IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF GLASS MAKERS' POTS,' AND IN THE APPLICATION OF HEAT TO THE MATERIALS OR GLASS METAL CONTAINED THEREIN
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Helsby Johnson, of Eccleston, in the County
of Lancaster, Glass Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF GLASS MAKERS' POTS,' AND IN THE APPLICATION OF
HEAT TO THE MATERIALS OR GLASS METAL CONTAINED THEREIN."
Sealed the 9th June 1865, and dated the 13th December 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Helsby Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th December 1864.
I, RICHARD HELSBY JOHNSON, of Eccleston, in the County of Lancaster,
Glass Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION. OF GLASS MAKERS' 'POTS,' AND IN THE
APPLICATION OF HEAT TO THE MATERIALS OR GLASS METAL' CONTAINED THEREIN,"
to be as follows:-
Hitherto glass makers' "pots" have been made of clay in one piece, and
they have been set in furnaces, so as to allow or cause the heat to play or act
over their outer surfaces, at the bottoms, and round the sides, or one of them,
as well as, in some manufactories, over the tops and mouths. Such "pots"
in practice are easily fractured or cracked, are costly, and are the cause of
frequent stoppages in "glass houses."
My Invention consists in making "pots" or receptacles in which the materials
used in the manufacture of glass are placed, subjected to heat, fluxed, and

page_text: refined, of fire-brick built up into the desired form, with a close packing of
fire-clay under the bottoms and all round up the sides at the back thereof.
All round and laterally from the mouths of the "pots" there is a flat surface,
over which the flames or heated gases pass downwards into the "pots" or
receptacles through their mouths, which are open, to heat, flux, or refine their
contents.
The said "pots" or receptacles would usually be set, in limited numbers, in
arched or other furnace, and the fire or fires would be separated therefrom by
a fender or fenders; the heated gases or flames only being allowed to play on
the materials in the "pots" or receptacles.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Helsby Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 13th June 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
HELSBY JOHNSON, of Eccleston, in the County of Lancaster, Glass Manu-
facturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her beirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Richard Helsby Johnson, Her special licence that I, the said
Richard Helsby Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Richard Helsby Johnson, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and law-
fully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF GLASS MAKERS' 'POTS,' AND IN THE
APPLICATION OF HEAT TO THE MATERIALS OR GLASS METAL' CONTAINED THEREIN,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard Helsby Johnson,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richaad Helsby Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say):-
Hitherto glass makers" "pots" have been made of clay in one piece, and
they have been set in furnaces, so as to allow or cause the heat to play or act
over their outer surfaces, at the bottoms and round the sides, or one of them,
as well as, in some manufactories, over the tops and mouths. Such "pots
in practice are easily fractured or cracked, are costly, and are the cause of
frequent stoppages in "glass houses."
"
My Invention consists in making "pots" or receptacles in which the
materials used in the manufacture of glass are placed, subjected to heat,
fluxed, and refined, of fire-brick built up into the desired form, with a close
packing of fire-clay under the bottoms, and all round up the sides at the back
thereof. All round and laterally from the mouths of the pots there is a flat
surface over which the flames or heated gases pass downwards into the pots
or receptacles through their mouths, which are open, to heat, flux, or refine
their contents.
The said "pots" or receptacles would usually be set in limited numbers, in
an arched or other furnace, and the fire or fires would be separated therefrom
a fender or fenders; the heated gases or flames only being allowed to play
on the materials in the "pots" or receptacles.
by
The Sheet of Drawings which I have appended hereto contains three views
of a furnace, wherein one pot constructed according to my Invention is
placed. Fig. 1, being a front elevation; Fig. 2, a vertical section, and Fig. 3,
a plan or horizontal section at about the line A, B. In all these views like
letters denote the same parts.
Thus a denotes the outer brick or masonry walls; b, the fire-bars; c, fire-
brick fender between the fire-bars and the pot space d; e, the bricks which
form the pot; f, the fire-clay backing; g, the flat surface, over which the
flames or heated gas pass under the arch h, which directs or causes them,
the said flames or heated gases, to act on the glass, metal, or materials in the
pot space d; i, the flue for carrying off the products of combustion to the
draught and escape chimney, the exit being regulated by dampers; j, the
opening, through which the "metal is withdrawn as required.
Flues might be formed under the bottom and round, or at the sides of the
pots," but when these or either of them are or is adopted, the built-up brick
and clay backing must be employed.
Having now described the nature and particularized practicable details

page_text: according to my Invention, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the use of one "pot" only in each furnace, indeed a larger number
than one is preferable in many respects; nor do I confine myself to the exact
arrangement and detail of parts shown in the Drawings, as such may be
altered without departing from the leading features of my Invention. What
I claim is, glass makers' pots and means of heating the materials or glass
metal therein, constructed and arranged substantially as herein described, and
for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Helsby Johnson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
In the presence of
JOHN THOMSON KING,
Patent Agent,
RICHARD HELSBY JOHNSON. (L.B.)
4, Clayton Square,
Liverpool.