Improvements in Apparatus for Making Articles in Glass.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 4th June, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 4th Mar., 1890-Accepted, 26th Apr., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Making Articles in Glass.
We DANIEL PEARCE, Artist, and THOMAS WILKES WEBB, Merchant, both of
Stourbridge Glass Works, Stourbridge in the County of Worcester, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide a simple and efficient apparatus for
use in the manufacture of articles of glass, having a series of bulges or pillars, and
for producing ornamentation between the bulges or pillars, or on other parts of the
article.
The apparatus consists of a slotted table below which is secured, so that it can be
rotated, a slotted disc.
The slots, of which there may be any convenient number, are radial in the table,
and are intended to receive slides, the use of which will be presently explained,
while the slots in the disc are diagonal or excentric, and receive pins projecting
downwards from the slides, so that when the disc is rotated by a hand lever in either
direction, all the slides will be simultaneously moved nearer to, or withdrawn from,
the centre, as desired.
The slides carry thin metal plates, forming templates, the inner edges of which
will be shaped to correspond to the outline of the article it is desired to produce.
These templates may be set vertically, inclined, or in any other suitable or convenient
position, according to the pattern required.
The article is formed as follows:-
The worker takes up, with his blow iron, the requisite quantity of metal, and
blows until he has roughly shaped the article. The roughly formed article is then
placed in the centre of the table, and the vertical or other templates are brought up
round it, slightly gripping it. The blowing is then continued, and the metal is
blown or bulged out between the templates, thereby forming the pillars. When
sufficiently blown, the metal is allowed to set. The plates are then withdrawn, and
an article having a clear bright surface on the pillars or bulges is produced.
This brightness of surface is accounted for by the fact that the glass of the pillars
has not touched any part of the mould during manufacture.
In this apparatus, the only contact of the glass with the apparatus is at the base
of the article, and between the pillars, or along the edges of the templates.
It is well known, in the manufacture of glass, that the contact of cold iron with
the hot glass is apt to locally fly the glass an effect denominated in the trade as a
"crizzle."
In order to minimize the chance of producing this effect, the touching edges of
the templates are serrated, or otherwise reduced in extent, so that the points at which
contact is made will be so fine, that sufficient cold to produce the "crizzling" will
not be conveyed from the templates to the glass.
At the same time, the templates will indent the surface of the glass, and form a
number of small hollows, which will give a highly ornamental appearance; for
example, a serrated edge to the template will produce a beaded appearance, while
oblique bars on the edge of the template will give the appearance of a rope. Other
effects will be produced by a wavy edge or a zigzag edge to the template.
Dated this 4th day of June 1889.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Making Articles in Glass.
We DANIEL PEARCE, Artist, and THOMAS WILKES WEBB, Merchant, both of Stour-
bridge in the County of Worcester, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
In the manufacture of articles in glass having a series of bulges or pillars, it
is usual to employ solid moulds of the shape of the required article.
The glass articles made in these moulds are always more or less marred or
marked, because their surfaces at all points come in contact with the moulds, and thus
have what the trade would call a moulded appearance.
Now the object of this invention is to avoid the above named blemish, by the use
of a simple apparatus, by which the required shape of article may be formed, at the
same time touching the glass to the least possible extent, so that the untouched parts
of the article will have a clear bright surface, almost impossible with articles made in
moulds.
By our apparatus we can further avoid the tendency that glass has to crizzle,
that is to say, to locally fly where and when touched by the mould, by serrating or
otherwise reducing the contact edges of the apparatus, and this arrangement lends
itself to the production of ornamentation between the bulges or other parts of the
article.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of our improved apparatus, and Fig. 2 is a plan view.
Figs. 3 shew in perspective and edge view, the templates employed, and Fig. 4 shews
a bowl which has been formed in the apparatus.
A is a slotted table or stand provided with feet, and below which is secured, so that
it can be rotated, a slotted disc B.
The slots A (of which there may be any convenient number) in the table A, are
radial, while the slots B' in the disc B are diagonal or excentric.
The table A may be provided with a handle A2, by which it can be held while
the disc B is rotated, by means of a handle B2, in either direction, as may be required,
or the table may be secured in any other convenient manner.
Care slides which work in the slots A¹ of the table A, and they are provided with
pins or bolts C, which project through the slots B¹ of the disc B.
It will thus be seen, that as the disc B is moved by its handle in either
direction, all the slides will be caused simultaneously to move in the slots A',
nearer to, or further from the centre, as desired.
The slides C carry thin plates D, preferably of metal, the inner edges of which
will be shaped to correspond to the outline of the article it is desired to produce, thus
forming templates. These templates may be set vertically, inclined, or in any other
suitable or convenient position in the slides, C, according to the pattern of article
required, and will form a kind of skeleton mould or frame.
The table A has a central raised, portion A³, which forms a bed or base on
which the roughly formed glass article is placed, and which serves to some extent
as a guide for centreing the article on the table.
The operation of producing an article in this apparatus is as follows:-
The workman takes up with bis blow iron ✗, the requisite quantity of metal,
and blows until he has roughly shaped the article Z. The roughly formed Z article
is then placed on the central portion A³ of the table A, and the templates D are
brought up round it, slightly gripping it. The blowing is then continued, and the
metal is blown, or bulged out between the templates, thereby forming the pillars.
When sufficiently blown, the metal is allowed to set. The plates are then withdrawn,
and an article is produced having a clear bright surface on the pillars or bulges, due
to the fact that the glass of the pillars has not touched any part of the apparatus
during manufacture.

page_text: In this apparatus, the only contact of the glass with the apparatus is at the base
of the article, and between the pillars, or along the edges of the templates.
The touching edges of the templates may be serrated or otherwise reduced in
extent, so that the points at which contact is made with the glass, will be so fine that
sufficient cold to produce the "crizzling" will in no case be conveyed from the tem-
plates to the glass.
while
The serrated or other edges of the templates will indent the surface of the glass,
and form a number of small hollows, which will give a highly ornamental appearance;
for example, a serrated edge E (see Figs. 3) will produce a beaded appearance,
oblique bars F on the edge of the template will give the appearance of a rope.
Other effects will be produced by a wavy-edge G, or a zigzag edge H, to the
template.
The bowl Fig. 4 is produced with wavy edged templates.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. An apparatus, for producing articles in glass with bulges or pillars having those
parts which come into contact with the glass metal, to consist of a series of thin
templates, whereby the bulges or pillars will be produced with a clear bright surface,
as set forth.
2. An apparatus for producing articles in glass with bulges or pillars, consisting
of a series of suitably supported moveable templates, in combination with means for
simultaneously giving a radial movement to said templates, as and for the purpose set
forth.
3. In producing articles in glass with bulges or pillars, the use of a series of
thin templates having serrated, notched, or similarly reduced contact edges, for
the purpose of preventing "crizzling" as set forth.
Dated this 4th day of March 1890
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.