IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Chance, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Glass Manufacturer, and Thomas Howell, of Smethwick, in
the County of Stafford, Glasshouse Manager, for the Invention of
Sealed the 13th March 1860, and dated the 7th January 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Chance and
Thomas Howell at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 7th January 1860.
We, HENRY CHANCE, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Glass
Manufacturer, and Thomas Howell, of Smethwick, in the County of Stafford,.
Glasshouse Manager, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of glass.
We have found that in the manufacture of certain kinds of glass it is desirable
not only that the melting process should take place in a covered pot, but like-
wise that the melted glass should be poured out or cast from a covered pot,
whether such casting be upon a surface or into moulds or vessels; and our
Invention consists in employing a covered pot not only in melting, but also in
pouring out or casting glass.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Chance and Thomas Howell, in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 5th July 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, HENRY
CHANCE, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Glass Manufacturer, and
THOMAS HOWELL, of Smethwick, in the County of Stafford, Glasshouse
Manager, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Henry Chance and Thomas Howell, Her special licence that we, the said
Henry Chance and Thomas Howell, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Henry Chance and Thomas Howell,
our 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 MANU-
FACTURE OF GLASS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
Henry Chance and "Thomas Howell, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the band
and seal of one of us, or them, 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 Chance, on behalf of myself and
the said Thomas Howell, 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.
We have found that in the manufacture of certain kinds of glass it is desirable
not only that the melting process should take place in a covered pot, but like-
wise that the melted glass should be poured out or cast from a covered pot,
whether such casting be upon a surface or into moulds or vessels; and our
Invention consists in employing a covered pot not only in melting, but also in
pouring out or casting glass.

page_text: Having thus stated the nature of our Invention, we will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
The Drawings hereunto annexed show views of a pot or vessel of the form
which we prefer to employ. a is the pot or vessel having an opening at b;
this opening is closed by an inside and outside stopper when the glass is being
melted, as is usual when melting glass in covered pots. When the glass is
melted and ready for casting the two stoppers are removed, and the glass being
"skimmed" in the usual manner, the pot is taken out of the furnace in the
same way as open pots are now removed when casting plate glass, there being
a groove or recess formed on the exterior of the pot, around which the pot is
clipped by the instrument used to remove it. Just before the pot is inclined
in order to pour out its contents, the mouth-piece c, which we prefer to be
made of copper, is inserted into the opening and the joint made tight. This
mouth-piece is for the purpose of separating the glass from the inside of this
opening and of facilitating the pouring out of the glass, and is furnished with
a shield of iron, or other suitable material, as shown in the Drawing, for the
purpose of preventing anything, such as bits of clay or other matter, from
falling from the upper part of the pot upon the glass which is poured out.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Chance have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty.