IMPROVEMENTS IN TANK FURNACES OR APPARATUS FOR THE SMELTING OR MANUFACTURING OF GLASS AND OTHER MATERIALS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Wilson Macvay, of the Firm of Sykes,
Macvay, and Company, of the Albion Glass Works, Castleford, in
the County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TANK
FURNACES OR APPARATUS FOR THE SMELTING OR MANUFACTURING OF GLASS AND
OTHER MATERIALS."
Sealed the 18th June 1875, and dated the 14th April 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Wilson Macvay
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 14th April 1875
I, WILLIAM WILSON MACVAY, of the Firm of Sykes, Macvay, and
5 Company, of the Albion Glass Works, Castleford, in the County of York,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TANK FURNACES OR APPARATUS FOR THE SMELTING OR MANUFACTURING OF GLASS
AND OTHER MATERIALS," to be as follows :-
Tank furnaces as heretofore made have the defect that the bottom of
the tank is subject to lifting and consequent opening of the joints,

page_text: whereby the contents of the tank are spilt or lost. Now according to
my Invention I remedy this defect by placing a second or false bottom
under the tank, leaving a space between the two, in which space is con-
tained sand or other bad conductor of heat. For tanks constructed
with air flues under the tank bottom I place such flues under the
second or false bottom, and I prefer to make the said false bottom of
two courses of" quarries" of about 2 inch thickness each and breaking
joint with one another.
The second part of this Invention refers to an improved construction
of the tank itself Heretofore the materials have been charged or put
into the tank at one or both ends, the melted material being worked or
drawn off at the opposite end or sides. According to my Invention I
make the tank longer, construct it with working holes at each end,
which ends, by preference, are made semicircular, thereby obtaining
more space for working, and I charge the material in the middle of the
length of the tank. Between the middle and each working end I place
a bridge with one or more openings at the bottom for the melted material
to flow through; the bridge is made of fireproof material, and con-
structed according to Siemens' or any other suitable construction.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 2
filed by the said William Wilson Macvay in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 14th October 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WILSON MACVAY, of the Firm of Sykes, Macvay, and Company, of the
Albion Glass Works, Castleford, in the County of York, send greeting. 1
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-eighth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heurs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said William Wilson Macvay, Her special licence
that I, the said William Wilson Macvay, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as 1, the said William Wilson Macvay, my

page_text: 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 lawfully might make, usc,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TANK FURNACES OR APPARATUS FOR THE SMELTING OR MANU-
FACTURING OF GLASS AND OTHER MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Wilson Macvay, my exccutors 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 m 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Wilson Macvay, 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, reference bong had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, that is to
say :-
Tank furnaces as heretofore made have the defect that the bottom of
the tank is subject to lifting and consequent opening of the joints,
whereby the contents of the tank are spilt or lost Now, according to
my Invention, I remedy this defect by placing a second or false bottom
under the tank, leaving a space between the two, in which space is
contained sand or other bad conductor of heat. For tanks constructed
with air flues under the tank bottom, I place such flues under the second
or false bottom, and I prefer to make the said false bottom of two courses
of "quarries" of about 2½ inch thickness each and breaking joint with
one another.
The second part of this Invention refers to an improved construction
of the tank itself. Heretofore the materials have been charged or put
into the tank at one or both ends, the melted material being worked or
drawn off at the opposite end or- sides. According to my Invention I
make the tank larger, construct it with working holes at each end, which
ends, by preference, are made semicircular, thereby obtaining more space

page_text: and better facilities for working, and I charge the material in the middle
of the length of the tank. Between the middle and each working end
I place a bridge with one or more openings at the bottom for the melted
material to flow through; the bridge is made of fireproof material, and
constructed according to Siemens's or any other suitable construction,
that is, with air passage through to prevent the burning away as is well
and better facilities for working, and I charge the material in the middle
of the length of the tank. Between the middle and each working end
I place a bridge with one or more openings at the bottom for the melted
material to flow through; the bridge is made of fireproof material, and
constructed according to Siemens's or any other suitable construction,
that is, with air passage through to prevent the burning away as is well
known.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a plan section at the
line a, b, Fig. 2, which is a vertical transverse section, and Fig 3 is a
vertical longitudinal section of a glass smelting tank for the continuous
process constructed according to this Invention.
A is the tank bottom proper, which by preference is made of bevelled
quarries, as shown; C is the second or false bottom which is shown as con-
sisting of two courses of quarries which break joint with each other.
Between the bottom A and the false bottom C, there is a layer B of
sand or other bad conductor of heat, say two inches thick. The falsc
bottom C forms the roof of the air flues D, F, F, are the gas regene-
rators; G, G, the air heating chambers, the air and gas enter the crown
of the tank through the openings I and II, as shown, or in any other
suitable manner.
The form of tank is shown at Fig. 1; it is made longer than usual;
the ends are here made semicircular or rounded, and there is thus
obtained ample room for the working holes K, K, which are four in
number at each end in this case; L, L, are the ring holes for setting;
n, n, are the side flues for the passage of air in the usual way; M, M, arc
two bridges or partitions across the tank, whereby it is divided into threo
parts, o are air flues through the same for preventing their burning
away; these flues may communicate with the side flues, as here shown,
the crude materials to be melted arc charged into the middle part
through the charging holes N, N, and as it melts by being played on by
the flame it flows through apertures m, m, formed below through or under
the bridges M to the two end parts where the glass is worked out through
the holes K, K, either continuously or otherwise. The gas ports H and
the air ports I are situated on each side of the charging holes N, N, as
shown. The gas ports II' and the air ports I' in the working compart-
ments may be used or partially used or not as required.

page_text: When this Invention is applied to tanks made to work according to
to the old or intermittent process the bridges or partitions M must
obviously only be as high as the bottom of the working holes or there-
abouts. By reason of the double working ends I proportionately increase
5 the production of a tank furnace Tanks may of course be constructed
with all or any of the aforesaid improvements, and with or without the
dividing bridges or partitions. Thus according to this my Invention a
tank may be constructed all in one compartment and having a charging
hole on one side at or near the middle of the tank, or one on each side of
of the same, the tank being otherwise formed as set forth, that is, with
both ends arranged for working, and with the air and gas ports on cach
side, the bottom being formed with or without the aforesaid falso
bottom.
I am aware that tanks have heretofore been made in three compart-
ments, and I refer especially to the Patent Specification of C. W. Siemens',
No. 1513, A. D. 1870, wherein is described and shewn a tank with the
charging chamber forming one end the working chamber forming the
other end, and a clarifying chamber the middle I do not therefore
claim simply making a tank in three compartments, neither do I claim
separating compartments of a tank furnace by means of bridges having
a through passage or passages at or near the level of the floor of the
tank, as this is referred to in the Provisional Specification of Percival,
in 1869, No. 3062, neither do I claim simply forming tanks with falso
bottoms, but I do claim,-
Firstly. The construction of tank furnaces with a false bottom below
the bottom proper, and with an intervening layer of sand or equivalent
non-conductor of heat, and also the special construction of tank bottom
with air flues under, same as herc shown and described, all substantially
as set forth.
Secondly. The construction of tank furnaces in compartments with
the charging chamber or chambers in the middle of its length and the
working chambers at both ends, the said compartments being separated
by bridges or partitions, all constructed substantially as herein set
forth
Thirdly. The construction of tank furnaces with the charging hole or
holes at or near the middle of the side or sides, and the working

page_text: holes being formed at each end, all substantially as herein-before set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Wilson Macvay, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Eighth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.