IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF GLASS FURNACES, AND POTS OR CRUCIBLES USED THEREIN
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF GLASS FURNACES,
AND POTS OR CRUCIBLES USED THEREIN."-A Communication from abroad
ho Ma Milli
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PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 16th August 1878.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
GLASS FURNACES, AND POTS OR CRUCIBLES USED THEREIN," a communication, to
be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved construction of glass furnaces
and smelting pots, whereby a continuous and uninterrupted working of
the same is made possible,

page_text: In the first place, the said pots are made with a channel on one side,
extending from the bottom inside up to about half the height of the pot,
and opening outward in a spout of convenient length, so as to allow the
molten glass to rise from the bottom of the pot and flow out through the
spout as soon as fresh material for glass making is put in at the top.
One, two, or more of these pots are placed in the furnace, by pre-
ference in two rows, and before each row is a trough or cistern, which
may be divided by partitions. The glass melted in the pots out of the
composition for making the same flows through the aforesaid channels
into the cistern, and is there kept fluid by the flame passing over it.
The cisterns may conveniently be made somewhat larger than the
furnace proper, and then the ends of the same have to be arched over
separately. The fire not acting so intensely at these ends the fluid glass
is allowed to cool down to the degree proper for working the same.
Near the working hole a ring of fire-clay floats in the molten sub-
stance, and from the same the workman takes the glass; the fluid
material consequently entering the ring from below no impurities or
insufficiently molten substances can fall into the glass to be wrought.
By the above-described construction of furnace and 'pots it is possible
to work the same continuously for any desired period.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 6th February 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake,

page_text: "
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 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 FURNACES, AND POTS OR
CRUCIBLES USED THEREIN, a communication to me from abroad by Max
"Mühlig, of Reichenau, near Falkenau, Bohemia, Austria, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, 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 imme-
3 diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, 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:-
This Invention relates to an improved construction of glass furnaces
and smelting pots, whereby a continuous and uninterrupted working of
the same is made possible.
In the first place the pots A, shown in section in Fig. 1 of the
accompanying Drawing are made with a channel a on one side, running
from the bottom inside up to about half the height of the pot (or as
high as may be found convenient), and opening outward in a spout of
suitable length, so as to allow the molten glass to rise from the bottom
of the pot and flow out through the spout as soon as fresh material for
glass making is put in at the top through the holes e. The height of the
spout 6 above the bottom of the pot is dependent upon the quantity of
smelting material which is to be placed into the pot at a time.
If it is desired to prevent a contact of the flames with the molten
glass the construction, as shown in Fig. IV., is to be adopted,
A suitable number of these pots are placed in the furnace, by pre-
ference in two rows, and before each row is a trough or cistern B,
Fig. 1, 2, & 3, which may be divided by partitions, for the purpose

page_text: of keeping the glass from the different pots separate, or instead of this,
several smaller cisterns may be substituted, as shown in Fig. 5 & 6,
where there is one to each pot. The glass melted in the pots out of the
composition for making the same flows through the channels, as
described above, into the cisterns, and is here kept fluid by the flames
passing over or around them.
The furnace may be constructed in two different modifications, the
first is shown in Fig. 1, 2, & 3, the second, in Fig. 5 & 6. The
difference between the two being that in the first plan the grates
or combustion chambers, from which the furnace is heated, are placed 1
outside of the same, the flames entering at x, x, whilst in the second the
grates are arranged inside, and moreover, that in the second modification.
the cisterns B are placed in separate chambers G, communicating with
the chamber H, containing the pots A, by the holes c only, a special
grate being employed to heat the chambers G. The latter modification ]
is preferred, for instance, in the manufacture of flint glass.
In the first arrangement the cisterns B, Fig. 1, 2, & 3 (consisting
by preference of an iron shell lined with fire-proof material), may
conveniently be made somewhat longer than the furnace proper, so
that the ends have to be arched over separately in the shape of 2
annexes D, D, to the furnace. The flames not acting so intensely at
these ends the fluid glass is allowed to cool down to the degree proper
for working the same. E is a shallow cistern between the two rows of
smelting pots, which has the purpose to take up the molten glass that
may happen to rise over the edge of the pots, or to flow out of the same
in case of breakage.
.
Near each working hole d it is of advantage to have a ring F of fire-
clay floating on the molten substance, out of which ring the workman
takes the glass; the fluid material consequently entering the ring from
below no impurities or deficiently molten substances can fall into the 3
glass to be wrought.
In the second arrangement the molten glass flows from the pots A,
Fig. 5 & 6, through the holes c in the arches of the chambers G
into the cisterns B. These holes must be large enough that the stream
of fluid glass does not touch the sides of the same. Out of the cisterns 3
the glass is taken through the working holes d. The feeding of the
pots A is the same in both modifications.

page_text: By means of the specified construction of furnace and pots it is
possible to work the same continuously for any desired period.
Having now described the nature and object of my Invention and in
what manner the same may be carried out practically, I wish it to be
understood that I do not bind myself to all the details of the above
description, but that I claim as new and important features of my
Invention,―
1. The construction of pots for smelting glass, as described above.
2. The application of these pots in glass furnaces for the purpose of a
preparatory smelting of the glass and a self-acting and expenseless
transfer of the same from the pots into the cisterns, as described.
•
3. The construction of furnaces according to the first modification
adapted to the use of the aforesaid smelting pots, substantially as
described.
4. The construction of furnaces according to the second modification
adapted to the use of the aforesaid smelting pots, with separate chamber
for the cisterns, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Second day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four
Witness,
H. J. NOONE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
WN. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)