CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPLICATION OF GLASS OR GLAZED SURFACES TO NAUTICAL, ARCHITECTURAL, AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1848

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
NEWTON, of Macclesfield, in the County of Chester, Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Seventh day of August, in the twelfth year of Her reign, and
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight. hundred and forty-eight, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said David
Newton, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the
said David Newton, my exors, adiiors, and assigns, and such others as I, the
said David Newton, my exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully.might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention
of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPLICATION OF GLASS OR GLAZED SURFACES
TO NAUTICAL, ARCHITECTURAL, AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained. à proviso that I, the said David Newton, shall
cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be enrolled in Her Majesty's
Iigh Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
David Newton, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described and
ascertained in and by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and the following
explanation thereof (that is to say):-
The first part of my improvements in the application of glass or glazed
surfaces to nautical, architectural, and other similar purposes, consists in the
application, adaptation, employment, or use of glass terminals of a globular or
other form to the mast heads of vessels, in order to protect the same from the
action of the electric fluid, more especially in tropical climes, the glass terminal
acting as a non-conductor or lightning repellant, and also as a telescopic object
of sight on the horizon; and that, for the further carrying out the principle of
electric non-interference or non-attraction, I also apply, to the terminals or
cach end of the yard arms (or other extremities) of ships or vessels, caps or
ends of glass or glazed surfaces.
In the Drawing accompanying these Presents, Fig. 1 represents the three
mast heads of a vessel capped or protected by glass terminals a, a, a, which
may be colorless, or wholly or in part colored or stained, as represented.
These terminals are hollow, having an aperture or orifice b, b, b, com-
municating with the interior for the purpose of preserving the atmospheric
equilibrium.
Another application of the first part of my improvements consists in the
adaptation of glass weather vanes and finials of whatever design, either
colored, stained, or not, compressed, cut, or otherwise formed to spires and
pinnacles of churches and other prominent parts of the exterior of buildings to
act as a non-conductor of the electric fluid, and also adding to the economy,
durability, and beauty of effect in any situation in which glass may be employed,
combined with usefulness and ornamentation.
Fig. 2 in the Drawing represents a glass weather vane. a, a, is the vane
turning upon a pin or wire b as usual. c is a cone of glass placed over the
vane for the purpose of preventing rain or water from getting into the joint
and obstructing the action of the vane. It will be evident that in this and
similar applications no painting or gilding is required.
The second part of my improvements consists in the application and
adaptation of compressed, cut, or other colored or colorless glass to the
purposes of external and internal decorations of buildings and erections, in all
cases where it can be usefully and economically substituted for carved stone,
marble, wood, or plastic compositions, so as to effect a considerable economy
by obviating the necessity of painting and gilding, and at the same time
combine durability with cheapness of workmanship. Among the principal
applications of this part of my Invention may be enumerated the following:-

page_text: crocket mouldings (see Figs. 3, 4, and 5 in the Drawing); mullions and
tracery of windows, altars or chancels, tablets or monument escutcheons, finials
for church seats or benches, &c. (see Fig. 6); capitals of columns or the
enrichments thereof (when made of other materials than glass), balustrades
and arabesques (see Fig. 7); also brackets, trusses, corbels, shields, armorial
bearings (or parts thereof), and the enrichment of cornices, pilasters, or pillars
by glass pateras or stud rosettes, ball flower, cusp, or foil, &c.; also pendants
(see Fig. 8, which represents a pendant of the stalactite form), and bosses
(see Fig. 9); also the ornamental part of the ridge of roofs of whatever design,
either fastened by studs (see Figs. 10 and 11) or in grooves (see Figs. 12 and
13), cut or compressed in convenient lengths.
The third part of my improvements consists in the adaptation and use of
colored or colorless glass keys for what are commonly called the accidental notes
(and usually made of ebony) in pianofortes, seraphines, organs, and other like
musical instruments (see Fig. 14), and in the use or employment of glass legs
or supports for such instruments in order to isolate the same, and consequently
improve their tone. These keys, made of cut or compressed glass, may be
dovetailed internally or externally at the back, as preferred, being of the usual
form above, and may be plated with silver underneath, or backed with other
bright metallic surface, as foil, &c., either colored or not.
The fourth part of my Invention consists in the application and adaptation
of cut or compressed glass, either colored or otherwise, to the manufacture of
letters and numerals, of whatever character or form, to be used for the
description of buildings, streets, trades, professions, &c., and on the dials of
clocks. Fig. 15 represents a raised letter of prismatic form; and Fig. 16
represents a front view, and Fig. 17 a section, of an inverted or countersunk
prismatic letter, which is intended to be let in or sunk into the front or side of
buildings or signs grooved or cut out for their reception; such letters or
numerals may also be let into wood, stone, metal, porcelain, earthenware, or
set in gutta percha or other plastic material. These letters or numerals may
be either set so as to be transparent, or may be silver-plated behind or be
backed with foil or other bright metallic surface.
The fifth part of my improvements consists in the application and adaptation
of glass, either hollow or solid, colored or otherwise, to the manufacture of
enigmatical signs or emblems of trades, professions, or callings, in place of the
expensive carved wood signs or emblems usually employed for such pur-
poses. These emblematical signs may either be made wholly of glass, or
may be of other material, coated or covered with glass, and will be found

page_text: much more durable, and also to effect a great economy as regards painting
and gilding.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Newton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine.
BLAIR, Extra.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Sixth day of February, in the
year of our Lord 1849, the aforesaid David Newton came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
written.
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.