IMPROVEMENTS IN AND IN CONNECTION WITH FURNACES OR TANKS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Alexander King and John Little, of Charlotte
Quay, Dublin, in the County of Dublin, Ireland, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND IN CONNECTION WITH FURNACES OR TANKS USED
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Alexander King and
John Little at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th July
1881.
JAMES ALEXANDER KING and JOHN LITTLE, of Charlotte Quay, Dublin, in the
County of Dublin, Ireland. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND IN CONNECTION WITH
FURNACES OR TANKS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS, AND IN APPARATUS
THEREFOR."
Our Invention has reference to improvements in apparatus for use in connection
with furnaces for the manufacture of glass, and is especially designed for application
or use in relation to glass furnaces as generally employed at present, whereby the
working out of the melted material may be carried on in a continuous or inter-
mittent manner, and a greater yield and superior quality of glass is obtained than
by any method hitherto in use so far as we are aware.
The first part of our Invention relates to the construction of apparatus for
continuous working, and consists in forming an open band or ring of suitable size,
shape, and material which floats in the molten mass, and inside this band or ring
is placed a bottomless pot provided with a cover and working out hole, and so
arranged that its working out hole will be presented to the working aperture of
the tank through which the operator draws the liquid material.
As the crude materials are melted in the tank the liquid becoming denser sinks
to the bottom and passes into the outer ring, where, becoming more fined, it again
passes into the bottomless pot from which it is worked out.
Where it is desired to carry on the said manufacture on the intermittent system
we propose to use within the open band or ring first herein before described a
second or inner ring, from which the liquid material is worked out, the object of

page_text: the second ring or band being to allow the melted glass to flow in underneath its
sides free from foam and other impurities floating on the surface of the liquid
outside and around the ring.
The second part of our Invention relates to the construction of the fire box of
glass tanks or furnaces.
According to the present practice a fire box at the end or ends of the tank is
usually employed, and we propose to arrange in fire boxes for this purpose a longi-
tudinal partition, so that the fire space will be divided into two compartments
while the passage of the flame therefrom into the tank will be common to both.
This partition is provided with air spaces in a suitable manner for the purpose of
retaining same in a cool state. By this arrangement we effect the following
advantages, namely:-The spreading or extending transversely of the flame as it
enters the tank, and the coaling alternately of the fires in each compartment, so
that while one fire is being coaled the other is at full heat, and its flaine mingling
with the fresh gases of the newly-coaled fire induces the more rapid combustion of
same, thereby increasing the intensity of the flame and heat entering the tank, and
effecting economy in the use of coals.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Alexander King and John Little in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 9th January 1882.
JAMES ALEXANDER KING and JOHn Little, of Charlotte Quay, Dublin, in the
County of Dublin, Ireland, "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND IN CONNECTION WITH
FURNACES OR TANKS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS, AND IN APPARATUS
THEREFOR."
Our Invention has reference to improvements in apparatus for use in connection
with furnaces for the manufacture of glass, and is especially designed for
application or use in relation to glass furnaces as generally employed at present,
whereby the working out of the melted material may be carried on in a continuous
or intermittent manner, and a greater yield and superior quality of glass obtained
than by any method hitherto in use so far as we are aware.
The first part of our Invention relates to the construction of apparatus for
continuous working, and consists in forming an open band or ring of suitable size,
shape, and material which floats in the molten mass, and inside this band or ring
is placed a covered pot so arranged that its working out hole will be presented
to the working aperture of the tank, through which the operator draws the liquid
material. As the crude materials are melted in the tank the liquid becoming
denser sinks to the bottom and passes into the outer ring, and thence into the
bottomless pot, from which it is worked out.
Where it is desired to carry on the said manufacture on the intermittent system
we propose to use within the open band or ring first herein before described a
second or inner ring, from which the liquid material is worked out, the object of
this second ring or band being to allow the melted glass to flow in underneath its
sides free from foam and other impurities floating on the surface of the liquid
outside and around the ring.
The second part of our Invention relates to the construction of the fire-box of
glass tanks or furnaces.
This
According to the present practice a fire box at the end or ends of the tank is
usually employed, and we propose to arrange in these fire boxes a longitudinal
partition, so that the fire space will be divided into two compartments, while the
passage of the flame therefrom into the tank will be common to both.
partition is provided with air spaces in a suitable manner for the purpose of
retaining same in a cool state." By this arrangement we effect the following
advantages:The spreading or extending transversely of the flame as it enters
the tank, and the coaling alternately of the fires in each compartment, so that
while one fire is being coaled the other is at full heat, and its flame mingling with
the gases of the newly coaled fire induces the more rapid combustion of same,
thereby increasing the intensity of the flame and heat entering the tank, and
effecting economy in the use of coals.
In order that our said Invention may be more readily understood and carried
into practice, we will describe the accompanying Drawings.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 2 a sectional plan view of a tank
showing the pots and rings placed therein; and Fig. 3 is a transverse section on
line X, X, Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an elevation of our improved furnace, a sectional plan
of which is seen at L, L, Fig. 2, wherein a, a, represents the air space provided
between the double partition, as herein before referred to.
Similar letters indicate corresponding parts in all the views. A is the tank,
which is here shown as constructed according to the manner described in Letters
Patent granted to us in 1875, numbered 3154; b, b, are the covered pots, the
mouths of which are presented and secured to the working-out holes of the tank

page_text: and the bottoms of which are open and slightly bevelled in section, as shown at
b', Fig. Fig. 3, for the purpose of allowing the pure and refined material to flow in
from the bottom or lowest stratum of the tank. This pot need not however reach
quite to the bottom of the tank, but may be fixed at any suitable depth that may
be desired with a view to obtaining the purest stratum of molten material in the
tank care the rings encircling the pots and floating in the molten material, and
are intended to further facilitate the supply of pure material to the working out
pots, and also to prevent the more crude and less perfectly fused material which
usually floats on the surface of the tank from coming in contact with the outside
of the covered pots, and thereby impairing them. These rings may be formed
circular in shape as already described, or oval, as shown at c', as may be found
convenient. For the better working of our said Invention we provide apertures d
in the crown of the furnace immediately over the covered pots whereby the heat
in the tank is drawn up and around the pots, thereby keeping same in a thoroughly
heated condition, and facilitating the working out of the refined material contained
therein. These apertures may be closed or open as desired. f are the ordinary
feeding holes through which the raw material is supplied to the tank, and which
may be arranged in any suitable part thereof. L, L, shows an ordinary furnace,
and L', L', the furnace constructed according to our Invention. g,g, Figs. 2 and 5,
are the rings which we propose to use for the purpose of carrying on the manu-
facture of glass on the intermittent system, the material being worked out from
the inner ring while the outer ring fulfils similar functions to those described in
reference to the rings c in relation to the covered pots.
It will be understood that our Invention may be readily worked in connection
with tanks constructed according to any suitable plan and dimensions, and that
any number of the hereinbefore described pots may be used, and also that the
arrangement for continuous or intermittent working may be used alternately in
connection with the same tank.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into practice, we would have it understood that what we
consider new and useful, and therefore claim as the Invention to be secured to us
by the herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
Firstly. The use of floating rings or bands, circular or oval, or any other suitable
shape, in combination with the covered pots, for the purpose of carrying on the
continuous manufacture of glass, substantially as herein described and set forth.
Secondly. The combination of an outer and inner ring used for the purpose of
carrying on the said manufacture on the intermittent system, substantially as
herein specified.
Thirdly. The construction and application of the double furnace, substantially in
the manner and for the purpose herein described and illustrated at L', L', Fig. 2,
of the accompanying Drawings.
Fourthly. The use of the apertures d, substantially in the manner and for the
purpose herein described and set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Alexander King and John Little
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Third day of January, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.