suspension, instead of flattening it upon the floor of the kiln as hitherto.
Thirdly, my improvements consist in manufacturing spiral or twisted glass
tubes as worms for stills or other similar apparatus.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention, I will proceed to
describe the manner in which my several improvements are to be carried into
practical effect:-
The first part of my Invention, namely, the application or use of mechanical
or artificial means for the purpose of blowing, distending, or inflating glass, I
accomplish by means of bellows or blowing apparatus firmly fixed near to the
workman. This blowing apparatus is furnished with a flexible tube or pipe
of vulcanized india rubber or other suitable material, which is provided with
universal joints to allow of its moving with facility in every direction at the
pleasure of the workman. The tube or pipe is attached at one end to the
mouth of the bellows or blowing apparatus, and is provided at the other end
with the means of being readily fixed to the pipe on which the glass has been
gathered and prepared for blowing, distending, or inflating.
blowing apparatus should be attended by a person whose sole business is to
force air into and through the pipe on which the glass has been gathered as
it is required, in order to effect the necessary expansion or inflation of the
The bellows or

page_text: glass. I accomplish the blowing, distending, or inflating of glass also by
means of compressed air, the air being forced by an air pump or condenser
into a cast or wrought iron receiver, having one, two, or more chambers com-
municating with each other by valves weighted and regulated at pleasure.
From such chamber or chambers the air is allowed to escape by means of a
flexible tube or pipe fitted with universal joints, as already described, and also
with taps or stopcocks, whereby the passage of the compressed air through the
pipe into the mass of glass may be regulated, as well as the escape therefrom
effected when required.
The second part of my Invention, namely, the improvements in the method
or manner of flattening cylinder or sheet glass, is accomplished as follows:―
Firstly, I make an alteration in the construction of the kiln, in order to
avoid the necessity of placing any fuel whatever within or directly communi-
cating with the inside thereof. In order to heat the chamber or chambers of
the kiln, I provide fireplaces beneath the floors of the chambers, and arrange
the flues under the floors, around the walls, and over the arch of the kiln in
any convenient way, so as to produce a sufficient heat within such chamber or
chambers to flatten the glass. In this kiln any ordinary fuel may be used
which will give the heat required, and the advantage, as before stated, of
preventing the creation and settlement of dust and small particles or hard
substances on the floor of the kiln, the "lager" or the glass is thereby obtained,
and the numerous defects now commonly observable in sheet glass are
prevented.
Secondly, for the purpose of flattening glass cylinders so as to avoid the
injuries which they are now liable to receive, (such, for instance, as defacing
the surface or skin of the glass by burns, scratches, cockles, or otherwise,) and
thus to preserve the natural brilliancy and polish which are observable on the
cylinder before it is subjected to the operation of flattening, I propose to
employ an oven or kiln constructed somewhat after the manner of that shewn
in the accompanying Drawing. This kiln is divided longitudinally into three
chambers, which are intended successively to receive the glass under operation:
The first and third of the chambers are provided with fireplaces and flues for
generating heat and causing it to traverse under the floor and over the crown
or roof of the chambers for the purpose of keeping up any required degree of
heat in the interior thereof. Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the
kiln. Figure 2 is a sectional plan view taken in the line 1.... 2 of Figure 1 ;
and Figure 3 is a cross section taken in the line 3 . . . . 4 of Figure 1, and
looking towards the left-hand side. A, B, C, are the three chambers, separated
from each other by the walls D and E, each of which has a vertical opening

page_text: or passage made through it for the purpose of allowing a free communication
to all three of the chambers from one to the other. The crown or roof of the
kiln is also similarly divided along its whole length, and on either side of this
longitudinal opening are strong iron beams, which have their bearings in the
end walls, and serve to support the roof. On the upper edge of these beams a
rail or rib is cast or otherwise secured so as to form a railway for a carriage F,
which is made to traverse the roof of the kiln from-one end to the other by
means of chains or otherwise. From a drum or pulley on this carriage F is
depended a chain, to the lower end of which a pair of clips or nippers G are
attached. These clips must be the length of the glass cylinder to be operated
upon, and are intended to hold the glass in suspension while the flattening
process is proceeding, and deposit it eventually in the annealing chamber. By
reference to Figure 2 it will be seen that the chambers A and C are each
provided with two fireplaces and.appropriate flues, but it is obvious that one
fireplace, with a different arrangement of flues, may be used if thought more
desirable. The first chamber A is for the reception of the glass cylinder,
which has been previously split in the usual way; and when the cylinder is
partially opened by the action of the heat upon it, one edge is taken hold of
by the clips or nippers F, suitably constructed for that purpose, and the
cylinder is then suspended from the carriage upon the rails before mentioned.
The object of thus suspending the glass is to preserve it from the injuries
sustained by coming into close contact with or being laid upon the floor of the
kiln, or upon glass, clay, stone, or other material or substance. .The glass
thus suspended from the carriage, after being under the action of the heat
sufficiently long to open out by its own weight, is drawn by a windlass and
chain into the chamber B, which I term the flattening chamber. The peculiar
construction of this chamber will be best seen at Figure 3. H, H, are two
cast-iron frames which form the sides of the chamber B, and being set in
the brickwork assist in supporting the roof. These frames serve also as guides
for the screws. I, I, the inner ends of which turn freely in sockets provided for
them in the back of two cast-iron plates K, and the other ends are provided
with hand wheels for turning the screws and causing them to propel the
plates K as required. The inner faces of these plates are covered with smooth
planks of beech, sycamore, pear-free, or other wood, neatly joined together, or
they may be coated with a fine plaster or cement, capable of withstanding the
surrounding heat, and presenting a smooth and even surface. The object of
thus providing the chamber B is, that the glass, when suspended in the middle
of the chamber by the clips or nippers pendant from the carriage, may be sub-
jected to an even pressure between two even surfaces. But in order to protect

page_text: these surfaces as much as possible from the heat which will issue through the
openings in the cross walls, I have provided two vertical sliding shutters L, L,
which, when let down, will form a narrow space round the glass and prevent
the heat from spreading laterally. When the glass is brought into the centre
of the chamber B, that is, in the narrow space formed by the shutters, the
plates K are moved inwards by means of the screws I until they come near
to the shutters L, L. The shutters are then raised through openings made in
the roof for that purpose (assisted in their ascent by counter weights), and by
the continued rotation of the screws I the plates K are made to close upon
the glass, still in a heated state, and press it into a flat sheet. When this is
effected the plates are in like manner caused to recede, and the shutters L are
let down into their former position. The glass, still suspended from the
carriage, is now moved forward by means of the windlass and chain into the
third chamber, where it is released from the clips or nippers, and properly
placed for the purpose of being annealed. Under this head of my Invention
I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the use of that con-
struction of kiln and apparatus connected therewith, as above shewn and
described, for flattening glass by suspension, as it is obvious that many modifi-
cations may suggest themselves to practical mechanics for effecting the pressing
operation, and also the arrangement of the fireplaces and flues may be changed
if thought desirable.
The third part of my Invention consists in the manufacturing of glass into
still worms or other similar apparatus. This I accomplish by drawing out a
tube of glass in the usual manner in which glass tubes are made, of sufficient
length, coiling it round a circular frame of wood or other suitable material as
I proceed, in the form in which metal still worms are usually made, cr in any
other form in which they may be required, the frame being so constructed as
to take in pieces easily from the inside after the tube of glass has sufficiently
coiled, and the still worm thus produced is then placed in an annealing arch or
kiln and annealed.
Having now particularly described the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire, in conclusion, to
state that I claim as of my Invention, and as improvements in the manufacture
of glass,―
Firstly, the employment, application, and adaptation of artificial or
mechanical means to the blowing, distending, or inflating of glass, as herein-
before described.
Secondly, in the manufacture of glass, I claim the use of a kiln constructed
with fire grates and flues unconnected with the inside of the chamber, or

page_text: chambers thereof, as above described, whereby the heating of such kiln is
effected without the admission of any fuel whatever within the chamber or
chambers. Under this head of the Invention I also claim the flattening of
cylinder or sheet glass by suspension, whereby the injuries arising from
flattening the glass on the floor of the kiln, as hitherto pratised, are prevented.
Thirdly, I claim the manufacturing of glass tubes into still worms or other
spiral or twisted tubing, in the manner above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Farthing, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.