IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS LETTERS AND FIGURES, SUCH AS ARE USED FOR
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Greener, of Millfield, near Sunderland, in
the County of Durham, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS LETTERS AND FIGURES, SUCH AS ARE USED FOR

page_text: I produce such letters and figures by moulding them with melted glass
in metal moulds. The mould has a central cavity, and all around the cavity
the forms of different letters and numbers are recessed into the metal of
the mould. Each recessed letter or number in the mould is connected
by a channel with the central cavity, and all these recesses are enclosed
at the top by a metal ring, which is held on clamps. The melted glass
is put into the cavity in the centre of the mould, and a plug or plunger
is brought down upon it by a fly or other press, and so the melted glass is
driven with great force out of the cavity into the recesses, where it takes
the shape of letters and figures. The mould is then opened, and the
moulded glass is taken from it and annealed. The letters and figures
are afterwards broken apart, and are finished by grinding the backs. The
central piece of glass from the cavity which receives the forcing plug or
plunger is waste, and may be remelted.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Greener in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 22nd July 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
GREENER, of Millfield, near Sunderland, in the County of Durham,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry Greener, Her special a
license that I, the said Henry Greener, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Greener, 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 lawfully might make, use, exercise, and a
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS LETTERS AND FIGURES, SUCH AS ARE USED FOR
ORNAMENTING SHOP WINDOWS, AND FOR OTHER SIMILAR USES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Greener, my executors 3

page_text: 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Greener, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
glass latters and figures, such as are used for ornamenting shop windows,
and for other similar uses.
I produce such letters and figures by moulding them with melted
glass in metal moulds. The mould has a central cavity, and all around
the cavity the forms of different letters and numbers are recessed into
the metal of the mould. Each recessed letter or number in the mould
is connected by a channel with the central cavity, and all these recesses
are enclosed at the top by a metal ring, which is held on clamps. The
melted glass is put into the cavity in the centre of the mould, and a
plug or plunger is brought down upon it by a fly or other press, and so
the melted glass is driven with great force out of the cavity into the
recesses, where it takes the shape of letters and figures. The mould is
then opened, and the moulded glass is taken from it and annealed.
The letters and figures are afterwards broken apart, and aro finished
by grinding the backs. The central piece of glass from the cavity.
which receives the forcing plug or plunger is waste, and may be remelted.
Figure 1 shews a vertical section; and Figure 2, a plan view of a
metal mould suitable for manufacturing glass letters in the manner
above described. The forms of different letters or numbers to be moulded
are recessed into the two parts a and b of the mould, which are shewn
separately at Figures 3 and 4, and these parts fit one over the other in
the manner shewn at Figure 1. The letters or numbers are, as shewn,
ranged radially around a central cavity c, there being a radial channel
from the central cavity to each of the letters. The lower part of the
central cavity in the lower part a of the mould fits over a projection
upon the bed e, and the central cavity is thereby closed at the bottom;

page_text: d is the plunger, which descends through the upper part a of the mould
into the central cavity; f is a cover hinged to the bed e. When the
two parts of the mould have been placed one over the other in the
manner shewn at Figure 1, and on to the bed e, the cover is turned
down over them, and is secured by a suitable bolt. Glass is then poured
into the central cavity c, and the plunger d is by a fly or other press
brought down on to the glass, whereby the glass is driven with great
force out of the central cavity into the moulding recesses. The plunger
is then raised, and the mould is opened to remove the moulded glass
from it. The moulded glass is afterwards " melted,” that is, highly.
heated in a furnace to give to it a fine skin or gloss, and is then
annealed as above stated; and the several letters or figures after being
broken away from the central piece of glass are finished by grinding,
whilst the central piece of glass itself may be remelted.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim, the
manufacture of glass letters and figures, such as are used for orna-
menting shop windows, and for other similar uses, by the means
substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Greener, have hercunto
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.