IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS AND IN THE MEANS AND APPLIANCES THEREFOR
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Seddon Sutherland at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th July 1882.
WILLIAM SEDDON SUTHERLAND, of Birmingham in the county of Warwick
Engineer, IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS AND IN THE MEANS
AND APPLIANCES THEREFOR
The melting of the materials which when fused form glass has been effected
heretofore at great cost. The quantity of fuel used has been excessive mainly by
reason of the low intensity of combustion, the absence of proper direction of the
heating gases and the large spaces in the furnaces which the heating gases and air
had to fill. The feed of glass forming materials has been intermittent and irregular.
Besides, the furnaces have been costly in the first instance and expensive in
maintenance.
Now the object of my present invention is to avoid the disadvantages attendant
upon the present mode of manufacture and to substitute in its place small plant
adapted to work continuously and economically.
The leading features of my improvements which enable me to secure the
advantages last named are the employment of the combustible gases and air forced
into, or either of them forced into, the melting furnace at pressure above that of the
atmosphere, the forcing of both gas and air or one of these into the furnace in thin
streams side by side, the giving of what I call a continuous feed of glass yielding
materials on to the melting tank by feeding materials through ways in the crown,
through apertures in the side, or with the heating gas or air by so directing the
gases and air on to the frit or feed that there is continuous melting and continuous
working, by providing double ended furnaces each end being alternately fuel and
air feed, and exhaust, and finally by employing in connection with the melting
furnace howsoever fed, regenerators adapted to store up temporarily and to utilize
waste heat in raising the temperature of the inflowing combustible gases and air or
either of them
By heating or combustible gases I mean such carbonic oxide and other gases
hydrocarbon vapours as are made from coal in producers of the Siemens type
and
In carrying my invention into practice I employ a melting furnace properly
cooled exteriorly, with a low crown, and feed the frit or materials thereinto through

page_text: the crown, the sides, or by the inflowing gas or air as above mentioned, and force
combustible gases and air in by a Roots blower, a fan, or other appliance, or I force
either the gas or air and cause the one forced current to induce the necessary supply
of the other. These forced currents are directed forwards and preferably down-
wards against the glass yielding materials or in case of working continuously on to
a part of the tank or the materials therein where the melting is effected, the settling
being say in a pocket at one end. The products of combustion are led into
regenerators and the currents reversed in the manner well known. In the best
system of continuous working I admit the gases and air in thin streams side by
side and arrange the furnace with two ends to be worked alternately as feed and
escape, the escape at both ends being into regenerators.